Plus the pick of this week’s news and reviews
The first month of the year drags on here in the UK (it must be the 54th of January by now…), but never fear – our latest edition of First Look Friday is here.
But first, let’s have a recap of this week’s deluge of content from your favourite cycling website.
The week started with a bang, with our take on the leaked images of the surely upcoming SRAM Red AXS groupset.
On Tuesday, we published my hottest highlights from the Velofollies consumer show in Belgium and Warren Rossiter pitched SRAM Force AXS against Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100.
Wednesday saw the arrival of Look’s latest-generation Keo Blade road pedals, while I had the opportunity to put the Keo Blade Ceramic pedals through their paces to see if they’re worth switching to.
And on Thursday, a precious 5-star score was awarded to the GT Grade Carbon X gravel bike, while Alex Evans ran the rule over the Time ATAC MX 4 mountain bike pedal.
On the kit front, we’ve got some high-tech winter-busting shoes, cool front lights, a neat integrated multi-tool and some eco-friendly cleaning cloths. Let’s get stuck in.
Northwave Flagship R GTX winter shoe
The Northwave Flagship R GTX winter shoes are something of a departure for me.
I’ve always worn overshoes over standard road cycling shoes in winter, but now I’m dabbling in the world of dedicated winter shoes.
The Flagship R GTX shoes aren’t exactly cheap at a touch under £400, but a lot of tech has gone into them to help withstand the toughest winter weather.
As not so subtly hinted by the branding, the shoes feature a Gore-Tex Duratherm Kelvin membrane that covers almost the whole foot.
This is intended to offer a shield against cold penetrating winds, yet allow good levels of breathability.
The upper is lightly rubberised with glued seams, offering a waterproof barrier. Northwave says this uses its XFrame2 construction, which is said to produce a wraparound fit free of pressure points, while portions of the inner have a fleece lining for added warmth.
At the ankle, a neoprene collar (which reaches under the upper) is claimed to bring additional weather protection without restricting movement.
On the sides, Northwave has used its SLW3 dial-closure system, which has been borrowed from its top-level road shoes.
The dial twists to close like a Boa system, but has a lever on top that operates a ratchet to release tension in small increments. The lever can also be pulled backwards to release the tension completely.
Simon von Bromley recently found the system functional, but not without its quirks, so it will be interesting to see how it fares when faced with the dirty water, grit, grime and salt we get from the UK’s treated roads.
The Powershape Carbon 15 sole is also brought over from Northwave’s top-line shoes and is the stiffest the brand makes.
The cleat holes are adjustable, and the shoe is compatible with three-bolt cleats and Wahoo Speedplay.
Look out for a full review of the Northwave Flagship R GTX winter shoe, publishing soon.
- £386.99 / $472.99 / €429.99
Bookman Volume front lights
We first spotted Swedish urban brand Bookman’s new front lights at Eurobike 2023 and were very taken by their alternative control interface.
Bookman says the twist knob on the side is inspired by hi-fi systems of years past, where instead of remote controls, touch interfaces, apps and voice assistants, the volume was turned up or down by a good old-fashioned dial.
On each light – the Volumes come in two versions, a 1,500 and 800-lumen model – the dial offers five modes once switched on using the power button on top.
In static mode, the dial switches the brightness up or down (exactly like a volume control dial).
In flashing mode, the dial switches between flash settings, which include a disruptive day flash.
Unlike the vast majority of rechargeable bike lights, the battery is replaceable through a port in the back.
Bookman says the replacement battery units will become available some time in 2024, and will contribute to reducing waste (given only a battery needs replacing, rather than the whole light) while offering bikepackers and long-distance riders more burn time.
The Bookman Volume 1500 has a 4,000mAh battery, and is said to provide 3-34 hours’ burn time in static mode and 6-105 hours in its flash settings.
The Volume 800 has a smaller battery (at 3,200mAh), but offers similar run times at 3-35 hours in static and 6-120 hours in flash.
Recharging takes place via USB-C port, with a braided USB-A to USB-C cable supplied.
Both lights attach to the bike using a Garmin twist-mount interface, and Bookman supplies a standard handlebar mount and an adaptor to fit them under an out-front mount. The lights can also attach directly to an out-front mount.
The Volume 1500 is only available in black, but the Volume 800 is available in three colours: black, white and orange (pictured).
- Bookman Volume 1500 – £131 / $149 / €149
- Bookman Volume 800 – £87 / $99 / €99
Granite Stash RCX multi-tool
The Granite Stash RCX is a multi-tool designed to fit inside the round steerer tube of your bike.
While compatibility isn’t universal, the Stash RCX is said to be suitable for installation on any fork with a steerer tube with an inner diameter between 23.5mm and 27mm.
The top cover and tool housing replace the existing top cap, and the bike’s existing compression plug or star nut is replaced by the Granite’s own compression plug.
The tool, which slides inside the housing once fitted, has eight functions – 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hex keys, plus a T25 and a flathead screwdriver bit.
On the side of the tool is a removable panel, which carries four spoke key sizes and a valve core remover.
Handily, this panel attaches firmly to a jigsaw-piece like point that fills the valve core remover, while the other end holds a small magnet, which helps it adhere to the 6 and 4mm hex bits.
The Stash RCX multitool is available in black and orange colours, with the uppermost lip of the tool housing visible when fitted.
To the naked eye, the orange colouring on the housing and tool isn’t quite identical, but it’s more than close enough for a passing inspection and very similar to my Fairlight Strael 3.0’s orange Hope Tech bearings.
All-in, it weighs only 113g on my scales of truth, of which 58g is attributed to the multi-tool itself (within a whisker of Granite’s 110 and 57g claimed weights, respectively).
- £49.99 / $54.99 / €59.90
Peaty’s Biodegradable Bicycle Cleaning Cloths
It’s the time of year (at least, in the northern hemisphere) when bike-cleaning sponges and cloths become something of an endangered species.
With that comes waste, but Peaty’s Biodegradable Bicycle Cleaning Cloths are said to be biodegradable and made from more sustainably sourced bamboo (bamboo is said to grow up to one metre per day without the use of chemical assistance).
Microfibre cloth – commonly used for bike washing – is also made of microplastic fibres, the likes of which have made headlines in recent years, given their propensity to stick around in the environment and local ecosystem.
Peaty’s says its bamboo cloths are durable and absorbent, but can be put in the washing machine and reused easily, while being “naturally hypo-allergenic, antimicrobial and antibacterial”.
Each box carries three cloths, with Peaty’s wisely opting to make two of them dark grey (it’s far more likely I’d throw away cloths if they were obviously stained, for example).
Needless to say, though, it’s probably best not to wash them with your normal clothes or cycling kit.
- £14.99 / $21.95 / €17.99