Cinderella cycling shoes, Tadej's tiny handwriting, a very mini mini pump, tyre lever 2-in-1 + more: The coolest stuff I could find at a bike show

Bike shows are an excellent place for getting hands-on with new tech and products previously only seen in mysterious press releases. Here are my personal highlights from the recent Corebike show which showcases over 250 cycling brands. Not all of it is new, but a lot of it is shiny!

Tadej Pogacar has tiny handwriting

I've long been a fan of DMT shoes, and Tadej Pogacar clearly is too. For the last few years or so the DMT KRSL has been Pogacar's shoe of choice, and this particular set is of course yellow to commemorate his 2021 Tour De France Victory. They're also signed in tiny tiny handwriting!

> Best road cycling shoes 2023 — get faster with light, stiff shoes

Perhaps more interesting is what the shoes look like unwrapped. The knit construction is a seamless one-piece upper clearly demonstrated by this unstitched KR0 shoe. DMT says that they do this to reduce pressure points and hence improve rider comfort.

This mucky bike didn't even get washed!

Not everything at the show was spotless. Challenge tyres brought along Cameron Mason's Trinity Racing Crux complete with mud and scuffs. Yes, I do now want a pink seatpost and luminous green custom paint... and while we're here, you can check out loads of other cool bikes from the show below.

> CORE! Seven cool bikes from Colnago, Specialized, Orro and more

Challenge was also keen to show off its latest Criterium RS TLR tyres. These are open tubulars and handmade in Italy, and I currently have the 27mm version in for review with my full verdict dropping soon.

Size doesn't matter (apparently)

Schwalbe is confident that size doesn't matter with the launch of its new very tiny pump, the SOS mini, which is just 12.9cm long. It's Schrader and Presta compatible, has an RRP of £34.99 and comes with a frame holder, presumably so you don't lose it in the bottom of a jersey pocket...

Schwalbe also showed off 34mm wide Pro One tyres and frame soap (in a tin) as it aims to make bike washing more eco-friendly. It will ship with a horsehair brush, is good for a claimed 100 washes and is made of natural ingredients. (Schwalbe was keen to point out that no horses were harmed in the process). 

Furthering its green credentials, Schwalbe once again promised to be bringing its tyre recycling program to the UK: "I can't give an exact date but it's definitely going to happen", a Schwalbe representative told us. 

Did I miss this Giro shoe colourway?

The Giro Empire SLX is by no means a new shoe; in fact, we reviewed it all the way back in 2015. It is still a firm favourite with pro and amateur racers alike though, and somehow this "Harbour blue Ano" slipped past without me noticing. So here it is, in case it slipped by your eagle eyes too!

Cinderella, you shall go to the ball

Yet more shoes! I've seen plenty of pics of these Supacaz shoes but never got my hands on them in the flesh. These are the Kazze Carbon Road, they retail for $420 and are certainly very bling. The super shiny finish should also prove to be pretty wipeable.

Silver components are seriously on trend

Since the Zipp Service Course range of silver components were released back in 2020, silver bars, stems and seat posts are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. It's easy to see why when handlebars such as these Ritchey Classic bars look this good.

> Review: Zipp Service Course Seatpost 2020

They're surprisingly inexpensive too, with these Classic Evo Curve bars with 2 degrees of flare and a choice of widths between 38cm and 44cm priced at £46.99. Now I just need to buy another bike to put them on... #N+1

How can chain lube look this good!?

> Best bike chain lubes 2023— keep your drivetrain happy so it lasts longer

Peaty's win the prize for best-looking chain lube, which is a prize I didn't think I'd be giving out! Top work by the branding team on that one, we'll be getting some in to test to see if it works as well as it looks... 

3D-printing is here to stay

Who isn't bringing out a 3D-printed saddle these days, Selle San Marco is the latest to join the bandwagon with what must be the most open weave 3we've seen yet. (Can I call it a weave if it's not woven?)

Bling saddles

Speaking of saddles, SDG components have some seriously out-there designs. You may not have heard of SDG components if you're a hardcore roadie but, they're well-known in mountain bike circles and have now branched out into gravel with their Bel-Air V3 and Radar saddles. Check them out if you fancy pimping out your gravel bike. 

Genuinely new bars

These Easton bars are genuinely new and were only released a few weeks ago. The new EC90 ALX bars offer 10 degrees of flare, no internal cable routing and are impressively lightweight, 205g in a size 42cm. 

Available in sizes up to 46cm, Easton says that they combine the durability and shape of the Allroad AX line with the low weight and performance of the road focussed SLX components. Is this the ultimate gravel handlebar? We'll endeavour to find out...

Hope Pro 5 hubs - An icon's baby brother

> The Pro 5 is Hope's next evolution hub

The Hope Pro 4 was many a wheel builder's go-to hub, and a replacement was a long time coming. So what's new? Well, you can read the full press release here, but the short of it is six pawls and springs instead of four, a 54T ratchet replacing the 44T, many more points of engagement, claimed better sealing whilst not increasing drag and larger bearings for increased load capabilities, stiffness and durability... sounds good to us! 

And of course, they're still available in many many colours

The most expensive wheels I could find

Princeton Carbonworks has made a name for itself impressively quickly, with its radical carbon wheels taking the fight to brands with decades of experience. At Corebike I got to spin the Blur/Mach TS combo and they are seriously noisy! Check out our Instagram reel for proof. 

Also on show was the new Alta 3532 wheelset. These can weigh as little as 1,094g!!! Partly responsible for this is the solid rim bed construction (which can be thinner due to lack of holes) and eradicates the need for rim tape (yet more weight-saving). This particular set had in-house Tactic hubs. These are seriously good-looking with an almost industrial finish and a contrasting gold freehub body.

I hate washing bikes, but...

Caring for your bike is important, but washing it can be a faff. GTechniq is most well known for its car care products but has recently launched a whole host of bike cleaning products designed to make your life easier and your bike prettier.

> GTechniq Bike protection

Ok, but can't I just use fairy liquid? Well, apparently this is where I've been going wrong! GTechniq explained that Fairy liquid is designed for breaking down grease, i.e not road grime, and that its products are painstakingly developed specifically for bikes. The ceramic coating should also make future cleaning easier and prevent some of that pesky dirt from sticking. I excused myself before we played spot the difference between microfibre cloths, but I'm seriously looking forwards trying some out some of this bottled science. 

Suvi's favourite jersey

> Review: ​Assos Dyora RS Summer SS Jersey

When I finally found Suvi in what was a maze of stalls, she'd found herself her favourite jersey of the show. This is the Assos Dyora RS Jersey S9 Targa, a second skin race fit jersey with a price tag nearly as big as its name - £165. 

One Lezyne to go, please

> Best bike pumps 2023 — find the right pressure and inflate your tyres with ease

Travelling with a bike is ever more common, but there is never too much space in the bike bag for anything more than the necessities. Lezyne's £120 travel floor pump is for those travel days, as it packs a punch but takes a lot less space than a full-size floor pump. It impressed us with its quality feel and compact size.

SKS Infinity Universal rear rack

As a response to the resurrection of pannier racks, SKS has brought out this Infinity Universal rear rack that you can quickly attach to any alloy bike, and carry 12kg of cargo on it. The eagle-eyed might notice it has an MKI attachment plate on it which means you can throw on any of the MKI click-bags or baskets. It's not exactly fun, but it is very practical!

Fix your bike with a tyre lever...

This is a pretty neat and lightweight two-in-one set of tyre levers that makes sure you will have basic hex bits with you at all times (as long as you remember to pack the tyre levers). 

The Wera tool claims to be capable of up to 10Nm of torque and there are seven hex heads included: 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and a TX25 head. We gave it a quick go and it certainly works, happy days!

Some profanity...

A ridiculously high proportion of the people who work in the bike industry are cyclists themselves, all looking for ways to make their own pride and joys a little bit different. This custom top cap is certainly unique! To check out the road.cc team's bikes see our staff bikes section. 

Which of these products is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below...