We have some of the greatest partners in the the bike industry. From our Pinarello F10s to our Zipp Wheels and Giordana jerseys, we’re kitted out in some of the sweetest bicycle bling available. But even so, being the geeks we are, it doesn’t stop us from lusting after the stuff we don’t have, because the Velominati’s famous Rule #12 – The correct number of bikes to own is n+1 – doesn’t actually just apply to bikes. It applies across the board.
Especially now, with the evenings closing in and the threat of cold and wet weather looming ever larger, treating ourselves to new toys becomes important. It keeps us excited about riding, even when it’s grey and stormy outside. And after all, it’s almost the holidays, the season to give … to yourself.
Oakley Jawbreaker Prism Road
Want to make a statement? Look no further than these awesome shades from Oakley. With a style that evokes Greg LeMond’s classic Eyeshades from the 1980s, the thoroughly modern Jawbreakers were designed in collaboration with another cycling legend, Mark Cavendish. The result is a pair of glasses that greatly increases the upward field of view – important if you’re sprinting hard and low like the Manx Missile.
“I’ve used a lot of glasses over the years, but the Jawbreakers are like nothing else,” says inGamba’s head honcho, João Correia. “You’ve got a great field of vision even in a super aggressive position, and the Prizm Road lens works great with changeable light conditions. I didn’t think it would make that much difference, but now I couldn’t ride with anything else. They also look awesome, which counts a lot around here.”
Thule Chasm 70L
If you take the advice of former pro racer Ted King – and we think you should – the Thule Chasm is a bag we all need to haul our bike stuff around whenever we set off on adventures.
As he put it: “When in doubt, lead it out! Those are words of the wise when coming into the hectic finale of a ProTour bike race. Meanwhile pro road trippers know that When in doubt, chuck it in the Chasm! On any road trip, the Chasm is a must as it stores pretty much everything and still packs away into virtually nothing when it’s time to unload it. It’s seemingly indestructible and is impressively comfy in the backpack mode. In a whole bunch of sizes, these bags are rockstars.
Pinarello K10s Disk
When you’re used to riding F10s, you don’t spend a lot of time drooling over other bikes. But Pinarello’s new whip is a rare exception. Combining a racy frame with disc brakes, more tire clearance and a funky electronic suspension system that controls the rear damping using a combination of gyroscopic sensors and accelerometers, the F10’s eccentric younger brother is as at home on smooth tarmac as it in on dirt roads or cobbles. Which is exactly the kind of ‘go anywhere, do anything’ attitude that’s impossible not to love. Also, we think the white and orange paint job is sick. Complimenti, ragazzi!
SRAM XX1 Eagle
More from the main man, Ted King: “Having been lashed at the hip, or butt, to the road bike for the past decade, I thought road was the pinnacle of cycling technology. Turns out, road is grabbing a whole bunch of tech from mountain. It’s wider everything, from gear ratios to tires, as well as 1x drivetrains, disk brakes, and ever increasing cog-sets. All of which has made road bikes even more freakin’ fun. Cycling engineers are awesome! I tackled my first Leadville last year on SRAM Eagle and I cannot get enough of it now. Capable of high speeds on the flats and downhills, and you’re still outspinning your buddies on their 2x drivetrains uphill, the 12 speed Eagle soars above the rest.”
Giro Switchblade MIPS
If you’re going to push that SRAM Eagle to its limits, you’re going to need protection. Step forward Giro, with what we think is one of the hottest helmets on the market right now. Leave aside the slick selection of colorways for a minute, the Switchblade packs a ton of technology, making it one of the most versatile lids out there. It’s got full goggle integration, a mount for your camera should you choose to record the shredding, a removable chin-bar for the more relaxed rides, and that all-important MIPS protection, which uses “slip-plane” technology inside the helmet to reduce rotational forces in certain impacts. Translation: it’ll keep that noggin safe if you take a tumble.
Zipp 858 NSW wheelset
We don’t condone getting off your Pinarello to run or swim, but if you insist on triathlon, you should still take precautions to look as hot as you can in that speedo. Zipp’s 858 NSW wheelset could be just the ticket – they’re as aero as an arrow, can handle all the crosswinds you can throw at them, and come on, just look at these things. #HOT. Taking what they learned from their groundbreaking 454, Zipp kept the excellent NSW braking surface and added 24 millimeters of depth to these bad boys, giving the big aero advantage of a deep dish rim while adding much desired control.
Fizik Infinito R1 Knit
Not for the first time, Fizik have changed the game with their latest kicks and we cannot wait to get our hands on them and our feet in them. The Infinito R1 Knits are the first pro shoes to use a knitted material, the kind that’s been popular in other sports for a while now. The result is a shoe that’s both lightweight and breathable, while also promising unrivalled comfort thanks to the material’s flexible nature.
Speedplay Syzr
“I’ve been on Speedplay for all but one year that I’ve raced a bike,” says Ted. “All of my amateur, collegiate, domestic pro, and Euro pro teams used Speedplay with just one exception. So even in retirement as I embark on my fledgeling gravel career, there’s only one pedal I care to use and that’s the Syzr. They’re the pinnacle of efficiency and aerodynamicy on the road and they’ve brought the same ethos to the mountain bike in the Syzr. There’s as much dialing in of float and release tension as your heart desires, and the most standout feature is there is no loss of power through a rubbery sole like you see in virtually all other mountain bike pedals.”
Giordana Intellgentsia FR-C Kit
Intelligentsia Racing are one of the most exciting teams on the international crit scene, known for animating races and for turning plenty of heads with their unique style. And like us, they’ve got great taste in clothing partners, because all of their awesome looking kit is made by our pals over at Giordana. They’ll be launching different kits inspired by world cities in the coming months, but for our money, it’ll be hard to beat the Brooklyn ensemble. It’s a heady, attention-grabbing mix of some great colors and a unique geometric design and we think it looks sharp. Perfect for that day when all your inGamba team kit is in the wash!
Elite Direto Trainer
Everyone loves being outside on their bikes, but it’s not always possible to ride in the wild. There are work commitments, family, and weather conditions to deal with, so it’s inevitable that sometimes your bike time will suffer. The solution? One of Elite’s great range of trainers, such as our personal fave, the Direto. On top of Elite’s own ‘My E-Training software and app, which will let you customize your training and keep track of your progress with a wide range of data points, the Direto has ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth, so it will happily connect to pretty much anything you can think of, meaning you can be tearing the legs off of strangers on Zwift in no time.
Scicon AeroComfort Road 3.0
Have Scicon, will travel. That’s our motto. There are other bike bags on the market, but none of them can hold a candle to the Scicon range, in our humble opinions, because no one else makes it easier or safer to take your precious machine with you wherever you go. The AeroComfort Road 3.0 is the latest incarnation of Scicon’s groundbreaking bike bag, and as ever, it offers the kind of protection you’d normally only get from a hard case, with the flexibility and portability that only a bag can offer. You can pack it in no time – check out how quickly a pro mechanic can do it – and the latest version even adds Thru Axle compatibility for the latest generation of bikes. Very cool.
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