18 Euro Gear Choices for 2020
Who wouldn’t want to ride with some added panache?
BRINGING THE EURO FLAVOR
LAZER G1
The G1 is the lightest and latest helmet on the market from the Belgian brand. The G1 has 22 vents and a narrow profile to improve aerodynamics. An aero cover is included with the helmet for added benefit, but can also be used to keep warmth in and cold air out during winter.
Price: $219
LIMAR HELMETS
Italian manufacturer Limar unveiled their latest series of helmets focused on aerodynamics. They call it the Air Revolution. Tested by the Astana WorldTour team, the five helmets are aero-optimized for maximum performance in real-world wind conditions. Weights range from 225 grams to 315 grams.
Price: $179
POC OMNE AIR
Swedish company POC started out as a ski company, producing helmets and goggles for downhill racers before quickly adding mountain bike lids to its catalog. The Omne Air features POC’s SPIN (Shearing Pad INside), extra-thick, shearing padding. Nine vents allow the 291-gram Omne Air to breathe.
Price: $150
SUOMY GUN WIND
The 293-gram Suomy Gun Wind is slotted with 25 vents for premium ventilation. Available in 14 colorways, the Italian-made helmet is well-balanced weight-wise. The rear fit system is adjustable 2cm vertically and 5cm laterally.
Price: $225
ABSOLUTEBLACK CHAINRING
When it comes to oval rings and bike bling, AbsoluteBlack tops the list. These beautifully machined rings are made in Poland and thanks to their direct-mount design are light as well. The narrow-wide tooth design ensures the best performance on 1x drivetrains. The CX line is offered in sizes 36-48T.
Price: $88-$98
FIDLOCK TWIST BOTTLE
Magnets are the future, at least Fidlock thinks so. An early adopter of the magnetic bottle cage, the Fidlock Twist Bottle system can mount directly to the existing rivets, and the universal bracket can be strapped around just about any tube on the frame.
Price: $40–$75
MINTED SOCKS
One of the more refreshing trends of the last few years has been the proliferation of colorful, wildly designed socks. The socks from Minted are made in Italy in a variety styles.
Price: $20
ORTLIEB PACKS
Paralleling the growth in gravel bikes has been a return focus on bike camping/touring. The German-made Ortlieb bags were born from the real-world cycling travails of company founder Hartmut Ortlieb, and his namesake line of bags and panniers are widely recognized for their quality construction and well-thought-out design.
HUNT WHEELS
While we chose from their high-end selection for our 3T project bike (page 42), the British wheel brand Hunt also offers a wide selection of wheels at lower price points. Take these aluminum, tubeless-ready 34 Aero Wide hoops that were developed in the wind tunnel and have a 20mm internal width.
Price: $750
URSUS MIURA TC37
Designing wheels in Italy, Ursus has a wide catalog of road and off-road hoops. The Miura TC37 is a mid-profile, 37mm-deep carbon disc brake rim. They are built to comply with the ETRTO tubeless standard to ensure easy tubeless setup. A pair of Miura TC37 hoops hit the scales at 1548 grams.
Price: $2000
ELITE SUITO
Elite’s latest smart trainer is pre-assembled and ready to use—just plug it in. A Shimano 105 11-speed cassette is included, but can be swapped with other Shimano- and SRAM-compatible cassettes. The Suito keeps itself planted and quiet during hard efforts, thanks to its steel construction and sturdy legs. One more perk that makes the Suito stand out is the one-month Zwift membership that’s included with purchase.
Price: $799
TACX NEO 2T
The Tacx Neo 2T is the refined and improved pinnacle trainer in their line. It features the same 2,200 watts of resistance and simulates up to a 25-percent incline as their Neo bike. When your bike is mounted, it also offers a level of bike rock to simulate a more natural feel. An integrated power meter with pedal analysis offers data to help improve pedaling efficiency.
Price: $1400
SELLE ITALIA SP-01 CARBONIO SUPERFLOW
Lightweight, compliant and short, Selle Italia’s SP-01 (Special Performance) is a high-end, snub-nosed saddle ready for aggressive conditions. The split rear end not only improves compliance, but also helps the SP-01 hit the scales at a lean 122 grams. A mix of high-strength carbon, oriented in the direction of the load, along with chopped fiber, give rise to a final product with an incredible strength-to-weight ratio.
Price: $400
SELLE SAN MARCO ALLROAD
The Italian legacy brand recently released a line of endurance-oriented saddles, including the 193-gram Allroad. Densely padded with swooping angles, Selle San Marco’s Allroad features forgiving 7×7 manganese rails that, along with the generous relief channel, help provide added perineal relief.
Price: $110
SELLE SMP F20C
Selle SMP saddles are easy to spot by their standout long, swooping curves and array of colors. However, as the short saddle trend has proven popular, the 70-year-old Italian saddle brand took its years of expertise and shortened their saddles into compact, lightweight versions.
Price: $269
FIZIK ARGO
Fizik has jumped into the short-saddle game with their latest release dubbed the Argo. The Argo is available in two different models—the Tempo and the Vento. Both have the option to specify the saddle’s rails, which affects the price point. The R3 setup has 7×7 alloy rails, while the R1 has braided 9×7 carbon rails.
Price: $149–$225
PROLOGO DIMENSION
Prologo’s 160-gram Dimension saddle is 245mm long and is available in two widths—143mm and 153mm. Prologo offers a range of prices for the Dimension model, from $99 to $259. The Dimension Nack features wide 7×9 rails and a thin carbon mold. Prologo’s Dimension shape is similar to the Specialized power saddle, with a thin nose and a 143mm and 153mm rear-end options.
Price: $99–$259
SQLAB 610
German brand SQlab boasts a 25-saddle-wide catalog. In order to find the ideal fit, they offer a saddle-fitting guide on their website, and they’ll even send you a free fit kit to measure your sit bones. The 610 line is designed for a relatively upright sitting position.
Price: $85-$140
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