00:00There's no doubt, cycling tech journalists are a pretty lucky bunch. You get to ride and test
00:05brand new kit, often in exotic locations. What is not to like? And while you get the occasional miss,
00:12most of the tech we review is pretty good. It's actually quite hard to make a bad product these
00:17days. It's just a matter of teasing out the small differences that may matter to us,
00:22and of course you, the viewers. However, there are still products which stand out from the
00:28crowd being universally loved by cycling journalists the world over. They may not
00:33always be the most exciting products, but this really is the best of the best. So, let's get into them.
00:45If you've spent time reading reviews from the likes of Cycling Weekly or Cycling News,
00:50or watching them on this very YouTube channel, then you may have heard us mention the law of
00:54diminishing returns. And by that I mean, basically, the more you spend, the less you get. This applies
01:00to lots of products, like wheels, pedals, frame sets, and finishing kit. However, one of the
01:06biggest offenders has to be group sets, which brings me neatly onto the godlike Shimano 105.
01:13If you're unaware, 105 is Shimano's mid-tier group set. There's two versions above, and then three
01:19that sit below. Crucially though, 105's performance bears a much closer resemblance to Shimano's top-tier
01:25Ultegra and Dura-Ace group sets, while costing much less. And by less, I mean a lot less. Prices can vary
01:34depending on region and whether you're buying online or from a physical store. But a top-spec
01:41Dura-Ace Di2 group set will set you back around two and a half grand, while Mechanical 105
01:47can be found for as little as £500. If you want to spend a little bit more, then you can get the
01:53Electronic 105 Di2 group set for around £900. Obviously, being so much cheaper means 105 will
02:01be heavier, less refined, and miss out on some of the bells and whistles of Shimano's higher-tier
02:07group sets. But again, in terms of pure shifting performance, it's pretty close. And this newest
02:14version looks the part as well. As you can probably tell, I love 105. And I'd wager you'll struggle to
02:21find a cycling journalist who doesn't. Ask a cycling journalist to recommend you a fast,
02:31all-round bike tyre, and you're likely going to get some umming and ahhing before they give you
02:37two or three options. Now, those options may throw up some curveballs, but I bet nearly all of them
02:43would recommend the Continental GP5000s, the successor to the legendary GP4000. Now, the 5000
02:52caused quite a stir when it was released back in 2018, and since then it's won many cycling fans
02:59over the world. Why, I hear you ask? Well, it's not the fastest, the grippiest, the lightest,
03:05or the best value, but it does seem to offer the best balance of all of those key factors. A kind
03:11of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none for the bike tyre world. Despite being such a fast tyre,
03:17we've also found it's got pretty decent puncture protection, no doubt thanks to Continental's
03:22newly-improved Vectron Breaker layer. And for such a popular tyre, Continental have made sure
03:29to cover nearly every option that you can think of, including tubeless, clincher, wide sizes,
03:35thin sizes, and Tamils. The list really does go on. Not to mention the special variants like the
03:41ASTR for all-season riding, the TTTR for out-and-out speed, and the STR for more all-round
03:49road race situations. So, chances are, there will be a GP5000 to suit you, no matter how niche your
03:56requirements are. And of course, being so popular means there are some good deals to be had if you
04:02shop around. So, what are you waiting for? Next up on our list is another great value,
04:11yet high-performing product from Shimano. I am, of course, talking about its M520 pedals.
04:18A quick Google of the M520 pedals will tell you two things. Number one, they're very affordable,
04:24retailing for around £28. And number two, they're pretty much universally loved, with pages of
04:31glowing five-star reviews from journalists and paying customers alike. Pros include their ease
04:37of maintenance, durability, all-round performance, and aforementioned pricing. While these pedals are
04:43mainly aimed at off-road riders, we found they suited road riders as well, particularly for those
04:49who like to be able to walk around in their riding shoes, which the recessed cleat on the M520 pedal
04:55does allow for. Lastly, the M520s have legendary mud-clearing abilities, and it wasn't uncommon
05:02to see pro cyclocross racers using them in particularly muddy races. So, if this £28
05:09pedal is good enough for the pros, then chances are it will be more than good enough for us.
05:14There's no doubt, owning and riding a fancy carbon race bike is one of the true pleasures
05:20of cycling. What's less pleasurable is what you do with said carbon road bike when the weather
05:26turns nasty. Sure, you can keep riding it while keeping on top of the cleaning, but many of us
05:32don't have that kind of time. And, as most carbon race bikes don't come with mudguard eyelets,
05:38finding something else to do is a bit of a pain. So, if you're looking for something
05:42to keep you and your bike clean, it can be tricky.
05:48Fortunately though, SKS have you covered with their clip-on race blade mudguards.
05:53While clip-on mudguards of the past would often just be flimsy and need constant adjustment,
05:58and be prone to breaking, the race blades are rock solid, and are made of strong, stiff plastic.
06:04They're also easy to fit, and will work on frames with both round and aero tube profiles.
06:10It's worth noting they won't offer quite as much mud protection as a dedicated eyelet-attached
06:15mudguard, with a bit of spray usually managing to work its way up your backside,
06:20but they will protect your bike, and surely, that is the most important thing.
06:25Finally, if you like your tyres wide, then SKS has you covered with their XL model,
06:30which works with 700c wheels, up to 32mm on the rim, and disc brake bikes.
06:41Sometimes, the best cycling products do their job so well that you hardly ever notice them at all,
06:47and nowhere is this more apparent than with your bottle cages.
06:52The best bottle cages will do exactly as they should, namely, hold your drink no matter the
06:57surface you're riding on. The worst will fill you with doubt as you never know when you might
07:02lose a bottle during a ride. And if you want the best, then I think you can't go wrong with Elite.
07:08They have a huge variety to choose from, and cater to different budgets.
07:12You can also choose between carbon, metal, Elite's eco-friendly material,
07:17and their fibre-reinforced material. So again, lots of options.
07:22A quick look online will tell you everything you need to know, with lots of 5 or nearly
07:275-star reviews. When we tested their Vico Carbon bottle cage, we found it provided a firm,
07:33rattle-free hold while weighing just 28 grams. Costing only £26 at the time of testing,
07:39it also represents fairly decent value for money, considering it's made out of carbon.
07:49Search online for cycling socks, and you will find an almost limitless array of styles,
07:54colours, lengths, and thicknesses to choose from. So, which do we recommend?
08:00Well, if you like your socks in either white, black, or grey, then you can't go wrong with
08:06Raffer's Pro Team Socks. They've been around in some form or another for a long time,
08:11which goes to show how popular they are with cycling journalists and everyday riders.
08:17My personal favourite are the standard socks, but for taller riders, there is an extra long
08:22version for that trendy high cuff look. Socks may not be the most exciting of
08:27products, but these really do the job quite well, keeping your feet cool during the summer months,
08:32and not slipping down your legs during riding. It's worth noting, the Raffer have you covered
08:38in the colder months as well, as they have a winter version of the Pro Team Sock. So,
08:43what's not to like?
08:49Supercars makes a bold statement on their website, and I quote,
08:54We boldly claim that Super Sticky Cush is the best bar tape ever,
08:59and that's backed up by being the world's number one selling bar tape.
09:03Now, whether or not that's true, well, I don't know, but what I do know
09:08is that it's an incredibly popular product loved by riders the world over.
09:13As you'd expect, it's seriously grippy stuff, even when wet and not wearing gloves,
09:19so you shouldn't need to worry about slipping from the bars. It's also quite thick at 3.2mm,
09:25so will be well suited to riders who value all day comfort.
09:29Thick bar tape can sometimes be trickier to wrap, but we found the Super Sticky Cush tape
09:34didn't present us with too many issues. Finally, it's available in a wide variety of colours,
09:40so you should be able to find something to match your bike.
09:43Last on our list, but by no means least, is Park Tool's P-Handle Hex Wrench Sets.
09:50Now, these hex keys, or allen keys, depending on where you come from,
09:54have the distinction of being loved not only by cycling journalists, but also by bike mechanics,
10:00and they're a familiar sight in workshops the world over.
10:04As you'd expect, they're made from super high torque industrial steel
10:08that will last you a lifetime, and they're also made from a high-strength,
10:13that will last for years to come. They're also available in all the popular sizes for when it
10:18comes to working on your bike, and there's a small ball head right there on the long
10:22side for those hard-to-reach places. Lastly, you get a neat wall hanger mount thingy,
10:28meaning no more rummaging around in drawers or toolboxes.
10:32So, there you have it, 8 products almost universally loved by cycling journalists.
10:37But, do you have any recommendations of your own? As always, let me know down below.
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