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Autumn has long since arrived. There are only a few leaves left on the trees and the thermometers are refusing to climb above the 10-degree mark in large parts of Germany. Anyone who has not yet Road bike equipment for the autumn equipped, should do so now. Of the five products tested in the test centre, two have been specially selected for the colder and wetter seasons. You can also look forward to a pair of assembly gloves, a useful mini pump and the revised Fenix multisport watch from Garmin. Have fun browsing!
Road bike equipment for autumn: jacket from Le Col
- Price: 325 Euro >> available here
- Sizes: XS to XXXL
- Colours: Black, blue, orange
The design of the Le Col brand is known to be rather reduced and discreet, and this is also the case with the all-weather Pro Jacket, which is available in the colours black, blue and - sensibly - also in orange. To increase visibility in traffic, Le Col has placed large reflective strips on the sleeves and on the centre of the three classic jersey pockets. With a weight of 370 grams (size L), the jacket weighs as much as an all-weather jersey and therefore around 200 grams less than a classic softshell jacket.
We liked the great fit of the jacket, which perfectly anticipates the bent posture on the racer and protects the backside very well from splashing water; the cuffs and the lined collar including the garage for the zip pull are also long, fluffy and successful. However, the zip is difficult to pull and is reluctant to be operated with one hand.
However, our main criticism is directed at the windproof but less water-repellent "Polartec Power Shield" material, which doesn't let water droplets through to the skin straight away, but they hardly roll off the surface, which means the material soaks up quickly and favours unpleasant shivering. For this reason, we recommend the comparatively expensive Jacket Pro for dry weather between 5 and 15 degrees.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Fit
- Minus: Weather protection
Road bike equipment for autumn: shoe dryers from Sidas
- Price: 14,95 Euro >> available here
There are various ways to get your shoes dry again as quickly as possible after a wet ride. One comes from the insole specialist Sidas and is called "Dryer Bag Cedar Wood" or simply "shoe dryer". The manufacturer promises that it dries shoes in no time at all, exactly four times faster than drying them in the open air.
We tried it out: In our practical test with soaked shoes on the shady balcony on a cool and dry autumn day, our test shoes were ready to walk on again after around eight hours. In the comparison pair without the cedar wood bag, the autumn air took around twice as long to dry. The shoes did not dry as quickly as promised with the moisture-absorbing insole, but faster than without the little helpers.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: works
- Minus: -
Cycling equipment: assembly gloves from Kinetixx
- Price: 5,50 Euro
- Sizes: S to XXL
If you don't wrench, you don't get your hands dirty. However, technology enthusiasts who like to work on their own bikes do. And brake abrasion or chain grease on the skin can be fun for days. The "Fine assembly glove X-Senso" from Kinetixx is designed to protect screwdrivers' hands from this without compromising hand feel too much. We tried out the 50 gram light overshoes (size XL) when fitting tyres and carrying out maintenance work.
We like the flexible fit with elasticated back of the hand, the grippy palm and the long cuff that generously covers the wrists. The rubberised fingertips are very grippy and can get caught in the rim bed when levering the tyre bead, for example. Otherwise, the fitting glove offers good mechanical protection, does not restrict the grip too much, can be washed by hand with standard detergent and avoids sweaty hands thanks to the vapour-permeable knitted fabric on the back of the hand.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Fit, wearing comfort
- Minus: the strong grip can interfere with some activities
Smart watch: Garmin Fenix
- Price: 1000 Euro (Garmin Fenix 8 Amoled) >> available here
Garmin has revised its Fenix multisport watch. The biggest innovation of the Fenix 8: a model variant with an Amoled display that shows particularly vivid colours - a clear advantage over the previous model. When using the maps, the razor-sharp and high-contrast display is impressive. Also new: the excellent Topo maps are already pre-installed. One technical innovation is the speaker and microphone. This expands the smartwatch functions and can, for example, help to fulfil training targets during interval training. The pulse measurement on the wrist works very well - as does the measurement of speed, distance and altitude.
Overall, the tested Garmin Fenix 8 (47 mm diameter/Amoled) is a convincing companion for various sports without any recognisable weaknesses. However, the price is very high - competitor products such as the Suunto Race offer similar functions at a significantly lower price.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Brilliant display Precise sensors Wide range of functions
- Minus: -
Road bike equipment: mini pump from Cycplus
- Price: 99,30 Euro
With the AS2 Pro model, the smallest compressor in the Cycplus range has been upgraded and is now equipped with an 18 x 12 millimetre display. It shows the air pressure (presettable) in bar and PSI as well as the battery status with a maximum of three bars.
In practice, the pressuriser, which weighs 140 grams including the valve tube extension, is impressive: with a measured 8.1 bar, the specified maximum pressure of 8.3 bar is only just undercut. A 30-622 tyre can be inflated to three bar within 42 seconds and to five bar after twice as long. The casing heats up to 45 degrees in the process. These are good values. The battery of the AS2 Pro managed to fill three tyres to five bar with one charge, which is also a satisfactory performance.
Matthias Borchers
Editor
