Friday Five Product Revue” is our weekly roundup of new bikes and products that have made their way through the doors of RBA headquarters or have simply caught our eye. Many will be featured in upcoming issues of Road Bike Action magazine, so be sure to subscribe!
Low Bikes MKII CX
Cross season is right around the corner and it is the perfect time for Low to launch their new MKII CX bike. The aluminum race rig is dialed in for any conditions featuring a carbon fork and all internal cable routing. This bike is available as a frame set for $2,450 and is 100% handmade in San Francisco, California. The Tig welded frame is designed using Low’s FLEXshape tubing to take a little edge off of the rough patches of race course. Head over to www.lowbicycles.com to find out more about the newest addition to their line!
Jet Roll II
The Jet Roll was brought about to simplify tool storage. The Jet Roll II is an updated version of their flagship product. Now with a button closure, the high-end storage systems can fit comfortably underneath your saddle or in your jersey pocket. Hold your tools and spare tube in tight in one of the pockets and roll it all together to ensure everything stays in place. Check out www.justenoughtools.com to learn more about Jet Roll’s line of products!
Liv Macha Women’s Road Shoes
In the 2016 season, we saw Giant and Liv come out with their first cycling shoe line, here is the Macha. Two Boa IP 1 reels keep your foot tensioned inside of the shoe while their ExoBeam sole provides all the stiffness anyone is looking for. The Macha is made from a microfiber upper and a composite sole and is available in two colors and in eleven sizes. Www.liv-cycling.com has all the info you need on the Liv Macha shoes!
Zipp Firecrest Carbon Wheels
Form and function will always be important but when the price of a wheelset goes down by $500, our heads really turn. That’s the story with Zipp’s line of 2016 rim brake Firecrest carbon wheels. Everything from the 202 tubular to the 808 clincher had its price reduced (New MSRP is between $2000 and $2350 depending on model). The new wheels also now utilize Zipp’s 77/177 hubset, the same one on the wheel maker’s disc wheels. They’ve also ditched the pre-load adjustment, which is now set in the factory, and the spokes are stronger. Learn more at www.zipp.com!
Stages Cycling Carbon Crank Power Meter
After making its name with alloy crank-based power meters, Stages Cycling has added a composite crank offering to its ever expanding product portfolio. The new Stages branded watts measurer is built custom for Stages and manufactured of hollow carbon fiber by Full Speed Ahead. In addition to the Stages branded meter, the Stages Power product range will include new models from Campagnolo, including Super Record, Record and Chorus, as well as FSA’s SL-K Light BB30 model. The full carbon fiber Stages Power meter and crank arm weigh145 grams and is compatible with 386EVO drive side cranks as well as SRAM Red 22, Force 22 and Rival 22 BB30 road and SRAM Mountain (168mm Q) BB30 drive side cranks. Top end models run $950 and go down from there. Read more and check out www.stagescycling.com
WIN SOME RBA SCHWAG!
Now here’s your chance to win a prize package from the RBA office’s schwag pile. Each week, we will grab at random from our schwag pile, a few items to send to the winner. To win, all you have to do is send us an email at letters@roadbikeaction.com with an answer to the following question and you’ll be entered into our random drawing. (The winner must be a resident of the U.S., as we are only authorized to ship goods to the U.S. ) Good luck!
– Do you prefer to ride with the local group ride or do you prefer to put in the solo miles?