I watched as a sad young man holding a fork-less bike frame talked to a police officer – you can guess the rest: every part on the bike had been stripped leaving just the lock and frame. These days two hex (allen) keys ar...
We’ve ridden scores of Schwalbe tyres over the years and been variously impressed with their durability, grip and general construction. The Durano Plus is new for 2011 and takes another key aspect of tyre design – puncture resistance...
As the name suggests, the Berlin HC is made of hard compound rubber as it’s intended for rear wheel use only. This needs stressing as, although it offers greater wear resistance, the harder compound gives much reduced grip so it’s ...
Here's a beefed-up Berlin version with even greater puncture defence. The regular 1mm anti-flat strip is replaced with a whopping 2.5mm one (you’ll need a mallet this time). Amazingly, it still only weighs 415g and rolls better than some...
The basic Twin Rail Courier (available in seven colours) was launched specifically for the fixed-gear and courier market, in other words riders who are particularly hard on their kit. It’s got a steel bead to keep the price down and a qual...
Modelled on the famous Gatorskin race clincher, this 2010 Hardshell version has more reinforcement for fast commuting or training. A breaker strip wraps the entire width of the tread to prevent punctures, while a Duraskin mesh helps fend off ...
Increasingly seen specced on complete bikes, this is Schwalbe’s latest entry-level road tyre. Incorporating the company’s ‘bi-colour’ compound, meaning the central tread — shown in blue, red, yellow or white on th...
Snapped up quickly by the test team’s most fanatical tourer due to it being a featherweight in its class — the result of a superlight kevlar folding bead and supple (120tpi) casing. Close up, the all-new triple-layer puncture prote...
Tubus, like Blackburn, has a well-deserved reputation for making durable bike racks. However, the company’s latest offering, the titanium Airy is aimed at weight watchers rather than long distance tourists. At just 222g, the Airy ...
No self-repecting fan of vintage bikes would dare adorn their steed with anything less than a Brooks leather saddle — but with dozens of his and hers models, sprung or unsprung, it’s tricky to narrow down the choice. For old-...
We’ve raved about the puncture-proofing of equivalent Gatorskin tyres we’ve ridden on road bikes in the past, but this is the 26in version designed for fast commuting on a mountain bike. Constructed using a lightweight 170tpi...
With the trend for retro-styled bike building showing no signs of wavering, FSA has released this classic-looking 48T chainset. Named after Felice Gimondi – one of only five riders to have won all three ‘Grand Tours’ &m...