CyclistIn the Drops: Customisable G8 insoles, snazzy DMT gravel shoes, umlaut Kostme kit, chromed-out Cane Creek finshing kit and Hill ClimbsGood day sailors. With autumn accelerating apace its trousers today for the first time in five months theres actually been a load of tech news and launches to keep on top of this week. Old Will Strickson has been off in Tuscany checking out Colnagos new gravel whip, the G5-X. Sure, Tuscan gravel might be hard to come by in the UK, but the bike is very much available. Similarly, Look has added another gravel bike to its roster, the G85 Cezal, and Ridley has made its climbing bike the Falcn RS 2.0 even lighter than before.Tech editor Sam Challis did a deep dive on the team at Prova in Australia and that Dream Bike feature from the magazine has now gone online. Slightly closer to home, my trip to XO bikes on Blackfriars Road is now online too, detailing a bike workshop with a difference.If youre looking at the ominous horizon and sensing your kit stashes might be a bit low, then fret not. Our winter kit guide has also danced over from the magazine to the website and shows you everything worth buying this winter.Weve got a run down of how kit made by women for women is actually improving the performance apparel situation for female riders. Our profile of former pro Geraint G Thomas is also now live on the website as is Robyns preview of Il Lombardia in advance of Sunday.That should be plenty to be getitng on with. Drop the needle on the drops.G8 Pro Series 2620 InsolesRather than changing your shoes entirely, one way of elevating your current footwear and improving the fit is to invest in some carefully thought-out insoles. The 2620 Pro Series are thin, light and customisable, meaning the four different size options can be cut down to the shape of your specific shoe. G8 says they should fit inside more or less any shoe and they make insoles for different disciplines too, so its not confined to cycling.To complete the customisation its a case of adding the relevant supports depending on the height of your arches. The 2620 insoles enable the riders feet to move around, rather than remaining totally rigid, which G8 claims improves forefoot flex, bloodflow and power transfer. With continued use, G8 says they can strengthen a riders feet and help to alleviate injuries.Ive got a massive set of arches so installing the G8 insoles has made a big difference when using some shoes that dont quite provide the right internal shape to support my feet. To my mind, that means that they can have the biggest impact on more entry level shoes as Ive found that the higher up the premium shoe tree you go, the more attention is paid to insoles, metatarsal buttons and the like.Buy now from G8 (110)DMT IAAN Gravel shoesThough probably best known for sponsoring Tadej Pogaars feet in recent years, DMTs latest release is a fancy off-road shoe. The IAAN Gravel shoes no relation to Eastenders Mr Beale before you ask use the so-called Dimple Tech to bring the party to the trails. Dimple Tech is said to improve aerodynamics via its rough texture while also improving breathability and remaining light weight. To the touch it feels both scaly and slippery an interesting contradiction but dirt does still brush off quite easily.In addition to this rough exterior, the toe box is reinforced with extra material to protect the downstairs digits against any root or rock strikes. The outsole is chunky too, with the SPD cleat embeded within and fortified by platformed grippers to make walking around and re-clipping in that bit easier.For closure, the Iaans get the top of the line Li2 Boa dials, which means you can incrementally loosen as well as tighten the shoes, without releasing all the pressure.Theres no doubting they look smart, but the colour schemes are surely tempting fate a little bit. DMT has added a sliding scale of basic emotions on the heels off side, presumably because youre only ever one missed manhole or hidden swamp away from disaster when youre out on the gravel trails.Buy now from DMT (285)Kostme #EDIT008 cargo jerseyKostme, the Bristolian brand with a unique pre-order, minimum-waste model, has brought out another of its kit edits, in the wake of Sarah Ruggins world record attempt to ride from Tarifa, Spain to Nordkapp, Norway in record time. (Thats the length of mainland Europe for those of you without an atlas to hand. And yes she rode the 6,000km in under 14 days to smash the record.)Ruggins used Kostme kit and it had to be ready for everything, from extreme heat through to brutal chills and beastly winds. The cargo jersey pictured here uses a recycled fabric that protects riders from 98% of UV rays, plus it has a bonkers array of pockets that are ripe for stuffing. In all there are six pockets, including a zipped one for valuables and a stretchy meshy outer layer for stashing overlayers in.As an aside, Im already a convert to the Kostme bibs. No matter how many brands I try, Im still pretty adamant that the Kostme bibs are the most comfortable and have the nicest gripper design no pinching, no bunching, just a delightful modualted pressure that doesnt slip.Jerseys are perhaps a less vital bit of kit in my opinion at least but the #EDIT008 is super practical, good for pasty lads like me in hot weather and Im a fan of the bold design too.Buy now from Kostme (125)Cane Creek HCR systemAfter deciding that the current crop of internal routing stems and headset systems were all fragile, unattractive and hard to work on, says Cane Creeks Will Hart, we wanted to see what we could produce if we left aerodynamics at the door and instead made something traditional-looking, user-friendly and formed from long-lasting materials.The result is the HCR system, an all-metal arrangement that hides cables like integrated cockpits but is made of separate pieces, so retains adjustability like normal two-piece setups. The aluminium HCR stem comes in five different lengths and is said to weigh just 160g dependent on length.The weight is helped by the simplicity of having no internal routing or integrated covers, says Hart. Cables run in an open channel along the underside of the stem.Though the stem can be used with other front-end setups it fits on a normal round steerer Cane Creek will point you in the direction of its HCR spacers and headset as natural bedfellows. The spacers are aluminium and shield the cables while maintaining access, and the headset is made with the brands robust Hellbender bearings.Theres a cable seal above the top bearing, where the cables enter the head tube, thats made from very dense rubber, says Hart. The various holes are just the right size to allow cable installation but create a tight seal that keeps out grime.Also pictured here is the GXC seatpost in alloy with steel hardware, which Cane Creek says makes it durable and very resilient to the elements. It also uses a neat custom front bolt that can be adjusted in three different ways ensuring you can always make tweaks to your saddle position without needing to remove the whole thing.Buy now from Extra (Headset 159.99, stem 99.99, spacers 29.99)What were into this week: Hill climbsUnfortuantely, this will be me on Sunday. Unequivocally the nail, not the hammer. Ive been tricked into riding the Catford CC hill climb for the magazine and its a swift editorial turnaround, so you will be able to see the fruits of my sucking-pound-coins, vomiting-on-the-finish-line endeavours in no time at all.Safe to say, I dont expect to trouble the scorers, as they say in the cricket. Ill be happy with an obscure finishing time that is barely worth commenting on. Handily, Ive still got the Specialized Aethos 2 kicking around, fresh from a few Big Rides and Classic Climbs in far flung Europe. So long as Ewan Wilson hasnt left me with a sneaky slow puncture to deal with, I wont be able to blame the bike for anything.If youre in the area, come and say hello.Find out more at CTTThe post In the Drops: Customisable G8 insoles, snazzy DMT gravel shoes, umlaut Kostme kit, chromed-out Cane Creek finshing kit and Hill Climbs appeared first on Cyclist.