Seven Cycling Products Worth a Closer Look: Carbon Wheels, Smart Helmets and Commuter Kit

Introduction

Not every useful cycling upgrade has to cost a fortune, and not every expensive one is a gimmick. The seven products below sit at very different price points and solve very different problems, from a carbon wheelset that costs about as much as a mid-range alloy set to photochromic sunglasses that adjust their own tint.

Some of these are commuter focused, some are aimed at road riders who want to be seen, and one is a small accessory built around how drivers actually behave. Each has a clear reason to exist, and each has a trade-off worth knowing before you spend anything.

Riot Carbon Disc Brake Wheelset: Budget Carbon Without the Guesswork

This is a 700c clincher wheelset built around a 50mm deep carbon rim, with a tubeless-compatible profile, through-axle fitment, 24 stainless steel double-butted spokes and aluminium nipples. The manufacturer lists a 120kg rider weight limit.

The claimed weight for the 50mm version is 1,750g. On the scales the set came in at 1,738g, with the front at 792g and the rear at 946g, so the real figure lands marginally under the claim rather than over it. Internal rim width is 21.5mm, a touch narrower than the 22.5mm found on some road wheels at higher price points.

Out of the box the bearings ran smooth and the rims were true to within roughly half a millimetre, which sits inside normal industry tolerance. That is a strong start for a wheelset costing around £225 including shipping, and the rims carry no branding at all.

The trade-offs are straightforward. These wheels are heavy for carbon, which is exactly what you would expect at this price. There is also a ceramic bearing version available for about £20 more, so buyers who want that upgrade need to select it deliberately rather than assume it is included.

Lumos Ultra MIPS: A Smart Commuter Helmet

Lumos builds helmets with integrated lighting, and the Ultra MIPS is the commuter-focused model in the range. MIPS adds a low-friction layer between the helmet and your head that moves independently of the shell, a design intended to reduce rotational forces in a crash.

Weight is 421g. That is noticeably heavier than a lightweight road helmet, which typically sits closer to 228g in the same class, and you do feel the difference once it is on. For a 20 to 30 minute commute that is a reasonable trade for the added lighting and the MIPS layer. For long rides, a lighter helmet makes more sense.

The helmet uses a magnetic Fidlock buckle, which is quick to fasten and release one-handed. Pricing was £125, with the brand’s own site running a discount to £90 at the time of writing.

Lumos Ultra E-Bike: Indicator Lighting for E-Bike Riders

The Ultra E-Bike takes the same idea further. It pairs a helmet with red lights on the back and a handlebar-mounted remote that triggers left and right indicators, so you can signal without taking a hand off the bars. A single press is enough to activate a turn signal, and the helmet is available in an emerald green finish.

The shell is the heavier of the two Lumos helmets covered here, which fits the e-bike and moped-style use case it is designed for. It also uses a magnetic Fidlock buckle. At the time of writing it was not listed on the brand’s website, so availability details were still limited.

The indicator system is the reason to consider this model. Riders who mix with traffic and want their intentions visible without lifting a hand off the grip will get the most from it, while riders who mostly ride away from traffic will not need the extra weight.

Chrome Industries Double Track Handlebar Bag: Reflective and Purposeful

Chrome Industries is a long-standing name in messenger and fixed-gear circles, and this handlebar bag comes from a collaboration that raises funds for Out International, an organisation that supports LGBTIQ human rights movements and advocates for inclusion and equality.

The bag is priced at £70. Its most useful detail is the reflective material: in daylight it reads as a dark, understated bag, and when light hits it, it lights up. That makes it a genuinely practical commuting choice rather than a statement piece alone.

Chrome Industries Tech Accessories Pack: Small Kit, Same Build Quality

The Tech Accessories Pack is the smaller half of the same collaboration, priced at £45. It is built to the same standard as the handlebar bag, with the same reflective treatment that stays subtle until light catches it.

For riders who want a small organiser for tools, cables or a phone, this is the lower-commitment way into the collection. Anyone who has owned a Chrome Industries bag before will recognise the construction quality.

Pass Pixi: A Visibility Aid for Road Riders

Pass Pixi is a small plate designed to glide over the rear pocket of a cycling jersey and slip off again when you stop at a cafe. The thinking behind it is simple: action cameras are too small for drivers to notice, so drivers do not change their behaviour, whereas a recognisable marking does get noticed.

The design uses the speed camera symbol familiar to UK road users. In practice, the effect is reported to be strongest on the drivers who would otherwise pass close or lean on the horn. It is intended to be used alongside a rear-facing camera rather than instead of one.

Because it sits over a jersey pocket, it suits road riders who already carry a phone or camera there. It adds no meaningful weight and no clutter, and it comes off in a second when you stop.

Out Of Sunglasses: Photochromic Lenses That React in Under a Second

Out Of is an Italian brand run by two brothers and a sister, and its sunglasses do something genuinely unusual. A small solar panel sits across the top of the frame and changes how dark the lens is in less than a second, spanning roughly the S1 to S3 range.

For cyclists, the benefit shows up in exactly the places where fixed-tint lenses struggle: riding from bright road into tree cover or into a tunnel. Instead of being stuck behind lenses that are too dark for the shade, the tint lifts and you can pick out potholes and surface changes again.

The sunglasses come in four lens colours and with two temple options, one fixed plastic and one bendy arm that adjusts to fit. They cost €270, which is a significant step up from the roughly €170 that performance cycling sunglasses typically command. The brand also offers a lighter model at around €170, described as the world’s lightest, for riders who prioritise weight.

Overall Buying Advice

The right pick depends entirely on the problem you are trying to solve. If you want carbon wheels without a carbon price tag, this wheelset delivers true, smooth-running rims at a measured weight that matches its specification, as long as you accept the extra grams and remember that the ceramic bearing version costs about £20 more.

If visibility is the goal, the two Lumos helmets and the Pass Pixi approach it from different angles: integrated lighting and indicators for riders who want to be seen without carrying extra kit, and a simple plate for riders who want drivers to register their presence. Both add weight or hardware, so they suit commuters more than long-distance riders.

The Chrome Industries collaboration is the easiest recommendation for anyone who wants well-made reflective kit and likes the cause behind it, with the £45 accessories pack as a low-risk entry point. The Out Of sunglasses are the specialist purchase here: at €270 they cost roughly €100 more than typical performance eyewear, and that premium buys a tint that adjusts faster than most riders would believe until they try it.

Budget matters, but fit and use case matter more. A helmet you actually wear, a bag you actually carry and glasses you can see through in changing light will always beat a spec sheet.

Conclusion

These seven products cover a wide range of prices and priorities, and none of them is a universal answer. The budget carbon wheelset makes cheap carbon genuinely viable, the Lumos helmets make lighting part of the helmet rather than an add-on, the Chrome Industries bags combine reflective practicality with a charitable purpose, the Pass Pixi is a cheap behavioural nudge for road riders, and the Out Of sunglasses solve a real visibility problem for a premium price. Match the product to the riding you actually do, and any of them can earn its place.