Cool things for chilly temperatures - five wintery items currently in for review from Scribe, TrainingPeaks, Abbey Bike Tools, Moon and JetBlack

With temperatures dropping and days getting shorter, we've found five products designed to help keep you riding through winter. These include an aluminium wheelset from Scribe promising year-round performance, TrainingPeaks' new indoor cycling platform, an affordable direct-drive turbo trainer from JetBlack, front bike light from Moon, and a chain wear tool from Abbey Tools to help you stay on top of chain maintenance. 

Here are the key details before the full reviews land on road.cc in the coming weeks...

Scribe 365 Disc (£299)

> Best road bike wheels

Conditions out on the UK roads are pretty grim right now, so what better time for Stu to put Scribe's latest 365 aluminium disc wheels through their paces? We've previously been very impressed with Scribe's alloy range. For example, the Scribe Race-D Wide+ wheelset scored a 9 out of 10 and made it to road.cc Recommends.

This 365 version is heavier at 1,590g on our scales, prioritising year-round performance over low weight. Scribe says that to keep these wheels delivering "mile, after mile, ALL-YEAR round", the 365 Disc wheelset features T6 hardened alloy rims, anti-corrosive brass nipples, high-strength double-butted Sapim D-Light spokes and water-repellent TPI endurance bearings. 

Will they live up to their name? Find out when our full review drops. 

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TrainingPeaks Virtual (Free)

> Best indoor cycling apps

If you're one of the many riders turning to indoor cycling to replace some outdoor rides this winter, then you might be interested in the latest training platform to come across our desk. 

TrainingPeaks, best known for being the training platform of choice for many pro and amateur riders, has recently acquired indieVelo and has wasted no time in releasing TrainingPeaks Virtual. 

If you already have a TrainingPeaks account then you will get free beta access, and after March 2025, TrainingPeaks Virtual will be part of TrainingPeaks Premium. Dave Atkinson has downloaded this one to see if it really can rival Zwift and Rouvy or whether it will end up like RGT...

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JetBlack Victory Smart Trainer with Zwift Cog and Click (£399)

> Best turbo trainers

Over the past few months, we've seen many turbo trainers start shipping with the Zwift Cog – including the Wahoo Kickr Core One, for example. Now, another direct drive trainer has just landed at road.cc HQ, and it's more affordable than most!

Compared to the JetBlack Volt trainer, it not only features the Zwift Cog and Click but is also now Wi-Fi enabled to help prevent drop outs. It includes a new spin-down feature for easier calibration and is said to offer a high level of accuracy at +/- 2%.

The stats certainly look impressive and Dave will be trying to get the most out of the Victory's 1800W maximum resistance, 10Hz Race Response Mode and claimed quieter operation as he prepares for the next WTRL series.

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Moon Rigel Max (1500lm) (£79.99)

> Best front bike lights

If you are still braving the outdoors, then a good light is a must, and Moon's latest Rigel Max has all the ingredients to be just that. As the name gives away, this has a maximum output of 1,500 lumens which should be more than enough to illuminate dark lanes. It also has many features typically found only on higher-end lights. 

The Moon Rigel Max has a rotatable lens so that it can be mounted on top or under your bars without dazzling oncoming traffic, a quarter-turn mount, a burn time of up to 56 hours, and intelligent operation modes.

Charlotte Broughton's full review of the Moon Rigel Max is coming soon.

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Abbey Bike Tools LL Chain Wear Tool (£49)

> How to keep your bike running smoothly 

One of the least fun parts of winter is the accelerated wear of your bike's drivetrain components, and worn chains can lead to much more expensive parts ending up in the bin. It's therefore important to stay on top of your chain wear, and Abbey Tools reckons their LL Chain Wear Tool is just the tool for the job.

The LL in the name stands for 'Linear and Lateral' which Abbey Tools claims will allow you to "measure the wear of any chain accurately, without being thrown off by either the larger roller diameter of flat top chains or by the extra lateral demands cross chaining with 1x drivetrains puts on the chain". 

With the tool CNC-machined from a single billet in-house and a margin of error of just 0.004%, this certainly appears to be a serious piece of kit. But will Matt Page find it worth the £49 RRP? Only time will tell...

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