Silca Pista—The Last Floor Pump You'll Ever Buy
$125 1 of 10
Photo/Greg Kaplan
A distinctive memory from working as a teenage bike mechanic is the familiar orange, skinny barrel of the Silca Pista floor pump. Nearly every shop had one. The recently reintroduced Silca Pista features refinements to the steel and brass fittings, an increased footprint for better stability and improved accuracy of the easy-to-read pressure gauge. The self-sealing chuck stayed put at inflation pressures, which blew away other brands' clamping-style pump heads. There's just no comparison between the reliability and durability of bike pumps with plastic fittings and the Silca Pista. Some mechanics still using their original Silca Pista pumps even after decades of use, showing they pass the test of time as well.
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Your Next RaceROKA Falcon Ti—The New Standard for Lightweight Eyewear
$260 2 of 10
Known for its high-performance multisport apparel, ROKA has moved into the eyewear space with the new Falcon Ti sunglasses. These minimalistic, aviator style sunglasses are crafted of titanium and glass, weighing in at a scant 18g and are the lightest sunglasses we have ever tried. The scratch-resistant, anti-fog Carl Zeiss lenses provided a crisp and clear view, and the silicone-like Geko® contact points kept the glasses in place like they were a part of our face. These premium sunglasses are available in five different lens and frame color combinations and all come with a protective case and polishing cloth.
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Your Next RaceRoll Like a Pro on the Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3 TLR Wheelset
Front: $530, Rear: $670 3 of 10
Bontrager, Trek's in-house accessories and components brand, just rolled out a carbon clincher wheel, with configuration options that will make it your everyday option. The Aeolus Pro 3 is available in disc brake or rim-brake versions and is a tubeless-ready wheelset, offering versatility and great braking in any conditions. This combination of an aerodynamic profile and light weight will make the Aeouls 3 wheel great for climbers, sprinters or rouleurs to spin up to speed with minimal effort. The Aeolus Pro 3 TLR wheelset includes tubeless-ready rimstrips and valve stems and Swiss Stop Black Prince brake pads (with the rim-brake configuration).
Cassette Type: Shimano/SRAM
Spoke Count: 18/24
Rim Depth: 35mm
Tubeless Compatible: Yes
Thru-axle Compatible: No
Widest Interior/Exterior Measurements: 19.5mm/27mm
Weight: rim brake 656g/850g, disc brake 715g/885g
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Your Next RaceShimano Ultegra R8000 Group Blurs the Lines Between Pro- and Enthusiast-Level Components
$1,093 to $1,704 4 of 10
We love trickle-down tech, especially when it comes to bike gear. Ultegra allows us to get the same precision, reliability and performance offered by pro-level Dura-Ace, but for a lot less money. The new Ultegra R8000 component group sheds some weight from the previous iteration and gains a sleek, two-tone finish. It is offered in four variants: mechanical, mechanical/hydro brake, electronic and electronic/hydro brake.
The newly designed Ultegra rear derailleur is available with short- or medium-length cages and incorporates Shadow RD technology, which offers refined shifting performance and a modicum of crash-protection when needed. The Ultegra R8000 Di2 front derailleur is Synchro Shift capable and when enabled, will automatically shift the chain between chainrings to maintain optimal gearing.
Weight: 2241g to 2574g
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Your Next RaceWahoo Elemnt Mini—Small Package, Small Price, Big Technology
$99 5 of 10
Small and simple, the new Wahoo Elemnt Mini could help you take your riding to the next level. Clearly displaying speed, distance and time, the Elemnt becomes a powerful training tool when paired with Wahoo's cadence and heart rate sensors. When the Elemnt Mini is linked with a mobile phone, you have access to GPS tracking, as well as pop-up text and call notifications. Phone connectivity also provides the capability to upload rides to Wahoo's training app and website, as well as Strava. The Wahoo Elemnt Mini is rumored to offer 250 to 300-hour coin-cell battery life, which is impressive even at face value.
Dimensions: 41mm x 58.4mm x 17mm
Weight: 31.2g
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Your Next RaceLezyne Lite Drive 700XL—See and Be Seen
$60 6 of 10
The new Lezyne Lite Drive 700XL headlight got our attention with its aluminum body that's available in five different colors and silicone mounting band that attaches to nearly any bar shape. But what really caught our eye was how bright this headlamp is. Crank up the output for daytime use and the Lite Drive 700XL produces 700 lumens for 90 minutes—bright enough to be seen by oncoming traffic—even while riding with the sun at your back. At night, the Lezyne Lite Drive 700XL can help you navigate around obstacles with plenty of reaction time. The rechargeable battery should last up to 76 hours when the LED is at its lowest setting.
Pro Tip: When riding in low or no-light, dial the light output back to prevent blinding oncoming traffic, and use the brightest setting in flash mode for visibility during daylight hours.
Weight: 114g
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Your Next RaceZipp 302 Carbon Clincher Wheelset—No Dimples Will Make You Smile
Front: $655, Rear: $845 7 of 10
The Zipp 302 carbon clincher wheelset has a lot in common with aerodynamic wheels that cost twice the price. To save you money—and seconds—Zipp keeps the wide rim shape but skips the surface dimples to keep costs low. A 45mm depth and maximum weight of 250lbs means the Zipp 302 is aerodynamic and durable. Disc- and rim-brake variants are available, making the 302 a great choice for racing on any terrain and in any weather conditions. Another nice feature of the Zipp 302 carbon clincher is a design that Zipp claims should make changing a flat an easy exercise—a feature we can all appreciate.
Cassette Type: Shimano/SRAM
Spoke Count: 20/24
Rim Depth: 45mm
Tubeless Compatible: No
Thru-axle Compatible: Yes
Widest Interior/Exterior Measurements: 17.25mm/25.6mm
Weight: rim brake 740g/905g, disc brake 785g/910g
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Your Next RaceROKA Pro All-Season Short Sleeve Jersey and Pro Bib Shorts—Comfort & Low-Key Style
Jersey: $125, Bib Shorts: $190 8 of 10
ROKA has really done its homework in creating a comfortable, true-to-size and minimalist-looking cycling kit. The ROKA Pro All-Season jersey has a wind-blocking yet breathable front panel while the mesh side and back panels allow for additional cooling. The full-length zipper is much-improved over the previous generation—it's easy to engage and move, even while riding—and the sleeves have a double layer of material at the cuffs, which gives them a comfortably snug but no-tug feel. Three ample but low-profile rear pockets allow contortion-free access and a fourth, zippered pocket with reflective trim is great for stowing non-ride items, like house keys.
While crushing the miles in the ROKA Pro Bib shorts, we appreciated the well-placed seams, compressive fit and a form-fitting chamois—all of which worked in concert to keep our legs feeling fresh—even after a few hours in the saddle. Like the matching jersey, the back of the bibs is constructed of a stretchy, breathable mesh while the fabric on the leg panels is soft and smooth. The black-on-black colorway and branding are subtle but were a conversation starter. ROKA also offers the All-Season jersey and the Pro Bib shorts in women's versions, sized XS-XL.
ROKA Men's Pro All-Season Short Sleeve Jersey, sizes S-XXL, $125
ROKA Men's Pro Bib Shorts, sizes s-xxl, $190
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Your Next RaceGarmin Fenix 5—The Do-It-All Wearable
$599-899 9 of 10
Photo/Greg Kaplan
The Garmin Fenix 5 merges the features and functionality of a top-tier GPS bike computer with a wearable performance monitor. We easily connected our power meter and speed sensor to get cycling data while the built-in optical heart rate monitor provided physiological data without the need for a chest strap. For the multisport inclined: the swim and run features provide a comprehensive training device that may be peerless. When paired with an iPhone, we could upload training data to Garmin's online training analysis suite for access to advanced analysis tools, as well as read incoming text messages and view incoming phone calls.
The robust and easily-accessible buttons made changing functions a snap—even while riding—and the easy-to-read data fields are customizable to suit training needs. Hundreds of watch faces and utility apps are available from the GarminIQ website to suit nearly any data need; we really liked the local weather app on rides when conditions were questionable.
With GPS and other monitoring features enabled, battery life may last about 24 hours. The Garmin Fenix 5 comes in three different sizes with a variety of finishes and choice of band materials. One of our favorite features? The Fenix 5 looked just as stylish when we were in street clothes as when wearing a cycling kit.
Sizes: 42mm, 47mm, 51mm
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