Core bike is the annual kick-off for the UK bike-industry calendar, a chance for brands and distributors to show off their latest gear for the first time. We were on hand at the show in Northamptonshire and have already shown you plenty of great new bikes and kit. Heres my round-up of five of the coolest things I saw at the show and should be on your radar. Read more Hope reveals HB.912 trail bike with launch set for later this year Does your freehub pickup leave you wanting? Halo has the answer Udog has made a dial-closure alternative to my favourite gravel shoe A coffee-coloured gravel bike The Tripster AT looks great in Cortado. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia First up, its a tweaked and refined version of an old favourite Kinesis affordable, do-it-all Tripster AT gravel bike. The 2026 Tripster AT aluminium frame and carbon fork have had a geometry update to bring it in line with the range-topping titanium ATR. Kinesis has also added more sizes, with the range expanded from 48cm up to 62cm. The wild-looking Farr Aero Gravel bar. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Cable routing has also been improved, and Kinesis has added top tube pack mounts. What stood out for me, however, were the new colourways subtle two-tone matt 'Matcha Green' and this stunning matt coffee colourway called 'Cortado'. The all-carbon Columbus Futura Cross+ fork is colour-matched to the frame, making this 900 frameset look so much more premium. The Columbus carbon fork is painted to match. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Here, the AT is built up in a custom show build by Kinesis owner Upgrade. It has Shimano GRX 1x mechanical and Sector GCa alloy gravel wheels wrapped in handmade Challenge Gravine tyres. It gets a Thomson Elite seatpost and stem, and the wild-looking Farr alloy Aero Gravel bar. The price for a build such as this would be approximately 2,700. Big-volume, user-friendly and super-secure bar bag The heavy-duty waterproof bag is secured cleverly. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Next up is an unreleased new bar bag and mount system from Old Man Mountain. While not officially launching for another month or two, hence details are thin on the ground, the bag and mount look to be among the most secure and user-friendly Ive seen. The substantial twin-spar mount holds a supporting cradle that the bag hooks onto. This provides support and stability when bikepacking. Cleverly, the compression straps loop through the bag and into the cradle. That means one-handed adjustment without having to fumble around holding the bag. The fully waterproof bag has an air-release valve built in, so you can really pack down the volume, too. The bag incorporates a T-bar on top to fit lights, a GPS or an action camera, with the twin spars offering multi-mount points, too. Old Man Mountain also told us it is looking at more accessories for the bag system, including bolt-on aero bars for marathon adventure racers. New one-piece carbon aero cockpit Reserve's new RD1 aero cockpit. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Reserve is known for aero road wheels and tough carbon mountain bike hoops, but now much like rivals Zipp and ENVE it has branched out into carbon cockpits. The new RD1 cockpit is wind-tunnel developed. Its one-piece design features a top section with an inset surface so that, once taped, the shape is more in unison and stops you from taping the key aero-advantage gaining mid-section. The RD1 has a 75mm reach and 125mm drop, and is availble in 12 size and length options. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The bars is available in 36, 38, 40 and 42cm widths and stem lengths from 80 to 120mm for a total of 12 configurations. Weights vary between 301g and 341g, making the RD1 impressively light. The shape has a 75mm centre-to-centre reach and a 125mm drop with a subtle 6-degree flare. The stem has an effective -6-degree angle. The top section has a recess for bar tape to keep the profile more uniform. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The RD1 comes with no weight limit and a lifetime warranty.The bar is accompanied by a spacer kit and headset cover optimised for Acros ICR systems (52mm upper bearing). It also includes an integrated out-front computer mount. Its priced at 499 / $549 / 549 / CA$769. Id expect to see the premium RD1 becoming original equipment on high-end offerings from affiliated brands under the Pon.Bike banner, such as Cervlo and Cannondale. Topeak bikepacking solutions Topeak's new Zi:Rak offers lots of fitting options. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Topeak has expanded its bikepacking offerings further with a new, very adaptable rear rack system and a mini-bar mounting rack. The new Zi:Rak looks similar to thru-axle systems from the likes of Tailfin and Restrap, but it comes in a multitude of options and is compatible with Topeak's existing rack and bag ecosystem. You can add these accessory bars to the Zi:Rak to make it compatible with standard panniers. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia You can choose between thru-axle, traditional rack mounts or quick-fix straps to attach the Zi:Rak. It can be specified with a lightweight bar top and make use of Topeak's new curved U-Shell accessory. This enables you to carry oversized wrap packs including Topeak's new U-shell 10-litre dry bag. Alternatively, you could opt for a Topeak MTX Quicktrack top, making it compatible with the wide range of top-mounting Topeak rack packs. The Zi:Rak can use rack mounts, thru-axles or straps. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The vertical supports have inserts to make them compatible with traditional panniers, too. Its all very typically Topeak, with bundles of options and accessories so you can tune the rack to your needs. Prices are keen, ranging between 89.99 and 109.99 (approximately $110$140). The Zi:Rak has a 25kg capacity. Next up is Topeak's funky handlebar rack, made from slender aluminium tubing and coming with a clever anti-droop mounting-support system. It has clamps compatible with 25.4/28.6/31.8mm-diameter bars and is compatible with most stems up to 52mm wide. It has a 4.5kg payload. The new handlebar rack is a cool accesory for bikepackers and commuters. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The rack weighs 320g and the elasticated cord adds another 55g. Its priced at 49.99 / $77.95. Hopes new 4-pot caliper brings enduro power to road and gravel bikes The RX4+ SL and RX2 are available in a wide range of colours. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia When it comes to upgrading brakes on gravel and road bikes, options have been thin on the ground. Stepping up the groupset hierarchy has usually been the only option. While Hope has had a road-compatible option in its range for many years, the RX2's minimal size and myriad colours are enough for me to want this upgrade. When it comes to the more extreme end of gravel, I've often wondered about shifting to MTB-style 4-pot brakes (with four brake cylinders instead of two). The downside is the size of said brakes. Especially since the trend for road and gravel frame design has shifted away from the traditional double-diamond shape and moved to compact dropped-stay rear triangles. With the RX4+ SL, Hope has designed a new narrower bore cap, similar to that seen on the GR4 and TR4 brakes. Thats enabled it to reduce the overall caliper width, making for a much wider range of frame compatibility. The latest bleed nipple design has been brought over from the RX2, making for a much simpler and cleaner bleed process. Plus it reduces the all-important bulk. The RX2 is machined from a single aluminium billet. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Why upgrade? The RX4 SL brings four-cylinder brake power to road and gravel bikes. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Hope's RX4+ SL is the only four-pot brake caliper for road bikes. It offers more power, improved heat management and improved modulation. Hence, these brakes are usually found as offerings for downhill and enduro mountain bike use. Both the RX4+ and RX2 are precision CNC-machined in a single piece from high-grade aluminium billet. This monobloc design is claimed to creates a stiffer caliper, improving lever feel and eliminating brake rub. The new RX4+ SL and RX2 are available in both mineral oil and DOT fluid versions. This makes them compatible across the board with Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo groupsets. They come in an array of colours, too: Black, Blue, Orange, Purple, Red, Silver and Smoke. The RX4+ SL brakes will be available from March, priced at 115 / $160 / 144.50.

Faster, lighter and designed to tackle a mix of surfaces ranging from tarmac to gravel

On the 28th of February the peloton will take on the Faun-Ardche Classic; the first of two weekend races in the Ardche area where the races favour the climbers and the classics specialists. We preview the race, which is expected to start and finish at 11:45 and 16:35CET. The race was created back...

The new Outdoor Research Helium UL collection is said to be lighter, more packable, and more waterproof than ever before, featuring new fabrics and specs. Dig into the updated lineup here...The post Outdoor Research Updates the Helium UL Collection appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Cyclist's lawyer questions why rider was blamed for "riding too fast for the conditions" and not wearing a helmet

Mathieu van der Poel is starting Omloop het Nieuwsblad this Saturday, being the race's headliner; and looking to add a new race to his palmars. It is his first race of 2026 and he has shared his thoughts and feelings in a press conference. In that short period you obviously dont lose all your co...

The Zwift Big Spin is back for 2026, with the opportunity to spin on completion of a stage and virtual prizes on offer. You can ride each stage as often as you like, with Zwift suggesting you try to amass every available prize. The Zwift Big Spin event runs from 16 March to 6 April and is spread across four stages in the Watopia virtual world: Stage 1: Desert Discovery, 21.4km, 46m elevation gain Stage 2: Hidden Temple, 21km, 219m elevation gain Stage 3: Lost Coast Adventure, 26.3km, 147m elevation gain Stage 4: Sand and Sequoias 20.1km, 175m elevation gain When you complete any of the stages, youre entitled to a spin to win a prize. In addition, there are eight new Mystery Spinners hidden in Watopia and marked by treasure chests. Read more: Zwift your complete guide to the world's most popular indoor training app Zwift's Big Spin competition has hats and a virtual bike as prizes. You can choose to ride any of the stages at a time of your own choosing. Alternatively, you can join one of the hourly group rides if you want some company. Theres a range of prizes on offer, including an array of hats, a bandana, Jungle Headphones, the Big Spin Tri-Spoke wheel and a new MX Rider bike. Big Spin virtual prizes include a range of hats, as well as the MX Rider bike. The Big Spin is one of a number of initiatives announced by Zwift to spice up riding on the platform this spring. Finishing on 29 March, the Zwift Games offer six stages of online racing, with virtual prizes. There's a 'make-up week' that runs into April and gives you the opportunity to improve your times or complete any stages you've missed. Other promotions from the indoor cycling app include a 100 discount on the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 trainer with Zwift Cog and Click. Meanwhile Zwift's main challenger, Rouvy, has recently added routes in Sri Lanka and elsewhere as well as its own version of Strava segments. For the last year, you've also been able to use Zwift Cog and Click with Rouvy's software.

Dr Sarah Ruggins is attempting another world record this June

Paris-Nice 2026 already has its route. The organizers unveiled the course for the 84th Race to the Sun on Wednesday in Versailles, starting on Sunday, March 8th 2026 in Achres and finishing a week later in Nice. Its a varied edition: chances for sprinters, wind-exposed days, a team time trial, pun...

I was always one of those cyclists who had never been fully sold on the benefits of carbon fiber. That is, until just recently. I kinda get it now. I love my carbon mountain bike bars and wheelsets; they have made a big difference in the performance and ride quality of those bikes. So, I was stoked when Teravail offered to send me some of their new cockpit parts. Ive always been a big fan of the brand; I use their tires on all of my bicycles, and I was happy they were expanding their offerings to include cockpit parts.Photos / Ron Frazelle)When the time came, I chose to review the Feldspar Carbon Drop Bar, the Stratum Carbon Seatpost, and the Radia Bar Tape. I received these bike bits in late November 2025, and almost instantly installed them on my Wilde Rambler SL. So far, Ive got a little over 200 miles clocked on the parts, and except for the tape, theyve all been pretty great.OK, lets get right to the meat of it and start with their new gravel-specific drop bar.The Feldspar Carbon Drop BarRetail: $280The Feldspar Carbon review bars are 46cm wide. Features (From Teravail)Unidirectional carbon fiber constructionFlattened top section for a comfortable grip and compliance on rough roadsMulti-stage flare: 12 degrees at the hoods for comfort, 20 degrees at the drops for maximum controlReinforced clamping zones to ensure compatibility with all of your favorite drop bar controls68mm reach, 100mm dropTested to our rigorous MTN Drop Bar standard suitable for singletrack detoursNo Back SweepRight away, I liked the look of the Feldspar bar. I was a tiny bit worried about the fact that it had no back sweep, though. Heres the deal. Ive grown to love about 5 degrees of back sweep on my drop bars. This amount of backsweep is really comfortable for me, especially on longer rides.When the terrain gets tough, like it can on a gravel bike, the 5 or so degrees of back sweep make my hands feel like they are in a more natural position, which gives me the feeling of having more control. This need for back sweep started back in 2017 when my current bike at the time, a Diamondback Haanjo EXP, was specd with a bar that had about 5 degrees of back sweep. I fell in love with that bar. Over the years, my experience trying different drop bars is pretty vast. Until I tried the Teravail Feldspar, my favorite bar was the Velo Orange Nouveau Randonneur bar (5-degree back sweep). Ive used that bar exclusively for many, many years; its so good. The Tumbleweed Big Dipper was another bar with a 5-degree back sweep that I used for a bit, and it comes in a distant second to the Velo Orange bar. Flat Top Instead of Back Sweep?I move my hands around a lot when I ride a drop bar bike. And, when choosing the Feldspar Bar, I thought that maybe the flat top of the Feldspar would allow me to have my hands in a similar position to how they are on a bar with a back sweep. I was kinda right about that. The flat tops of the Feldspar are wide enough to mimic a bit of a back sweep. I was surprised that it worked that way. I mean, 5-degrees is not a lot, so I think its easy to fool my hands into thinking the Feldspar has a bit of a back sweep.The Feldspars lack of back sweep wasnt nearly as big an issue as I initially thought. As the flat tops performed exactly as I expected. When compared to my Velo Orange bars, I found very little difference. And, the lighter weight and damping qualities of the Feldspar Carbon more than made up for the lack of a back sweep. Ride QualityThat being said, I found the bars instantly comfortable. They have an amazing amount of damping ability when stuff gets a little rough. I was especially excited to try the Feldspars multi-stage flare. They start at 12 degrees of flare at the hoods and gradually get to 20 degrees at the drops. Although hardly noticeable when looking at the bars, it was very apparent when using the bars. I really love the way it feels.The numbers are great on the Feldspar as well. When compared to my Velo Orange bars, the shallower drop of the Feldspar (100mm vs.128mm) felt perfect on my Rambler. The reach numbers on the Feldspar were significantly shorter than the Velo Orange bar (68mm vs. 85mm), and felt just right. The Teravail Feldspar Carbon Bars weightThe Velo Orange Nouveau Randonneur Handlbars weightThese bars are obviously lighter when compared to the aluminum Velo Orange bars. But thats to be expected. What wasnt expected was how much more I ended up liking the Teravail Feldspar Carbon Bar. So far, my impression of the Feldspar is that it might be my new favorite drop bar. For me and my usage, the Feldspar is a total winner. At $280, its competitively priced for a pair of carbon bars. I would have zero issues with suggesting you try a pair out on your favorite steed.The Stratum Carbon SeatpostRetail: $100The Carbon Stratum Seatpost that I have in for review is in the 27.2mm diameter, with an 18mm offset. Features: Unidirectional carbon fiber construction with a forged aluminum headTwo-bolt adjustable head400mm lengthAvailable in 27.2mm, 30.9mm, and 31.6mm diametersAvailable with 0mm or 18mm offsetTested to ASTM 3 / ISO MTNAluminum vs. Carbon This seems like a no-brainer, but being a large cyclist, carbon seatposts have always been a little scary to me. Ive always used aluminum seatposts, with the Paul Components Tall & Handsome being my favorite. Pauls Tall & Handsome wieightTeravail Carbon Stratum WeightWhen comparing the two, the carbon Stratum Post is obviously going to be lighter (but less than 50g difference). But will it hold up to my size and riding style? So far, indeed it has. The fact that it has been tested and approved for MTB usage definitely helps with my peace of mind.I love the two-bolt adjustment with the dial wheel for that front adjustment. It made finding the degree of saddle tilt easy-peasy. And the post is aesthetically very pleasing. Teravail uses the same handsome, low-key branding as theyve always done for their tires. Its a very good-looking post.Ride QualityWhat really kinda rocked my world is the amount of trail damping the Stratum Carbon post had. My Rambler is an XL, so I dont show a lot of post, so I thought the carbons damping qualities wouldnt be that noticeable, but it really is. Very much so. I purposely have stayed seated on some rough sections of familiar trails where I would normally stand through them, and was pleasantly surprised. Not to mention the lighter-weight post means an overall lighter bike. Which, in turn, means a bike that can climb more quickly. So theres that too. I might even be so bold as to say that the days of my not trusting and using carbon fiber bike parts are at an end (at least when it comes to known brands).And for $100, it seems like a total bargain for whats been, so far, a quality carbon seatpost. Well, I think Im on the carbon fiber train, and I dont want to get off. Teravail Radia Bar TapeRetail: $43The Radia Tape that I have in for review is the 250cm length in the Dune color. Features: Non-slip outer layer for gripGel backing for added comfort and easy installationAvailable in 2.5mm or 3.5mm thicknessAvailable in five colorsAvailable in extra-long 250cm length for bars 46cm and wider (Obsidian and Dune colors only)2.5mm thick tape, 200cm long = 83 grams; 250cm long = 102 grams3.5mm thick tape, 200cm long = 90 grams; 250cm long = 118 gramsRubber bar-end plugs includedIll get right to the point and say that thick bar tape isnt my jam. Ive tried many different brands of thicker gravel-specific bar tape, and I just dont like the way it feels. I need to wrap more of my hands around the bar. It feels right to me. I even use unpadded gloves when I ride, whether it be gravel or mountain biking. I like to make full, positive contact with my handlebars.Look, this isnt a negative dig on the Teravail Radia tape; its my feeling for all extra-padded tape. I actually think the Radia Bar Tape is a really nice example of padded bar tape. In UseThe Radia Tape stretched over the bar easily and consistently, making wrapping the Feldspars a breeze. The tape looks nice, with a low-key aesthetic. I wasnt a huge fan of how the Dune colorway looked on my copper colored Rambler SL. Another thing I wasnt keen on was the fact that the 250cm length was only available in the Obsidian and Dune colorways. So if you have bars that are 46cm or wider, these two colors are your only choice in the Radia tape. While out riding, I found the grip to be outstanding. The bar tape almost had a sticky quality without actually feeling sticky, if that makes any sense at all. In just two or so rides, the tape was getting a bit darker where my hands would be kind of like leather wearing in. But I feel that would be easy to keep clean with good ol soap and water.Dirty alreadyAll in all, I think the Teravail Radia Tape is a good quality tape that wraps well, has great grip, and has some cushion to remove some harsh trail and road vibration. It looks as if it will last a long time. And I like that its washable. At $43, it seems a little bit pricy. Especially when the greatest bar tape in the world is only three dollars more.If 2.5mm of padding is something that you want/need in your bar tape, then look no further than the new Teravail Radia Bar tape. It is high-quality bar tape that Im sure will last you a long time. Check out more details, and all of the other good quality bike parts Teravail has available at the link below. Teravail.comThe post Testing the New Teravail Feldspar Carbon Drop Bar, Stratum Carbon Post & Radia Bar Tape appeared first on Bikerumor.