In some ways, the Lake CX239 road cycling shoes are a more accessibly priced version of Lake’s premium CX333 shoes, retaining many of the design cues and features, but weighing enough and omitting enough – including Lake’s signature carbon heel moulding – to drop the price by £100.

The fit is less performance-focussed without ever feeling excessively roomy, while the dials’ position and the tongue have been remodelled. Consequently, the leather version of the CX239 is a resoundingly comfortable road shoe that’s versatile, durable and embodies the reliably high build quality you would expect from Lake.

Lake CX239 design and features

In a bid to create a more secure fit, the Lake CX239 shoes now use an integrated tongue, a fibreglass reinforced heel counter and Boa dials positioned further apart. They use the brand’s Competition last, a foot mould said to be designed with high cadence riding in mind, but slightly roomier than the all-out performance Race last. Lake has fitted them with its 80k force carbon sole, which is a rung below the 90k patented double-layer sole used in the CX333.

Riders have the option of Clarino Microfiber or Ecco leather for upper material, while the heel is lined with an Outlast material, said to be temperature regulating. The CX239 shoes have some practical inclusions, like a protective rubber guard and supposedly replaceable heel pads. Plus, since its Lake, they come in a good range of widths and half-sizes.

Lake CX239 fit

The aims of the CX239 shoes are something of a balancing act. The design aims to create a firmer foot hold, while also using a slightly more relaxed last than the CX333 – its older, more expensive sibling – and, to that end, not bothering with a narrow-fit option.

Having ridden the CX333 shoes extensively, the fit of the CX239 measures up well. In a regular size width, the widest point of my foot was comfortably planted and cocooned, with enough volume for some swelling during riding, while the toe box allowed for toe-wiggle room without being cavernous.

The internal padding was ample on the now partially integrated tongue, which simplifies getting the shoes on and off. The heel support rises a fair way up the Achilles, which adds to the locked-in sensation, but won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Lake says it has increased the distance between the Boa dials on the CX239 shoes, but they are still significantly closer together than on the CX333, which seems like an unnecessary differential, especially when there’s been an acknowledgement from Lake that a greater distance improves fit modulation across the foot.

This will impact riders who have lower volume mid and forefoot areas, and would benefit most from having a dial as low down the shoe as possible. This doesn’t include me. Personally, while I am happy to leave a fair amount of vacant room lower down the foot, I enjoy the effect of the more spread-out dials on the CX333 shoes as it effectively differentiates the pressure points and gives you more scope to loosen specific areas on the fly. It’s very possible to achieve a neat, secure fit in the CX239 shoes, but it doesn’t quite match up to the variation offered by its more premium sibling.

Lake CX239: Upper materials

The benefit of leather as an upper material is normally felt months rather than weeks into a test period – especially as it’s more durable. Leather conforms to the shape of the foot more pliably than microfibre, and has more give, so riders sacrifice a small amount of solidity for malleability and comfort.

So far – using the microfibre on the CX333 as a comparison – the leather has fared well. I haven’t seen the same crank scuff I experienced with the microfibre alternative, and the material responds well to heavily tightened dials. Helpfully, the external heel panel is a mixture of reflective and scuff-proof black material.

The materials contribute to an overall weight of 682g in size 44.5 without cleats. This is quite heavy, but only 22g heavier than the Lake CX333 shoes that I tested in 2024.

Lake CX239: Carbon sole

The stiffness of the 80k carbon sole seemed sensible enough to me, providing a thoroughly solid pedalling platform that didn’t produce numbness or painful pressure points with prolonged use. That said, I never thought the 90k double-layer carbon sole in the CX333 impacted on comfort, though it was cradled by a more elaborate sole system. The cleat mounts are adjustable, which makes it simple to pinpoint your correct cleat position.

According to Lake, the heel pad is replaceable, but it requires quite a rough procedure to get there. The material underneath the removable insole needs to be pulled out, revealing the screw. When in use, this walking pad is not particularly grippy, and I had to exercise particular caution when navigating smooth surfaces.

Lake CX239: Ventilation

Lake has included some large mesh vents on both sides of the shoe, to accompany the comprehensive network of dotted ventilation, while the heel and tongue also benefit from a layer of Outlast material, said to help regulate foot temperature.

‘The thermo-regulating Outlast technology uses microencapsulated wax,’ says Lake’s Lauren Ryan. ‘The wax acts like a heat sink, melting when the foot is hot to absorb the heat, then as the foot cools, the wax recrystallises, releasing the heat out of the shoe to keep the foot comfortable.’

Despite this cosy padding (and caveated by this testing being done in January and February) they were well ventilated and my feet didn’t overheat while riding. That said, I’d still use a less substantial shoe for seriously hot weather. The CX239 shoes are suited to the less clement months because – with the help of thermal socks – they kept my feet insulated even with the array of vents.

Lake CX239 review verdict

Lake’s slightly more accessibly priced road shoe the CX239 is a smart combination of trickle down features from its predecessor and shoes at the top of Lake’s range. The Competition last is versatile enough for most kinds of riding, with the stiff carbon sole, tightened heel counter and ever-reliable Boa dials producing a dialled fit. While the ventilation is considerable, the thickness of the upper material renders the CX239 less suited to seriously hot conditions and contributes to a higher weight.

Lake CX239 specs

• Model: Lake CX239
• Weight: 682g (EU 44.5)
• Price: £295
• Sizes available: Regular 36-50, 52, 39.5 – 46.5; Wide 37-48, 50, 39.5 – 46.5
• Colours available: White/white (Microfibre), Black/black (Leather), White/black (Leather)

The post Lake CX239 road cycling shoes review appeared first on Cyclist.

There are few more game-changing pieces of kit – in my lifetime at least – than the Castelli Gabba, one so good at what it does that its release in 2011 saw non-Castelli-sponsored pros buying their own and Sharpie-ing out the logo. It was, and still is, a tremendous piece of kit. Six generations on and this is the most radically different Gabba yet: the Gabba R. 

The headline here is speed. The old Gabba was developed for the Cervélo Test Team as a faster alternative to the traditional flappy rain jackets, but with the Gabba R Castelli claims to have pushed that envelope to a new level.  

In a Castelli-authored white paper detailing wind-tunnel and real-world tests, the Gabba R is said to be around 2-3% faster than its predecessor, the Gabba RoS, 3-5% faster than a traditional rain jacket and 1% faster than the Castelli Sanremo BTW – notable given the Sanremo is a purpose-built speedsuit (NB this is in a regular road riding position, in an aero tuck the Sanremo is 1% faster than the Gabba R).  

Key is a new material from Italian fabric specialist ITTTAI, specifically the shiny, silvery parts of the Gabba, which Castelli says ‘combines stretch-fit functionality with unparalleled water resistance and breathability’. In other words, Castelli has been able to make a faster Gabba because it has found an acceptably weather-resistant fabric that’s more stretchy than the Gore-Tex fabrics of Gabbas past. 

As such, the Gabba R has a skin-tight fit and a waterproof rating of 5,000mm. For context, classic waterproof Gore-Tex is rated at 28,000mm and the number refers to the height a column of water can be when stood on a given material before water leaks through. 

As a rule of thumb, anything over 20,000mm is what you might call ‘properly waterproof’, 10,000-20,000mm will cope with light rain and less than 10,000mm is for showers or drizzle. That makes the Gabba’s 5,000mm water-resistant not waterproof, but to my mind that’s no problem – the Gabba’s deliberate trade-off has forever been to keep riders warm as opposed to dry. Like a wetsuit, getting wet is fine so long as you don’t get cold. Yet it’s because of this that the Gabba R and I start to part ways. 

Castelli Gabba R: Cold realisations 

The Gabba R is impressively waterproof given its low rating, water beading up gratifyingly on its surface, and it’s much more packable than before, squashing down into a ball the size of an orange. But it’s not warm. Its material is very thin, a few steps up from regular Lycra, albeit with large parts – the silvery parts – coated in a kind of waterproofing rubber, or as Castelli puts it, ‘electro-spun hydrophilic polyurethane’ (this is a process where jets of liquid polymer are sprayed onto a fabric). Its skin-tight fit makes it aero, but doesn’t leave much room for air or moisture to be trapped and warm into an insulating layer.  

Feelings of warm or cold are personal and are both temperature and intensity-dependent, but for context my recent riding has been sub 10°C and I found I needed to wear a substantial long-sleeve base layer underneath unless I was going really hard. Decent hills on a cold day and the Gabba R was fine, but going for a moderate spin left me feeling the chill. 

This is something I haven’t come across with older Gabbas, where a short-sleeve base layer would do, but herein lies the rub: Castelli has made the Gabba R for a much more ‘pro’ kind of rider than before, and I’m just not that rider. 

That rider races and he or she stays warm because they ride hard. They aren’t really worried about getting uncomfortable on the bike within reason, because they’re not paid to be comfortable. But they are worried about how fast they go, at all times. And as a side note, they are also really trim in the cyclist mode – I’m normally a medium, I sized up to a large and I still had that feeling of being ‘poured in’ to the Gabba R. 

Given this, in one sense I can’t knock the Gabba R, but in another I think it’s a shame that its design so unashamedly ostracises a certain type of rider, the type I think most of us actually are and which older Gabbas served so well. 

Of course, you can still buy the older Gabba RoS (warmer, less aero), so seen as a special spin-off racing jacket, the Gabba R is very good indeed. So maybe that’s how I’ll leave it: the Gabba R is brilliant at serving its rarefied audience, but as for me, I’ll stick to my old Gabba, thanks. It’s exceptional too. 

Castelli Gabba R: spec 

• Price: £340 
• Weight: 186g (large) 
• Colours: Silvery grey 
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL 
• Contact: saddleback.co.uk 

The post Castelli Gabba R jacket review appeared first on Cyclist.

‘The original Addict Limited weighed 5.9kg, which was impressive for 2008,’ says Scott product designer Christian Holweck. ‘Back then parts were lighter, there were mechanical groupsets, tubular wheels and tiny cassettes. Today bikes are much heavier because of modern components and design trends, so we set ourselves the target of making the new Addict RC hit that old number: 5.9kg.  

‘Whenever you ask your friends, “What do you consider to be a very lightweight bike?” we want the Addict RC to come to their minds first.’ 

Here is that bike, part homage, part engineering challenge, and every bit what Scott set out to create – the lightest production, fully integrated disc brake road bike in the world, a mere 5.87kg on my scales. I didn’t realise I needed a bike this light, but I want one. 

Scott Addict RC frame 

‘Working backwards, subtracting other parts like the groupset, we calculated a raw frame could weigh no more than 600g for us to hit 5.9kg,’ says Holweck. ‘Painted with hardware [such as bottle bosses], the frame could weigh no more than 640g.’ 

If you’re wondering how light that is, Specialized claims its S-Works Aethos frame weighs 595g, but that’s for a non-aero, non-integrated cabling, 32mm-max tyre size frame. The Addict RC, by contrast, makes serious aero bike claims, has fully integrated cables and boasts room for up 34mm tyres (up from 28mm). It achieves all this with a new manufacturing process involving polypropylene mandrels.  

‘Unlike conventional bladders, which can crinkle and leave wrinkles inside the carbon, PP mandrels leave a perfectly smooth inside surface with no excess resin,’ says Holweck, who goes on to explain PP mandrels can also be fully removed from the finished carbon pieces, again saving weight. Yet the Addict wasn’t designed for lightness alone. 

The design brief was to honour the Addict RC as a road race bike first and foremost, the kind Tom Pidcock will ride in 2025. This redesign needed to mirror the ‘well-liked’ outgoing Addict’s geometry while mimicking the Foil RC’s geometry for easier swapping between bikes. To that end, this size medium Addict RC has 29mm lower stack (down to 543mm) and 5mm longer reach (up to 395mm) than the previous version, yet trail, chainstay length and centre of gravity remain largely unaffected. 

The problem is wider tyres, which tend to jack up the bike, push out the rear end and lengthen the trail, so to compensate Scott dropped the BB height by 2mm, pushed the seat tube forward 5mm and increased fork offset to 44mm. This means chainstays still measure 410mm (the shortest Shimano recommends for good shifting) and trail stays around 58mm with 28-30mm tyres. 

The sum total is a bike that handles every bit how I imagine a GC contender wants their bike to handle: nimble and reactive yet stable. And then comes the weight. 

Scott Addict RC weight

The Addict RC is like nothing else I’ve ridden. Yes, the Aethos is as light but it’s not aero and it’s not fully integrated. And though the Fuji SL 1.1 (if anyone remembers that) weighed 5.11kg it had cables everywhere, tubular tyres and rim brakes. The Addict RC is in a league of its own in how it blends light weight and modern living. 

What that league feels like is best described as this: it’s like you’re riding naked. It’s like there’s something missing that is normally there to make a bike a bike, but it turns out it’s not actually necessary. Pick the Addict up and it’s as though someone is secretly helping you lift it with fishing line. Then pedal it and everything from off-the-mark accelerations to side-to-side swinging feels, well… light. 

I wish I had a better word than that, but the Addict is lightness personified. Or maybe deftness. Handling is exquisite in response terms; the bike nips and dives through corners with very limited rider input. Yet thanks to wider tyres the Addict is saved from skipping, holding firm the road in a way that’s often beyond lightweight bikes, which have a tendency to feel skittish.  

That said, because of its weight this isn’t the most planted road bike out there, but to keep the clichés coming, it is one that rewards concentration. The frame is light but it’s also very stiff, which means it reacts easily to the road and therefore it offers greater feedback. That is, you can feel what the road is doing more quicky and precisely than your eyes could ever tell you, hence in essence you have more immediate data with which make decisions. I can only imagine how fast a pro rider with pro-level reactions could ride the Addict downhill. 

How well this bike goes uphill is patently obvious – it’s stiff, it’s light, it climbs like the proverbial angel – but Holweck did provide an interesting rule of thumb to go with it: ‘You save one watt per 100g saved in weight over the average mountain stage,’ he says. 

Riding the Scott Addict RC

Despite the weight, or perhaps more accurately because of it, the most surprising thing to me is how fast the Addict RC is. I knew it would be light, but speed was unexpected. This isn’t a strict speed machine, but I reckon it would compare favourably to the big aero dogs.  

At 45kmh, Scott says the Addict RC is 12 watts more efficient than before and only nine watts slower than its aero flagship the Foil RC. Much of this comes from the frame, the head tube having slimmed down to reduce frontal area by 15%, and the seatstays now twist slightly inwards so they conspire with the rest of the frame to perform more like an aerofoil in the wind than a blunt square. Though not directly raised in a wind-tunnel, such tube shapes have been borrowed from the wind-tunnel-developed Foil RC. 

Syncros’s one-piece bars (essentially the same as before, only 45g lighter at 285g) buy into the trend for narrow hoods, wider drops. So where once I’d expect to be riding a 42cm bar, the catchily named IC-R100-SL bars measure 400mm across the hoods but flare to 43mm across the drops, which in theory helps me hold a naturally narrower, and so faster, shape. 

Of all the tweaks, that’s likely to be the one that will affect the Addict’s speed the most since the rider represents around 80% of a bike’s drag, however I think it’s the wheelset that brought me greatest sensation of speed. 

At a claimed 1,170g the Syncros Capital SL 40s lead the chase up climbs, but at 40mm deep and 25mm wide internally they’re also able to carve usefully into the wind while mating smoothly with the tyres for a high-volume U-shape. Extra tyre width and volume reduces rolling resistance and increases grip, and the Addict is more comfortable because of it. The bike genuinely feels like it glides over rough stuff. 

The Capitals use co-moulded carbon spokes, which are heavily bladed for more aero gains, albeit I feel they catch side winds slightly more. However this is a minor misdemeanour given how stiff these wheels are. Stamp on the pedals and the Addict shoots off, watts delivered efficiently to the tyre, which, being a mere 165g (claimed), doesn’t half help acceleration too. 

On that note, there’s a bit of me thinks 165g is possibly too light and too fragile, and were I to buy the Addict I’d be considering a swap to tubeless tyres. But I can’t deny how rapidly the Schwalbe Aerothans roll, something Schwalbe attributes to both lightness and tube type – the Aerothan TPU-style tubes weigh a claimed 41g and are said to deliver tubeless-level rolling resistance.  

Scott Addict RC review verdict

So good is so much of this bike that I haven’t yet gotten around to SRAM’s latest Red AXS groupset. Suffice to say it was chosen by Scott as it’s the lightest groupset of the Big Three and it works flawlessly. The brakes especially are fantastic. 

Then there are nice touches on the frame. Every major bolt is a Torx T25 save for the thru-axles, which are 6mm, and stuck in the bar end is a mini-tool that weighs just 29g and services both. There’s a neat little clearance diagram tucked behind the seat tube that stipulates tyre clearance, and there’s an option for a different seatpost with a neat and satisfyingly magnet-mounted integrated rear light. Oh, and that out-front mount – it’s printed in titanium and weighs just 9.6g. 

That’s actually my only criticism. That mount doesn’t come with the bike, it costs £99.99 extra, and this is a near-£13k rig already. But aside from that (and the overall price, but this is just bikes today), I stand by what I said about the Addict. This is as good as a bike can be right now, and for 2025 so far, that makes the Addict RC Ultimate utterly phenomenal.  

Scott Addict RC Ultimate: specs

• Price: £12,799 
• Weight: 5.87kg (medium) 
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 
• Wheels: Syncros Capital SL 40mm 
• Tyres: Schwalbe Aerothan 29mm tube-type 
• Bar/stem: Syncros IC-R100-SL Carbon combo  
• Seatpost: Syncros SP-R100-SL 
• Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular SL saddle,  
• Contact: scott-sports.com 

The post Scott Addict RC road bike review appeared first on Cyclist.

Sidi’s new Nix winter shoes incorporate the latest PFC-free Gore-Tex tech and are essentially a pared-back evolution of Sidi’s winter cycling boots. The protective outer combines with a fluffy Primaloft lining to make the Nix warm, windproof and water-resistant, while still offering decent breathability. 

On first glance, the Nix bears a striking resemblance to the Fizik Tempo Artica GTX winter boots, with a sleek silhouette, ratchet and lace closure and cross-top Velcro strap. The Nix is certainly a far cry from Sidi’s previous winter boot models, with the outgoing Sidi Zero Gore 2 featuring a much more intricate upper design. 

According to Sidi’s Simone Favero, the similarities with the Fizik shoe have nothing to do with shared design or manufacturing capabilities, but rather convergent ideas.  

‘We have our own closure system, the Sidi rotor using Dyneema cable,’ Favero says, also noting that the upper construction is different, citing the Nix’s ‘heel tension and a patented Firmor lateral support – a sturdy Velcro strap at the ankle – are designed for stability and protection’. 

The boots combine a TPU upper with a new Gore-Tex membrane that avoids any environmentally unfriendly PFC chemicals. The padded tongue and ankle sections are finished with a ripstop nylon fabric. The sole is a blend of nylon, glass fibre and carbon fibre, with a claimed stiffness rating of nine out of 12 on Sidi’s internal scale, to balance power transfer and ease of walking. The fit is secured and adjusted using Sidi’s proprietary dial and Dyneema cord system, topped with that ‘Firmor’ Velcro-backed webbing ankle strap. 

The Sidi Nix shoes weigh 711g per pair in a size 41 – fairly light for winter boots – and are available in a moderate range of sizes from 40-48, with three options for colours: black, white or this blue with fluoro yellow design. 

Sidi Nix winter road bike shoes: Solid performers 

The Nixes proved to be easy to wear from the first outing. The operation of the proprietary dial takes a little getting used to but is simple enough for loosening the wire lace and securing your foot in place. 

The one-piece ripstop tongue moves out of the way enough for you to slide your foot in without having to wrangle with the boots, which is especially appreciated when wearing slightly thicker winter socks. 

The Velcro top strap secures the ankle well, and the loop on the back of the boot is sturdy to help you pull the boots on. At the sole, graduation marks make fitting new cleats a walk in the park. Initial impressions suggested a well-thought out, robust design, which is exactly what most riders would be looking for in their winter riding shoes – save anything flash for the summer. 

The boots were tested in a range of conditions from dry to wet and windy, and from 10°C down to freezing point. The first ride proved to be a good test – the morning after a severe storm and heavy flooding, with plenty of road spray to challenge the waterproofing of the boot’s upper. During a three-hour ride in single-digit temperatures the shoes quickly proved their windproofing and water-resistant capabilities, rounded off with a wash down with a high-pressure hose that also didn’t result in any water ingress from the sides or sole. 

The one major downside, however, is that my forefoot did get cold, even in warmer winter weather. It’s likely that this is more of a fit issue, with the constriction of the foot limiting circulation. It’s worth pointing out that I suffer from Raynaud’s Syndrome, a fairly common condition related to the circulatory system, which means that I am more prone to feeling the cold in my extremities than most and this may not be an issue for other riders using the Nixes. 

The soles of the shoes were spot on: stiff enough to not be too much of a departure from my regular summer cycling shoes, but with a slight flex when off the bike to allow me to totter around the cafe stop.  

In terms of weatherproofing, the boots work well in all but heavy, persistent rain, when the water seeps down through saturated tights into the shoes by the ankles – though that’s the case for most winter cycling boots. 

Finally, the boots have proven to be easy to keep clean. A quick spray with the hose at the end of a wet ride or a wipe down with a cloth gets rid of the worst of the road filth. 

All in all, the Nixes are great-looking winter cycling shoes with all the right elements incorporated for a warm, dry and breathable winter cycling experience. For me, however, they are slightly limited by their narrow fit. Sidi shoes tend to be a good option for the skinny-footed rider; those with wider feet may need to shop elsewhere. 

Sidi Nix winter road bike shoes: specs 

• Price: £299 
• Weight: 711g (size 40) 
• Sizes available: 40-48 (full sizes) 
• Colours available: Black, white, blue/yellow 
• Contact: saddleback.co.uk 

The post Sidi Nix winter road bike shoes review appeared first on Cyclist.

Formula 1 and the bike industry have closer ties than you’d initially assume – Specialized has worked with McLaren, J.Laverack makes the .1R with Aston Martin and BMC has long since been involved with Red Bull. Or more specifically, Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT), the company’s engineering consultancy division. Its latest bike, the Teammachine R, is the result of the two brands’ most extensive collaboration yet.

‘The relationship has developed over about five years,’ says Stefan Christ, BMC’s head of R&D. ‘It the start it was quite general – exchanging and evaluating any technologies we thought could benefit the other. Then things naturally coalesced around making race bikes.’

BMC isn’t short of engineering experience, but given the scale of RBAT, it could bring a level of resources – analysis software, facilities and engineering manpower – to bear that would be financially impossible for BMC to obtain on its own.

‘They are also outside of the bike industry, so can approach problems with fresh perspective,’ says Christ. ‘We saw employing them as a way to better our Teammachine SLR, which we consider as a benchmark race bike.’

BMC set some pretty stringent objectives. The new bike had to be faster than BMC’s previous aero bike, the Timemachine R, and best the stiffness of the Teammachine SLR, but do so while staying within 50g of that bike’s weight. Otherwise though, RBAT was given free-rein, and its influence appears to be substantial because the result, at least visually, is something decidedly un-BMC.

The Teammachine R is a lot more angular and finessed than the collection of clean lines that have come to characterise BMC bikes for the last decade and more. There’s no doubting the efficacy of BMC’s previous models – simple shapes and design solutions are often the best – but there’s more of a sense that the Teammachine R has been sculpted by the wind itself. Christ is reticent to label it an aero bike though.

‘They often concede weight and handling performance,’ he says. ‘Our new bike does neither; it’s our definition of the best all-round race bike.’

From the front

The bike’s leading edge, being responsible for the bulk of its aero performance, provides the starkest example of RBAT’s impact. The fork has a flared, shallow crown that tapers into wide-stance legs. BMC dubs it the Halo fork, in reference to the halo structural feature that protects drivers in the cockpits of F1 cars.

‘We went wide with the fork because it creates space for the turbulent air, created by the rotating front wheel, to pass through the area and more smoothly onto the frame,’ says Christ. ‘A bigger gap between fork and wheel also improves stability at a wider range of wind angles out on the road.’

Despite acres of space left and right, the crown presses low over the top of the tyre, limiting clearance to 30mm.

The head tube is a similar departure from BMC’s usual design language, moving to a heavily waisted profile than extends rearward significantly, instead of the Coke can-like silhouette BMC has favoured before for stiffness reasons.

‘This was where RBAT earnt its keep,’ says Christ. ‘Within the frameset dimensions, a huge amount of work went into composite layup research – reducing overlap, optimising placement angles and fibre type usage – to ensure our stiffness and weight targets could still be met, despite the move away from our proven design rationales. The Teammachine R is made from 350 carbon plies and takes our staff four hours just to assemble in the moulds.’

The ‘Marianna’ bottom bracket junction – ‘so deep we named it after the trench’, according to Christ – links the adjoining tubes in webbing-like fashion, creating a massive cross section thanks to BMC standing by the now-unfashionable BB86 standard. Given the width that standard allows both stiffness and airflow across the rear of the bike is improved (the shell can be 86mm wide, as opposed to being limited to 68mm if, for example, the BSA standard was opted for). There’s even a little fairing-like nubbin that extends off the bottom of the junction to help guide air across the lower portion of the rear wheel. There isn’t much RBAT hasn’t thought of to make this bike fast.

That said, for all the original features the collaboration introduced, BMC was still able to deploy certain elements of its own creation, such as the ‘Aerocore’ bottle cages that smooth the transition between tube and bottle, plus the narrow ICS Aero cockpit debuted on the brand’s fantastic Kaius gravel bike.

Paired with the same rectangular steerer used on most of BMC’s modern drop bar bikes (which facilitates brake hoses travelling inside the top headset bearing), the brand is able to hide cables incredibly cleanly, although their fully-internal nature does make the aspects of the bike’s front end harder to service. Interestingly, the cockpit is available in just one width (36cm at the hoods, with flared drops) to encourage a body position aggressive enough to support the premise of the frameset. However, it is at least available in stem lengths from 80mm up to 140mm, and BMC will work with dealers to ensure the correct length is built onto the customer’s bike.

The seatpost is a picture-perfect kamm-tail in cross-section, with Christ saying it was made as light and thin as possible while still being able to accommodate a Shimano Di2 battery, and the wheel/tyre combination is similarly aero-focussed.

DT Swiss’ ARC 1100s are proven stiff, fast, and well-built wheels, but their 20mm internal width is on the narrow side for such a modern bike. Correspondingly (because tyres must pair appropriately with rim width), the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR SL tyres promise low rolling resistance and good grip but are limited to 26mm in size.

‘We optimised for 26-28mm tyres,’ says Christ. ‘We sell with 26mm because that’s what the DT wheels are designed around, but our racing team is on 28mm. Above 28mm wide tyres we started to see compromises in aero performance.’

Setting out boundaries

RBAT approaching bike design with no preconceived notions is an advantage in plenty of ways, but strict guidance in some areas was necessary to provide the ride characteristics BMC wanted.

‘Geometry was one of the only areas that wasn’t up for debate,’ says Christ. ‘The Teammachine R is basically identical to the SLR, as we’ve refined that for years.’

That means fit geometry on a size 56 is based around a racy but not extreme stack and reach of 563mm and 393mm respectively (this is about average for a bike in this category), but combined with a more idiosyncratic handling geometry. BMC pairs a 72.3 head tube angle with 43mm of fork offset. With 26mm tyres, this creates a trail of 63mm, which would increase further if bigger, more practical tyres were used.

Not especially tight 410mm chainstays then contribute to a wheelbase 1mm shy of a metre. Both trail and wheelbase are long in comparison to rivals, suggesting the Teammachine R, despite being aggressive in most other respects, should handle more conservatively.

‘A twitchy bike will feel faster, but won’t necessarily give its rider the confidence to actually go faster,’ says Christ.

So it was when I was able to spend some time aboard the bike. Manoeuvring through technical urban roads and traffic to get onto the quieter roads that form the meat of my rides was a subdued experience versus a bike with tighter geometry, which generally feels more engaging in the same setting. However, once into my rides proper and up to speed, the Teammachine R’s stretched out handling made it stable and afforded plenty of confidence on twisting descents despite the narrow tyres.

A rarer attribute that I picked up on though was the bike’s performance when getting to those descents in the first place. It seemed to ease up the draggy climbs that I generally dread. You know the ones: middling in both length and gradient, where no matter how good your legs are that day, you just feel slow. Not steep enough for a lightweight bike to make its presence (or rather, lack of it) known, but not flat enough for there to be any tangible sense of help from an aero bike. The Teammachine R’s superbly balanced combination of both light weight and aero qualities came into their own in these situations, and I felt like I was riding faster than I had much right to do.

No free lunch

While false flats are the BMC Teammachine R’s bread and butter, I doubt it gives up much ground to full-blown aero bikes elsewhere either, but would say that speed is owed in large part to its narrow bars. I liked the ICS Aerocockpit on the brand’s Kaius gravel bike but think their application here is even more appropriate. Their flattened tops are not so elongated that they aren’t comfortable to hold, and their drops are nice and compact, with a little flare for extra width as an antidote to that narrow hoods position.

On a road race bike as opposed to a gravel one, they are reminiscent of the Pinarello Dogma F’s or Trek Madone’s bar shape, in that they encourage the rider to tuck in and down, presumably significantly decreasing their frontal area. For all its collaboration with Red Bull and tuned tube profiles, this one feature is probably the most effective aero trick the Teammachine R possesses. Narrow but ergonomic bars are anything but ubiquitous on stock bikes though, so BMC still deserve significant credit for pulling it off.

The Teammachine R creating a similar ride position as the Madone fosters a similar sense of ease at achieving and maintaining high speeds, but I would say the extreme architecture of the Madone’s back end, with its cantilevered seat tube, does produce more comfort. Tellingly BMC makes no comfort claims about the Teammachine R, and indeed the bike’s ride quality had me feeling particularly attuned to the road surface, to put it politely.

Thankfully the bars deploy some carbon layup trickery to be stiff under torque but somewhat flexible under vertical loads, means the front was a little more forgiving, but neither end was helped but the speccing of what I think, in this day and age, are inexcusably narrow tyres. The 26mm Pirellis are racy, being light and feeling supple, but inherently just don’t provide enough volume to give the frameset the help it needs in soaking up bumps.

The stock-supplied tyres might be suitable for road racers on smooth courses (although, as Christ says, even the BMC-sponsored Tudor Pro Cycling team uses 28mm tyres) but for normal riders on typical road surfaces they simply aren’t the best or fastest option. I appreciate the bike is aimed at racers, but I would have preferred BMC to spec wider tyres as standard so the rider gets a more practical tyre size initially and can size down if they want to. I think doing it this way would suit more people straight off the bat than the way it is currently.

That said, tyre clearance is still uncommonly limited. In an age when Tadej Pogačar is winning back-to-back Grand Tours on tyres with measured widths upwards of 32mm, on wheels using a 25mm internal width, I can’t see much justification in an overall performance sense for BMCs setup being faster.

BMC argues that this is the fastest pairing for the frameset, and while it’s encouraging to see them take such a cohesive approach to the Teammachine R’s design, I’d counter that the design should have been geared around more contemporary tyre sizes in the first place. Aero performance can’t be considered in isolation when comfort, grip and rolling resistance all make undeniable contributions to performance and are generally improved with more tyre volume.

It’ll find fans

Perhaps my perspective in the tyre region indicates that the BMC Teammachine R, despite how much I enjoyed riding it generally, isn’t the bike for me. I’m no racer, after all, and Christ confirms this isn’t a bike for everyone.

‘Some enthusiasts may find the Teammachine R a bit harsh,’ he says. ‘It’s the reason we introduced this alongside the SLR, instead of replacing it.’

And if, like me, more tyre clearance is your thing, BMC’s recently renovated Roadmachine has it by the bucketful, ensuring there should be a road bike for everyone in the Swiss brand’s range these days. Provided you’ve got deep pockets, of course.

• To find out more about the BMC Teammachine R 01 One, visit bmc-switzerland.com

BMC Teammachine R 01 One spec

The post BMC Teammachine R 01 One road bike review  appeared first on Cyclist.

The Brompton G Line is the legendary folding bike brand‘s radical new model. It was launched in 2024, with larger 20-inch wheels and a redesigned, larger frame to fit around them, as well as disc brakes and off-road tyres that the brand says makes it a viable option for more than just the commute, and even gravel riding.

It’s a big departure for Brompton, which has made the same 16in wheel bike – albeit with spec and material variations – since the company began in the 1970s, but the theory is the same, just sized up and with some important performance tweaks.

I was given the opportunity to test the road-going build with slick tyres and, despite the obvious folded size and weight negatives in comparison with the other Bromptons, the ride quality is excellent, it’s more capable and it should still be compact enough for many people.

The Brompton G Line starts from £2,399 / €2,849 for the non-electric bike without the Roller Frame; with the Roller Frame prices start from £2,499 / €2,969 / $3,300.

Brompton G Line development

After half a century building bikes with 16-inch wheels, making the G Line was a bold step, but the view was that it had the potential to reach a different customer base than the existing loyal – and international – Brompton owners. Whereas the smaller bike is popular in big cities, where space is at a premium – especially in Asia – the G Line’s more versatile performance claims theoretically makes it more fitting for city-dwellers just a train ride or car drive away from the great outdoors.

The journey began with the simple proposition: how could they get 20in wheels on a Brompton? Tom Kerr, G Line design lead, explained the full development and prototyping process to me in this article, but the tl;dr version: step one was getting big wheels on and it not being too crazy; step two was a fleet of prototypes with different geometries to find the right balance; step three was finding the right componentry for the job and refining the folding process; step four was proving they could build it in the factory.

The final product is certainly different, however it still looks like a Brompton and folds like a Brompton.

There are suggestions from Brompton that this isn’t the final product, however, and that, much like the smaller bike, it’s a platform to do different things with. Brompton was tight lipped about what that meant, but I would expect a heavier lean into the adventure side and a lightweight build á la the titanium T Line, at the very least.

Brompton G Line build

The bigger frame opened up new build possibilities for Brompton. While the smaller bikes had a wealth of proprietary technology involved, including in the drivetrain, the size of the G Line meant Brompton has been able to use Shimano Alfine hub gears, saving space in the fold that a cassette (especially with eight gears) would take up, keeping required maintenance down, and bringing reliable performance that didn’t need extra development or experimentation in the design process.

The shifting is done through Microshift trigger shifters, which are intuitive to use, and there’s a dial so you know what gear you’re in.

Another big departure from the rest of Brompton’s range is the addition of disc brakes, which will not only help those who do plan to take the G Line off-road, but also inner-city commuters considering the extra stopping control disc brakes bring in all weather conditions. For this, Brompton signed up Tektro to supply the parts, with 140mm rotors.

Then there’s the tyres, probably the most understated development of the bike judging from the coverage it received at launch. Even ignoring the gravel-ready build with the Schwalbe G One tyres, the urban G Line here is also fitted with 50mm tyres, up from the 35mm standard for smaller Bromptons. In general, this allows riders to run lower tyre pressures, adding comfort and grip. And if you are going for the gravel setup, the Schwalbe tyres come tubeless-ready, which is a big plus from me.

Elsewhere the G Line’s size means Brompton has also been able to add further comfort-focussed features, including wide handlebars with ergonomic grips and wide pedals.

Brompton G Line geometry

The new-for-Brompton size means the team has had to figure out a new bike’s geometry for the first time in decades. It also means that while most Bromptons come in one size only, the G Line has three sizes.

However there aren’t many changes between the small, medium and large options, only the stem and seatpost change, and the seatpost is more adjustable the bigger the size.

My G Line was a size large, so came with the telescopic seatpost, which has two quick release adjustment points, which is necessary to be able to hide the full length inside the seat tube so the fold isn’t compromised.

I’m about 188cm tall and didn’t actually require the full telescopic extension. as I got the length I needed from the end of the first section.

Riding (and using) the Brompton G Line

It might look like and fold like a 16in Brompton, but it rides nearer to a full size hybrid bike. The increased stack height from the raised bars means you sit much more upright than a smaller Brompton, which I personally prefer for the riding I was doing on it.

Unlike most reviewers, I was riding the full Urban setup of the G Line as opposed to the adventure build with the gravel tyres, so I found it very easy to make a direct comparison with the 16in-wheeled Brompton bikes.

From a pure riding point of view, I found the G Line far superior. It’s more comfortable and more capable, even just riding on tarmac. The big tyres made the bike more comfortable, the disc brakes offered more confident and repeatable stopping power, and the gearing is ideal for the riding I do in the city (hills included).

One thing that stuck with me from talking to Tom Kerr, the G Line design lead, was that he mentioned the G Line has proven that certain design and build features are possible on a Brompton and may therefore be implemented on the smaller bikes.

The other side to the Brompton is that its function when not being ridden is just as important. And that’s where you’re always going to struggle slightly when comparing a bigger bike to a smaller bike. Unsurprisingly the G Line is heavier and less compact when folded.

I weighed this size large with the roller frame and lights at 14.9kg. That obviously makes it less favourable than smaller Bromptons to carry up or down stairs to the train or into an apartment, but I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker.

Its folded size is 72cm (depth) x 67cm (height) x 41cm (width). If you have that space then, again, it’s not a dealbreaker, but a large number of Brompton’s existing customer base will have bought the smaller bike because they want to save extra centimetre possible, and it would definitely make it harder to travel on a rush hour train. I found the awkwardness of carrying its larger dimensions more of an issue than the weight.

However, that’s why the company expects this is for a different audience. It is still easy to take on a train when it’s not overly crowded, and it’s very easy to pack into a car.

Most importantly, it’s still incredibly easy to fold, and on top of that, the roller frame – which has been refined for the G Line – works very well (just don’t let go of it on an incline).

Brompton G Line review verdict

In isolation, the Brompton G Line is an excellent bike. It folds brilliantly, it rides brilliantly, and it’s obviously more compact than a full-size bike.

The only question is its audience. I expect there to be some take up with the Brompton superfans across the world, but whether it can successfully capture the new target consumer will, I think, be make or break given the news of the company’s drastic drop in profits. And it faces much more competition among those people than it does with the 16-inch bikes.

The extra size and weight will certainly put some customers off. That said, if I were in the market for a folding bike and didn’t need to go as small as the other Bromptons, I would not hesitate to get a G Line. I would, however, get the build with gravel tyres, because that would only add to this bike’s capability.

• Buy the Brompton G Line Urban now from Edinburgh Bike Coop (£2,499)

The post Brompton G Line Urban review appeared first on Cyclist.

The Velocio Mens One Jacket is a versatile rain layer with an unfussy design. The fit is usefully slim without being tight, so it can be used in different riding scenarios.

The Polartec Power Shield Pro material provides good protection from the elements and is part of a fabric that feels delightfully soft and comfortable compared to other rain jackets on test. The only real drawbacks are that it isn’t particularly light or packable, and the pocket design is slightly flawed.

Velocio One Jacket design and specs

Velocio has partnered with Polartec on the One Jacket, which is billed as a do-everything jacket for mild and poor weather riding. Polartec’s PFAS-free Power Shield Pro material is used by brands including Le Col, Sportful and Castelli, and uses a plant-based alternative to nylon, Biolon, which is said to be breathable, windproof and waterproof.

Numbers-wise, Polartec’s material has a strong 20k hydrostatic head waterproof rating, plus a DWR treatment. In terms of breathability, 20,000g of water can pass through a 1m² section over 24 hours. There are three rear pockets, a two-ended zipper with a windblocking panel and Velocio says the jacket works well down to 0°C.

Velocio One Jacket performance

The Velocio One has a simple, understated design, and most elements work together as intended. Unlike Velocio’s cold weather-focussed jacket, the One Jacket functions admirably as an all-round riding layer that is as useful on mild dry days as it is on drizzly, persistent rides.

I found the Polartec Power Shield Pro material worked well. The windproof material, supplemented by light fleecing on the raised neck and the fabric panel over the zipper, blocked out the majority of cold gusts, and the waterproofing was also good. Sporadic rain was no issue, with the DWR working well to shrug off rain droplets, and the waterproofing was effective for longer spells of rain.

The breathability was comparable with jackets that use Pertex or Gore-Tex membranes, only really struggling to evacuate warm air when the conditions were particularly wet and the riding was intensive. The two-way zipper was very useful for brief sunny spells.

The inclusion of three unzipped pockets was welcome, however, unlike the Castelli Perfetto RoS 2, which has some helpful plugs stitched into the pockets to allow water to escape, the pockets of the Velocio One simply fill up with water, which eventually then seeps through the fabric. Because of the way the fabric folds at the bottom of the pocket, it’s possible to cut some hidden holes yourself, but that’s hardly ideal and bad for long-term durability.

The material differs from many of the jackets tested recently as it’s more of a softshell than an audibly crinkly rain shell like the Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket, the Gorewear Spinshift or the Rapha Gore-Tex Rain Jacket. It feels smooth, more fabric-like and both softer and warmer on the skin than any of the other jackets I’ve tested.

By producing eight sizes, Velocio makes it very likely that riders will be able to achieve a good fit. I’m a size Large 95% of the time (188cm, 84kg) and that carried through neatly to the Velocio sizing. In fact, the fit is one of the jacket’s strongest suits, positioning the One as a jacket that is appropriate for both full-gas riding or gentle cafe days.

The half-elasticated sleeves perfectly overlap with my gloves, the chest and shoulders are fitted without cramping movement, the raised collar leaves enough space for a buff, the front hem overlaps with my bibs, while the thickly elasticated tail panel provides significant cover without tipping into cape territory. Combined, these features give the Velocio One a classy and timeless look.

At 270g in a Large it is heavier than some of the thinner shells I’ve tested, and doesn’t pack as down as small either, owing to the more substantial overall build. The branding on the central pocket provides a small amount of reflective visibility, but it is minimal.

Velocio One Jacket review verdict

The Velocio One is a very well-designed rain and cold weather jacket with fantastic build quality. It doesn’t just protect against bad weather effectively, it also feels incredibly comfortable on exposed skin and has classic, timeless looks.

Velocio has done brilliantly with the cut of the sleeves, collar and torso. There is almost no spare fabric, but it isn’t uncomfortably snug, which makes it particularly versatile. It isn’t the lightest or the most packable, and you might want to punch your own holes in the pocket buckets, but those are small drawbacks to an otherwise excellent rain jacket.

• Buy from Velocio for £276

The post Velocio One Jacket review appeared first on Cyclist.

The Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket is a thoroughly well-made and largely weatherproof layer that has good reflective detailing and comes in an array of colours.

The fit and sizing don’t quite map to Gorewear’s second-skin claims, though a workable fit is certainly achievable. The lack of a double-zipper and more tail coverage is a shame, but the Spinshift is more affordable than some of the competition, and remains a very serviceable rain jacket with improved environmental credentials versus older models.

Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket design and specs

As a successor to the category-defining Shakedry jacket, Gorewear’s Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket has big shoes to fill. It uses a more sustainable three-layer ePE (expanded Polyethylene) membrane layer between two layers of polyamide – some of which is recycled – in addition to the DWR coating, and falls under Gore-Tex’s guarantee to keep you dry.

The fit is less performance-driven than the competition, with looser arms and a more forgiving torso shape, though Gorewear says it is a slim fit and has been designed with a moving body in mind. It packs into a built-in zippered pocket and weighs 160g (XL), which is light without being market-leading.

Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket performance

As one of the leading lights of waterproof activewear, Gore-Tex and Gorewear were under pressure to find a high-performing replacement for Shakedry, and the early judgements on this new three-layer membrane are positive.

Among many jackets on test, the Spinshift was very effective at keeping me dry during on and off showers, but during sustained periods of heavy rain, I did start to notice some slight signs of slight water ingress. Like the cold weather-focussed Spinshift Thermo there is a DWR coating applied, and it is possible to see the beading working effectively while riding in the rain. Plus, the taped seams do their job.

Unsurprisingly, this well-made jacket was at its most breathable in drier conditions when the membrane was totally dry and clear, though I was still able to maintain a comfortable temperature once drizzle started. My usual complaint about the lack of a double-zipper applies to the Spinshift too, with Gore omitting this easy ventilation boost. Plus, the main zipper clags up a bit around the Gorewear logo, which is quite annoying.

Handily, the jacket’s windproofing was good, so I felt confident pairing the Spinshift with just a base layer and a long-sleeved jersey on days when it dipped into single-digit temperatures. There’s no insulation, which contributes to a competitive weight of 160g (XL).

The fit – or what Gorewear calls its Kinetic Garment Design – is an area that might split the vote somewhat. Considering the price and the general positioning of this jacket as high-performance – and the fact it’s listed as ‘Slim Fit’ – the jacket’s looseness around the abdomen and distinct lack of taper towards the lower hem surprised me.

In a riding position, there is a noteworthy amount of empty material flapping around in the wind, which matches the loose feel of the collar, unless padded extensively with a buff. There is also a relatively short drop tail, which meant the top of my bibs took on quite a lot of rain. The elastication at the tail is quite modest, with just a thin thread to suck in the material.

For me, the snug shoulder width was ideal and the sleeves were perfectly proportioned, overlapping with my gloves comfortably. The semi-elasticated cuffs are a similar design to the ones on Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket, with 180° of elastication over the inside of the wrist and then some double-thickness, longer fabric covering the outer wrist.

The fit overall presents an issue, as the test jacket was an EU size XL (with no UK size listed), which is a size up from my usual L (188cm 84kg). With the sleeves ideal, and the body length good (albeit with a short tail drop), sizing down to my normal large might have made the lower torso area fit better, but that would then compromise these other areas.

It might have made sense to have had a closer and more elasticated fit around the bottom hem, akin to what is used on the Q36.5 Rain Jacket Shell, allowing for versatility and a svelte fit.

The small, zipped and waterproof pocket is a useful touch that can take an iPhone and a few other bits comfortably. And while it’s a nice idea to wrap the jacket into its own pocket, it’s a fiddly operation and personally I wouldn’t waste the time. I stuck to rolling and folding into a jersey pocket.

With technical waterproof clothing, garment care is very important. Make sure to check the instructions carefully and only wash with an approved detergent. I’ve been using the Grangers Performance Wash for jackets that I’ve tested. Gore’s website says you can use a small amount of ordinary liquid detergent.

Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket review verdict

The Gore-Tex membrane used in Gorewear’s Spinshift Jacket is both windproof and largely waterproof, performing well in all but the most torrential and sustained downpours, at which point it loses some effectiveness. The breathability, build quality and much of the design is good, though some odd sizing, and claims of a second-skin-like fit don’t quite add up.

It functions very well as an everyday jacket, which will see off brief spells of bad weather, rather than one for all day adventures or speed-focussed road riding.

• Buy now from Gorewear £225

The post Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket review appeared first on Cyclist.

Calling a bike fast without independent data to back it up is journalistically suspect.  

But you don’t need data to tell you when a bike feels fast, and when its riding manners favour aggressive riding. Bikes may be inanimate objects without agency, but some give the distinct impression they want to be ridden quickly, whether that’s by virtue of riding position, styling or the sensation of pedalling.  

The second-generation Factor Ostro VAM is one of these bikes, and it does it with a combination of all three. It looks fast standing still, and it feels very fast when you’re standing on the pedals, or in an aero tuck with your hands draped over the bars. 

Factor Ostro VAM design and development 

According to Factor founder Rob Gitelis, the overriding design aim for the second generation of the Ostro was not to ruin an already excellent bike. Going faster via aero gains was the main focus, but this couldn’t be allowed to upset the existing balance of stiffness, handling and weight that made the original Ostro such a good bike, one Cyclist tester Jamie Wilkins described as ‘the best he’d ever ridden’ back in 2022.  

At first glance, the updated Ostro’s overall shape hasn’t changed dramatically, but closer inspection reveals a more organic, flowing design where the boxiness of the tubes has softened and the whole bike appears slimmer, because it is. Factor says the new Ostro saves seven watts at 48kmh compared to its already slippery predecessor and, while frame weight has barely changed, complete bikes shed around 270g in total thanks to a new wheelset. 

We’re accustomed to aero road bikes using truncated aerofoil (or ‘kamm-tail’) tube profiles throughout and the Ostro is no exception, however it’s interesting to observe how aero profiles are now evolving, with tube cross-sections elongating and narrowing to reduce frontal area after years of comparatively boxy D-profile designs. 

The UCI dropped its strict 3:1 length:width ratio limit for frame tube cross-sections back in 2017 (the rule change was extended to components such as seatposts and bars for 2023), a regulation that was in part responsible for the popularity of truncated aerofoils. However the updated rules didn’t bring about the dramatic change one might have expected, and we certainly haven’t seen a return to the full aerofoils of first-generation aero bikes such as the original Cervélo Soloist – which had a true teardrop down tube – because these don’t offer the best overall trade-off in aero, weight, stiffness and strength.  

According to Factor head of engineering Graham Shrive, the ratio rule wasn’t necessarily the biggest limiting factor, as the profiles that worked best for aerodynamics were pretty close to 3:1 anyway. More important was the rule on minimum tube width, which changed relatively recently from 25mm to a tiny 10mm.  

‘Functionally going below 25mm causes lots of problems with things like cable routing, stiffness, bottle mounting, and just general strength, so it’s always a bit of a juggle,’ says Shrive. But the Ostro is one bike that takes advantage of this change, with a top tube that tapers dramatically towards the rear, all but disappearing in side-profile as it reduces down to around 15mm in height. In plan view it’s close to a teardrop thanks to the addition of a Tarmac SL8-style nose cone.  

Streamlining is the theme throughout. The previously slab-sided head tube has put on a corset and acquired a pronounced hourglass figure, while the fork has lost some bulk and melds more naturally with its brake calliper and thru-axle.  

Where the seat tube nears the rear wheel, its cross-section becomes concave at the rear as if to wrap around the tyre. The frameset and wheels are optimised for 28mm tyres, and taking a horizontal slice out of the bike in this area would reveal another near-perfect aerofoil made up of seat tube, tyre and rim.  

Other changes are more prosaic, but notable. The seat clamp now uses a clamping plate at the rear of the seatpost rather than a wedge in front of it, a welcome change as wedges invariably stick and can make minor saddle height adjustments needlessly frustrating. This system does use two tiny grub screws however, so care will need to be taken in the long term to avoid damaging them. Oh and don’t undo one too far and drop it by the roadside, you’ll never see it again.  

Factor Ostro VAM build

Factor doesn’t do budget builds and our test bike is dressed to kill with full Dura-Ace and the brand’s new Black Inc 48/58 wheelset, which is claimed to weigh just 1,290g and features carbon spokes along with new high-flange hubs designed to increase lateral stiffness.  

The Ostro is the consummate modern all-round race bike. Whether you can feel specific aero gains or not, the blend of stiffness, pin-sharp handling and refinement the Ostro offers is intoxicating. As a complete riding experience it’s up there with the very best, with the usual race bike caveat that it’s best enjoyed at speed and on better surfaces, as ride quality is relatively uncompromising, although certainly not harsh.  

It’s difficult to pick apart the Ostro’s ride without lapsing into cliches because it’s simply very good. It’s a satisfying thing to try very hard on, one that rewards your best efforts with both the sense of speed and actual speed and inspires confidence when you point it downhill and carve through a series of bends. 

It doesn’t hurt that it’s respectably light too, Factor does of course offer a dedicated lightweight bike for climbers in the shape of the O2 VAM, but the Ostro is a very willing partner uphill and doubtless faster across varying terrain in the real world. 

The balance between on-paper speed and real-world usability feels well-judged with spec choices like the mixed depth 48/58 wheelset, which doesn’t catch excessive amounts of wind and features 23mm-internal width rims that are ideal for 28mm tyres.  

Factor Ostro VAM review verdict

I’m going to get into trouble for slipping into car analogies again but here we go: if the Colnagos and Pinarellos of this world are Ferrari and Lamborghini, Factor is EV wunderkind Rimac. Factor’s history is shorter than some of its rivals – because you can’t cheat the passage of time – but it offers something genuinely substantive. 

The brand can’t point to its victories in the 1960s nor dangle a totemic lugged steel racer in its foyer as a reminder of its roots, but it can draw a straight line from some hard science to a very fast bicycle, and highlight its bikes’ impressive palmares in modern-day racing.  

The biggest problem for any new race bike entering the arena is that most new bikes are excellent, outstanding, game-changing and any number of other now-debased superlatives. 

If a bike costing almost eleven thousand pounds is anything but excellent then it’s a problem, and we’re used to the idea now that the flagship designs are stunningly good, while the second and third tiers are merely bloody excellent.  

Factor isn’t in the business of being all things to all riders, and so there isn’t really a budget version here. The Ostro is expensive and if you want one, you can’t save money with the ersatz version. Saying that, it’s actually significantly cheaper than flagship rivals such as the top spec versions of the Specialized Tarmac SL8, Trek Madone SLR and Cervélo S5.  

If you need a reason to choose Factor over these rivals, it might be that obsessive attention to aero detail and hard-nosed engineering that sells it, or it might be that you like riding very quickly and you need your bike onside. 

Factor Ostro VAM: specs

• Price: £10,799 
• Weight: 7.1kg (54) 
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 
• Wheels: Black Inc 48/58 
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.EXT 28mm tyres 
• Bar/stem: Black Inc Integrated Aero 
• Seatpost: Ostro carbon 
• Saddle: Selle Italia SLR 
• Contact: factorbikes.com 

The post Factor Ostro VAM road bike review appeared first on Cyclist.

The Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket is a very light, smartly tailored performance outer layer made of a highly effective proprietary waterproof membrane.

Smart elastication of the cuffs, waist and neckline offers additional protection from the elements, while vents and a breathable membrane help to regulate temperature.

There is a high price to go with the high performance, but as a stash-away rain layer, it’s one of the best.

Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket design and specs

Like many of the new-generation jackets we’ve tested this year, the Q36.5 Rain Shell is made from a three-layer material – a proprietary fabric called UF 75Shell – that is said to be windproof with a 15k waterproof rating. Q36.5 says its hydrophobic polyamide membrane is also highly breathable. To supplement this there are two open vents – not pockets – cut into the jacket’s rear panels for added airflow.

This jacket leverages its design and cut to improve water tightness further with a snug-fitting and elasticated raised collar, a fully elasticated hip seam, a long, elasticated cuff and a water-repellent zip cover. It’s light and packable with a size Medium weighing 120g.

Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket performance

With both ‘shell’ and ‘jacket’ in its name, the light weight and slightness of the Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket’s material points to shell as the most accurate description. It’s best used as a pack-away layer, ready to be pulled out when the weather turns. It provides decent windproofing and can block out a fair amount of cold gusts, but offers no insulation.

The weatherproof material is similar to that used on the Le Col Arc jacket, in that it is papery and crushable, without being at all translucent like the Poc Supreme.

The light texture doesn’t impact on the Q36.5 Shell’s performance. Its ability to repel rain while remaining breathable was very strong, even in persistently wet weather. There is no mention of a DWR treatment from Q36.5, but the visible beading is particularly impressive, with raindrops either bouncing or brushing off the fabric. After a quick shake to remove any lingering droplets, the jacket dries very quickly once the rain has stopped. Thanks to the taped seams, there was no leakage there either.

The vents cut into the jacket’s rear panels work reasonably well to evacuate warm air during higher-intensity riding. However, if you size down seeking a particularly performance fit, there won’t be a huge amount of overlapping fabric, creating the risk of rain entering through the vents when in a low riding position. Plus, Q36.5 has omitted a double zipper, which would have maximised on-the-fly ventilation.

Elsewhere, on the inside of the cuff is a rectangular panel of elasticated material the size of a hand palm to maximise stretch, and an extended double-layered panel on the outside of the cuff that increased coverage of my wrist and hand. This gives a pleasantly tailored feel to the wrist and means the material should form a neat clamp on most kinds of glove.

I liked the fit of the jacket and it sizes up on a par with other brands. Even in a size medium – which was ever so slightly on the small side if I wanted to layer up underneath – the sleeves overlapped with my gloves, the upper torso area had no excess volume, and the wraparound elastication at the waist ensured there was always a snug fit.

This elastication at the rear of the jacket is partially reflective, which, added to the reflective strips dotted around, make it quite visible in fading light. However, this fabric – and the elastic used at the cuff – soaks up moisture where the rest of the jacket brushes it off, and takes far longer to dry.

Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket review verdict

Tom Pidcock should be nicely protected in the Classics this year as Q36.5’s Rain Shell Jacket works very well as a lightweight, foul weather layer to keep off even elongated spells of rain while evacuating enough warm air to maintain a comfortable rider temperature. The proprietary three-layer fabric outperforms its middling 15k waterproof rating and is comparable to offerings from more well-known membrane suppliers such as Polartec, Pertec and Gore-Tex.

The fit has been carefully thought out, and I found it hit a sensible level of performance tailoring. Care has been taken to seal the cuffs, waist and neckline, which completes the jacket’s water-repellency attributes.

The Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket is definitely not cheap, but apart from the lack of a two-way zipper it’s hard to find many chinks in its comprehensive armour.

• Buy now from Q36.5 (£304)

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