Bikes Etc Magazine April 2019

It’s early days, but a big yellow thing has been spotted in Britain’s skies! Yep, the sun seems to be making a comeback, so to celebrate we’ve teamed up with Kaga Optics to give two lucky readers the chance to win a pair of their superb prescription sunglasses worth up to £149 each. With the capacity to fit interchangeable lenses to suit differing light conditions, Kaga’s range of stylish frames are made from durable TR90 Polymer, with prices starting at just £49. Where the brand really comes into its own, though, is in its prescription sports sunglasses collection, with prices starting at a mere £69, which includes a free case worth £19.99! Given that this Devon-based company has more than 25 years experience of working in the business of making…

Let me just sling a stat at you. Between 2006 and 2016, the number of e-bikes sold in the European Union went from less than 100,000 to more than 8 million. That’s a whopping – hold on, let me just crack out my fingers – yes, a whopping 7,900% increase in sales. At least I think it is, and even if it isn’t, it’s definitely what economists technically called a flip of a lot. Either way, if you were to do one of those whiteboard sales-forecast graphs so beloved of thrusting businessmen to illustrate it, the jagged pointed arrow would be pretty much soaring upwards along a rocket-ship style trajectory. Of course, Britain isn’t (as we currently seem to be reminded on a near-enough daily basis) Europe, and e-bikes are…

WHAT IS IT? A bike from a German brand, named after a French mountain, the Izoard Pro is Stevens’ peak-smashing racer. Taking its title from the 2,360-metre high Col d’Izoard in the Hautes-Alpes, there’s not actually much about the Izoard Pro’s design to preclude it from being a great all-rounder, as well as a climber. Instead, the mountain-referencing nomenclature is likely an attempt by Stevens’ marketing department to highlight the Izoard’s minimal 7.6kg weight. With a price that makes you wonder if it wasn’t assembled in a far-flung part of the world with lax labour laws, the Izoard is actually finished off in Germany, where last time we checked most people’s standard of living seemed pretty peachy. SO WHO’S THIS STEVE PERSON? Stevens is a Hanseatic brand that builds everything…

Whether matched to your bike, your club kit or done up in leopard skin to match your slippers back at home, Ekoi’s new R5 racing shoes are available in pretty much any combination of prints and colours your fevered mind might dream up. Just won the World Champs, or simply fancy yourself as a contender? Get the rainbow stripes. The same goes for prospective gold medalists and national team riders, both of whom will find themselves well served by the company’s custom kicks. Available to tailor online before you order, they’ll set you back €300, or however many pounds sterling that equals by the time you read this. Besides the opportunity to express yourself through the medium of footwear, you’ll also get a very fine pair of carbon-soled racing shoes.…

You’re not a cycling fan until you’ve toured the pits post-race to collect an armful of pro team bidons. Filled but unused, they’re given out from the team cars in their hundreds at the end of most events. Supplying nine out of the 18 UCI WorldTeams, by far the most common model used is the supremely squeezable Tacx Shiva. Always in a pro-approved 500ml size, they’re one of our all-time favourite designs. Besides being disinclined to leak and easy to move in and out of a bottle cage, they also have the extra benefit of being biodegradable. Handy for the few bottles jettisoned during the racing which aren’t hoovered up by fans. Still, all that’s really important is that they come with your favourite team’s logos plastered all over them.…

Allowing you to grunt away in the privacy of your own home, Bkool’s new Smart Bike combines the function of a spin bike with the intelligent resistance control of a smart trainer. Pretty much silent (as opposed to just quiet) even the fussiest of neighbours won’t have reason to moan. Paired with a computer or tablet and Bkool’s Smart Bike app, it’ll allow you to work through over 100 indoor workouts, including virtual, instructor-led sessions. It’ll also tailor its resistance to your exact level of fitness. Recreating the thrill of a spin class but without you having to share the experience with a basement full of sweaty strangers. Alternatively, you can blast around a virtual velodrome against other online riders. Or, if you fancy it, you can load up a…