Baby it’s cold outside, it’s cold in here, and pretty much everywhere else too.
This week we jumped back to 1962 and the return of trade teams to the Tour de France, and Colnago finally told us what we already knew: that the oft-spotted Prototipo race bike was a V4Rs all along.
We went gravel riding in Northern Ireland, planned for the Festive 500, talked to the inimitable Ned Boulting, and updated our full guide to indoor training apps including some real Zwift rivals.
It’s been a busy one for tech with our review of the evergreen Specialized Allez Sport, an update to our mega-guide to the best road bikes from under ?1,000 to over ?10,000 – yep, all of them – and a look at the extraordinary desmodromic Ren? Herse Nivex derailleur.
Photo: Lizzie Crabb
Meanwhile we’ve given our verdict on the jaw-droppingly expensive Trek Madone SLR and it’s been wall-to-wall bottle cages with Arundel, Bontrager, Enve and Profile Design all featuring. Overwhelmed? Don’t worry, there’s a buyer’s guide coming.
Before we jump into the product, there’s still time to enter our Castelli jacket giveaway and there are also two VIP tickets to the Cycle Show up for grabs.
Haylou Purfree BC01 bone conduction headphones
Bone conduction headphones promise open-ears listening, meaning that in principle they’re a safer option for audio on the bike than conventional in-ear headphones.
The idea is they send sound straight to your inner ear, rather than relying on your eardrums.
We’ve featured a number of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz) headphones over the past few years (read my recent Shokz OpenRun Pro review) but rival Chinese brand Haylou is new to us.
It’s fair to say the PurFree bears more than a passing resemblance to a Shokz product. The overall configuration is identical: the PurFree has a titanium band that wraps around the back of your head, sitting over your ears.
The sound emanates from pads that sit just in front of your ears, while the rest of the electronics and the built-in battery are housed in pods that sit behind them. Even the magnetic charging port which uses a proprietary cable and supports fast charging is similar, as is the button layout.
The PurFree uses Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity, has a claimed 8-hour battery life and comes with an IP67 protection rating against dust and water (which means it’s full sealed against dust and rated for temporary immersion). It weighs 28g, virtually the same as the 26g Shokz OpenRun.
As well as listening to music and podcasts, the PurFree is designed to work as a hands-free headset and offers dual-device connection.
RRP: ?99.99 / $119.99
Brooks Swift saddle
Brooks needs no introduction – it’s the leather saddle maker and its range includes models that haven’t changed significantly for over a century, a unique claim in a fast-moving industry.
Somehow I’ve never given a Brooks saddle a proper go despite a long history of chafing and saddle angst, so I thought it was time.
According to Brooks the Swift is ‘the narrow racing saddle’ although it looks anything but narrow if you’re used to modern plastic-and-carbon seats and actually measures 150mm across.
It’s quite a beautiful object in the flesh (it’s made of leather, so almost literally) with hammered copper rivets, skived sections on the lower flaps, shiny chromed rails and that iconic nameplate at the rear.
At a claimed 510g – actually only 497g on my scales – weight weenies need not apply, but then you don’t choose a Brooks if weight is in any way a priority – that would rather miss the point.
The Swift has a delightfully timeless feel and I’m looking forward to moulding it to my butt. According to a friend, this process can be accelerated by going for a ride in the rain.
I promise I’ll use the tin of Proofide to protect it, however.
RRP: ?154.99
Chrome Urban Ex handlebar bag 2.0
Bar bags are great but do you know what they’re usually not? Waterproof. Usually that doesn’t matter very much – most bags won’t mind a light shower and in any case I don’t tend to carry valuables on rides that wouldbe damaged by moisture.
But what if you want to carry, say, a camera? That’s where something like the Urban Ex comes in handy.
This rather stylish bag uses welded construction with a roll-top to offer full waterproofing. It measures roughly 24x12x9cm for a capacity a bit under three litres with the top fully rolled, but that can be expanded to something around five litres if you unfurl it.
The Urban Ex has two stout bar straps plus chunky elastic straps for the closure and to wrap around your bike’s head tube.
It weighs 236g on my scales including the supplied shoulder strap which can be removed if desired, or simply tucked into the roll-top.
RRP: ?84
Buy now from Chrome (?84)
A very special DIY basket bag
Spoiler alert: you can’t buy this. Or at least, you can’t buy exactly this. But bear with.
I needed (wanted) a dedicated bag to live in the Pelago Rasket rack/basket mounted to my rusty On-One Pompino fixie, something to shelter parcels, burritos and other life essentials from the elements and prying eyes.
My very clever and talented (and beautiful) wife made me this amazing custom bag, with proper buckles and straps and everything. The design was loosely inspired by these instructions from someone on Github and the Wizard Works Pelagazam, and I couldn’t be happier.
I have no sewing skills so wouldn’t attempt something as ambitious as this myself, but it does make me ponder what other bike accessories one could DIY.
What we’re into this week: Six Feet Under
Image: HBO
It’s always risky to revisit something you once loved. HBO’s Six Feet Under ran for five series from 2001 and was one of my favourite things in the whole world as a teenager.
I’m relieved to report it’s aged extremely well and I’m enthralled by it all over again.
The story centres around a family-run funeral home and death is a running theme throughout, with at least one person meeting their end in the opening sequence of every episode.
It’s much funnier than it sounds and much cleverer too, with an amazing cast of characters who grow and involve throughout the series. It’s also redolent of the 2000s, perfectly encapsulating the bubbling anxiety of the immediate post-9/11 era and everything that came with it.
UK viewers can watch via NowTV with a subscription (which is well worth it, by the way) while those of you in the US can head straight to HBO.
Catch you next week!
Photos by Matthew Loveridge except where noted
