{"id":58561,"date":"2024-01-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/246d848a-3d3b-46b7-a858-baf8a9d6c542"},"modified":"2024-01-12T09:59:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T08:59:47","slug":"boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones\/","title":{"rendered":"Boutique steel bottle cages, pillow-like insoles, UK-made steel frame components and hardy headphones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Your weekly round-up of the best kit to land at BikeRadar HQ <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Jack Luke\n      <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Friday, 12 January 2024 at 07:00 AM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>What better way to celebrate the start of the Tour Down Under \u2013 which marks the start of the 2024 men\u2019s and women\u2019s WorldTour \u2013 than gabbing with fellow gossip gal and Getty race photo sleuth, Simon von Bromley on the BikeRadar podcast?<\/p><p>In our overview of the latest road tech scoops to grace BikeRadar, we discussed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/news\/prototype-trek-road-bike-leaked\">release of a possible new Trek road bike<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/news\/2025-kask-utopia\">Kask\u2019s unusual ear-covering helmet<\/a>, the possibility of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/opinion\/simon-says-7-things-i-want-from-a-new-sram-red-axs-groupset\">new SRAM Red groupset<\/a> and the implications of the UCI\u2019s rule changes. If you love pro road cycling tech, don\u2019t miss this one.<\/p><p>Don\u2019t think we\u2019ve forgotten about the #huck2flat shreditor crowd, though.\u00a0<\/p><p>This week, we\u2019ve brought you a first look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/wtb-bailiff-fat-tyres\">WTB\u2019s oh-so-expensive fat bike tyres<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/bike-of-the-week\/atherton-am-130-1\">Atherton\u2019s lugged trail bike<\/a> and looked back at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/opinion\/orange-bikes-administration-opinion\">influence Orange Bikes<\/a> \u2013 which is facing some financial jeopardy \u2013 has had on the lives of riders across the world.\u00a0<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: 2024 WorldTour tech gossip! A new Trek road bike, an ear-covering aero helmet and more\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/5htzhlgH18Un0WKk1QnBjv?utm_source=oembed\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p\/><p>Elsewhere, Oscar took umbrage with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/opinion\/oscar-huckle-evans-cycles-evans-go-stores\">Evans Cycles\u2019 plan to launch workshop-free bike shops<\/a> and, as if you needed any more convincing, we laid out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/advice\/fitness-and-training\/30-great-benefits-of-cycling\">27 reasons why you should take up riding<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><p>If that isn\u2019t enough to fill your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/advice\/buyers-guides\/best-winter-cycling-shoes\">winter cycling shoes<\/a>, here\u2019s this week\u2019s edition of First Look Friday \u2013 phew!<\/p><h2 id=\"h-hulsroy-bottle-cages\">Hulsroy bottle cages<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Boutique steel bottle cages will be a great fit for the right bike. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Mads Hulsr\u00f8j J\u00e6ger is a Danish custom bike builder trading as Hulsroy.<\/p><p>He produces handsome bikes to spec, documenting his build process in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfgss.com\/conversations\/311701\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a long-running (and excellent) thread<\/a> on the London Fixed Gear Single Speed forum.\u00a0<\/p><p>These bottle cages are J\u00e6ger\u2019s first production product.\u00a0<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-5-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Hulsroy Bottle Cages\" class=\"wp-image-811469\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cages are silver brazed and laser etched. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Constructed from silver brazed stainless steel, the cages have three options \u2013 left-hand sideload, right-hand sideload or standard central symmetrical access.<\/p><p>The cages are rock-solid, gripping bottles tenaciously. The malleable steel construction means the cages can be tweaked to fit different bottles, provide a lighter hold or, should they be damaged, can be bent back into place.<\/p><p>The steel cages are, of course, not as light as an aluminium or titanium cage, but that\u2019s hardly the point \u2013 these are highly functional rock-solid cages designed to last forever and complement an appropriate bike.\u00a0<\/p><p>For a small-batch hand-built product, they\u2019re also surprisingly affordable at \u20ac40 (international shipping available).\u00a0<\/p><p>That\u2019s a lot of money for a bottle cage, but considerably less than similar options from the likes of Silca.<\/p><ul><li>\u20ac40<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hulsroy.com\/product\/bottle-cage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Buy direct from Hulsroy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h2 id=\"h-elastic-interface-watt-d200-insoletech-insoles\">Elastic Interface Watt D200 InsoleTech insoles<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-9-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Elastic Interface insoles\" class=\"wp-image-811473\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elastic Interface&#8217;s insoles round out the brand&#8217;s trifecta of rider touchpoints. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Launched at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/events\/eurobike\">Eurobike 2023<\/a>, Elastic Interface\u2019s insoles are made of the same material as the brand\u2019s chamois and glove pads.\u00a0<\/p><p>This means they are, unexpectedly, very squishy \u2013 if the original Shimano insoles are rough oatcakes, these are fluffy Scotch pancakes.\u00a0<\/p><p>They&#8217;re ever so slightly higher in volume than the stock insoles. This resulted in a tight initial fit with my size 43 Shimano shoes. Once the foam compressed and my feet settled, everything felt about normal.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-11-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Elastic Interface insoles\" class=\"wp-image-811475\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The insoles are very soft \u2013 they really are like a chamois for your feet. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our MEdi<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>I\u2019ve used the insoles for several weeks now and love them. I\u2019ve got gross, bony old man feet and the extra squish provides a soft bed for my gnarly tootsies.\u00a0<\/p><p>I\u2019ve also suffered from less numbness on long rides and they tend to honk less than the stock insoles after a sweaty ride. Should the pong become too overpowering, the insoles are machine washable.\u00a0<\/p><p>The insoles will initially be available to cycling shoe manufacturers, with the potential to roll these out to consumers in the future.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li>Pricing N\/A<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"You Have The Wrong Bike, Here's Why\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PqOWH2EVZZQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h2 id=\"h-jabra-elite-8-active-earbuds\">Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds<\/h2><div class=\"wp-block-purple-m101-in-text\"><div class=\"m101\" data-type=\"in-text\" data-template=\"default\" data-url=\"\" data-text=\"Buy from {merchant} ({price}), {merchant} ({price}) and {merchant} ({price}).\" data-config=\"{&quot;searchKeywords&quot;:&quot;Jabra Elite 8 Active&quot;,&quot;excludeKeywords&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;priceMin&quot;:&quot;170&quot;,&quot;priceMax&quot;:&quot;210&quot;}\"\/><\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-1-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds\" class=\"wp-image-811465\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Elite 8 Active earbuds are claimed to be the world&#8217;s toughest. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds follow on from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/reviews\/accessories\/headphones\/jabra-elite-7-active-wireless-earbuds-review\">Elite 7 Active<\/a>, which we reviewed in November, awarding them 3.5 stars.\u00a0<\/p><p>Jabra claims to have scanned 62,000 ears to \u201ccreate the perfect fit for you\u201d while developing the 8 Actives.\u00a0<\/p><p>We had issues with the fit of the 7s, so we\u2019ll be jamming these into the most unusual lugs we can find to put the brand\u2019s claims to the test.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>The headphones were independently tested by Force Technology for their ability to withstand, among other things, vibrations, temperature shock, humidity exposure and drop resistance. Jabra claims the results of this test, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jabra.co.uk\/footerpages\/commercial-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">available to view on the brand site<\/a>, illustrate these are the world\u2019s toughest headphones.\u00a0<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-3-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds\" class=\"wp-image-811467\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The headphones are lucky enough to be planted firmly in Gary&#8217;s expert testing ears. &#8211; Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Though our testing is led by Gary Walker \u2013 an incomparably talented managing editor and reluctantly knowledgable audiophile \u2013 headphones are a relatively new area for BikeRadar.\u00a0<\/p><p>With that in mind, we\u2019re keen to hear suggestions from you.\u00a0<\/p><p>Our round-up of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/advice\/buyers-guides\/best-headphones-for-cycling\">best cycling headphones <\/a>we have tested includes a range of brands and price points, but are there any models you would like us to test? Or is there anything else you\u2019d like us to cover in our reviews? Please leave any thoughts in the comments below.<\/p><p\/><ul><li>\u00a3199, international pricing TBC<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"wp-block-purple-m101-price-comparsion\"><div class=\"m101\" data-type=\"price-comparison\" data-template=\"default\" data-url=\"\" data-title=\"\" data-config=\"{&quot;searchKeywords&quot;:&quot;Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds&quot;,&quot;excludeKeywords&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;price&quot;:&quot;199&quot;,&quot;delta&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;limit&quot;:&quot;4&quot;}\"\/><\/div><h2 id=\"h-bear-components-standard-steel-replaceable-hanger-dropouts\">Bear Components Standard Steel Replaceable Hanger dropouts<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1601\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-8-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Bear Components Standard Steel Replaceable Hanger dropouts\" class=\"wp-image-811472\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">After a lot of agonising, I settled on these Bear Components dropouts. &#8211; Ande Dallas-Murdoch<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>After thousands of kilometres of happy riding, my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/bikeradar-builds-jacks-refurbished-touring-tandem-cecil\">beloved tandem<\/a> snapped just in front of the driveside dropout on my last tour.\u00a0<\/p><p>I\u2019m not exactly sure why it broke, but the mountains of kit I pile onto the back of the bike while riding off-road probably had something to do with it.<\/p><p>Anyway, such is the beauty of steel, this failure didn\u2019t spell the end of Cecil \u2013 swapping a dropout is a fairly easy job for a competent frame builder.\u00a0<\/p><p>Having made a career as a fussy cycling tech diva, it won\u2019t surprise you to hear I agonised over which dropouts to choose for the repair.\u00a0<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1603\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/FLF-12-01-7-of-13.jpg\" alt=\"Repaired tandem\" class=\"wp-image-811471\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew of Rothair Cycles performed the surgery on my poorly tandem. &#8211; Ande Dallas-Murdoch<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>In the end, and with much input from Matthew of Rothair Cycles, who repaired the bike, I settled on a pair of Bear Components\u2019 Standard Steel Replaceable Hanger dropouts.\u00a0<\/p><p>I chose these dropouts for two reasons.\u00a0<\/p><p>Dropping a loaded tandem is almost guaranteed to bend a hanger beyond repair, so I wanted something with a replaceable hanger. It\u2019s much easier to bolt on a replacement hanger than go through the hassle of brazing on a new fixed hanger (and repainting your bike).\u00a0<\/p><p>Secondly, as with all of Bear Components\u2019 parts, the hangers are CNC-machined in the UK, and supporting a small local-ish business appeals to my worthy sensibilities.<\/p><p>Now, I realise including a small component used in a frame repair is hardly in keeping with the ethos of First Look Friday \u2013 a cavalcade of all things shiny and new \u2013 but I care not one jot.\u00a0<\/p><p>The pleasure of repairing something and making it your own \u2013 all while getting to nerd out with intense research \u2013 is a greater joy than any ill-advised purchase could ever be. As with my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/jack-lukes-gear-of-the-year-2022\">resoled Five Tennies<\/a> and stinky ol\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/features\/01-11-19\">Patagonia running jacket<\/a>, I will always celebrate opportunities to give favourite gear a new lease of life.<\/p><p>The repaired frame is now back in my hands with a resplendent new paintjob and a few extra additional braze-ons to boot. Stay tuned for a follow up to my BikeRadar Builds feature soon.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li>\u00a344.25, international shipping available<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/bearframesupplies.co.uk\/standard-dropout-replaceable-hanger-steel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Buy Bear Components&#8217; Standard Steel Replaceable Hanger dropouts<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your weekly round-up of the best kit to land at BikeRadar HQ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":58562,"template":"","categories":[1,36],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones.jpg",1800,1200,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/01\/boutique-steel-bottle-cages-pillow-like-insoles-uk-made-steel-frame-components-and-hardy-headphones.jpg",1800,1200,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Your weekly round-up of the best kit to land at BikeRadar HQ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/58561"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}