We're still recovering from CoreBike, and that only means one thing: there's a lot of cool kit on its way to off-road.cc. To kick off this week's Five Cool Things, we've got Boardman's updated MTR mountain bike, fresh Boa-equipped kicks from Five Ten, and a neat tool from Birzman. There's also Wahoo's new cycling computer, complete with a neat 3D-printed mount from RaceWare. 

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• 11 things to put in the ends of your handlebar
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But before diving into the good stuff, let's recap what was published on the site this week. Our 2025 CoreBike gallery is up and showcases a glut of new products, such as Open's U.P.PER. CONCE.PT race-ready gravel bike, Rob Warner's Giant Glory and new things from Hope and Fizik. On the subject of features, Steve unpacks what's going on with the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships as its plans have changed, and it'll no longer be held in Nice.

This week, we've focused on reviews, offering expert verdicts on Silt's Enduro Alloy wheelset, POC's Men's Thermal Cargo Tights, and Curtis Bikes' G.O.A.T, the British brand's first entry into the gravel market.

It's been quiet on the news front, save for the announcement that Belgian Cycling Factory has bought Nukeproof. The company has also hired some old Nukeproof staff, so it's safe to say that the brand will live on.

Five Ten Freerider Pro Boa

£150

The Freerider has been a staple shoe for Five Ten for years, and recently the brand has brought a fresh update, which includes adjustment via a Boa Li2 dial. As expected from Five Ten, the Freerider Pro Boa uses its famed Stealth S1 rubber sole for pedal grip. There's then a quick dry upper, and the brand claims that it's balanced the sole stiffness for walkability, pedal feel, and pedalling efficiency. 

In addition to a reinforced toe and cushioning built into the shoe, Five Ten chose to build the shoe from at least 20% recycled and renewable materials. While we're unsure how white colour will play with the UK's mud, these shoes are also available in filth-friendly black.

• www.adidas.co.uk

Boardman MTR 8.9

£1,900

The previous version of Boardman's MTR went down swimmingly in our tests as it was a wallet-friendly performance trail bike that did its job impeccably for the price. With a recent update, the MTR is a very different bike as it drops the 160mm of suspension in favour of 130mm at both ends.

It's not just suspension where the bike departs from that of old. Its geometry has been overhauled and brought up to date with a 65.5-degree head angle and a 77.5-degree seat tube angle. The large frame we've got on test rocks a 480mm reach with 440mm chainstays – all very solid trail bike numbers.

However, the MTR is all about the bang for buck, and the 8.9 build carries that in spades. For short of £2,000, you get a RockShox Psylo fork, a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain, and decent rubber from Maxxis. That's all wrapped up with a dropper post with a reasonably generous 150mm drop. With the old bike doing so well, we're excited to see what Boardman has cooked up here.

• www.boardmanbikes.com

Birzman Piston Release Tool

Maintaining your brake caliper by keeping its pistons clean and lubricated is an easy and quick way to ensure your brakes are performing at their best. Birzman's latest tool, you won't be bodging makeshift tools from Lego anymore.

Clever but delightfully simple, the Piston Release Tool allows the user to service a four-piston caliper's pistons one by one by blocking all but one piston when pressure is put upon the brake lever. Each of its inserts can rotate to service each piston, and it can work with Hope, Shimano, SRAM, TRP and Tektro brakes with clearance from 11 and 12mm between the pistons. 

We don't have a confirmed price yet, but we expect it to cost around the £20 mark.

• www.birzman.com

Wahoo Elemnt ACE

£550

The Elemnt ACE is Wahoo's latest cycling computer that's made waves in the market for its sheer size. With a 9.7cm screen, it's rammed with technology and features such as turn-by-turn guidance, dual-band GPS, Smart Navigation and a whole host of ride management features.

That big screen is touch-compatible for ease of use, and its battery promises up to 30 hours of run time. Making the Elemnt ACE even more of a bike computing powerhouse is its Aero Awareness feature, which utilises the computer's built-in wind sensor that allows the user to visualise wind and airspeed, giving them an idea of the impact of wind and drafting. An awful lot is happening here, so we'll leave it up to Aaron and his review to divulge all the details.

RaceWare Wahoo Elemnt ACE mount

£45

With the Wahoo Elemnt ACE being so large, many existing mounts aren't compatible, but that's where RaceWare steps in with its 3D-printed mount. Taking advantage of the  3D printing process, the brand has made a mount especially for the large computer to provide clearance between the computer and the handlebar. 

It's longer than most mounts on the market but can play ball with any handlebar. It's also strong enough to distribute the computer's weight evenly, preventing slipping or sagging. Better still, RaceWare offers custom options, allowing the customer to pick the desired colour and even put their name on the mount.

RaceWare is offering a small range of these ACE-specific mounts on the website. The brand is also taking custom orders.

• www.racewaredirect.co

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