ALL POSTS
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The POC Octal was one of POC’s first road cycling helmets introduced to the market. Since its introduction, the helmet has won a number of awards and been praised for its unique styling and design. With POC having recently added a new color scheme to the Octal, and having recently reviewed the Ventral helmet variations, we thought it would be a good time to review the POC Octal helmet. To optimize the safety of the helmet, it features a variable EPS density foam that keeps the helmet light while providing protection at critical locations. It’s also highly ventilated with large…
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Unless you have calibrated hands, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between 5 and10 N-m torque values. That’s why it’s important to use a proper torque wrench especially on road or mountain bike components. In this review we’ll be looking at the Pro Bike Tool 1/4 Inch Click Torque wrench set which is a popular torque wrench among cyclists in addition to being a best seller on Amazon. With a retail price of under $70 and an included carrying case with 11 bits out of the box, the torque wrench set provides a lot of value. Designed around a…
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Magicshine has long been associated with affordable and bright bike lights for commuting and mountain biking with the Monteer 6500 being one of their brightest offerings with an impressive 6500 lumen output and wired battery design. In this review, we’ll be looking at the new Magicshine 6500S that utilizes upgraded LEDs, improved optics, and an updated battery pack. Although the 6500S may look similar to the previous model, the updates bring higher output in the lower modes while also extending the run-time. Unlike many cheap bike lights on the market with falsely claimed high outputs, the Monteer 6500S has a…
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A torque wrench is essential even if you only do basic maintenance on your bike like adjusting your seatpost or changing out your saddle. Using the correct torque value on your components ensures they are properly tightened without damaging parts or having it come loose mid-ride. Bike specific torque wrenches are calibrated to work at the lower torque ranges typically found on bicycle components. In this review, we’ll be looking at the Topeak Torq Stick which is Topeak’s latest ultra compact torque wrench. The Torq Stick is a click-style torque wrench with reversible ratcheting head design that makes maintenance quick…
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When it comes to cycling helmets, you often have to choose between aerodynamics or ventilation. Traditional aero cycling helmets achieve their low aerodynamic drag by removing or reducing the vents on a standard helmet. In this review we’ll be looking at a helmet that claims to offer both aerodynamics and ventilation, the POC Ventral SPIN aerodynamic helmet. Using computational fluid dynamics, the Ventral SPIN routes air through multiple large front vents and out vents in the back. As with other POC products, the Ventral SPIN has distinctive styling and color schemes that echo the brands minimalist design language. Safety features…
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Perhaps one of the most common issues for cyclists is saddle discomfort. Without a properly fitting saddle, pain and soreness can prevent you from putting out your full power not to mention comfort on longer rides. Also, as with many sports, cycling can often be male-dominated with more research and development toward bike saddles for men leaving women with fewer saddle options. Specialized is well known for their Body Geometry approach whether it’s cycling shoes, bicycle frames, or even accessories, so when they released their MIMIC line of women saddles we were excited to try it out. With MIMIC technology,…
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When you need to pack your bike for a ride away from home, it can be easy to forget some accessory that you need for the ride. Showing up to the start of your ride and realizing you’ve forgotten something as minor as socks or as important as your helmet or even shoes can ruin your day (ask us how we know!). The new Topeak PakGo GearPack is designed to address this by creating a foldable hard shell gearpack specifically for packing cycling gear. With an impressive 38L capacity, 3 compartments, and 6 side pockets, it’s easy to pack everything…
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The AIM sunglasses are the latest performance model from POC that combine oversized lens with sleek euro styling. Developed to have a wide field of view, the POC AIM sunglasses feature a semi frameless design. They are also offered with a wide range of interchangeable Clarity lens options, one of POC’s signature lens technologies. As the clever name implies, the lenses offer distortion free and vivid color rendering in a variety of filtering categories and tints to match any environment. POC also offers the sunglasses in a wide range of unique colors such as Kalkopyrit blue and Apophyllite green, making…
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Modern cycling helmets have evolved to not only better protect you during a crash but also after a crash. The most common example of this are crash sensors that can notify your emergency contacts when an impact is detected. However, this is more of an active safety feature that requires a cell phone signal and battery power to operate. POC has developed an alternative approach using an embedded NFC chip into the helmet itself with the new POC Ventral Air SPIN NFC helmet. This clever passive design is one of the first implementations for a road cycling helmet, and allows…