Category Archives: Equipment

Velocio’s premium women’s ES kit. The CamelBak Solstice 10LR hydration pack. The classic looking Cafe du Cycliste Violette and Heidi jersies. Shimano’s high-ish end women’s WR84 road shoes. The bright and grippy Specialized Cliplite 2FO MTB trail shoes. Specialized SWAT apparel, which has secret pockets to stash your riding goods. Adidas Eyewear Evil Eye Evo with Vario lenses, and their new casual glasses, the Excalates. Custom merino kit from Sydney-based Eleven Velo. Updated Scuffers from Nzo, the women’s baggy shorts that redefined women’s baggy shorts.

That’s a fair few product reviews and write ups over the last year! Most are designed for women, but by brands that do some excellent man-gear too, using similar fabrics, gadgets and technologies. The main exception here is the Adidas Evil Eye Evo sunglasses, which come in different unisex size options and are adjustable for different face shapes.Continue reading “Heads, shoulders, knees and toes. Recent product reviews for women hooked on cycling”

E-bikes are one of the big, divisive curiosities of the cycling world at the moment. E-mountain bikes even more so.

Along with several other influential people in my local riding community – trail builders, Specialized shop staff, keen riders, other media – I was recently invited to test ride the Specialized Turbo Levo. The social media froth was high as everyone took to Instagram and Facebook to confirm that riding bikes, including this one, is a heap of fun.Continue reading “Specialized shift e-bike attitudes with Turbo Levo test days”

The Cannondale Synapse range suits riders who prefer a slightly relaxed position on the bike rather than super aggressive stance. The Women’s 105 5 features an alloy frame and  Shimano 105 shifting. My favourite feature is the SAVE Plus micro suspension, which transforms the ride properties of this $AU 1699 bike into one that you would think cost a lot more. With rack mounting points and a colour scheme that won’t show grime, it’s well suited to commuting through the city some days and longer adventures out of town or with a road bunch on others.

I tested the 2015 Women’s Synapse 105 5 for the Spring 2015 issue of Bike Magazine (Australia). You can download a PDF copy of the review here. An excerpt and a bonus gallery is below.

The frame, features and spec feature strong overlaps with the 2016 model, which you can read about on Cannondale’s US website. If you’re reading from your mobile, double tap the gallery to see the images in full size.

The Cannondale Synapse Women’s 105 5 is right at home in an urban environment.

The SAVE Plus micro suspension gives the alloy frame a ride feel closer to carbon.

SAVE Plus in the fork legs equals happy hands.

The head tube is very tall compared to competitors’ bikes. This suits riders with lower flexibility, but will feel a little wandery at low speeds for others.

Shimano 105 takes care of the shifting.

The lesser shown side in pro shoots.

With rack mounting points and a light ride feel, this bike is made for city commutes and more adventurous weekend rides.

Cannondale lust. Drool.

Continue reading “Review: Cannondale Synapse Women’s 105 5”