Cyclist
In the Drops: Innovative pedals, bright bright lights, a racy but comfy jacket and The Bear
With the Australian openers now done and dusted, it feels like the new season of pro racing is starting to warm up. Our stories this week have reflected that: we reported on the spicy news that Red Bull has taken over Bora-Hansgrohe, and put together race guides for the UAE Tour Women, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Strade Bianche.
While we keep our finger on the pulse of the racing calendar, Cyclist’s raison d-etre is the telling of inspiring tales from awesome riding destinations, so we’ve duly published what it’s like to ride the Atlas Mountain Race and take on Utah’s red gravel roads in the Moab desert.
Reviews of Shimano’s S-Phyre RC903 shoes, Argonaut’s Supernaut GR3 and Elves’ Vanyar Pro Disc have kept things healthy on the tech side too, so all in all, I think it would be fair to say we’ve had yet another solid week here at Cyclist. Let’s cap it off with the latest edition of In the Drops, shall we?
Castelli Alpha Flight RoS jacket
Aside from those first couple of weeks in January when it was so cold I wore my down jacket all day, every day (note to self: put it in the wash), 2024 has been pretty mild so far, meaning gear such as Castelli’s new Alpha Flight RoS jacket has been perfect to use out on test rides.
The Alpha Flight RoS is a new derivation of Castelli’s regular Alpha RoS jacket, which I’ve used since 2018 and only grown more fond of (the jacket I used to write this review is actually still going strong).
I like the versatility of its double layer construction – when all zipped up, the jacket insulates well and shrugs off all but the worst weather, but should the weather heat up, the top zip can be undone to reveal a built-in, zippered under layer, boosting breathability without sacrificing all protection.
The Alpha jackets have always been spendy, but considering the wide range of conditions they can be used in, there are worse garments to invest in.
The new Flight version is lighter weight, trading in a little insulation for a sleeker fit and better breathability. I particularly like the offset zip, which encourages the jacket to sit flush against my stomach instead of bunching.
Provided we don’t get another cold snap – in which case my freshly laundered down jacket will come back out – I’ll be wearing this regularly until mid-spring.
Magped Road2 pedals
Between them, Shimano, Look and Speedplay have got the pedal market pretty well sewn up, so if a product is going to carve out some market share, it has to stand out (and not be outlawed by the UCI, like those aero Ekoi pedals were moments before the Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur team were due to race in them recently).
Magped’s new Road2 pedals look like a genuine (and legal) alternative to the big three pedals systems. Rather than some sort of clip mechanism, the Road2s rely on a magnet to secure the cleat.
Magped says the magnet is all but undetachable vertically, despite easily disengaging with a lateral flick of the ankle, as you would on regular clipless pedals. Given that by nature the magnet auto-locates when clipping in, the action is said to be easier than in normal pedals. Shaped plastic inserts towards the front of the pedal control the degree of float available.
Despite their unconventional retention system, in performance terms the Road2s should be competitive, for they use a composite body and titanium spindle to boast a claimed weight of 218g. Magped’s cleats are proprietary but an adapter comes as standard so they’ll fit normal 3-bolt shoe mounts.
- Buy the Magped Road2 pedals from magped.com (€189)
Ravemen PR2000 and TR500 lights
Although I know that light batteries have never been better or more reliable, when riding at night I can never shake the feeling that I’m moments away from being plunged into darkness, having misjudged how much charge there is left in my headlight.
Ravemen’s PR2000 model would go a long way to assuaging my fears, because it has an LED display displaying runtime for the brightness level the light is being used at.
The user friendliness extends to a bar-mounted remote too, so the rider can alter light settings without letting go of the bars. Ravemen says the PR2000’s dual beams can chuck out 2000 lumens for up to 2.5 hours and thanks to shaped lenses, offer both a penetrative high beam and an anti-glare, broad low beam to comprehensively illuminate the direction of travel.
The TR500 ably supports the PR2000’s punch by being the brightest taillight on the market, blasting 500 well-directed lumens off behind the rider. It uses an accelerometer to be extra clever: acting as a brake light when it senses deceleration and offering an auto on/off function too – vibration wakes it up, whereas 2 minutes of inactivity will cause it to power down.
- Buy the Ravemen PR2000 from merlincycles.com (£149.99)
- Buy the Ravemen FR500 from merlincycles.com (£64.99)
Ad feature
Elevate confidence and embrace natural wellness with BAZ & CO Skincare
Founded by a cyclist, BAZ & CO never uses parabens, soap, harsh exfoliants, detergents, sulphates, synthetic chemicals or anything else artificial – ever. Their simple four-step routine all starts with the king of herbs, basil. A natural moisturiser, basil increases moisture & reduces roughness, it also contains loads of antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties.
Everything that they make is a celebration of natural vertical farm-grown goodness, packed with a healthy diet of everything your skin needs & nothing that it doesn’t. The range spans from body wash to a 2-in-1 cleanser/exfoliator, moisturiser, and naturally fresh deodorant.
As a February offer, use the promo code cyclist20 for 20% off the range, including free delivery.
Ad feature ends
What we’re into this week: The Bear
I hardly have my finger on the pulse of popular culture so the critically acclaimed Disney+ series, The Bear, is already in its second season, but I’m enjoying it no less for coming to it late.
It charts the tumultuous fortunes of a Chicago deli/restaurant, and its staff, as talented chef Carmen Berzatto leaves his Michelin-starred previous employment to set about turning the place around after his brother and previous owner commits suicide.
While leaving plenty left unsaid for the viewer to divine, each episode fantastically and often uncomfortably captures the frenetic pace of kitchen service interspersed with moments of reflective calm, regardless of whether the settings for each episode are actually in the kitchen or not.
With all kitchen-dwelling cast members having undergone proper culinary training, the acting is immersive and credible. Episode seven of series one, ‘The Review’, is a particular highlight as 18 minutes of its 20-minute runtime were shot in a single take and the watch is all the more engagingly fraught because of it.
The post In the Drops: Innovative pedals, bright bright lights, a racy but comfy jacket and The Bear appeared first on Cyclist.