Cycling Tech Roundup 2026: Hip Packs, Berd-Spoke Wheels and a Value Carbon Race Bike

Introduction

Good cycling kit tends to be judged in miles rather than marketing. This roundup covers four pieces of equipment that stood out for practical reasons: a handmade hip pack from a small London workshop, a carbon wheelset laced with polymer spokes, a carbon race bike that undercuts the usual pricing, and a 3D printed saddle that costs a fraction of its category norm.

The thread running through all four is specificity. None of them tries to be everything. There is also a reminder in this month’s pile that price and usefulness are only loosely related: a 3D printed banana holder that mounts alongside a bottle cage, weighs 30 g and keeps a ride snack intact over rough ground costs roughly twenty pence in filament if you have access to a printer.

Each entry below sets out what the product does well, where it asks for a compromise, and the kind of rider it suits. Where pricing is quoted, it comes from the brands themselves, and it is worth checking current figures before you commit.

How We Picked These

The selection is deliberately narrow. Everything here had to earn its place on construction and materials first, because those are the parts you cannot upgrade later.

Serviceability and support came next. A product that can be repaired, rebuilt or covered by a meaningful warranty is worth more over five seasons than one that is merely cheap on day one.

Real-world usability was the third filter. Storage that works with gloves on, a freehub that behaves on a long descent, a frame that stays stiff when you ask for power. These are the details that decide whether a piece of kit gets used or gets sold.

Finally, price was judged against lifespan rather than against the competition alone. That is why a £195 hip pack and a £136 saddle can both appear in the same roundup without contradiction.

Best Hip Pack: Wizard Works Hob Gob

Wizard Works is a small London brand with a solid reputation in bikepacking circles, and the Hob Gob is its take on the trailside hip pack. Every bag is made in-house in the UK, and the brand pays above the London living wage. That is part of why the price sits where it does, and it is also why the brand keeps complete control over quality at every stage.

Materials are hand selected: Cordura and X-Pac fabrics, with hardware from YKK and Fidlock. Those suppliers do not sell to everyone, which is the point. The bag is backed by a lifetime warranty and a gear repair service, so a torn panel or a worn zip is not the end of the pack.

The buckle has been moved onto the padded wing, which improves comfort over long days, and it is a quick-release Fidlock unit that works easily with one hand. The belt comes in sizes up to 55 inches, with larger options available on custom orders. Storage is split between two zippered pockets and an elastic bungee underneath. The main pocket contains two large elasticated mesh drop pockets plus a key leash and clip, while the smaller front pocket has four elasticated segments sized for a multi-tool, a CO2 cartridge or tyre levers. An optional quick-draw bottle pocket puts a bottle within one-handed reach while riding.

Customisation is unusual at this scale. There are 29 colour and material combinations to choose from, which pushes both lead time and cost upward, but it does mean the pack can be matched to a bike rather than the other way around.

The Hob Gob starts at £195, and adding the bottle pocket takes it to £225. Custom packs start at £225 before the bottle pocket, and some materials carry an additional premium, so a fully specified bag can reach £285. That is a serious outlay for a hip pack, and it is the main thing to weigh up. The counter-argument is durability, repairability and a supply chain the brand controls end to end.

Best Lightweight Wheelset: Noble TR35 G2 with Berd Spokes

Noble is a Canadian wheel brand, and the TR35 G2 is the second generation of its 35 mm carbon rim platform. The new rim is claimed to be more than 40 per cent more resistant to impact than the version it replaces, and the graphics are laser etched into the carbon rather than applied as a decal, so they stay looking fresh. Coloured decals are available if you prefer a different finish. Internal widths remain at 30.5 mm front and 29.5 mm rear, and the wheelset carries Noble’s lifetime warranty.

The hubs are Onyx Vesper, which use a sprag clutch rather than a ratchet or pawl mechanism. That delivers effectively infinite points of engagement and an almost silent freewheel. They are also said to roll exceptionally freely, which is the sort of claim that shows up clearly on a long, steady descent.

The genuinely unusual part is the spokes. This set is built with Berd spokes made from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, a material better known for body armour and climbing rope than for bicycle wheels. Each spoke weighs less than half of a comparable 1.8 mm butted steel spoke, and the maker claims more than 50 per cent greater durability along with around 200 per cent better vibration damping than steel. They can also be dyed to nearly any colour.

On the scales, the polymer-spoke pair comes in at 1,522 g against 1,686 g for the same build with regular Sapim steel spokes, a saving of 164 g. The Berd-spoke wheelset is priced at $2,888, compared with $1,650 for the steel-spoke version, so the weight and damping benefits carry a premium of well over $500.

Best Value Road Bike: Elves Vanyar Pro Disc

Carbon race bikes with disc brakes, tubeless-ready wheels and Shimano Ultegra Di2 have crept past the £8,000 mark in many ranges. The Elves Vanyar Pro Disc is specified in that territory and priced at around £4,000, roughly half of what a comparable build from a larger brand tends to cost.

It is positioned as a climbing bike. Elves claims an 870 g frame and a 430 g fork, and the frame mixes mainly T800 carbon with T1000 in the highest-stress areas. Tube shapes are chunky with some interesting angles, and the front end is fully integrated, using a one-piece carbon handlebar with hidden cabling.

Stiffness is the trait that stands out. This is not a frame that flexes away when you ask for power, which fits the climbing brief and should suit riders who like a direct feel through the bars and pedals. How it holds up over a full season of hard miles is a longer question, and one that only time on the road answers.

Two details stand out for value. The first is free custom paint, which is rare at this price and unusual even above it. The second is a choice of wheel and tyre options at the point of purchase, so the bike can be set up for the riding you actually do rather than whatever happens to be in stock. Elves is not one of the established names, and that is the trade-off: you are exchanging brand recognition and a wide dealer network for specification per pound.

Best Budget Saddle: Elves Magic Osie 3D Printed Saddle

The same brand also makes the Magic Osie, a full carbon saddle with a 3D printed upper. The printed lattice is normally the feature that pushes this style of saddle into the hundreds, and the Magic Osie is listed at £136.

That makes it one of the least expensive routes into a 3D printed saddle, and a sensible pairing with a lightweight climbing build. As with any saddle, it is worth checking the shape and width against one you already get on with, because printed uppers vary considerably in how firm they feel under load.

Buying Advice: Matching Gear to the Way You Ride

These four products sit at very different points on the price spectrum, and the right choice depends on what you are actually paying for. With the Hob Gob, you are paying for UK manufacturing, premium fabrics, a repairable design and a lifetime warranty. With the Noble wheelset, you are paying for a measurable weight saving and a different ride feel from polymer spokes.

With the Vanyar Pro Disc, you are paying for specification per pound and accepting a smaller brand in return. With the Magic Osie, you are paying very little for a technology that usually costs a great deal. The cheapest item in the group is also the easiest to try without regret.

A simple way to decide: if a product solves a problem you already have, the price is easier to justify. If it only solves a problem you might have one day, the cheaper option is usually the smarter one. Applied honestly, that test sorts this list quickly.

Conclusion

The Hob Gob is the pick here for riders who want a hip pack built to be repaired rather than replaced. The Noble TR35 G2 with Berd spokes is the most technically interesting item in the roundup, provided the weight saving and claimed damping are worth the premium to you. The Vanyar Pro Disc is the standout on value, and the Magic Osie is a low-risk way to try a 3D printed saddle.

None of them are impulse buys, but each one makes a clear case for itself.