Independent reviews
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Cycling Bikes
Five new road and gravel builds compared: the lighter, more compliant Cervelo R5, the three-model Trek Checkpoint range, and the fifth-generation Merida Scultura.
Cycling Shoes
A practical look at the Northwave Hammer Plus, its regular and wide fit lasts, and how to match any cycling shoe to your riding, your cleats, and your budget.
Road Bikes
A titanium endurance road bike with 3D printed details, exceptional welds, and a silky smooth ride, plus the premium price and trade-offs to weigh first.
Smart Glasses
A practical look at the Oakley Meta Vanguard: strong point-of-view video and open-ear audio, balanced against a premium price and limited battery life.
Triathlon Gear
A head to head test of 1980s triathlon gear against modern equipment, with measured gaps in bike speed and running economy.
Cycling Gear
Eight proven components that WorldTour riders still race on, from a cotton clincher launched in 2014 to a bottom bracket standard from 2003.
Cycling Gear
Nine long-serving components that professional teams still race, from a 2014 cotton clincher tyre to a bottle cage first launched in 1992.
Running Shoes
Lab testing put a heavily worn On Cloudboom Echo 3 against a budget EVA trainer. The worn super shoe still came out ahead by 2.3 percent in running economy.
Running Shoes
A closer look at the Cloudboom Strike LS, On's laceless racing shoe with a 30-gram sprayed upper, a 39 mm stack and a very light race weight.
Running Shoes
A carbon-plated running shoe for less than most super shoes cost to replace. Here is what it does well, what the teardown revealed, and who should buy it.
Running Shoes
A carbon plate racing shoe priced under £50 that delivers a surprisingly responsive ride, with a few build and race-legality questions to weigh up first.
Bike Maintenance
A practical look at three Optimize wax products, how hot wax compares with drip wax, and what the real time and performance trade-offs look like.
Cycling Maintenance
A practical look at Optimize Graphene Wax and Optimize Graphite Wax, how hot waxing works, and what you gain in durability and efficiency.
E-Bikes
A practical look at the Orbea Gain and the updated Mahle X20 motor system: what changed, how much the bike weighs, and who this lightweight e-road setup suits.
Mountain Bikes
A practical look at a drop bar Orbea Oiz build, covering 120mm of suspension, wireless road levers, and whether the combination is genuinely faster.
Road Bikes
The £6,000 Orbea Orca climbs beautifully and rides smooth, but a wide top tube and lighter rivals at the price give buyers real trade-offs to weigh.
Road Bikes
The Orbea Orca prioritises climbing stiffness, comfort and customisation over outright low weight. Here is what the mid-tier build delivers, and where it falls short.
Cycling
A practical comparison of a gravel bike and a road bike at identical power outputs, plus what actually happens when you fit road wheels to a gravel frame.
Gravel Bikes
Two Orbea gravel bikes share a core design but split into two personalities, plus practical guidance on setup, tire tread and the skills that actually make you faster off-road.
Electric Mountain Bikes
Orbea's flagship full-power enduro e-bike gains travel, slacker geometry and an updated Bosch drive unit, joined by the aluminium Wild ST for trail riders.
Electric Mountain Bikes
The new Orbea Wild adds travel, slacker geometry and an updated Bosch drive unit. Here is how the flagship carbon M Limited, the M20, the aluminium H20 and the trail-focused Wild ST H30 compare.
Triathlon Wetsuits
A close look at Orca's three Apex wetsuits, how they differ in buoyancy and shoulder freedom, and which type of swimmer and race distance each one suits.
Wetsuits
A practical breakdown of Orca's high-end Apex wetsuits, the Float, Flex and Flow, and which swim style each model is built to support.
Cycling Gear
How ten editions of Paris-Roubaix reshaped race bikes and tires, from a rim-brake winning setup to modern aero disc frames and wide tubeless rubber.
Cycling Tools
A practical look at the Park Tool CT-3 chain tool, including what it does well, how it handles modern drivetrains, and what to check before buying.
Gravel Bikes
A carbon gravel bike that borrows from mountain bike geometry, with a long reach, slack head angle and tall front end, plus the trade-offs to weigh before buying.
Road Bikes
A rim-brake 2016 Tour winner against a fully integrated modern aero race bike: what improved, what was lost, and which platform suits you today.
Mountain Bikes
A close look at the Pinarello Dogma XC hardtail, from its asymmetric carbon frame and race geometry to its two builds, weights, and prices.
Mountain Bikes
A detailed look at the Pinarello Dogma XC carbon hardtail, covering its asymmetric frame design, race geometry, component builds, and the trade-offs to weigh before buying.
Road Bikes
Pinarello has retired the Paris and Prince and replaced them with the F Series and X Series. Here is how the six new models differ, what to upgrade, and which one makes the most sense.