This week's round up of new releases features a wide spectrum of products, with safety and practical design a recurring theme.
Kask releases its popular Mojito³ helmet in a new range of colours, while Velocio unveils a race-fit jersey created for long miles with a pocket design that looks like it might be able to carry everything including the kitchen sink.
Elsewhere a London design studio aims to make an urban e-bike with mass appeal, while US-based Thousands enters the world of bike lights.
Kask release Mojito³ in a range of matt colours
(Image credit: Kask)
When Kask released the redesigned Mojito it presented it as something of a ‘do-it-all’ helmet. Light enough for racing, plenty of ventilation for higher temperatures and a low-profile look suited for gravel and commuting as well as the road, the Mojito³ had broad appeal.
The Italian brand is seemingly looking to extend its reach further, with the introduction of five new matt colours: Atlantic Blue Matt, Bloodstone Matt, Grey Matt, Olive Green Matt and White Matt. While additional colours don’t change the functionality of the helmet, they do offer more options for those who like to coordinate their bike and kit. Olive green has become something of a gravel ‘go-to’ in recent times and its inclusion here is no surprise.
As for the helmet itself, it features Kask’s Octo Fit retention system, its signature leather strap and reflective graphics for improved visibility in low light conditions. At 230g claimed for a size medium it is as light as many top-tier lids, including Kask’s Protone Icon. Worn by the Ineos Grenadiers team the Protone Icon also tips the scales at 230g but is more than twice the price of the Mojito³.
Perhaps most importantly the Mojito³ has passed Kask’s own WG11 test, which is delivered by an independent lab and measures a helmet's protection against rotational impact.
Velocio's latest jersey is designed to fit like a glove and cool like a radiator
(Image credit: Velocio)
Velocio describes the men's Concept Radiator as its “most advanced and highest performing jersey yet”.
It’s quite a claim. However, looking at the long list of design attributes it may prove to be more than just brand hyperbole.
As the name implies, the jersey combines the articulated fit of Velocio’s Concept collection with the Polartec ‘Radiator’ mesh fabric, made from a blend of tencel and recycled polyester whose 3D mesh structure, which according to Velocio, “wicks moisture, then actively cools through evaporation as you ride.”
The Concept patterning and finish means cut and shaped seams which are designed to aid aerodynamics and offer an articulated race fit, with “no extra fabric.” The low collar design is commonplace in the professional peloton and it makes an appearance here too, with Velocio saying that it “minimizes bulk and maximizes airflow.”
This is a jersey suited to warm temperatures. It features a full-length zip, which always helps with temperature regulation, as well as UPF 30+ protection on the back. Velocio claims the jersey’s pockets are ready for a 200-mile ride. What this means from a design perspective is a set of rear pockets that are created to remain in place even when weighed down by all your gubbins. Certainly the images appear to show some pretty substantial looking pockets, including a zipped pocket. However, we’ll have to leave the ‘200-mile’ claims unsubstantiated until tested, if we can find a willing volunteer that is!
The jersey comes in a wide range of sizes, from XS to 4XL, and is offered in four colours: white, navy, sky and mango.
An electric motor alone doesn't make an e-bike well suited for commuting purposes. Design studio Layer seeks to address the suitability of some e-bikes to the demands of the city with the Pendler, a concept e-bike tailored made for urban riding.
Pendler comes from the Danish word for 'commuting' and the bike is seemingly imbued with the practical sense and inclusivity that the country’s cycling culture is famous for. The step-through U-shaped frame, made from steel, seeks to build on the broad appeal of e-bikes, making it easier to use for people with mobility issues as well as being rideable no matter the clothes you’re wearing.
With a space often a premium in city apartments and workspaces, the Pendler folds flat, with the handlebars rotating and the pedals folding down to allow it to be more easily stored. The front and rear baskets, which feature wooden slats reminiscent of those used on traditional delivery bikes, can also be removed to help with storage. Twenty-inch wheels also improve the Pendler’s portability.
While its minimal aesthetic pays homage to the basic yet eminently practical bikes you see everywhere in cities like Copenhagen and Utrecht , there’s a good deal of tech here too. The Pendler features integrated lights front and rear as well built-in indicators on the end of the bars. There’s also a mobile phone dock, positioned so it can function as a GPS unit. As for the 45Nm motor, it’s a rear-hub affair powered by a 250Wh battery that's integrated into the frame. Layer says a single charge should equate to 70km.
Camera-inspired lights with 'intuitive' twisting motion
(Image credit: Thousand)
Inspired by the lens of a camera, Thousand’s Traveler bike lights are designed to be an easy-to-use option, featuring an “intuitive twisting motion” that enables you to change the strength of the beam, and with it your level of visibility.
The USB-rechargeable lights feature three modes, eco flash, daylight flash and solid. Depending on the mode the front light ranges from 30 to 250 lumens, while the rear light features a range from 10 to 80 lumens. In eco flash mode Thousand claims you’ll get a running time of 36 hours for the front and 22 hours for the rear. Daylight running reduces these numbers to 6 hours and 3.75 hours respectively. Charge time is said to be just two hours.
The 40g lights use a 20g magnetic mount, which appears to allow you to remove the light with ease. The adjustable strap of the mount is designed to be compatible with a range of handlebar and seatpost diameters.
Thousand was born in Los Angeles, California with the purpose of saving a thousand lives by making a more ‘wearable’ cycling helmet. The Traveler lights are the brand’s first foray outside of helmets but continue its safety-driven focus.
“Thousand was founded with the intention of helping our communities opt into safety, beginning with the choice to wear a helmet,” said Gloria Hwang, founder and CEO, Thousand. “The Traveler Lights represent our broader vision to encourage safe urban mobility through stylish, sustainable and user-friendly products that riders choose to use. By enhancing riders’ visibility, we want to promote movement by micro mobility no matter the season or time of day.”
The Traveler Lights are available in three colours including Speedway Creme, Stealth Black and Thousand Navy and retail for £64/$65 a set.
Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.
'I'd love to be an F1 driver': Get to know GB track sprinter Emma Finucane
'I felt like I was the worst rider in the bunch' - Simon Carr dispels doubt with longest ever solo win at Tour of the Alps
