Kinesis Tripster AT gets a revamp, unreleased FFWD wheels, Santini launches unisex clothing range, a 'Super Extreme' Abus bike lock + more cool things from COREbike

We had a blast at COREbike, a show that gives us a chance to get a sneak peek at the latest and greatest from the bike industry early in the year. The road.cc tech team scoured Whittlebury Hall (someone's gotta do it), uncovering some of the latest cycling marvels, and in this second round-up, we have a batch of good things to show. From Kinesis' rugged Tripster AT Plus gravel frame to Gazelle's sleek Eclipse C380 HMB e-bike, Styrkr's protein bars and Santini's unisex collection, here are some of our highlights... 

Kinesis' updated Tripster AT Plus gravel frame is now even more capable

The Tripster AT gravel bike is a staple in the Kinesis lineup, and it's now received a small update to become even more off-road capable.

Still made of aluminium, the Tripster AT Plus could be best described as a rugged, sensibly-priced drop bar gravel bike. This version builds on the success of the Tripster AT and Titanium ATR, but while both of those gravel bikes can only house 45mm tyres, the new Plus frameset has space for huge 60mm tyres (in 700c guise), and it has more capable geometry to take on rougher, more adventurous gravel routes.

In addition to the tyre clearance, the fork has also been revamped and is dubbed as the 'All Terrain', featuring internal brake and dynamo routing. The bike is also compatible with dropper posts and has, in a typical gravel bike fashion, a whole host of cargo mounts. 

The Tripster AT plus is available as a frameset only, retailing for £900.  

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Mavic’s Cosmic S 42 wheelset offers “the best price-to-quality ratio” in the range

Can't quite stretch to £4,300 for Mavic's Cosmic Ultimate 45 hoops? If you can spare just the £900 you're in luck, because we also spotted Mavic’s Cosmic S 42 wheelset at COREbike, and it looks really competitively priced. Mavic reckons this model offers the best price-to-quality ratio on offer in its carbon wheel range.

The 42 in the product name refers to the rim depth in millimetres. The internal width is 21mm, and Mavic claims a wheelset weight of 1,595g.

The rear wheel uses Mavic’s Instant Drive 360 freehub, meaning that there’s a 40-tooth dual-ratchet system in there for engagement in 9° when you start to pedal.

The Mavic Cosmic S 42 wheelset is priced at £900.

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Panaracer to launch its fastest-ever road tyre

Panaracer is about to launch a new flagship road tyre in the shape of the Agilist Fast, a model that uses new tech to increase speed.

> Read our review of the existing Panaracer Agilest TLR Road Tyre 

Panaracer’s Jeff Zell used a panini-making analogy to describe the manufacturing process, which we won’t describe in detail here. The bottom line is that it uses an electron beam system to merge the layers of the tyre without any gaps. This, Panaracer says, means the tyre offers the lowest rolling resistance it has ever produced while avoiding any production issues. It doesn’t yet offer any rolling resistance comparison with tyres from other brands. There’s a newly-designed puncture-resistant belt in there too.

The Agilist Fast will initially be for use with inner tubes (it’s not tubeless compatible) and is priced at £69.99.

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Sneak peek: FFWD to launch new top-end wheelset

Dutch wheel brand Fast Forward – FFWD to its friends – is introducing new top-end wheels next month.

It has had the Raw wheelset in its range for some time: it’ll be offering the updated Raw in 33mm, 44mm, and 55mm rim depths (21mm internal width across the range), and in gloss and matt finishes.

FFWD claims lighter rims than previously and custom hubs with CeramicSpeed bearings. It has also introduced carbon spokes.

“Carbon spokes save weight and also bring the weight to the centre of the wheel,” says FFWD. “This results in a more responsive wheelset. It also results in an increased stiffness of 17%.”

The mid-depth Raw44 has a claimed wheelset weight of 1,395g. Price? They’re £2,249.

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Anything look familar? Styrkr gives us a taste of its unreleased protein bars

Styrkr, the UK-based nutrition brand that appears to have taken over every nook and cranny of your favourite social media platforms recently, is bringing out a new product focused on protein intake.

The new protein bar, dubbed 'Styrkrthon', bears an uncanny resemblance to a Marathon bar (that those of you born in the 1980s onwards will know as a Snickers), but unlike those sugar-filled chocolate bars, Styrkr claims its bars are a little healthier. Each one packs in 22g of protein while being vegan, low in sugar, gluten-free and well, based on my first impressions, rather tasty for a protein bar! 

The bar should be out next week. 

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The boldest, most desired jacket design prize goes to the Endura MT500 women's rain jacket

Endura's offerings at Core were mostly focused on the brand's upcoming winter collection (even though we're not even through this winter yet) but that means we got a peek at what's to come in 2025. One of the standout pieces from the new MT500 collection was this brightly coloured rain jacket, which is available in both men's and women's fit. Arguably, the colour options for the women's range are superior with this standout pink/purple creation. 

With this jacket and the updated MT500 collection, Endura has focused on making waterproof garments more sustainable with a new PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) coating. The jacket has heaps of neat details, including a two-way zip, helmet-compatible hood and underarm vents. Even the zips are water-repellent, so we're told.  

Stock of these is going to land later in the summer, just before the standard wet and windy autumn arrives in the UK. 

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Santini showcases Unisex collection to promote inclusivity and sustainability

Santini, the Italian cycling apparel manufacturer, arrived at Whittlebury Hall to showcase its fresh summer collection, and also the brand-new unisex range of jerseys for both road and gravel.

It's still somewhat the standard for cycle clothing to be gender-specific, and in the case of padded bib shorts, for example, it makes total sense. However, jerseys can easily be made to fit any body shape, and that is what Santini has done.

The Ombra collection is the brand's first unisex collection. The jerseys (which retail for £80 a pop) utilise Polartec’s Power Stretch fabric, which should snugly contour anyone wanting to wear the top, regardless of their gender. 

There are six colours for the short-sleeved jerseys and three for the long-sleeved option. Both feature a sleek, snug fit, a silicon gripper at the waistband and three rear pockets. The long-sleeve version also features recycled fabrics from PET plus additional waste yarns, adding to its sustainability credentials. 

In addition to the road-oriented unisex jerseys, Santini was also showing off its off-road collection which includes this 'slip-on' Pelle jersey (£90). This one is essentially a sleek-fitting t-shirt, with three rear pockets but no zips and a very seamless, extremely soft-feeling construction. Paired with a pair of cargo bibs, it certainly looks like a nice summer gravel garment. 

The sizes range from XXS to 3XL. 

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DMR Flat 4 pedals could make you wave goodbye to flimsy plastic flats

We've all likely ridden the plasticky, slippy plastic pedals which come with brand-new bikes... and really, those should perhaps end up in the bin. But what should you replace them with if you still want flat pedals? DMR has come up with its solution with the Flat 4 pedals, that cater for commuters, gravel riders and really anyone else who might want a sleek-looking, simple and serviceable flat pedal. Unlike through-and-through mtb pedals, these won't absolutely ruin your shins if you accidentally slip a bit. 

The Flat 4 pedals come with a slim platform that can be made even grippier with more pins. They're also fully serviceable and spin on CroMo-steel axels. The platform dimensions are 100x92mm and the pedal itself is 22mm tall, making it a compact but stable package. A pair should weigh 460g and cost £60. 

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Gazelle's Eclipse C380 HMB e-bike has a fully integrated cockpit

Core isn't just about drop bars or mountain bikes, but e-bikes, too. One that caught our eye was the Dutch brand Gazelle's Eclipse C380 HMB, its top-of-the-range model, in a bold Metallic Orange colourway. The bike comes with a belt drive, wide Schwalbe Marathon tyres and a suspension fork, and does seem ready for any kind of adventure you might want to do. 

The rather girthy stem attaches Gazelle's signature V-shaped handlebar and stem combo which neatly hides away cables, and houses the Kiox displays for the range and ride stats. The bike comes with a 750Wh battery and is powered by the Bosch Performance Line CX mid-motor, which should allow for a smooth ride experience no matter what the terrain.

The rear rack can accept a range of accessories and comes with an integrated light (there's a 100L one at the front, too), and the charging point for the system is housed just behind the seat tube.

We've informed our pals at ebiketips, who we're sure will be keen to get their hands on one of these to review soon. 

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ABUS Granit Super Extreme 2500 U-lock and Goose Lock

Mat featured the very secure OnGuard lock in his round-up yesterday, and it's increasingly common for high-end locks to be made angle grinder-resistant (as much as possible).

Rival German security specialists Abus has designed it's GRANIT Super Extreme 2500 to be the ultimate safeguard for your bike against even the most determined thieves. It's engineered with a special tungsten carbide material (supposedly this is "the most scratch-resistant metal known to man") and with that, this lock should deter attacks from cordless angle grinders. Finished with hardened steel, it boasts German-made quality and features an ABUS XPlus lock cylinder for added protection against picking. 

At 2.47kg this lock is not a lightweight one, but then again if you really care about your bike and can afford to make a serious investment in it not getting nicked, the weight probably won't bother you. And yes, the price is up there, too, as this lock retails for £260.

The other lock Abus was showcasing is the Goose Lock, which features a unique housing design, soft-touch coating and specially hardened steel, which allows the lock to hold a shape – kinda like a goose neck, hence the name. The soft exterior also ensures rattle-free transport of the lock either on a bike frame or in a backpack.

These ones cost £69. 

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