BIKE ACCESSORIES
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The Trek Domane+ series of road bikes combines electric assist with the comfortable ride and endurance geometry that has made the Domane bikes so popular. It’s a natural combination as the electrification allows riders to ride even further while enhancing the ride quality with the integrated battery. Trek currently offers the Domane+ series of bikes in two primary variations: carbon fiber SLR models and the aluminum AL 5. The SLR variations retail between $8,499.95 to $12,999.95 depending on the component set. With a retail price of $3,499.95 the Trek Domane+ AL 5 is the most accessible electric bike in the…
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Magicshine’s Monteer series of headlights have aggressive 5 LED setups with impressive output at affordable price points. The Monteer 6500S V2 is Magicshine’s latest version which adds a wireless two button remote for more precise control over the output modes. With 6500 lumen of output, the 6500S V2 is one of the brightest lights in the Monteer lineup and has a retail price of $369.99. The V2 uses the same high capacity MJ-6118 wired battery pack and Garmin style mount as the original Monteer 6500S. It’s a well designed light that uses an aluminum housing and can be used in…
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Helmet mounted lights not only supplement a handlebar mount light output but also help you see around corners as they rotate with your head. All helmet lights are not created equal though, as beam optics and features can vary drastically between brands. That’s what motivated Outbound Lighting to develop the Hangover bike helmet light. Not only is the Hangover a slim and lightweight light, it features an optimized beam pattern specifically for helmet mounting. Despite being designed and assembled in Chicago, Illinois the Hangover has an affordable $135 retail price. Outbound Lighting has also recently replaced the shell with a…
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Lupine’s SL Mono is the brand’s first headlight with an integrated battery with StVZO approval. This gives you the best of both worlds, a crisp beam cutoff with a simple all-in-one setup for quick installation or removal. The SL Mono’s premium retail price of $250 is matched with an all aluminum construction and serviceable design that ensures you can use the light for years to come. Lupine offers replaceable batteries and a variety of spare parts for the SL Mono to allow you to repair or service the light on your own, a rare feature in the bike light market.…
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Bryton teased their Gardia rear radar back at Eurobike 2022 as a long awaited competitor against the Garmin Varia radar. Today, we finally have a production version for this review which not only competes with the Garmin Varia but also the relatively new Magicshine x Magene 508 radars. The Bryton Gardia R300L undercuts both radars with a competitive retail price of only $129.95 and a class-leading 190m detection range. The radar has a wide 220 degree field of view which allows you to spot cars around corners or in different lanes. Bryton has added a few modern features such as…
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Bright bike lights on a trail or around town like high beams on a car and blinding oncoming traffic or cyclists. That’s one of the big motivations for the StVZO light requirements which enforce sharp beam cutoffs to focus headlights output on the road. Magicshine’s new ZX series of lights combine their familiar Allty and RN light series with a project lens that meets the StVZO requirements. The lights are currently offered in two variations: the $49.99 ZX StVZO and the $59.99 ZX Pro StVZO with 220 and 350 lumen output respectively. To achieve the beam cutoff required by StVZO…
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Whether you spend more time on pavement or off-road, gloves should be an essential part of everyone’s cycling kit. A good pair of cycling gloves not only provides protection against the sun and debris but also improves your dexterity and grip. In this review we’ll be looking at the current Lizard Skins long sleeve Monitor glove range which includes the Ops, Ignite and Traverse variations. Lizard Skins has applied their expertise in handlebar grips to create these three variations to satisfy a wide range of cyclists. These are well priced gloves with both the Ops and Ignite sharing a retail…
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When it comes to cycling lights most people assume brighter is better. The reality is that bright lights often can be blinding for oncoming riders and traffic which is why Europe has adopted StVZO requirements with beam cutoffs. Trek’s new Commuter lights may lack the StVZO certification but have a similar sharp beam cutoff that Trek refers to as Kindbeam. In this review we’ll be looking at the top-of-the-line $159.99 Commuter Pro RT which adds some cool tech features such as Bluetooth connectivity for one-button control of both the headlight and connected taillights. Using a simple Bluetooth pairing sequence the…
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One of the most annoying aspects of bike lights is the fact that you have to operate each one separately with battery status indicators on each light. That means it’s easy to forget to turn on a taillight or have a taillight run out of power mid-ride. Topeak’s new PowerLite BT Combo solves this issue by connecting the Topeak WhiteLite 800BT headlight with the RedLite 80BT taillight using bluetooth. The Topeak PowerLite BT combo retails for $157.95 and offers up to 800 lumen from the headlight and 80 lumen from the taillight. Both lights can be controlled independently via two…