CyclistIn the Drops: Do-it-all Fizik shoes, do-it-all Panaracer tyres, easy chain waxing kit, new Shokz headphones and Magdalena BayIts Friday, its sunny, its In the Drops. Lets have it.Im feeling efficiency today, so Im going to sum up this weeks content in nice little bullet point sections.We started with the Gravel World Championships:Pro newsGravel Worlds galleryGravel Worlds tech galleryHow to fix the Worlds teething issuesHistory: Marianne Voss first road world titleWere gearing up for Il Lombardia:Everything you need to knowFavouritesHow to watchHistory: the legend of the first Il LombardiaAnd we looked at nice bikes:Gravel Worlds tech gallery yes again because its really goodMeet the Maker: Andr Pfeil of Kocmo Titan Bikes this bike is really niceBest steel road bikes reviewedA full guide to Bromptons rangeFinally, the transfer window is reaching its final stages, heres all the latest official moves and rumours.Now its time to get In the Drops. Fizik Tempo Beat shoesWill StricksonSearch for those shoes on the internet and youll come away more confused than you started. Some are calling them gravel shoes, some are calling them road shoes, some are calling them casual road shoes and some are saying theyre all-road shoes. What exactly are they? All I know is they are a sight to behold.Thats not entirely true, I know a bit more than that, although it doesnt exactly clear things up. Fizik describes them as versatile, casual road cycling shoes for riders who enjoy exploring both on and off the tarmac. So to answer my earlier question: all of the above. Will StricksonBut enough of that nonsense, what actually are they? Theyve got a big toe box, nice soft laces, a soft fabric upper material, two-bolt cleat tracks for SPDs, and a big juicy outsole with a grippy TPU tread and a stiffness rating of four, which means theyre stiffer than normal shoes for pedalling efficiency but much more comfy than performance road shoes. While Im here, Im starting a petition for an independent, universal stiffness rating rather than these proprietary scales that mean nothing. Write the word stiff in the comments below or on our social media post if you agree.Anyway, Im a big proponent of comfortable cycling shoes, so Ill be in these for the foreseeable future. Theyre available in all-black and sage green/desert too if youre scared of getting white dirty.RRP: 179Buy them now from Santa Fixie (151.30) Related Posts Hammerhead Karoo 3 GPS bike computer review Pro cycling transfers 2024/2025: Elisa Longo Borghini finally confirms move to UAE Team ADQ, Kasper Asgreen signs for EF and Tom Pidcock rumoured to join second-division Q36.5 Chain lube vs chain wax: Pros, cons and which should you choose? Il Lombardia 2024: Everything you need to know Panaracer Agilest Duro TLR tyresWill StricksonSpeaking of versatility, Panaracer dubs its Agilest Duro TLR tyres the flagship of all-road tyres. The Japanese brand says its Agilest models are made with The Panaracer Ratio, which means they balance lightweight, low-rolling resistance and durability. And the Duro model means theres extra protection from harsh surfaces and conditions while keeping the good things about the standard Agilests including the ZSG Agile compound. Panaracer says theres double the puncture protection and 20% more grip on Duro to the normal Agilests, and this TLR version has 15% less rolling resistance than the Agilest Duro clinchers. Theyve not been tested by bicyclerollingresistance.com yet, but Ill be on the lookout.Will StricksonThey come in widths from 25c to 32c, and you know me comfort is king, so these are the 32s. My bikes going through some changes at the moment so theyve not hit the road yet but if anythings going to have me excited for winter miles (or kilometres) its big, sturdy tyres. And considering Panaracer labels these as all-road, theyll go nicely with those shoes.Theres also a black sidewall option and, for what its worth, the correct wording should be most agile.Buy now from Panaracer (64.99)Cyclowax Clean Chain Starter KitWill StricksonTides are turning in the chain world and it feels like wax is going to continue to take over. Products like Cyclowaxs Clean Chain Starter Kit are making switching to waxing easier and quicker, and how could you say no to that?It arrives in this very neat box that has everything you need, including a pre-waxed chain of your choice to get you started.Will StricksonInside theres a full drivetrain-cleaning kit, the little crockpot that melts the wax in ten minutes, a stand that slides under the pot with a wire to hang the chain over the pot, a wax tablet, which costs 20 separately, and a bottle of Pocket Wax to use in between hot wax sessions.Cyclowax says using one of these will extend your chains life by 300%, make maintenance easy, make riders smoother and save you a few watts in the process. Buy now from Cyclowax (156)Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphonesLaurence KilpatrickFinally, Shokz has released the second generation of its game-changing bone conduction headphones, the OpenRun Pro. They offer a balance of technologies to get the best sound while still being able to hear your surroundings while youre listening to music/podcasts or whatever gets you going.Laurence KilpatrickThey use bone condution for high and mid frequencies and air conduction for low frequencies to make its open-ear audio unparalleled. They have a claimed 12 hours of playtime, are fitted with a waterproof USB-C for safe charging and feature noise-cancelling microphones so phone calls are clear too.Buy now from Amazon (169)What were into this week Playlist #23While some of my colleagues dont like this segment, its my favourite bit. Im into all sorts this week: autumn sunshine, jumpers, Oreo ice cream, nice coffee, the New York Giants actually playing well, roast chicken, Clarksons Farm, sudoku, chasing squirrels with my dog, HTHAZE album reactions.That last one brings me onto the latest edition of my In the Drops playlist. Its not been the most exciting period ever for new releases, and Ive mainly been repeating the Mk.gee, Clairo, Fontaines DC and Zach Bryan albums, which have all been featured in previous playlists.There are still some big hitters though. Bon Iver is back, theres new singles from Maggie Rogers and Faye Webster, a cover by Clairo, an EP from Sunflower Bean and an album from Leon Bridges.For me the biggest discovery has been Magdalena Bay. The first I heard of them was people on social media proclaiming that Brat Summer was over and Imaginal Disk Fall had begun. They released the album Imaginal Disk in August and its a whirlwind, it took over the YouTube reaction channels I enjoy and I had to dive in. I dont want to spoil it but its genre-blurring, mixes pop and experimental and features incredible musicianship. Give it a try.Listen toIn the Drops #23 on SpotifyCheck outall my In the Drops playlists Related Posts Hammerhead Karoo 3 GPS bike computer review Pro cycling transfers 2024/2025: Elisa Longo Borghini finally confirms move to UAE Team ADQ, Kasper Asgreen signs for EF and Tom Pidcock rumoured to join second-division Q36.5 Chain lube vs chain wax: Pros, cons and which should you choose? Il Lombardia 2024: Everything you need to know The post In the Drops: Do-it-all Fizik shoes, do-it-all Panaracer tyres, easy chain waxing kit, new Shokz headphones and Magdalena Bay appeared first on Cyclist.