The penultimate Five Cool Things of 2024 pulls no punches as we take a look at flat pedals from Praxis, a mountain bike-focussed windbreaker from Fox Racing with the wintery theme continuing thanks to Sidi and the Hiemx shoes. On top of that, we've got Enduro Bearings' Maxhit BB and Topeak's Ratchet Rocket Essential multitool. 

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This week has been about the buyer's guides as we've delivered the best MTB flat pedals of 2024 and the best helmets. As well as buyer's guides, we deep-dived into what makes DMR's Deathgrip grips special in 'subtle changes and big differences - Deathgrip2's dev story'.

There's been some fairly strong news floating about, too, as Schwalbe has expanded its gravel tyre range further with the mud-specific race tyre, the G-One RX Pro Race. But the biggest news of the week is that Britain's favourite and currently most successful XC athlete, Tom Pidcock has announced that he'll remain on Pinarello off-road bikes for next season.

The reviews have been aplenty, too. This week, we looked at POC's Thermal Lite LS jersey and Hope's Fortus 30 SC Pro 5 wheelset. Ty has also shared his thoughts on the POC VPD Air+ Tee body armour. But let's get on with those five cool things.

Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential

£40

Topeak's Ratchet Rocket comes in many guises. Some are equipped with torque wrenches, the others are built to be one-stop bike repair shops but here we've got it in its simplest iteration. The Ratchet Rocket Essential is exactly what it says on the tin, minus the rocket but this one's designed to be light and easy to carry.

There's a ratcheting handle and a full range of Allen bits, as well as T10, T15, and T25, with a PH2 wrapping up the collection. That's all held within a neat fabric pouch that closes with poppers. It's simple, made from aluminium and S2-hardened steel.

• www.topeak.com

Fox Racing Ranger Wind Pullover Hoodie

£90

A windproof is a must-have for anyone's cycling wardrobe and the Ranger Wind Pullover Hoodie is designed to appease the demands of mountain bikers everywhere. Available in three colours, it's built from a four-way stretch polyester, and the whole thing's packable, as it can roll up into its own front pocket.

There's the full gamut of drawcords to adjust the fit, and there's an additional passthrough pocket at the front that'll make a great space to keep your hands when it's extra chilly out there. This hood can fit over a helmet and the zip at the side means it can be removed on-the-fly.

• foxracing.co.uk

Sidi Hiemx shoes

£300

We'll forgive Sidi for the rather strange name, but the Hiemx shoes are built for winter cross-country as they boast not only Gore-Tex's eco-friendly and breathable membrane but also the brand's fleece interior. That's on top of what Sidi says is a special anatomical design that's crafted to maintain thermal balance.

The upper features TPU panels for extra protection and abrasion resistance and its shank blends nylon and carbon fibre, placing the Hiemx at a seven on Sidi's stiffness chart. This shoe dodges Boa fastening, instead opting for the brand's own solution that employs a Dyneema cable.

• sidi.com

Enduro Bearings Maxhit bottom bracket

£180

Compared to your run-of-the-mill bottom brackets from SRAM or Shimano, the Enduro Bearings Maxhit bottom bracket poses quite the investment. However, the Maxhit BB is set to be the last bottom bracket you'll need to buy.

That's partially owing to its 440C stainless steel construction and because the cartridge bearing is the bottom bracket, rather than a cartridge bearing sitting inside a cup that then threads into your bike's frame. The result is a design that uses larger ball bearings providing more than double the load capacity than regular BB bearings, says the brand. Then, included in the kit are spare seals, just in case one gets ruined during a clean and regrease service, and extras can be bought online. If that's not enough, this BB is also covered by a lifetime warranty.

• endurobearings.com

Praxis Podium pedals

£115

Praxis' Podium pedals are a revival of the Gamut Podium and, this time around, they're low-profile, and employ Enduro Bearings as well as an IGUS bushing to ensure smooth rotation around its heat-treated 4140 chromoly axle. Made from forged and CNC-machined 6061-T6 aluminium, the platform features a 3mm concave shape and 12 stainless steel pins per side.

Speaking of pins, they're M4 threaded, so they can be replaced with other ready available M4 grub pins and they require a 3mm Allen for adjustment and removal. Included in the box are 12 extra pins as well as 24-pin spacers to help make that adjustment happen.

• praxiscycles.com

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