It’s been a busy week at Cyclist, kicking off with our latest Pro Log roundup, a trip to the Pyrenees and bumper tyre launch from Goodyear.
We learned how Mark Cavendish has enraged his team’s sunglasses sponsor, got wind of some potential bargains in the wake of distributor Moore Large’s sad demise, and we chatted to Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams for the Cyclist podcast.
Our guide to buying a new chain contained many links and we also took a look at how geometry influences bike handling.
Reviews have come thick and fast including the quirky 3T Strada, the Met Vinci Mips and Bell Falcon XR LED Mips helmets, and the Swift Univox GR.
In other news, I’m very excited about the new bike I’m building. Off the back of absolutely loving the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 I reviewed last year, I’m building up a Revolt frameset with a very tasty custom spec. Keep reading for a first look at the frame and the Hunt carbon wheelset it’ll be wearing.
Oladance Wearable Stereo headphones
Open-ear headphones have gone from being a bit of a weird niche product to a thriving segment of the market. Oladance is a new player and the Wearable Stereo (OWS) Headphones are wireless earbuds that fit over your ears but don’t block out ambient sound, meaning they should be relatively safe for activities like cycling and running.
Each headphone comprises two pods joined by a hook that sits over the ear, one of them housing what is essentially a miniature speaker. This directs sound into the opening of your ear canal, but doesn’t cover it completely. Oladance says its buds use 16.5mm drivers to produce good quality sound, claiming these are three times the size of those in Apple’s Airpods.
There are no physical buttons on the OWS, instead all functions are controlled by tapping the speaker pods, which have touch sensitive controls. The buds offer IPX4 protection, meaning they’re designed to withstand splashes of water from any direction, which should cover normal cycling scenarios.
The OWS is light at just 13g per side and the ear buds are designed to be comfortable for long periods. Battery life is a claimed 19 hours and recharging is said to take 1.5 to 2 hours.
The OWS earbuds are charged via the supplied case but unlike some headphone cases, this doesn’t house a battery of its own; Oladance reckons this is redundant since run time is so generous, but a charging case is available as an optional upgrade for those that want one.
Most importantly, these headphones come in a choice of four colours – this rather fetching option is called Martian Orange.
- Buy now from Amazon.com ($149.99) / Amazon.co.uk (£199.99) / Oladance ($149.99)
Giant Revolt Advanced Pro frameset
Gravel encompasses such a broad spectrum of riding and there’s no single answer to the question ‘what’s the best gravel bike?’, as evidenced by the word count of the guide to which I’ve just linked.
The carbon version of the Revolt Advanced comes pretty darned close to my ideal embodiment of the genre. It’s exciting enough to mix well with road bikes and hold its own on tarmac, but has geometry and clearances that tick the boxes for getting mucky. While it’s a very modern carbon frame, it keeps things relatively simple with no outlandish suspension tech or odd proprietary standards. It’s also reasonably light at 1,144g with the basic hardware pictured, plus 453g for the fork (uncut).
I’m building this frameset up with a Shimano GRX Di2 2× drivetrain, the rather lovely Hunt wheelset featured below, and a smattering of bits and bobs I have floating around my garage.
I’ve opted for 2× as I like the range and gear spacing this offers for mixed-surface riding, but I’m going to be a bit naughty and stray outside Shimano’s specs by fitting an 11-40 cassette rather than the recommended maximum 11-34. Will I explode my rear derailleur? I’m excited to find out.
- Buy now from Giant (£1,799)
Hunt 25 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset
Oh wheels, you’re so round and enticing. The aforementioned Giant will be sporting Hunt’s 25 Carbon Gravel Race (CGR) wheelset.
This rather Gucci pair of roundlings is built on hookless carbon rims with a very healthy 26mm internal width that’s ideal for medium to wide gravel tyres – I’ll be running a 40/45mm combo initially.
Hunt laces the CGR rims to its Sprint SL hubs with straight-pull Pillar aero spaces and aluminium nipples. Hunt says the rims weigh just 385g each – that’s seriously light – and the complete wheelset comes in at 1,332g on my scales with tubeless tape, but no valves or other hardware. That’s actually some way under the claimed 1,380g figure and an impressive number for a wide wheelset that’s designed to withstand being battered about off-road.
Like all Hunt wheels, the 25 CGR is available with any of the major freehub options (including Campagnolo N3W) and your choice of axle/skewer types.
- Buy now from Hunt (£899)
What we’re into this week: Couples Therapy
I love to arrive late to a viral hit and my latest effort on this front is discovering that Couples Therapy on the BBC is absolute catnip for nosy people with a passing interest in the workings of the human mind, ie, me.
The show follows real-life sessions with New York therapist Dr. Orna Guralnik and couples experiencing difficulties in their relationships. I love it because it’s a million miles from low-rent reality TV with its fake drama and endless cutaways. The conversations are real and completely fascinating, and it’s completely engrossing to observe Dr Guralnik’s skilful dissection of people’s lives in real time. It also doesn’t hurt that she operates in a gloriously aesthetic office and has a particularly cute dog.
Catch you next week!
An important reminder: Cyclist Track Days are BACK…
It’s your unique opportunity to spend a day trialling, testing and thrashing the top road bikes from some of the biggest brands in the world, such as 3T, BMC, Canyon, Orro, Ribble, Factor, and more – all on purpose-built tracks.
This year we have two venues and three dates to choose from:
- 15th and 16th April 2023, Lee Valley VeloPark, London
- 4th June 2023, Castle Combe Race Circuit, Wiltshire
What to expect:
- Unlimited cycling for your chosen day
- A free coffee, lunch and dessert courtesy of Cyclist and provided by The Calzone Kitchen
- The chance to meet like-minded cycling enthusiasts and experts from the cycling industry
- Cyclist goody bag
Don’t miss out and secure your spot for only £30.00!
Gather your friends and get cheaper tickets – a 15% group discount will automatically be applied to any purchase of 4 or more tickets.
Limited spaces remaining, so book today to secure your place! Buy your tickets here.