We've tested a lot of crazy workout gear over the years, from Adidas' pressurized workout shoes to elaborate virtual coaching booths, but never anything from space.

Let me confirm that I haven't actually worn anything from outer space: this is a workout layer from premium activewear company Walero, which also makes professional-grade motorsport gear. The Walero Active temperature-regulating baselayer incorporates Outlast technology, which is a fabric system originally developed for NASA to clothe its astronauts.

The Outlast website says "the most important part of fabrics and materials with this NASA technology is the microencapsulated wax, which is usually won from rapeseed oil.

"When the temperature rises, it causes the wax in the capsules to melt. During this phase shift, the temperature cannot increase any further. Heat peaks are reduced or even prevented and as a result, sweat production decreases by up to 48%."

So the wax hardens and softens inside the fabric based on the wearer's temperature, capping it. Clever.

While the Walero baselayers only consist of 20% Outlast technology, I was intrigued enough to try it when I was offered to test one. Given that I also test the best running shoes in addition to fitness gadgets, I'm always intrigued when I hear about performance-enhancing technical fabrics and materials in addition to smartwatches and other gadgets on my usual beat.

So, without further ado, I laced up my Saucony Ride 19s and hit the road, wearing it on as many runs as I could (in between washes) over a month.

Beat the heat

I tested the Ben Nevis long sleeve half-zip Walero Active top, but I found it difficult to judge its results in an objective, numerical fashion. Walero claims its kit is scientifically proven to lower heart rates by 8%, and sweat production by 30%.

However, one person's sweat production and heart rate can change dramatically for all sorts of reasons, ranging from what they've eaten that day, to the weather, to their previous night's sleep. I normally test the best smartwatches against a Polar H10 heart rate monitor to obtain numerical data, but I found it difficult to deliver any meaningful comparison data on a regular workout vs. one in the top. An 8% decrease in heart rate isn't a massive change for the average runner to measure, although it could mean everything for an elite athlete. How does a mediocre but enthusiastic runner quantify this sort of thing?

Nevertheless, after running 10 kilometers in a UK heatwave, during which I would have normally worn as little clothing as possible (and certainly not a long-sleeved top) I must admit I was partially convinced. I wore a sleeveless t-shirt underneath, and hadn't needed to remove the long-sleeved top at all during the run.

Other runs in the top, some shorter, some similar distance, were done in cooler conditions, including one in the rain. At all times, the layer stayed on, apart from one exceptionally hot day. I didn't see any historic achievements or plateau-breaking as a result of wearing it, but my runs felt strong and the top was comfortable. I didn't need to shed the layer in most hot conditions to avoid overheating, or feel like it was insufficient in cold.

Will it really increase performance?

At the end of the day, it's a very premium-priced (a hefty £195, around $250 / AU$370) baselayer with a nice feel. Will it increase performance? Perhaps. It's definitely going to be a go-to when exercising in the cold, as the 'layering problem' rears its ugly head most often in transitional seasons. You start out cold, and end up baking due to over-layering. I see this piece as an answer to this issue.

One independent study testing the thermo-regulation property of Outlast fiber by means of thermal analysis found that the 'smart fiber' as its called, has "been certified [for] its obvious capability of temperature regulation". So the Walero top will reduce sweat and keep your body regulated with its 20% Outlast fibers woven into its construction, in theory.

In practice, for most of us, it's a fun novelty that seems ideal to wear in most conditions, and most suited to cooler changeable weather. You'll get a lot of wear out of it as it's very adaptable, but it's certainly more expensive than most baselayers. It's a cool gimmick to chat about as you queue up at the startline of your local parkrun, but whether it represents good value will depend on your budget. An amateur athlete looking to save money (most of us) won't get enough mileage out of this top to justify the expense, while a high performer with deep pockets will likely live in it due to its thermo-regulating qualities.

• Fires related to lithium-ion batteries are on the rise
• E-bikes, e-scooters, and vapes are being blamed
• There are simple steps you can take to stay safe

New firefighting data from the UK gathered across 2025 shows that lithium-ion batteries are responsible for a growing number of fires, with emergency services dealing with one of these incidents every five hours across last year, on average.

As The Guardian reports, UK fire brigades were called to 1,760 fires related to lithium-ion batteries in 2025, according to Freedom of Information data requested by insurance company QBE. That works out as 4.8 incidents a day, and equates to a 147% increase over the previous three years.

Just about every gadget that can be recharged uses a lithium-ion battery, from smartphones to toothbrushes. Vapes, e-bikes, and e-scooters are specifically mentioned in this latest report, and seem to be driving the rise in fires.

When manufactured and used correctly, lithium-ion batteries should be safe to use. However, when they aren't properly configured or become damaged, something called thermal runaway can occur — leading to a rapid increase in temperature, the venting of gas and flames, and ultimately the explosion of the battery.

Products that haven't been properly certified can potentially be risky, as can unauthorized charging devices. Lithium-ion batteries that aren't disposed of properly can also lead to fires, as they're initially collected or as they're processed in recycling plants.

"Thermal runaway caused by these types of batteries burns differently, takes much longer to tackle and can require up to 10 times more water to contain," QBE's Adrian Simmonds told The Guardian. "Awareness of safe charging, storage and disposal is essential to keeping people and property safe."

3 tips for keeping your e-bike safe

E-bikes aren't the only reason that lithium-ion battery fires have become more common, but they're a big part of the problem. There were 520 firefighter call-outs to e-bike fires in the UK in 2025, The Guardian reports, compared to 149 in 2022.

The first tip for making sure you and your e-bike don't add to these statistics is to buy from authorized vendors and to stick to trusted manufacturers. That goes for entire e-bikes, as well as replacement batteries, battery chargers, and conversion kits.

Secondly, charge your e-bike battery somewhere where you can see it and keep an eye on it, whenever possible — if something does start to go wrong, you have a better chance of spotting it if you're not asleep or out of the house for the whole day. Ideally, charge them in a shed or garage separate from your house.

Third, use the battery charger supplied with your e-bike, or (if you need a replacement) one that's been approved by the manufacturer. And as always, keep your batteries away from combustible materials, and make sure your home is well-equipped with the necessary fire detection tech.

"We believe regulation can help improve product safety and reduce the chance of consumers being exposed on online marketplaces to faulty or counterfeit products such as ebike batteries, chargers and conversion kits," Spencer Sutcliff, deputy commissioner for fire prevention at the London Fire Brigade, told The Guardian.

A "disproportionate" number of incidents were caused by "poorly manufactured, modified, or converted e-bikes," a spokesperson for the UK National Fire Chiefs Council told The Guardian. "Regulation and guidance have not kept pace with technology."

Inspired by yesterday's record-breaking London Marathon, in which a huge number of participants turned out, and the men's winner broke the two-hour world record? Me too. It's been too long since I've signed up for a long-distance event, so I'm lacing up my shoes and venturing out into the great outdoors.

Want to join me? Preparing for a marathon for the first time can be difficult, and it's hard to know exactly what you're going to need. You'll need a good, neutral pair of running shoes like the Saucony Ride 18 or Nike Pegasus 42, and a running watch like the Apple Watch SE 3, Garmin Vivoactive 6, or Coros Pace 4. These watches strike the balance between affordability and features very effectively. We labelled the Garmin Vivoactive 6 a "feature-stuffed pocket-rocket" when we reviewed it last year.

I swear by Lululemon's Pace Breaker running shorts, and I've even included some extras like socks and hydration vests. Check them all out below! While I can't guarantee you a record-breaking time, I can guarantee you'll be well-equipped for a good one.

Best running gear for beginners in 2026

QLVR ENDVR: Two minute review

Most running shoes feel familiar for a reason: the formula has barely changed in millennia. We have archaeological evidence of shoes being fastened with “shoelaces” as far back as around 3,500 BC, yet the basic lace-up running trainer remains the default.

QLVR (pronounced “clever”) set out to challenge that. Its debut shoe, the ENDVR, is a laceless “running slipper” built around a women-specific mechanical structure, with a slip-on Wing Fit system inspired by the way a bird’s wing opens and closes around movement.

The brand’s core argument is blunt: most athletic shoes are designed on men’s lasts (the mechanical devise used by manufacturers to create the foot shape) and scaled down for women, even though women’s feet tend to have different shapes and pressure points. So, they decided to literally break the mould and design something specifically for women’s feet.

It sounds like a noble ambition, although it didn’t necessarily start out as one. Originally the company was focused on doing away with laces. But co-founder and footwear designer Martin Dean soon realised this would be impossible with a unisex shoe.

“We were tweaking the design but we couldn't get it to work. The unisex fit system means it would just be too loose on the back of a woman's foot,” said Dean.

“That's when we realised that the majority of footwear is made to fit a man's foot. So we thought ‘let's launch this for women’.”

As a runner who often struggles with shoe fit, I could immediately relate to Dean’s explanation. I spend an inordinate amount of time fiddling with laces trying to get the fit around my ankle just right. I don’t want the laces to dig in, but I also don’t want my ankles rocking around. I also struggle with the width of running shoes finding that the toe box shape is never quite right. Typically, a lot of running technology, not just shoes but also some of the best running watches, are male by default.

When I heard about the QLVR ENDVR I was keen to try them out. Maybe, finally, this shoe would fit! Over the past couple of months, I’ve been testing the shoe on a range of activities. Treadmill intervals, 10k easy road runs, gym sessions and as an everyday trainer for trips around the shops.

As soon as I slipped the pair on they immediately felt different. But were they the shoe I was ultimately looking for?

What makes it different?

The 'women-first’ part is not just a marketing line. QLVR is designed around a more 'triangular' female foot shape, with a narrower heel, wider toe area, and higher arches, rather than shrinking a men’s shoe and relying on laces to make up the slack.

The laceless part is the standout: the Wing Fit system is designed to sit in a closed, ‘laced-up’ position, flexing as you step in and then holding the rearfoot securely once your heel drops. In practice, it’s the first slip-on I’ve tried that feels like it’s meant to be run in. There is an immediate locked-in feel, and the foot is held snugly inside with minimal slippage. Being able to slip on a shoe and have the perfect heel fit straight away is a revelation.

Then there’s sustainability. QLVR leans hard into bio-based materials: a dandelion-derived foam it calls Dandelite, a Pebax Rnew polymer (from castor beans) for the Wing Fit system and propulsion plate, and a Tencel yarn upper made from eucalyptus fibres.

What it’s like to run in

The fit is the first shock. I used QLVR’s sizing guidance and went down to a UK 6.5 (I usually size up to a 7 in running shoes). Straight out of the box, they felt very snug: secure around the ankle and heel, with noticeably more arch presence than I’m used to.

But that sense of the arch’s prominence faded fast. Once I started moving, the shoe relaxed into something closer to a slipper-like comfort, without the wobbly, overly soft feeling some max-cushioned shoes can have. For easy treadmill miles, it’s been especially pleasant: quiet, stable, and easy to forget about.

The laceless convenience is not a gimmick, either. If you’re popping out for a short run, going from work to gym, or fitting training into the cracks of a day, sliding in and heading off is genuinely freeing. No lace bite across the midfoot, no fiddling to get heel lockdown just right. The rearfoot hold is simply “there” every time.

QLVR positions the ENDVR as a shoe that can handle everything from intervals to cross-training. Based on my testing, that checks out. It feels comfortable and controlled for steady running, and supportive enough for gym sessions where you’re moving laterally or lifting lightly.

But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. For me, the snugness may be a limiter. On longer distances, feet swell and I like a little more room up front. With my toes close to the end of the shoe and a hint of heel rub developing, I’d be cautious about taking these beyond half marathon territory. But then again, they are designed as an all-round training shoe rather than a long distance running pair.

Grip has been mostly fine on roads, but on icy patches I felt less confident than in some of my regular winter-friendly trainers. And, subjectively, the look will be divisive: the Wing Fit silhouette is unapologetically bold, and personally I think they’re pretty ugly.

One extra practical win: QLVR says you can machine-wash the shoes cold after removing the insoles and using a laundry bag.

Price and availability

The QLVR ENDVR costs £165 ($233, AUS $311) and is sold direct from the QLVR website. QLVR says it ships worldwide, although its FAQ notes US shipping is temporarily on hold while it assesses the impact of new import tariffs. The pricing is pretty much on-par with mid-range running and gym shoes.

QLVR ENDVR: Specifications

Sizing note

QLVR’s current guidance is worth considering carefully, as it is a little contradictory. The product page and FAQ suggest the shoe can size up a bit small, recommending going up half or a full size if you’re between sizes. But the size chart says if you follow its guide you don’t need to go up in size, as toe wiggle-room is built in. This is why I opted for a 6.5 after measuring my feet according to their metrics. If I wanted to run longer distances in these shoes, I would definitely size up to 7.

QLVR: Scorecard

QLVR ENDVR: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed: March 2026

Ask any exercise scientist what they would prescribe to someone serious about staying strong into their 50s and beyond, and the answer is rarely what you'd hope for — and certainly not what the fitness industry is currently trying to sell you.

It isn't long sessions on one of the best under-desk treadmills or a stationary bike like the Peloton, nor the kind of machine-based exercises that isolate muscles without ever teaching them to work together.

The movement that matters most at this stage of life looks deceptively simple — no barbell, no specialist equipment and no gym membership required. It's a fundamental, functional move, like the farmer's walk. It trains balance, hip stability, and unilateral strength that determines whether your body holds up or breaks down in the decades ahead.

Think about what you actually do every day — climbing stairs, stepping off a curb, recovering your footing on an uneven surface. Every one of those moments asks your body to produce and absorb force through a single leg while the rest of you stays controlled.

Most people are far weaker in this pattern than they realise and it’s exactly why we spoke to leading exercise scientist and functional medicine doctor Pete Williams to find out which single exercise he returns to again and again, why it becomes so critical at this stage of life and how to build it into your routine safely and progressively.

The forward lunge

“As we age, our exercise goals should evolve beyond simply lifting heavier weights,” says Williams. “For people over 50, the ability to generate force quickly — known as muscle power — becomes more crucial than maximal strength.” This methodology is exactly why Williams recommends the forward lunge as a key movement pattern for those looking to maintain strength for those in their sixth decade.

This particular focus on power over outright strength is rooted in Williams’ deep understanding of biomechanics. As we age, the ability to produce and maintain power “fundamentally shapes how we move, how we respond to sudden challenges, like trips or slips and how safely we navigate everyday life,” he says, noting that “power declines faster with age than strength alone.”

All of which make the forward lunge the ideal exercise to work on these points, Williams says, as it “builds not just muscle, but neural responsiveness and coordinated control.” By building the functional power to protect against falls and maintain independence in later life, he says, “power and control are the qualities that make movement safe and effective in the real world.”

Why it works

For Williams, the appeal of the forward lunge isn’t just about building lower-body strength, but also about recruiting and supporting the recruitment of the central nervous system (CNS).

“A forward lunge requires controlled descent into the lunge position, then a powerful push back to standing,” he explains. “This rapid coordination falls under the domain of the CNS, the brain and spinal cord must swiftly sense perturbations and activate muscles to respond.” Simply, by working on muscle power, you can offset the decline that comes with ageing.

Williams points to several everyday scenarios in which the forward lunge can help offset accident risk, including descending stairs, stepping down from curbs and lowering into a chair. “These are not passive movements, as they require muscles to absorb force, decelerate the body, and stabilize joints,” he says. This is called 'eccentric' control. Movement patterns that incorporate slow and controlled lowering trains these braking systems, making “accidents on stairs and curbs become far more likely”.

Most of the best smartwatches now come with fall detection, allowing the wearer to send an alert if they fall or have some sort of accident. For older adults, training with forward lunges will reduce the risk of this happening.

Building power with the lunge

"Strength is a measure of how much force a muscle can produce, whereas power reflects how fast that force can be applied," says Williams. To illustrate the difference, he describes two people: one who can lift heavy weights slowly, while the other can lift a medium weight faster. "If both trip on an uneven surface, the person with greater power — and thus faster muscle and neural response — is far more likely to catch themselves and avoid a fall".

This is why Williams argues that exercise programs for older adults must move beyond purely heavy lifting.

Instead, they should incorporate "power training exercises," such as "faster concentric lifts" and "quick sit-to-stands from a chair," alongside "functional real-world drills". This specific focus on "speed and rapid force production" is increasingly recommended for older adults and, according to Williams, "should always be considered."

Add the lunge into your routine using the instructional video above, and browse our article series The Fit List for more muscle-building and life-lengthening advice.

Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE: One minute review

The Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE is a complete cycling setup comprising a Zwift Ride smart frame and a Wahoo KICKR CORE trainer. The combined unit is an easy-to-set-up solution for indoor training that doesn't require mounting a traditional outdoor bike. It's a single tine at the front instead of a bike's usual fork and a rear wheel, designed to lock straight into the KICKR turbo trainer. Assembly is as simple as opening a few boxes, securing a few bolts in place, finding a place to locate it, and you're away.

Offering integrated handlebar controllers, a console-like gaming experience, and a system that is compact and quiet, the Zwift ride is a great piece of kit, especially given the price. As for build quality, the chassis is made of heavy-duty powder-coated steel, which is solid and dependable, albeit a little utilitarian.

What sets the KICKR CORE apart from much of the competition is the single-sprocket Zwift Cog that enables virtual shifting. Instead of physically moving a chain across gears, the trainer uses a sophisticated algorithm to deliver resistance via the built-in electromagnetic system. This is capable of simulating the feel of 24 distinct gears and is a big win for users wanting a maintenance-free experience.

Versatility is a standout feature of the Zwift setup, as the frame is engineered to fit riders ranging from 5 ft to 6 ft 6 in with just a single tool. This makes it a perfect indoor bike for sharing between family members, something that I’ve enjoyed these past few weeks.

My first Zwift Ride experience has been a very positive one, and I’ve loved how easy it has been to use. Its design is solid but lacking finesse, its feature set is reasonable but nothing flashy, and its performance is fantastic for the price, compared to ultra-premium rivals like Peloton.

Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE: Specifications

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Price and availability

• $1,299.99 USD / £1,099 GBP / $2,299.95 AUD
• A mid-range product with excellent build quality
• Cheaper than high-end alternatives

The Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE 2 bundle is one of the best-value smart bikes on the market. The bundle package is typically priced at $1,299 USD / £1,099 GBP / $2,299.95 AUD, although it's often found on sale for around $999 / £899 (rarely discounted in Australia) during seasonal events. It's not cheap, but it's in the bracket of affordable for anyone wanting to take their indoor cycling seriously.

The product bridges the huge gap between a budget wheel-on trainer and premium dedicated smart bikes like the Tacx NEO Bike Plus. As a result, Zwift is looking to tap into that mid-range market with a semi-affordable trainer that's always ready to go.

Value score 4.5/5

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Design

• Utilitarian design with solid materials
• Adjustable seatpost and handlebars
• Silent flywheel for a great user experience

The bundle consists of two elements: the Zwift Ride smart frame and the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 with Zwift Cog. I appreciate that's quite the mouthful, and it could be confusing, but in essence, the Zwift Ride is the frame, while the KICKR CORE is the resistance trainer. Let's take a look at each in turn.

The Zwift Ride is the physical bike structure that you sit on. It stays in one location and is optionally attached to the trainer. The main chassis is constructed from heavy-duty powder-coated steel, which guarantees durability and longevity, but one of the best details of the bike's design is in its adjustability. With the ability to adjust the seatpost and handlebar system using a "sizing-by-letter" system, quick changes can be made and multiple riders accommodated.

At the front is a unique single-leg design with a wide rubber-padded base. Don't be fooled, though. It might look deceptively slim, but in reality, it provides a solid base to prevent rocking during sprints. The aluminum drop handlebars house built-in Bluetooth buttons for virtual shifting, steering, and navigating Zwift menus. Finally, central to the handlebars is a phone tray with a silicone mat and an optional tablet holder. These are essential for engagement with the Zwift app while riding.

The Wahoo KICKR CORE trainer, on the other hand, is the engine that provides the resistance and communicates with the Zwift app. Sitting at the back of the frame, the unit contains a direct-drive unit containing a 5.4 kg (12 lb) electromagnetic flywheel and a single-sprocket cog that allows the bike to work without mechanical shifting. The whole setup is incredibly silent and removes the need for mechanically complex derailleurs. The Core is also sold separately in case you want to connect an actual bike.

All in, it took around an hour to put it together with every part working seamlessly out of the box. The design is notably utilitarian compared to aluminum or carbon-composite alternatives, and the lack of tilting mechanisms to simulate further climbing is a reminder of its price point.

When both the frame and trainer are combined, the total weight is about 35 kg (78 lbs). While this weight makes it cumbersome to move, it does help keep the unit "planted", which is an essential quality during high-intensity rides.

Design Score: 4/5

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Features

• Console-like gaming experience
• Fast and quiet virtual shifting
• Automatic spindown calibration

From a features point of view, the Zwift is designed with simplicity in mind. This begins with the handlebar integration that serves up a console-like experience where you can control the Zwift interface without having to reach for a keyboard, mouse, or phone. This includes menu navigation and selecting routes as well as in-game actions such as deploying power-ups and moving your avatar to find a draft.

Rather than a physical derailleur, the Zwift hardware uses software-based virtual shifting that is faster and quieter than a mechanical drivetrain. The virtual nature of it makes it possible to choose between Shimano or SRAM logic, or even a sequential 24-gear progression. It also allows for shifting gears when you're not pedaling, which, although not realistic, is ideal if you happen to find yourself stationary while in the middle of a steep climb.

One of the most user-friendly technical features is the automatic spindown calibration, which measures the internal drag of the device so that the power numbers you see in Zwift are accurate and not skewed by things like belt tension or room temperature.

Unlike older trainers that required a manual spindown test every few weeks to ensure power accuracy, the KICKR CORE calibrates itself automatically while you coast. In line with Zwift's focus on convenience, firmware updates happen automatically over WiFi, so the trainer is always up to date.

Features Score: 4/5

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Performance

• Smooth, quiet, and dependable
• Accessible and easy-to-use controls
• Lacking high-end features such as frame tilting

After moving successfully through the incredibly straightforward process of building the bike, I was ready to jump on. It was actually my son who jumped on first, but as he had helped me build the thing, I thought it only fair to let him have a ride. He and I were impressed by how smoothly the unit operates with a super-quiet flywheel and drivetrain. This performance continued throughout my subsequent rides with no deviation in quality.

At the heart of the KICKR CORE is the Zwift Cog with virtual shifting. This again performs excellently with almost instant gear shifts, and there's no crunch or lag often felt on bikes when shifting under heavy load on a climb. This software-led approach means you can focus on your ride without concern that you’re going to bend the derailleur.

The gear shifting can be easily customized to mimic different gear ratios. I cycled through the sequential, SRAM, and Shimano options and tested each one to make sure they accurately performed to their advertised capabilities. The sequential option is pretty straightforward with a simple shifting through gears one at a time. The other two are a little more complex, but Zwift's ability to replicate their feel is expertly implemented.

The physical ride is only half the story, though. The Zwift app is as integral a part of the overall riding experience as the physical build. This app is operated through the handlebar controls, which enable users to move through menus and engage fully with the virtual riding experience. As with any new device, the Zwift’s button placement and associated actions took a little getting used to, but it wasn’t long before it became second nature.

My overall experience of the app was a little less positive, unfortunately. I loaded it onto my phone and was immediately forced to view it in landscape mode. This wasn’t too much of a problem until I realised that the mounting pad at the front of the bike is portrait only. My phone was therefore balanced a little precariously to account for that. Making use of the dedicated holder with a tablet would overcome this, but not everyone has access to these.

I also found that the app drained my phone’s battery to a degree that I wouldn’t have expected. Maybe it’s a result of the 3D graphics or the expectation that you keep your device permanently plugged in. Either way, I think Zwift could make significant improvements to the app to enhance the overall user experience.

Performance score: 4/5

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Scorecard

Zwift Ride and KICKR CORE: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I performed a full unboxing and kit construction, enabling me to make informed comments on how users might experience the setup process. I downloaded and utilized the Zwift app, partaking in dozens of rides which made use of the full spectrum of features on the bike. I also asked other members of my family to test it. This enabled me to check the fit across multiple users and take on board other people’s perspectives and experiences.

First reviewed: February 2026

Wahoo KICKR Run: One minute review

If you have the budget and the space, the Wahoo KICKR Run is one of the most impressive indoor running experiences you can buy. The deck feels as good as, if not better than, many commercial gym treadmills, with a smooth belt, 15% incline, -3% decline and subtle side-to-side tilt that mimics running on real roads and trails.

RunFree mode, which automatically adjusts the belt to your pace, is genuinely clever and brilliant for intervals (high-intensity bursts followed by periods of recovery pace) and fartlek training (varying the speed) once you have learned how to use it. And if things do get spicy the safety rails and responsive emergency clip give you confidence that you won’t be sent flying.

On the downside, the console is too minimal: you only see pace and incline on the built-in display, so you are pushed into the Wahoo app if you want time and distance, and realistically into using a second screen if you also want to watch a film or TV series while you run.

It is expensive and it doesn’t fold up, and the dependency on an external app will annoy some runners, but as a serious training tool that can replace a gym membership, it absolutely delivers.

Wahoo KICKR Run: Specifications

Wahoo KICKR Run: Price and availability

• $5,249.99 / £6,000
• Premium price
• Often on sale

Currently available on sale in the US for $5,249.99 direct from Wahoo and major partners. In the UK the device can be purchased from specialist retailers at around £5,999.99. The treadmill is not currently available in Australia.

Whichever region you are in, this is very much a premium treadmill. Even in the US market, reviews place it squarely in the high-end tier alongside Peloton and Technogym models, and often a touch above many mainstream home treadmills.

It is not a casual purchase, but if you normally pay for a gym membership mainly to use a treadmill, it is credible as a long-term replacement.

The KICKR Run itself does not require a subscription just to switch it on and run (unlike other equipment such as Echelon), but its smartest features are woven into Wahoo’s subscription ecosystem. Wahoo’s training subscription costs $17.99 a month / $179 a year in the US, and £14.99 a month / £149.99 a year in the UK. This subscription gives access to Wahoo’s structured workouts, training plans, analytics and content across sports.

• Value score: 4/5

Wahoo KICKR Run: Design

• Simulates road camber
• Wide access
• Minimal console

Although it is a substantial, non-folding treadmill, the KICKR Run is perfect for a garage or dedicated room and feels sensibly sized rather than monstrous.

The running surface is long and wide enough for fast running, yet the overall frame is trimmed down compared with many gym behemoths, in part because of the lack of an integrated console screen. The deck feels responsive, solid and durable, as good as, or better, than, any gym treadmill.

Full-length safety bars, a safety clip and a big stop button offer security, but the button is very stiff making it difficult to engage. Thankfully the safety clip is fast- acting.

The console is deliberately minimal, with simple read-outs of the elevation and speed. Data such as duration and distance have to be viewed in the Wahoo app, which I found rather irritating. That means your phone becomes a data screen and you need a second device if you want to watch anything while you run.

There are also three mystery buttons which, upon investigation, I discovered control the pages in the app – again, everything about the design is pushing the user towards a Wahoo subscription.

Paddle controls adjust the incline and pace and are a welcome alternative to buttons. Press them lightly for small adjustments, or push further for larger jumps. This feels very intuitive once you have used it a couple of times.

A generous shelf in front of you happily holds a laptop or tablet, so you can watch films or use Zwift while you run. There are two bottle holders and some extra storage for snacks or small items, plus USB charging to keep devices topped up.

The deck can tilt gently side to side by around 0.5°, simulating road camber and adding a subtle feeling of running on real terrain rather than a perfectly flat slab.

In testing it ran happily off a standard 15-amp circuit in a garage without tripping anything. Once in place it has wheels, so you can shuffle it forwards or sideways, but it is not the sort of treadmill you wheel in and out every day.

Rather than leaving you to assemble it yourself, Wahoo’s partners do a proper delivery and setup. Beforehand you share measurements and a short video of the access route and the room so they can confirm it will fit, then they bring it in, build it, and check it is running correctly. That is a big part of why this feels closer to commercial kit than flat-pack gear.

• Design score: 4/5

Wahoo KICKR Run: Features

• RunFree mode
• -3% decline and +15% incline
• Paddle controls

The headline feature is the intuitive RunFree mode which uses sensors to gauge your speed. This lets you run at any pace without needing to adjust the belt speed manually.

For easy and moderate running, RunFree feels very natural once you have learned to relax into it. It is particularly good for fartlek workouts and unstructured speed play, in which you simply surge when you feel like it and let the treadmill follow. At higher speeds it can feel a little wild. If you are not ready for the acceleration, you can suddenly feel like you are being pulled along faster than you intended. You quickly learn to keep a hand close to the rails or paddles when you are pushing towards your top pace. Alternatively you can set a pace limit to ensure you don’t go off the rails.

The clever treadmill can also automatically adjust incline and decline, so when you are following a route or a structured session, the hills happen under your feet without manual input (as long as you have a paid Wahoo subscription).

With +15% incline and -3% decline, you can do serious uphill repeats, long uphill hikes, and rare downhill practice – something many gyms do not offer.

• Features score: 5/5

Wahoo KICKR Run: Performance

• Smooth underfoot
• Versatile tilt
• Impressive speed range

In use, the KICKR Run is impressively smooth. The belt feels tight and well-aligned, with none of the looseness or lag that can make you stumble on cheaper machines. The motor keeps up easily with changes in pace, and even under harder efforts the deck feels rock-solid.

With a top speed around 4:00/mile (about 15 mph), it has far more headroom than many home treadmills; realistically, most recreational runners will never touch the ceiling.

Being able to run and hike at 10–15% for prolonged periods makes it a fantastic tool for hill strength, and the -3% decline and lateral tilt make downhill and cambered-road training possible without hunting for the perfect hill outside.

Noise levels will depend on your environment, but in testing it felt in line with other serious treadmills rather than unusually loud or quiet; the limiting factor is more likely to be the sheer presence and weight of the machine than the sound.

• Performance score: 5/5

Wahoo KICKR Run: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

Once the treadmill was set up in my garage I used it for longer runs up to 10k, hill reps, easy downhill runs and interval sessions. I used the app to track my sessions and set up a laptop on the console to watch Netflix whilst I ran. The testing period was four weeks.

First reviewed: January 2026

I've been wearing Saucony Ride shoes in various iterations for a while now. They're always a reliable set of daily trainers and consistently good value. They're not the best running shoes for speed or ultramarathons, but for the average running enthusiast (that's me) doing six-to-ten miles on a weekend, they're great. We reviewed the Saucony Ride 18 last year and our reviewer, England Athletics running coach and running book author Lily Canter, loved them. She awarded them 4.5 stars out of five – but she didn't love the Ride 17 before them, awarding those a star less.

I had the opportunity to test the Saucony Ride 19, and I wasn't quite sure which way it would go. However, after running my first 50k in them, I can safely say they're spectacular.

Comfortable, form-fitting (even though I usually size up) and extremely versatile, they're already my new, go-to daily drivers for 2026 — and the shoes all the cool kids at Parkrun are likely to be wearing this year.

So why do I think they'll be so popular? For starters, they're good all-rounders. Saucony itself calls them 'the ultimate do-it-all shoe' in its press release, and it's something I've loved about the Ride series for ages. Despite the running shoe industry being full of specialist shoes and complicated jargon, everyone but the most dedicated runners still want one shoe for everything – or at least, one shoe to run on roads and one for the occasional muddy trail.

The Ride 19 are all-rounder shoes for most conventional distances, and cope fine with switching between roads and light trails such as gravel or hard dirt paths in my local park. They have a roomy toebox, so your feet have room to swell if you're running long distances (be careful if you size up), but they also offer a secure fit with a gusseted tongue, with the upper super breathable. The heel of the shoe is sporting an 8mm drop, and they are ideal for runners with a straightforward neutral gait.

There's more PWRRUN+ foam underfoot than in last year's model, but it's also nice and wide, making the shoes feel very stable and easy to run on. That extra foam also contributes to the Ride 19's high energy return, reducing your level of effort with every stride. A lot of shoes claim to do this, and because the Ride 19 are a little heavier than previous years, I thought they might make my Sunday runs feel a bit sluggish. But they felt great, and surprisingly snappy, especially when I was concentrating on proper running form.

The shoes are entirely vegan, so people can feel good about wearing them, and of course, they look good, too — the Ride 19 look clean and minimalist, even in more garish colorways such as Cobalt / Slime.

As you can see in the photos, my White / Crimson shoes have picked up a bit of dirt (thanks, wet UK weather and West Country potholes), but I can totally see Londoners and New Yorkers turning up to run-clubs in these bad boys and catching envious glances.

Crucially, they're also reasonably priced. At $145 / £140 / AU$240, I'm already seeing them on offer in SportStore in the UK, and O'Neills in AU territories . That's always key to widespread adoption, and as the Ride 19 get a bit older and drop down in price as the year goes on, expect to see them on a lot of people's feet this year.

If the price makes them out of reach for you, consider the still-excellent Saucony Ride 18, which can be found very cheaply now, as well as other older all-rounder running shoes such as the Nike Pegasus 41.

We write a lot about EVs on TechRadar — and with good reason, because they're great to drive, good for the environment and usually packed with the latest tech.

Or at least that's what we think. But what about you? Whether you're eagerly saving up for your first EV or worry that they still don't have enough range, we want to know what you think. Simply take our short survey and you can share your thoughts and help us shape our content.

The best bit? You could win a £100 Amazon voucher simply by giving us your opinion. Just click on the link to our 2026 drivers' survey below, answer a few questions (it will take about 8-10 minutes) and you'll get to put your name into the pot for a chance to win.

Click here to take the 2026 drivers' survey

The survey closes on 24 March 2026, and the optional prize draw is entered by submitting your email address once you've completed it. To be eligible to win you must be a resident of the UK or Europe, at least 18 years old, and a driver (obviously). More terms and conditions here — and good luck!

Terms & Conditions

*Prize draw opens 9 am (BST) on 25/02/26 and closes 12 pm (BST) 24/03/26. Late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. 18+, UK residents only (excluding employees of Future). One entry per household. No automated entries allowed. One winner will receive a £100 Amazon voucher. The winner will be randomly drawn and notified by email within 28 days of the closing date, and must provide a UK delivery address. If no response is received within 28 days, an alternative winner will be drawn. Future reserves the right to substitute the prize with an alternative product of equivalent value. Prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative. Void where prohibited. By taking part in this prize draw you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, the competition rules at: www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/ and collection of personal data in accordance with Future’s privacy policy at: https://www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/.

Open Instagram and you would think post-workout recovery begins and ends with an ice bath. After you hit 'save' on your Apple Watch, your run zips off to the Strava cloud, plenty of social media influencers advise you go for a cold plunge (if you have access) or a cold shower (if you don't).

But a new human study on muscle healing suggests something different: if you actually want your muscles to repair themselves, you are better off turning the hot tap up than jumping into a tub of freezing water or opting for a cold shower.

Dr Freya Bayne, a sport and exercise scientist at London South Bank University, has just co-authored research in The Journal of Physiology comparing cold and hot water immersion after a simulated muscle injury.

“Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, is used really widely in a lot of sports medicine for muscle injuries, but the evidence to support that in terms of muscle regeneration is really lacking,” she said. “Prior to this study, no human studies on muscle regeneration have been done, so we really wanted to fill that gap.”

How do you “injure” a muscle in a lab?

To properly study regeneration, the team needed real muscle damage, closer to a strain than exercise-induced soreness.

“The electrical stimulation that we use is where you put a probe into one of the nerves to cause damage that would be the equivalent of a strain,” explained Dr Bayne. A sample of 34 healthy men took part in the study which involved having their thighs put through 200 electrically stimulated eccentric contractions. This was not a gentle gym session; this process kills off a chunk of muscle fibres and triggers a full repair response, similar to a serious sports injury.

Over the following days, the researchers tracked strength, soreness, blood markers of muscle damage and, crucially, took muscle biopsies to see what was happening inside the tissue as it tried to heal. After the damage was done, participants were randomly assigned to one of three daily treatments for 10 days:

• Cold water immersion: 15 minutes at 12°C
• Thermoneutral water: 30 minutes at 32°C
• Hot water immersion: 60 minutes at 42°C

The results

So what happened when they crunched the data?

The muscle's maximum strength took a hit after the simulated injury and had still not fully recovered after 10 days in any of the groups. Cold immersion did not speed this up. Heat did not magically restore power either, but it did change other markers that reveal how well the muscle is regenerating. Bayne and colleagues identified four ways hot water immersion seemed to help muscles bounce back quicker than cold water treatment .

The first was better blood flow and muscle waste clearance through improved circulation. “Hot water boosts blood flow to [the damaged muscle], delivers more oxygen, more nutrients to the damaged tissue, and then helps clear the waste production at a faster rate,” said Dr Bayne.

In the study, people in the hot-water group reported less muscle soreness over the following days and had lower levels of muscle damage proteins (creatine kinase and myoglobin) in their blood than those using cold or neutral water.

The second restorative process was “heat shock” proteins, referred to as “the muscle’s internal repair toolkit”. “When you're exposed to heat, it triggers these protective proteins which stabilise muscle fibres and then supports that cellular repair,” explained Dr Bayne. The biopsies showed that two of these proteins were ramped up in the hot-water group but stayed flat or even blunted in the cold-water group.

The third indicator was that hot water treatment appeared to stimulate a faster switch from inflammation to healing. After an injury, your body undergoes an initial inflammatory phase (characterised by that typical inflamed swelling you see as part of injuries), but then the tissue switches into a calmer, rebuilding mode. In this study, hot water seemed to nudge that switch along.

“Hot water seems to accelerate pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory much faster than cold water. And we want that anti-inflammatory because that's the one that promotes healing, and often with cold, it gets stuck with the pro-inflammatory, so you have that inflammation for a longer period of time,” said Dr Bayne.

Finally, the team looked at pathways linked with rebuilding and creating muscle proteins. Bayne said:. “We think that heat may help maintain protein synthesis pathways, and these are kind of essential for rebuilding muscle, whereas cold blocks those signals.”

Summing all these findings up, Dr Bayne said: “Essentially, we found the warmer the temperature, the faster the regeneration.” Cold therapy, meanwhile, did not reduce pain or blood markers of damage compared with neutral-temperature or hot water, and it appeared to blunt some of the helpful responses seen with heat.

What this means for your post-workout routine

For elite athletes and clinicians, Bayne thinks these results “challenge the ‘ice for injury’ approach that everybody uses”. In her view, heat therapy “shows a promising reduction in pain and regeneration. Athletes and clinicians could use this as part of their rehabilitation after muscle injury, specifically strain.”

But what about delayed onset muscle soreness after a tough gym session or long run? Here, the evidence is still emerging. Bayne also mentioned a second study, due to be published next year, using more typical exercise rather than a lab-induced strain.

“We’ve shown the same thing, so heat will also be beneficial.”

Where ice has a role

None of this means ice baths are useless. Cold can still temporarily numb pain and there is some evidence it has mental health benefits. And according to this study, healing will happen when using cold water — just not as fast as heat.

The bigger shift may come in hospitals, where patients are routinely handed ice packs after injury and surgery. “I think the biggest thing we'll see is actually going to be in the hospital setting,” Dr Bayne said. “Now I think that's going to completely change.”

But the science is still emerging. “We're really at the start of it, and this is that proof of concept,” said Dr Bayne.

Future work needs to test heat therapy across different sports, injury types, and importantly in women. For now, though, if you are standing in the changing room wondering whether to brave the ice barrel or run a hot bath, the science suggests you can skip the shivers and turn up the heat instead.

Cycling is objectively great. It's great for the body, it's great for the mind and it's great for us tech fans, because it gives us an excuse to buy a load of new gear such as fitness trackers and cycling computers and bone-conduction headphones and so on.

The trouble is, it can also be an expensive hobby – so the chance to win a $300 / £250 Amazon voucher would be helpful, right?

The good news is that could do that simply by taking the BikeTrack 2026 survey. Just click the link below, answer a few questions (it will take about 10-20 minutes) and you'll get the chance to put your name into the pot for a chance to win that $300 / £250 Amazon voucher.

Click here to take the BikeTrack survey

The survey closes on Sunday, March 15, and the optional prize draw is entered by submitting your email address once you've completed it. You must be a resident of the US, UK or Ireland and at least 18 years old to be eligible to win (with some exceptions listed on the survey page). More terms and conditions here.

If you're not eligible for the prize draw, we still want to know what you think, and you're welcome to fill out the survey. Good luck!

Terms & Conditions

*The prize draw opens at 12:00 (BST) on 03/02/26 and closes at 12:00 (BST) on 15/03/26. 18+, UK/US/Ireland residents only (excluding Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. military installations in foreign countries, or any other U.S. territory where prohibited or restricted by law). Use of automated devices or methods of submission are not valid forms of entry. One winner in total randomly selected from all valid entries. Prize is £250/$300 (or location equivalent) Amazon voucher (T&Cs). The winner will be randomly drawn from all valid entries received and shall be notified by Future by email within 28 days of the closing date and will be required to supply details of a UK/US/Ireland delivery address. No purchase required. Void where prohibited. Any person winning $600 or more worth of prizes in a calendar year will receive an IRS form 1099 after the end of the calendar year in which the prizes were awarded and form will be filed with the IRS. The value of the prize may be taxable as income and each prize winner is solely responsible for any taxes, including, but not limited to all applicable federal, state, and local taxes that become due with respect to the value of the prize. By taking part in this prize draw you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, the competition rules at: www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/ and collection of personal data in accordance with Future’s privacy policy at: https://www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/. This prize draw is run by Future and is not affiliated with Amazon. Any questions related to the prize draw should be directed to Future

• New Jersey just introduced tighter e-bike rules
• Other states are considering similar restrictions, too
• Many e-bike advocates are frustrated by the new law

New Jersey is imposing new e-bike legislation that will seriously impact riders in the state – and could be a sign of tighter restrictions rolling out more widely in the US and beyond, which could have serious ramifications for the adoption of e-bikes and similar technologies like e-scooters.

Under the new law, all classifications of e-bike ridden in New Jersey will require the rider to get a license, get insurance, and register their vehicle – a lot like you would for a car or motorbike. You must also be aged at least 15 and have a motorized bicycle license or be at least 17 years old with a valid driver’s license to own and operate an e-bike.

The state has also banned conversion kits that would allow riders to convert their lower-powered e-bikes to higher-powered ones, and for the next year, it has banned the sale of electric motorized bikes online (the fastest tier of bikes, which can go at speeds over 28mph).

Lawmakers who proposed the bill, and supporters, have heralded this as a major win for e-bike safety, with bill sponsor Senate President Nick Scutari declaring, “We are in a new era of e-bike use” – showcasing the local government’s action to help prevent e-bike-related injury and deaths following some high-profile incidents late last year.

E-bike enthusiasts are a lot less positive about New Jersey’s actions, however. You’ll find various articles and social media posts like this one from Chris Crossed, calling this “the dumbest ebike law ever,” as they point out issues like the lack of insurance options in the current market, as well as the conflict the law has with efforts to cut carbon emissions and reduce traffic congestion.

Though these voices are not entirely opposed to all of the actions being taken. Instead, they’re concerned that the broad, rather than targeted, measures could harm interest in e-bikes, which offer a solid alternative travel method for many. Especially as they fear New Jersey won’t be the last to impose restrictions – case in point, New York State has a similar senate bill in the works.

As e-bike fans would themselves be quick to point out, e-bikes are not a well-defined category. The term can be used to refer to pedal bikes that offer minimal assistance (topping out at speeds below 20mph) as well as effective e-motorbikes that can go at speeds over 28mph and aren’t really intended to be pedalled.

Clearly, there’s a major difference between these kinds of vehicles, but the very generalized category name combined with low understanding of the specific differences between subcategories means it’s easy for folks to buy e-bikes with a lot more oomph than they realize (leading to accidents) and lawmakers being overly broad with their rules.

Unfortunately, there’s also clearly a need for tighter rules to be brought in, because e-bike injuries are on the rise (via Velo and the BBC). Part of this comes from increased ridership, but that alone doesn’t account for the increase – factors including increased power and weight for e-bikes are also seemingly playing a part.

Is there a happy middle ground?

I’ve written about being a major fan of e-scooters, and e-bikes to some extent too, as they offer commuters a great alternative to driving that’s more environmentally friendly, fairly convenient, and not as physically taxing as riding a non-e-bike. So I’m not keen on overly restricting access.

Instead, I’d follow the example set by various countries’ drone rules. E-bike manufacturers would start by getting their bikes approved for use on public roads, and they would be assigned a category based on their top engine speed and weight.

The lightest, slowest speed e-bikes would be accessible to younger riders given they’re comparable to a pedal bike with just a little assistance; medium-weight and speed bikes would be restricted to older riders and require some kind of online test that checks their understanding of road and rider safety; and then those heaviest and fastest ‘e-motorbikes,’ as they’re called, would require some kind of license akin to a driver’s license.

All bike types, however, would need to be registered by an adult and be tagged with their registration number. Registration could be done online, and would be similar to how UK drones need to have your Operator ID on them.

This is just one idea, and I’m keen to hear your alternative suggestions in the comments, but I feel it strikes a better balance between improved safety and keeping e-bikes relatively accessible than do the New Jersey rules.

We’ll have to wait and see how other jurisdictions tackle e-bike rules, but as I sit here hoping for looser e-scooter laws in the UK, I have a suspicion we might, in fact, see tighter restrictions in various places. Hopefully, my hunch is wrong.

It is not easy to stay “bike-fit”, especially as the ravages of time take hold and the weather turns sour. I know, excuses, excuses, but unless you have the time or motivation to get out for a couple of hours each day (whatever the forecast) or have access to one of the best exercise bikes or turbo trainers, it’s very easy to be spat out of the back of the peloton, so to speak.

That’s exactly what has happened to me, and despite my best intentions, including jumping on the Wattbike Atom at my local gym, I’ve found my bike fitness has suffered over the years.

Not only does this erode confidence, it also means that my cycling-mad friends have to put up with me huffing and puffing my way around our local routes, often slowing their pace so I don’t end up riding solo.

The Ribble CGR E AL has apparently been engineered precisely for folk like me, with a discreet electric motor stashed in the rear hub to offer the gentlest of boosts whenever the climbs become too steep or the gravel terrain too tough to maintain and respectable constant speed.

“But that’s cheating!” often come the cries from the cycling diehard. Well yes, it is if you want to start entering professional competitions, but that’s not what this is designed for.

The CGR E AL exists to act like a high-end gravel bike most of the time, simply offering a helping hand when the need arises.

Best of the specs

A quick recap on Ribble Cycles: the British business has been making bikes for over 100 years, offering cheaper bikes but very competitive quality. That brings me on neatly to the Ribble CGR E AL — a machine that in its top specification packs Shimano’s reliable 105 mechanical groupset, Mavic rims, a lightweight aluminum frame and a Mahle X30 electric motor discreetly housed in the rear wheel.

It's not to be confused with the Ribble CGR AL e, as that is the older model that is no longer sold, despite packing an annoyingly familiar name.

Ribble sells worldwide, but not all models are available to all markets. In the UK, the CGR E AL costs £3,199 in its Shimano 105 layout (it is cheaper if you go for Tiagra or Sram Apex gearing). The company says it unfortunately can’t ship the product to the USA, despite listing a price of 'from $4,300'. It's the same story in Australia, where it has a sticker price of $6,310 but cannot be shipped to the region.

If you live in Europe, you’re largely covered. International users are missing out on one of the best subtly electric gravel bikes of recent years.

A platform to perform

Ribble’s machines come packaged and almost fully-built. All you need to do is get the handlebars in place and tightened up, add some pedals of your choosing and then tackled the carbon fibre seat post.

It doesn’t take long, but I have to admit, setting up the cockpit isn’t the easiest procedure. There are a number of tightly packed cables that have to run through the aero-enhanced handlebars and it takes a bit of fiddling. The same can be said for the seat post, as Ribble opts for an integrated seat wedge that’s a real pain to get into place without scratching anything.

Aside from this, the bike is a handsome thing to behold, with that 7005 hydroformed alloy frame bending aero aesthetics with a really purposeful stance. It is also paired with a contrasting carbon fork that really pops.

Look a little closer and there’s a discreet button on the top tube that activates the rear mode, another press of the same button cycles through the various assistance modes, while an illuminated LED strip gives a reliable indication of charge levels. The light also cycles through various hues depending on the riding mode.

Shimano’s reliable 105 mechanical 12-speed gearing takes care of cog swapping, which is razor sharp to cycle through the gears and easy enough to maintain. Finally, a set of Mavic Allroad wheels shod in 40mm Schwalbe G-One tires provide smooth rolling over a variety of surfaces.

A stealthy operator

As previously alluded to, it’s very difficult to tell that the CGR E AL packs any sort of electrical assistance at all. The rear hub motor is compact and hidden behind the rear cogs and disc brakes, while the tubes haven’t been oversized to cram in mammoth battery packs.

It’s also impressively lightweight, with Ribble claiming it tips the scales at around 10kg. Honestly, it feels even lighter than that and is really easy to shoulder should you have to traverse the odd fallen tree trunk or locked gate.

But the most impressive aspect is the Mahle X30 e-drive system, which delivers power in a way that it is barely noticeable — like a gentle helping hand as the gradients start to ramp up. There’s no surge of power as you turn the cranks, nor is there a telltale whining of the electric motor to give the game away.

During a few early rides, I cycled between activating the motor and switching it off entirely. The electrical assistance was so good, it almost made the trails I was tackling slightly too easy, even in its most gentle setting.

It was a similar story out on the road; where if it was nice and flat, I didn’t really have to rely on the system. But as soon as things turned hilly, I could stealthily switch it on and enjoy the mild boost up hills.

Those wanting to merely spin the cranks and not put in any effort should probably look elsewhere, as this isn’t that sort of electric bike. Instead, it rewards some effort and makes it much easier to spend hours in the saddle.

All day riding

Ribble says the discreet battery pack is good for 90km of riding, which is the equivalent of around 56 miles. That’s a massive day in the saddle for anyone, but also plenty enough when tackling a mix of on and off-road terrain.

Obviously, if you head straight for the hills and opt for maximum assistance, the battery is going to drain much faster, but I found it lasted for a couple of decent ride-outs a week. The Mahle smart charger is also neat, offering a charge indicator on the bottom, as well as portraying it on the top tube.

Ribble offers space for two bottle cages and will sell you a pannier rack kit that can hold up to 15kg of stuff for proper bike exploration. I own a set of soft bags and managed to attach these with ease when heading off for a bit of mild bike-packing.

Having the electrical assistance is a boon when you are fully laden with waterproof kit, a tarpaulin and a little grill for some impromptu winter barbecuing.

One thing to keep in mind is the potential lead times with Ribble product, as stock and availability can fluctuate drastically. I waited an absolute age for mine, although Ribble emailed and explained it was an issue “linked to media allocation rather than anything in the customer pipeline”.

“For anyone ordering through the website, bikes are currently being built and shipped within our usual turnaround times, depending on the model and spec,” a Ribble spokesperson said.

Still, it’s worth noting, as the downside of direct-to-consumer business is that there are only four showrooms in the UK to physically see the bike, test it out, try it on and then grab the salesperson’s details to berate when it doesn’t arrive on time.

Regardless, the bike was well worth the wait, not least because it is a good-looking, versatile gravel bike that can handle everything from the daily commute to all-day bike-packing adventures, but chiefly because it saved me from embarking on a six-week training plan just to get out cycling with my mates.

2025 has been a wild ride for the whole e-bike industry. We've seen new products from Brompton, Specialized, Engwe, Quella, and others, with every new release pushing the boundaries of what was previously available on an e-bike. As a result, we’re seeing more (and better) e-bikes on the roads than ever before.

It's not just been about ever-improving performance; e-bikes are now being stuffed with smart connectivity, creating intelligent rides. One of my most-loved features in 2025 was the proliferation and democratization of GPS anti-theft systems that we've previously seen on the likes of the Cowboy 4, that help protect our precious e-bikes from thieves.

All of this e-bike activity has got me thinking about the best e-bikes I reviewed in 2025, so I've shared my top picks below. You might not agree with my list, and that's fine! Use the comments section below to let us know what your favorites have been. And, if you’re looking to make an e-bike investment, check out our comprehensive guide to the best electric bikes.

1. Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon

The e-bike that I said was potentially "the greatest e-bike of all time" takes pride of place in my 2025 roundup. Having had the privilege of riding it around for the best part of a month, I can safely say that it provided the best performance and comfort of any e-bike I’ve ever used.

The heart of the Vado SL2 Carbon is a 320-watt motor that delivers outstanding power that makes riding on all types of flats and inclines an absolute breeze. It’s also breathtakingly smooth and pleasantly quiet, two things that are not guaranteed when it comes to e-bikes.

Every part of the frame and associated components is made from premium materials, which makes this an e-bike that is sure to last. That doesn’t mean it’s frustratingly heavy though. Thanks to a seriously lightweight carbon frame, I had no issues lifting it with just one hand.

Both of the e-bike’s weaknesses are related to its battery. The first is that it's not removable, which means you’ve got to have a means to charge it near to where you store it. The second is that the battery range tops out at around 56km. While that’s fine if you’re happy charging it every day or two, it's not great if you’re wanting to go out on a particularly long ride.

This is a premium e-bike with a high price tag. It won't be for everyone, but if money is no object and you don't need a foldable, the Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon would be my absolute top pick.

Read our full Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon review

2. ENGWE N1 Air

The N1 Air represented a significant departure for popular e-bike brand ENGWE. Not only did they jettison the bulky frame that they are known for, but there's also not a chunky tire in sight. As a result, we're left with a beautifully refined design that is perfect for commuters.

The e-bike is equipped with a 36V 10Ah high-capacity Samsung battery, which ENGWE claims delivers up to 100km. In testing, I found that a more accurate real-world range was nearer to 55km. This is almost identical to the Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon. Where the battery differs, in a good way, is that it's 100% removable. That means you can charge it wherever you want, which is a big win for convenience.

In terms of design and materials, the frame is made of carbon, which makes it one of the lightest e-bikes of this size. A comparable e-bike would be the Tenways CG600 Pro. I wasn't a massive fan of the low-performing disc brakes, but this is only a small area of compromise.

The N1 Air could be considered a budget-friendly alternative to the Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon. I used it as my commuter bike for several months and have very fond memories of my time with it.

Read our full ENGWE N1 Air review

3. Quella Imperial Electric Courier Bicycle

One of the highlights of my year was riding the Quella Imperial Electric Courier bike. Not only did it look absolutely fantastic, but it also served up one of the smoothest power deliveries I’ve ever felt on an electric bike.

The design is so clean and minimalist that most people would be forgiven for thinking it was just a traditional push bike. The bullhorn handlebars are also rarely seen on e-bikes, which makes for another stylish touch. The only downsides of the design are the rear hub, which limits the e-bike’s power, and the non-removable battery, which affects charging convenience like the Specialized.

The Quella Imperial Electric Courier contains a number of innovative features that set it apart from the competition. One of my favorite is the regenerative braking feature that charges the battery every time you brake. There’s also a Kinetic Energy Recovery System that recharges the battery as you pedal backward.

In my review I said, “If I were buying an e-bike right now, with no budget constraints, I would go for the Imperial every day of the week.” Now we've reached the end of 2025, I stand by that statement.

Read our full Quella Imperial Electric Courier Bicycle review

Specifications compared

• The Casio G-Shock GW-BX5600-1 gets an upgraded MIP display
• That makes the display much easier to read in bright sunlight, solving its legibility problem
• It’s the first 5000/5600-series G-Shock watch to use this screen tech

Casio’s G-Shock watch line has been a design icon ever since it first launched. Yet it’s had a long-running problem for almost as long: legibility. The relatively small screen and poor readability in bright conditions have made the watches’ displays tough to read, but a fresh update could change all that for the better.

With the introduction of the GW-BX5600-1, Casio has finally brought a memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen to its G-Shock watches, righting a long-overdue wrong and making your on-screen content far more readable in strong sunlight.

This replaces the old STN LCD screen used by past 5000/5600-series G-Shocks, and means that digits are brighter, crisper, and more visible when seen from an angle. That change alone could make the device a worthwhile pickup for fans of the classic wearable.

After all, it now makes the watch a lot more usable when you’re out and about. It always seemed strange that Casio’s G-Shocks were designed to withstand the bumps and scrapes of outdoor adventuring yet could be very hard to read when you were doing exactly that, especially so when you consider that rivals like Garmin have long used MIP tech.

Now, Casio has put things right with the MIP display, making the device even better for lovers of the great outdoors and bringing parity with some of the best rugged watches on the market.

Refining a classic

The GW-BX5600-1’s highlights aren’t just limited to the screen. You also get a solar-powered battery that lasts up to six months of regular usage (or 22 months in low power mode) on a single charge, plus shock resistance and water resistance to a depth of 200 meters. There’s Multiband 6 radio control to keep the time accurate, and you can manage the watch’s settings on your phone thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity.

Additional features include a double LED backlight, a 24-hour auto calendar, five daily alarms, a countdown timer, and world time display. You can also adjust the display layout using the companion app, with more customizability with regards to the information contrast and density, and you get a choice of two fonts to customize the look to your needs.

There are two designs available: the GW-BX5600-1, which has silver highlights for a lighter look, and the GW-BX5600-1A1, which uses a darker, more understated aesthetic. If you’re interested in either of these watches, you can preorder them on Casio’s website for ¥30,800 (about $200) or £159 GBP (US pricing isn’t yet available). Casio says the watches will be available “soon.”

If you want a halfway house between an old-school digital watch and one of the best Garmin watches, the GW-BW5600-1 will be tough to beat.

DeerRun classic: One minute review

Using one of the best under-desk treadmills, otherwise known as walking pads, have become the easiest way to sneak movement into a workday, and the DeerRun Q1 Classic leans into that promise with a low price, zero assembly model with a relatively compact footprint. It’s built for steady walking rather than running, with a responsive remote and a deck that feels stable and lightly cushioned.

It’s not whisper-quiet and the companion app is basic, but if your goal is to add a few thousand steps while you edit docs or watch a webinar, this compact slab of motivation makes a convincing case for itself.

DeerRun classic review: Specifications

DeerRun classic review: Price and availability

• $188 USD / £169 GBP / AU$413
• Very affordable
• Often on sale

DeerRun often discounts the Q1 Classic/Classic Pro family heavily; I’ve seen it listed at $188 in the US, with a stated 300 lb maximum user capacity and a 60-day risk-free trial plus one-year warranty. In the UK its Q1 Classic/Classic Pro walking pad is listed at £169 on DeerRun’s UK store and in Australia the same model is shown from AU$413 on DeerRun’s AU store.

Value is where the DeerRun Q1 Classic shines. For a sub-$200 walking pad with a decent-sized belt, a proper remote, and a one-year warranty, it’s outstanding value. There are slicker pads with folding frames, longer belts or quieter motors, but they typically cost a fair bit more. If your goal is to add 5–10k steps to your day while you work, you won’t find many better bargains right now.

• Value score: 5/5

DeerRun Q1 Classic review: Design

I’ve been using the DeerRun Q1 Classic in a spare-bedroom office with a big desk and a fairly wide gap underneath. I’m 5 foot 7 inches and weight around 60 kg, and the deck felt a comfortable size for steady walking while working. It ships in a single box and there’s no assembly – plug it in, pair the app, and you’re moving within minutes.

Getting the unit upstairs was the hardest part; it’s manageable but a bit hefty. First impressions were good: clean design, compact size, and a belt that feels well set up out of the box with no sticking or drift.

Day to day, it’s a smooth operator. The handheld remote is responsive, so nudging your pace up or down feels natural rather than jumpy. The deck has a hint of bounce without wobble, and even after longer sessions I didn’t notice excess heat or that telltale treadmill overclocking smell. Noise is where it falls short: it isn’t obnoxious, but I wouldn’t use it during calls. I could watch webinars, but I had to turn my volume up.

This is a walking pad first and foremost, rather than an at-work under-desk treadmill. With a top speed of 6.1 km/h, it’s designed for a brisk walk rather than a run. There’s no safety rail as standard, but you can buy one separately as an accessory, although if you’re just planning to walk on it, you shouldn’t need one.

Storage is straightforward. It doesn’t fold, and it’s a touch heavy to lug around, but I could tilt it against the wall behind a door, and its slim 4.5-inch profile barely ate into the room. If your sofa sits tall off the ground, you could slide it under; but mine is too low to fit the height of the pad.

The power cable is short, which may impact the layout of your workstation, and DeerRun charges extra for a longer lead – again, some cynics might feel nickel-and-dimed here. On a practical note for upstairs offices: running created enough vibration through my timber floorboards that items started migrating across my desk. The pad itself stayed composed; but as the minutes passed, more and more items started edging towards the edge of my desk before tumbling onto the floor. Shock absorption isn’t the best.

• Design score: 4/5

DeerRun Q1 Classic review: Features

Very basic. The PitPat app pairs quickly and offers simple programs but it’s not clear whether it can sync with apps like Strava. I couldn’t work out how to do this and found conflicting information online. Personally, I just used the remote to control the speed of the pad and promptly ignored the app after setup.

• Features score: 3/5

DeerRun Q1 Classic review: Performance

The build is pleasantly robust for the price. The deck feels stable, the belt runs true, and the top surface is grippy without being abrasive. You don’t get a fold-up rail or incline - this is a flat, under-desk pad - but there are transport wheels and it stands upright neatly.

Walking quality is the headline. The pad accelerates and decelerates smoothly, speed changes via the remote are measured rather than lurchy, and I didn’t experience belt stutter or drift once it bedded in. The deck has just enough give that longer stints don’t feel like you’re marching on plywood. On a solid ground-floor slab, it should be ideal; on suspended floorboards, plan for some transmitted vibration at higher cadences.

• Performance score: 4/5

DeerRun Q1 Classic: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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How I tested

Used daily under a desk in a first-floor spare room, including long work sessions and webinar viewing. Assessed ease of setup, noise, stability, belt tracking, top speed, app pairing and day-to-day storage.

• Peloton has revamped its portfolio, redesigning almost its entire range of connected fitness kit with a swiveling screen
• Bike+, Tread+ and Row+ now pack improved Sonos speakers 
• The 'Plus' range also offers a movement-tracking camera for real-time feedback

Peloton has revamped almost its entire range of connected fitness equipment, with what it's calling a new Cross Training Series consisting of the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Peloton Tread, Tread+ and Peloton Row+. As well as new speakers and a built-in Peloton Guide camera for the premium 'Plus' line of machines, all of the above are getting a swiveling screen, along with AI-powered personal recommendations and realtime feedback that the company hopes will supports members’ "total wellbeing".

Peloton knows that a growing number of its users are taking advantage of more than just spin and running classes, with a staggering two million members actively engaged in strength training programs as of Q4 last year.

However, only a select number of the more expensive Plus products traditionally featured a swiveling screen that made it easier for home gym enthusiasts to perform strength training movements as part of their Peloton workouts while still being able to view the instructor’s prompts.

Peloton CEO Peter Stern claims the company is "doubling the value" of its hardware by making a swiveling screen standard across the new Cross Training Series, which encompasses five products in the US and Canada, or just three in the UK.

Further updates to the products include improved front-facing speakers on the standard Bike, an upgraded seat and faster, more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity.

Bike+ takes things further with a larger 23.8-inch swivel screen and speakers developed by Sonos.

There’s also a fan to keep users cool and a new movement-tracking camera that can give real-time form correction, rep tracking, and weight suggestions thanks to the company’s new AI-enabled fitness coaching.

This builds on Peloton’s experimental Guide product, which was an early add-on camera that aimed to offer similar real-time feedback and AI-enabled coaching. Now, these smarts are built in to the Plus line.

Peloton has also harnessed the power of voice assistants with the ability to control key functionality with vocal prompts. "Ok Peloton" can confirm a selection, while commands like "make the instructor louder" can do just that.

As you would expect, Peloton prices have gradually been creeping up since a hike at the tail end of last year, with a standard Peloton Bike now costing $1,659 / £1,599 / AU$2,699, the more advanced Bike+ commanding $2,695 / £2,299 / AU$3,899, and Tread coming in at a whopping $3,295 / £3,499 / AU$4,999.

Peloton also offers the Tread+ which costs $6,695 and Row+ ($3,495) in North America and Canada, which hasn't been a runaway success for the brand.

The monthly price to access the full suite of on-demand workouts and training tools has also spiked across the board.

In the US and Canada, the monthly membership of Pelotonl, one of the best fitness apps, has been bumped up for the first time in three years, jumping by $5 to $49.99. Costs jump from £39 per month in the UK to £45 for the All-Access membership. App+ Membership also increases from £24 to £28.99 as of this month. In the AU, costs are also increasing, although we don't yet have those figures.

Meet your new virtual training partner

Peloton’s new IQ feature will come as standard for any paid up member, but it offers the most for those with the built-n movement-tracking camera, as here it can deliver real-time form feedback, rep counting and advice on weight and progressive overload.

What’s more, there AI-powered fitness coach will analyze previous workout history, class performance and vacuum up data from third-party wearables from Garmin Connect, Fitbit, and Apple Health to deliver tailored insights and workout recommendations.

Users then get a personalized training plan that can help them achieve preset goals, such as losing weight, getting stronger or living longer. The system is described as taking the guesswork out of long term fitness planning.

Performance Estimates and Personalized Recommendations will also suggest individual classes based on unique member data, or rank classes based on a projected output range, delivering insights such as “harder than your usual” before a session is selected, for example.

The AI-enabled system work in a similar way to recommendation algorithms found on Netflix or Spotify, where Peloton “learns” more about the user over time and can make educated suggestions based on a raft of parameters.

Peloton has also teamed up with HYROX to deliver a series of classes that support training for the popular and rapidly growing sport, while the recent purchase of Breathwrk adds new breathing exercises that can reduce stress, improve sleep and boost focus.

Members willing to swallow the price hike will notice these showing up in the app this month, while older Peloton products will also benefit from the new features via a software update.

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Urevo Spacewalk E4W: Specifications

Urevo Spacewalk E4W: One minute review

The Urevo SpaceWalk is an ideal home walking pad for people looking to get extra steps in during rainy days or for remote workers trying to bring an element of movement to their working day. It has a generously-sized tread belt with ample shock absorption, measuring 100cm x 38cm, which is similar to other market leaders.

The speed range is 0.5 to 6km per hour, which can be adjusted by either a remote control or by the Urevo app on your phone. The app itself contains a whole host of functionality, recording activity data, offering challenges to participate in and ‘World Tour’ videos to accompany your walks.

The walking pad is exceptionally quick to set up – very much a plug-and-play piece of apparatus with a reasonable 1.8m cable length which, given that the equipment is likely to be under a desk near a plug, will be suitable for most users. The walking pad has an LED display that shows the speed, distance, time, steps and calories, all that most users will need for walks. Estimating steps on the display is a useful inclusion and, I found, to be very accurate.

The walking pad weighs 18kg, making it quite a bit lighter than others I’ve tested, ideal for moving from room to room and up and down stairs, which I have done while switching between using it under my work desk and in front of the TV. The noise levels are very low considering its 2.25HP motor, and I had no complaints from my co-workers on Teams whilst I was using the device.

The main drawback of the device is its limited top speed, at only 6km per users are limited to not much more than a light jog – it’s sadly unsuitable for runners. It's at a slightly higher price point than the usual super-budget Amazon options, so users may want a device like the Mobvoi Home Treadmill SE that provides a dual purpose, but still a great buy.

Should I buy?

Buy if if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I tested the walking pad for two weeks, mostly walking on it for an hour every day. I typically used it at a pace of 3km per hour but jogged up to 6km per hour speed. I tried using it with and without shoes, but preferred wearing trainers because the surface got hot. I also tested both the remote control and the app-controlled functionality.

One of the most common questions searched for about e-bikes is “are electric bikes street legal?” It’s a genuine question and a very important one to answer.

No-one wants to be on the wrong side of the law, but answering this question isn’t as straightforward as it first appears. I’d love to be able to give a “yes” or “no” but the subject is too nuanced for that.

We’ll cover all the key issues and provide a clear breakdown for cyclists in the US, UK, and Australia. So if you live in any of these regions and you’re wondering whether you should invest in one of the best electric bikes, then we’d recommend reading on.

What do you need to consider?

To help with understanding the legal issues, it’s helpful to break the subject down into three key categories. That would be the e-bikes themselves, who is riding the bike, and where the bike is being used.

First of all, an e-bike is a vehicle that has pedals as well as an electric motor. Pedal-assisted e-bikes are generally the most accepted around the world, although throttle-assisted alternatives are permitted in some countries. All countries have restrictions on how powerful motors are allowed to be, as well as up to what speed motors can provide assistance.

Second, more often than not, countries will have age limits for riding e-bikes. However, tax and insurance requirements rarely apply to electric bikes.

Third, there are different rules for riding bikes on roads, cycle paths, freeways, or motorways. Each country has different laws. The US, UK, and Australia all allow e-bikes to be ridden on private land, assuming permission has been granted first.

What is the law in the US?

In the US, e-bikes are split into three classes with different rules applied to each one:

• Class 1: Pedal-assist only up to 20 mph
• Class 2: Throttle-assisted up to 20 mph
• Class 3: Pedal-assist up to 28 mph

E-bikes are defined and treated in US law as standard bikes, as long as they have fully operable pedals and a motor not exceeding 750 watts (1 horsepower). It’s worth stating explicitly that throttle-assisted e-bikes must be limited to 20mph.

Different states will have specific regulations on helmet requirements, age restrictions, and limitations on where e-bikes can be ridden. It’s always worth checking your specific state laws because of this.

There are also some restrictions on specific trails, national parks, and forests, but again, researching those specific locations will give you the information you need.

What is the law in the UK?

In the UK, e-bikes are legally considered standard bicycles if they meet the requirements of being Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs).

The requirements begin with the continuous power input, which must not exceed 250 watts. This is not to be confused with peak power, which might be higher than 250 watts but only helps assist a rider for short periods of time when they’re really struggling to get up to speed. Given that a lot of countries allow 750-watt motors, customers must be very careful when importing e-bikes from other locations around the world.

UK law also dictates that motor-powered assistance on EAPCs must cut out at speeds above 15.5mph / 25km/h. You’re allowed to travel at faster speeds, but only as a result of pedal power.

This leads us to consider the law around throttles. These aren’t allowed on UK e-bikes because they cease to be a pedal-assisted vehicle. Therefore, if you see a rider traveling faster than 15.5mph / 25km/h without pedaling, there’s a strong chance that they’ll be riding an illegal e-bike.

Moving on from the e-bike itself, riders of electric bikes must be at least 14 years of age. No license is required, and the e-bike doesn’t need to be registered, taxed, or insured. More powerful, unrestricted electric bikes can be used on private land, assuming you have the landowner’s permission.

What is the law in Australia?

In Australia, e-bikes are subject to the same road rules as regular bikes, but they must meet specific criteria around power output, maximum speed, and throttle assistance.

E-bikes must have a maximum power output of 250 watts, or 200 watts if they are throttle-assisted. Additionally, the motor is only allowed to assist the rider up to 15.5mph / 25kmh. Throttle assistance is permitted but can only assist up to 6kmh.

Some additional rules apply, including the requirement for a white light at the front and a red light at the rear. Both must be visible at 200 meters at night. A bell or other audible warning device is also required. Electric bike riders don’t need a driver's license, vehicle registration, or compulsory third-party insurance.

E-bikes are generally prohibited on freeways and highways, although it’s worth checking each state’s laws first. Riding more powerful e-bikes on private property is permitted, assuming the land owner’s permission is given first.

Riders must be at least 16 years old to ride throttle-controlled e-bikes, although there are generally no age restrictions for pedal-assisted e-bikes.

Do e-bike conversion kits have the same laws?

This is a fairly straightforward one to answer. In the US, UK, and Australia, bikes that have been converted into e-bikes have to adhere to the same laws. That means they must have limited power output, be speed restricted, and riders must adhere to all the laws that apply to those using standard bikes.

For more information, you can read our guide to whether you should buy an e-bike conversion kit.

Are e-bike laws likely to change?

There are no current plans to change e-bike laws in the US, UK, or Australia.

The UK has recently considered doubling the motor power to 500 watts and allowing full-throttle assistance, but the government has decided not to proceed with these changes. For now, the maximum motor output is limited to 250 watts, and throttles are still banned.

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The best electric bikes are fantastic at providing that extra boost up hills or on difficult terrain. They’re also ideal for people who are physically limited and therefore not able to ride a traditional bike. The problem is that even the best cheap e-bikes can be prohibitively expensive. There’s also the reality that you’re buying a whole new bike, even though there might be nothing wrong with your existing pushbike.

It is for these reasons that e-bike conversion kits exist. I tried an experimental electric bike converter kit earlier this year and was blown away by how easy it was to install and the performance that it delivered. They’re not for everyone, but they are a viable alternative for many.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the three main types of conversion kits as well as the benefits and drawbacks of opting for a converter instead of a full-on e-bike.

Types of conversion kit

E-bike conversion kits can be separated into three main types: front wheel, rear wheel, and mid-drive. The one that will suit you and your bike will depend on the type of bike you have, what type of handling you prefer, and how efficient an installation you want. Let’s look at each in turn.

Front wheel kit

These kits replace the front wheel of your bike with a motorized wheel. The motor is integrated directly into the wheel hub, with the battery being mounted onto the frame. This is the easiest of all three types to install, but front-wheel drive is not ideal for all terrain types, and the extra weight at the front of the bike can adversely affect handling.

Rear wheel kit

This type of kit is more often than not identical to the front wheel kit type, although it is the rear wheel that is replaced rather than the front. The battery will need to be mounted onto the frame. Having the motor at the back provides a more balanced weight distribution and results in better handling. There is also a rear-wheel-type conversion kit that connects directly to a custom-made disc brake. The motor and battery are contained within one unit, which means the rest of the bike is left untouched.

Mid-drive kit

The third type involves replacing the standard chainset with a motorized crankset, which then drives the bike's rear wheel. The motor is usually located within the crank and the battery mounted on the frame. Out of all three options, this one provides the best balance, although installation is more complex than the two above.

The benefits of an e-bike conversion kit

Cost effective

Maybe the most obvious is that they are generally more cost-effective. Many kits can be picked up for only a few hundred dollars or pounds, which undercuts even the cheapest of e-bikes. It’s worth noting that there are more expensive kits, such as the Skarper, which deliver superior performance and usability for the extra cash.

Sustainable

Conversion kits are also more sustainable, because you’re augmenting something you already own rather than buying a whole new machine. By converting that bike you love, you’re reducing your environmental impact and contributing to a circular economy.

Lightweight

E-bikes are often heavy and cumbersome. Having ridden a number of different models (and fallen underneath a couple), I can tell you that they leave their mark. Even the best folding ebikes can be heavy and difficult to transport around. Conversion kits add a minimal amount of weight to a bike and oftentimes help aid balance and handling.

Flexibility

With conversion kits you can choose whether you want to ride with assistance or not. E-bikes often have so much resistance, even when turned off, that they’re nigh-on impossible to ride without assistance. Most conversion kits can be ridden in a conventional manner.

Customization

There are, of course, a lot of different types of e-bikes to choose from, but conversion kits provide more choice when it comes to motor types, battery sizes, and placement. When you buy an e-bike, it can be difficult to know exactly how it’s going to handle or perform. This is much more predictable for conversion kits, as you know exactly where you’re adding weight.

The drawbacks of an e-bike conversion kit

Buying an e-bike conversion kit is not without its drawbacks. As a result, some might consider that they’re better off buying an electric bike or just keeping their standard push bike. Let’s take a look at some of the most common downsides to ebike conversion kits.

Not as powerful as most e-bikes

This is not universally the case, but conversion kits often lack the power common even in the cheapest of e-bikes. This isn’t to say that they don’t provide an additional level of assistance, but if you need serious power, then you’ll be better off buying a dedicated e-bike.

Compatibility

Another drawback is that it can take a lot of research before buying a conversion kit that will fit your bike. Even so-called universal kits aren’t guaranteed to work, and it can be very frustrating to buy a kit only to find that it isn’t compatible. Some kits require significant bike modification, which can also limit compatibility.

Can require expert installation

Anyone is theoretically able to install a conversion kit, but without adequate knowledge and experience, the process can lead to problems. I’ve seenreports of people damaging components of the kit, which has led to frustration and disappointment. Many would therefore recommend seeking a professional installer, although these are nowhere near as readily available as standard bike mechanics.

More complex maintenance

As well as installation concerns, e-bike conversion kits require expert maintenance. The addition of electrical components means that if anything goes wrong, it’s not as simple as taking the bike into a standard bike shop. If the kit is outside of its warranty, then you’ll need to find a specialist e-bike mechanic.

More easily stolen

E-bike conversion kits can be very difficult to protect them from determined thieves: you can lock up the frame, but you’re leaving the motor exposed. Single unit e-bikes, on the other hand, can be locked up using heavy-duty locks. Some e-bikes such as the Cowboy 4 also include tracking features and the ability to shut them down should they leave a ‘safe’ area. The Skarper conversion kit is easily detachable and can be taken with you once you leave your bike, but this isn’t common across all kits.

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Imagine being less constrained by the limits of your strength and endurance. Imagine hiking further, carrying more, moving faster. Hypershell X makes these dreams a reality.

This is not just an exoskeleton that can boost your strength, speed and stamina. It is specifically designed for the outdoors, so you can explore further with fewer restrictions and less effort. Importantly, it has been created with the everyday consumer in mind – and is delightfully affordable.

Representing a new category of consumer technology, Hypershell X can be used to enhance performance in sport, help you walk or run further by eliminating the barrier of fatigue, and make the impossible possible by making you stronger.

Adaptive, natural and powerful

There are currently three models of the Hypershell X exoskeleton to choose from; they all work in the same way, fit over clothing comfortably, and adapt to the way you move. Each model is lightweight (as little as 1.8kg) yet robust, so they can be used in all sorts of environments and conditions.

Forget the image of exoskeletons from the past, the Hypershell X Series is stylish and easy to wear. And these are not only powerful devices, they are also intelligent, offering a unique and personal experience.

The integrated system of accelerators, gyroscopes and other sensor feed data to the AI MotionEngine software, which in turn powers the motors in an adaptive and predictive way. The system adapts to the way you walk, run, and move, helping everything to feel smooth and natural. If you’ve ever ridden an ebike, you’ll be aware of how quickly the extra power of the motor beautifully supplements your own physical input. Using a Hypershell X exoskeleton takes this to a whole new level and opens up a world of possibilities.

Uses for this next-gen exoskeleton

Hypershell X is here to enhance your performance by making your stronger, helping you move for longer before you tire, and reducing the amount of effort you need to make. If you are trekking with a backpack, Hypershell X offsets the weight of your bag by up to 30kg. You can enjoy up to 40 percent more leg strength while using 30 percent less energy.

A walk in the mountain can become a run in the mountain, and you can look forward to reaching your destination more quickly and arriving less tired. Hypershell X can be worn and used when cycling for greater strength and stamina.

But Hypershell X lends itself to lots of other scenarios too. Hikers, campers, or photographers can walk further whilst carrying more, opening up the possibility of lengthier outings to places that you would not otherwise reach.

Battery and capabilities

Whichever Hypershell X model you opt for, you can enjoy impressive range. The Hypershell Go X (€999) can take you up to 15km, while the Hyperhsell Pro X (€1199) and Hypershell Carbon X (€1799) extend the range to 17.5km per charge. If this is not far enough, don’t worry – you can fully charge a flat battery in just 88 minutes, or get to 50 percent charge in 35 minutes. And, of course, there is the option of taking an extra battery with you. Weighing at just 400g, a spare battery (or two!) will not be a burden.

With a peak output of 800W (Pro X and Carbon X), you can enjoy speed assistance of up to 20km/h (12km/h for the Go X), so you can speedwalk to work or to the shops – and still have energy to carry the shopping home!

There are a range of activity modes to choose from, each changing the way the exoskeleton supports you in different types of movement. Down Stairs, Downhill, Uphill, Up Stairs, Race Walking and Walking are available on all models, with Mountain, Cycling Running and Gravel also available on the Hypershell Pro and Carbon X.

You can buy all of the Hypershell X models, as well as a range of accessories, directly from the company’s website.

So the rumors were true – DJI has revealed that it's officially getting into e-bikes by supplying what it calls a "ground-breaking e-bike drive system" for a new electric mountain bike brand called Amflow.

The maker of the world's best drones says that moving into e-bikes is a "natural move" because of the battery and motor tech in its drones and gimbals. DJI's powerful Avinox Drive System will debut in the new Amflow PL, an e-MTB (electric mountain bike) that will be available later this year.

So, what's special about this new Avinox system? It packs in tech typically found on drones and smartphones. For starters, the frame has a 2-inch color OLED touchscreen that delivers real-time riding data, the bike's estimated range (which is a max of 117km for the 600Wh version or 157km for the 800Wh model), plus setup options.

You can also connect to the bike via the Avinox app, which lets you set up an anti-theft mode and check its real-time location. Here, you can also tweak settings like power, torque, and cadence to suit your riding style. Naturally, the bike can give your phone some emergency juice, too.

But there is also some nifty software on board to help with the riding experience. DJI says its Smart-Assist Algorithm taps into various sensors to automatically adjust the amount of electric riding assistance it provides, based on your current riding resistance. 

There are four riding modes – Auto, Eco, Trail, and Turbo – plus a Boost mode for an emergency boost of power. Like a drone or smartphone, the two battery options (600Wh or 800Wh) have the latest fast-charging tech, which means the 800Wh battery can apparently be charged from flat to 75% in about 90 minutes.

The Amflow PL itself is also shaping up to be a fairly high-end electric mountain bike, although we don't yet have any idea of pricing. The carbon fibre bike weighs 19.2kg – that's impressive if not quite as light as the Specialized Levo SL Expert Carbon (our current top pick for the title of best e-MTB).

Still, the Amsive PL's power-to-size ratio is right up there with the best. It serves up 105Nm of torque with a peak power output of 850W, a pretty monstrous combo that will help riders carve up the toughest trails. The frame is also compatible with both 27.5-inch and 29-inch rear wheels.

Amflow and DJI say the three versions of the bike – the PL Carbon (800Wh), PL Carbon Pro (600Wh), and PL Carbon Pro (800Wh) – will be available by Q4 2024 from dealers in Germany, the UK, and Australia. 

DJI says the pricing will be somewhere between €7,000-€12,000 for all three models (which converts to around £6,000-£10,000 / AU$11,000-AU$19,000) although there's no news on US availability yet.

What's the deal with DJI and Amflow?

We asked DJI if it owns the new Amflow electric mountain bike brand – a spokesperson told us that Amflow is "incubated by DJI" and the team is "a combination of ex-DJI tech experts and bike industry experts joining together."

While DJI is helping Amflow get off the ground, the drone giant says that as it grows, the brand "will become increasingly more independent." DJI isn't new to supplying its tech to new startups – its drone tech is inside the Ryze Tello, one of the best beginner drones around, while the new Anzu Robotics brand also licenses DJI drone tech. 

This could become an increasingly common approach for DJI, as the Chinese brand faces the very real threat of a US ban – a move that DJI has branded "a dangerous precedent for allowing baseless allegations and xenophobic fears."

Still, that US bill is called the Countering CCP Drones Act, so it's unclear if it'd impact Amflow selling an electric mountain bike containing DJI tech in the US. The move into electric mountain bikes is a refreshing one considering DJI's woes with drones, and one that makes a lot of sense considering its impressive motor and battery tech.

DJI is no stranger to leaping into new tech spaces. It has dominated camera gimbals, launched the impressive DJI Mic 2, and taken on GoPro in the battle to make the best action cameras. The combination of its new Avinox system with Amflow's debut bike looks exciting for riders and is one we'll be very keen to take for a spin when it lands later this year.

Update July 3: This story was updated to include the estimated range and pricing for the Amflow PL.

• DJI Mavic 4: what we want to see
• DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro leak suggests GoPro-beating action cam is en route
• Forget drones, DJI could soon hit the trails with a shock move into e-bikes

Well, we didn't see that one coming. The world's biggest drone maker, DJI, may be facing a US ban, but it's certainly not feeling sorry for itself – instead, a new official teaser and leaks suggest it's about to make a surprise move into challenging to the best e-bikes.

A new DJI teaser called 'Power Your Ride' has just landed on its official Instagram page, revealing that an official launch will take place on July 3 at 9am CEST (which is 12am PT / 8am BST / 5pm AEST). The promo also introduces a new brand called Amflow Bikes.

The teaser suggests DJI will be supplying the e-bike's powertrain with an electric unit called Avinox, and some leaks elsewhere have filled in some of the blanks. A thread from regular DJI leaker @Quadro_News has revealed what appear to be marketing slides for the e-bike, suggesting it'll be a high-end e-MTB (electric mountain bike) designed for tackling steep slopes and downhill trails.

An additional post showing a DJI Avinox charger topping up the bike's battery states that the e-bike is "not just a means of transportation, but a high-tech tool for exploring and conquering mountain peaks."

In a separate leak on X (formerly Twitter), @OsitaLV has posted some rumored specs for the DJI-powered e-bike. These suggest that the motor could be very powerful indeed, being a 250W unit capable of 105Nm of torque and providing a boost of up to 20mph / 25 km/h. 

That would make it a higher-end option than our current pick for the title of best electric mountain bike, the Specialized Levo SL Expert Carbon eMTB. But we fortunately won't have to wait long to hear all of the official specs and details about this fascinating move from DJI.

DJI spreads its wings?

It's unclear whether DJI has had long-term plans to push into e-bikes, or if this is a response to the US bill that threatens to ground its drones in the US. Either way, it's an interesting move – and an exciting one for e-bike fans considering the tech DJI could bring to the party.

The DJI Avinox part of the equation appears to be the e-bike's whole powertrain rather than simply an electric motor, which means it includes the battery and potentially some software integration. The timing of the launch coincides with the Eurobike 2024 show in Frankfurt, Germany where the Amflow brand will be present.

The Amflow profile page on the Eurobike exihibitor list says it will offer "the next-gen e-MTB experience for all" that will "integrate one of the smartest and most powerful e-Drive systems on the market". The e-bike will also apparently combine "peak power with lightweight materials, high-end technology with focus on the essential, natural riding feel with seamless connectivity".

With this kind of DJI-powered tech on board and those leaked powertrain specs, it likely won't be a cheap e-MTB. But the hope for many will be that the tech on show in this high-end flagship model could filter down into more affordable, and more approachable, e-bikes. Even if we don't ultimately get a flying e-bike to help us live out our E.T dreams.

You might also like...

• DJI Mavic 4: what we want to see
• DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro leak suggests GoPro-beating action cam is en route
• DJI Air 3S leaks take flight as the drone king braces for looming US ban

Swytch Technology has revealed its latest DIY eBike kit that is compatible with most pedal bicycles on sale today and offers up to 60 miles of electric assistance at speeds of up to 15mph in most markets.

The idea is that anyone can benefit from the extra shove provided by an electric motor, with the latest Swytch GO kit containing a new frame-mounted 187Wh to 378Wh capacity battery pack, a box-fresh front wheel with a built-in 250W motor, clip-on pedal sensor and an optional LED display that can easily be mounted to your handlebars.

Most folk proficient with a little bicycle maintenance should be able to handle the simple install, while this latest bundle is aimed at getting the masses out on two wheels, with a budget-friendly pre-order price of just $349 / £299 (around AU$525 in Australia). If you don’t want to join the pre-order queue, the kit costs $799 / £599 (around AU$1,200) to purchase immediately.

Alternatively, Swytch is also offering a monthly payment package that is pegged at £28 per month for UK customers. Currently, there is no word on whether the subscription option will be available to other markets. 

What’s more, buyers get the choice of three battery sizes, which increase in output and price as you walk up the range. GO, GO+, and GO++ offer between 15 to 60 miles of electric assistance, depending on riding style and terrain.

Red Dot Design Award winner Swytch has worked hard to decrease the size of its GO battery packs, which used to attach to your handlebars and looked a bit cumbersome dangling out front, especially on sleek hybrid or urban commuter machines.

Now, the IPX6 waterproof-rated battery pack neatly straps to the top tube and seat tube on most bicycles, keeping neatly out of the way by sitting flush within the frame. 

According to the company, it has already sold 85,000 kits worldwide, but hopes that this lighter, cheaper and more versatile package will encourage more pedal bike users to make the switch to electric.

Analysis: motors for the masses

Considering most of the best ebikes cost at least $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500), the new Swytch GO kit is one of the most affordable ways to transform any old bike into something that assists on the daily commute.

Despite the work carried out in redesigning the overall package, some will still find it a little clunky, with the need to remove and store the battery pack when parked up in order to prevent thieves from running off with your power source.

But the company has successfully managed to simplify the install process, improve the performance of its batteries and motors, as well as bring the cost of its overall package down considerably.

What’s more, transforming your existing pushbike into an eBike also means there’s no need to buy new, saving the customer money and reducing the amount of natural resource-sapping product that factories around the world are busy pumping out. 

If this breaks down the fitness barriers associated with pedal bike, gets more people out on two wheels and reduces journeys made by car, that can only be a good thing.

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• Honda's first eMTB has a portable charging station for more fun on the trails
• The best cheap e-bikes for 2024: Cost-effective folding, road bikes, and eMTBs

Bob & Brad D6 Pro: One-minute review

Massage guns are growing in popularity, and Bob & Brad are one of the brands leading that charge. We loved the smaller Q2 Mini last year, awarding it five stars in our review.

Our only complaint is that it needed a bit more power. If you were looking for something that packs more of a literal punch, then the D6 Pro is its bigger brother, and boy does it deliver on this promise, while building on everything that made the Q2 Mini so good.

It’s much less portable than the Q2 Mini, but still comes with a carry case for easy transportation, with a bunch of attachments for various muscle groups. The massage gun is outstanding in every way: it's simple to set up, easy to use, and can really hit the spot, delivering percussive relief from exercise-induced soreness anywhere on the body with its flexible grip and rotation.

There’s a definite learning curve, both with the relatively basic on-device button layout and the pretty thick instruction manual, but I’ve been using it for a few weeks as a post-gym treat and it’s helped me work on an injury, improving ROM and reducing soreness. A terrific device.

Bob and Brad D6 Pro: Specifications

Bob & Brad D6 Pro: Price and availability

•  Available now 
•  Priced at $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$380 

The D6 Pro arrived back in 2022 and retails for $249.99 or £249.99, which equates to around AU$380 in Australia. It’s available pretty much anywhere in the US and Ul, including Amazon, but Austrailian outlets are scarce.  

At some retailers, we’ve seen discounts down to around $180 / £170, so there's scope to score a deal during sales events such as Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. 

This is remarkably cheap for a five-star gun of this caliber. Therabody, the biggest name in percussive message, tends to price higher than Bob & Brad, but both this device and the compact Q2 Mini earned their five stars by offering comparable performance and outstanding value for money. 

• Value score: 5 / 5

Bob & Brad D6 Pro: Design

•  Pretty large for small hands 
•  Minimal buttons 
•  Multiple attachments 

The Bob & Brad D6 Pro is portable, in that it comes with a carry case, but it’s still much larger than the Q2 Mini. That does mean it has much more power (more on that shortly), but if you’re using it on yourself, you may struggle. Especially if you have smaller hands: it's clearly built for men, and some women may struggle to hold onto it and hit their shoulders or back. 

I’m blessed with pretty large paws and even then it can be a little unwieldy. However, it's a small gripe: the massage gun is remarkably well put together with a matte finish that makes it easier to grip. However, if you are worried about this sort of thing, the Q2 Mini is the perfect solution. 

It’s also very easy to switch the attachment heads out. Just pull and they come out, and you can push another right in, sharing the same push-lock mechanism as other Bob & Brad guns. The carry case has enough room for the D6 Pro and all of the heads, so it's easy to transport and sling into the back of a car when needed. 

On the upper grip of the gun, there are two buttons and a small display. One button increases the speed and powers it on, while the other can lower the speed and switch to a different mode setting. It’s nice and simple, but when it springs to life it can take a second to get it in position afterward. 

I think I’d have liked a dedicated power button to get myself ready before switching it on, but such gripes are small potatoes compared to the efficiency of the gun.

It’s also got a button that allows the neck to be stretched out so it’s more linear, making it ideal for self-massage in harder-to-reach spots.

The D6 Pro charges via USB-C and there’s a cable and power adapter included in the box. Thank god it's USB-C, as close a thing to a universal charger as we have these days. No specailist cable means it's easy to find a way to charge it when you need it. 

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Bob & Brad D6 Pro: Performance

•  Long battery life 
•  Attachments can offer completely different massages 
•  Packs a punch 

I’ve had a few sports massages in my life and used massage guns before, but none have hit as hard as the D6 Pro. It offers plenty of force (over double the Q2 Mini’s output) at such a pace that it regularly and reliably hits the spot after a gym session.

While I’ve been using it post-squats to massage my quadriceps and glutes, I was most impressed with it on my upper arms. I’ve been carrying an injury on my left deltoid, and in lieu of booking a massage appointment, I’d just been living with it. It flares up with shoulder press exercises, but for the most part, I’d been trying to ignore it.

I set the D6 Pro to tackle it and, despite it being in a pretty awkward position to self-massage, was impressed with the results. It’s still an issue, but it gets better after each session with the massage gun. I’m not saying the D6 Pro can cure whatever it is that ails you, but for my specific use case, I found it very useful indeed. 

It doesn’t hurt (well it does, but in a good way) that the heads themselves are softer than some alternatives.

I did find the instruction manual pretty dense with detail. That’s no bad thing, and there’s a lot of information in there, but I think I’d have preferred a companion app to triage a muscle issue and recommend the attachment for the job rather than thumbing through each time. Still, it’s a small nitpick.

• Performance score: 5 / 5 

Bob & Brad D6 Pro: Scorecard

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

During the melee of last month's Japan Mobility Show, where some of the biggest automotive names unleashed a barrage of new vehicles, it was very easy to miss some of the smaller, less shouty gems that nestled in amongst some of those eye-popping concepts.

One such find is Honda's first attempt at an electric mountain bike - or e-MTB concept, as Honda calls it. According to the brand it "combines the fun of motorcycles and the fun of a mountain bike", which is fairly obvious but exciting all the same.

The solid facts remain fairly scarce, despite us reaching out to our friends at Honda Europe for more information. But we do know the frame and swingarm have been built using thin-wall aluminum casting technology, which is typically the reserve of some of Honda’s high-performance motorcycles.

Anyone who knows their bikes can spot the off-the-shelf components the Japanese marque has turned to in order to finish the project, including a SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrain and Shimano disc brakes, as well as front and rear suspension from Fox and a dropper seat post.

Despite a lack of info in the battery and motor set-up, it looks like a reasonably potent off-road machine, if not quite as bombproof as some of the more downhill-orientated eMTBs that are currently on sale. But the thing that caught our eye was the portable charging pack that was plugged into the bike at the JMS 2023 show.

Looking a bit like wheelie suitcase crossed with Wall-E, the portable power bank features wheels for easy maneuvering and a built-in tray of tools at the top for impromptu mechanical tweaks on the trail.

Portable power for extended fun

Portable power is a canny move from Honda, and not something we’ve seen replicated so far by existing eMTB manufacturers. 

Granted, riders could either bring a spare battery, purchase a range-extender or rig up their own system by investing in an existing portable power station and topping up the eBike’s batteries that way. 

But it's cool that Honda has created its own unique ecosystem. Plus, a power bank of that stature should be able to store enough juice inside to charge multiple eBikes, multiple times. 

That said, the portable power station could be on show purely because Honda doesn't currently offer an electric vehicle with bi-directional or vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. If it did, users could charge their eBikes directly from the EV’s batteries and leave the big wheelie suitcase thing at home.

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• The best electric bikes for 2023: These e-bikes are perfect for sport and commutes
• Specialized Levo SL Expert Carbon eMTB
• Gran Turismo fans rejoice! Honda resurrects the real Prelude as a concept EV

Curved treadmills are really interesting pieces of fitness kit for a whole host of reasons. At a basic level, everyone knows what a treadmill is: a machine with a moving belt that allows you to walk and run while at home or in the gym, tailoring your workouts to your specific needs. 

However, a new kind of treadmill is becoming popular. Curved treadmills, such as the Woodway Curve models, have advantages even the best treadmills don’t: they’re self-perpetuating, require much less electricity, and, according to some studies, are associated with higher 'cardiometabolic demands' than regular treadmills, which means you're working harder than you would on a motorized tread.

However, conventional treadmills also have unique advantages, such as enabling you to adjust the speed and power manually. This allows you to zero in on certain aspects of your training (such as incline hill sprints to improve your Garmin Epix Pro’s hill score, for example) and take part in streaming classes such as those from Peloton. 

So what’s the real difference between conventional treadmills and curved treadmills? Below we'll explain how curved treadmills are designed, how much they cost compared to a regular treadmill, and the benefits – and drawbacks – of both training methods. So lace up your best running shoes and read on.

 Curved treadmills vs motorized treadmills: Design 

Most treadmills, including the best under-desk treadmills, are motorized belt machines with a variety of speed settings, and gradient settings to simulate an incline, often ranging from 0.5% to around 15%. Many of them are Bluetooth-enabled, with built-in media centers or tablet stands, allowing you to stream follow-along workouts using kit such as the Peloton Tread, or just watch one of the best streaming services while you jog.

Curved, non-motorized, treadmills are a bit different. They don’t use an internal motor to get going: instead, you place one foot at the top of the curve and start walking or running. The belt, which usually sits on top of internal flywheels or ball bearings, slides backward with a speed and force based on your stride.

The user-propelled action of the belt is a self-regulating, self-perpetuating mechanical system: the faster you run, the faster the belt goes. This is why it takes more effort to get a non-motorized curved treadmill going, and it’s harder to maintain a steady speed without the set guidance of the motorized treadmill. However, sometimes a harder workout is exactly what you need. 

Curved treadmills vs motorized treadmills: Price

Motorized treadmills vary wildly in price, from cheap under-desk treadmills and folding treadmills that costs just a few hundred dollars or pounds to seriously expensive engineered pieces of static kit, like the aforementioned Peloton Tread, and gym-quality gear from Technogym and NordicTrack. There’s a huge variety of treadmills out there, so you’re likely to find one to suit your needs.

Curved treadmills are usually more expensive. They don’t use cheap-to-manufacture parts like budget motors, which are very common. Name-brand treadmills such as the Woodway Curve or NOHRD Sprintbok can run you more than even some of the most expensive conventional treadmills. It's important to note that these don’t fold up, so if space as well as money is an issue, you’re much better off with a cheaper motorized folding treadmill. 

One point in favor of curved treadmills is that they're not very expensive to run, as they require no power other than any data collection it may use via an in-built console or media center. So while it’s a more expensive initial purchase, with no constant power drain keeping the motor operating, they're more economical to use long-term.  

Curved treadmills vs motorized treadmills: Benefits

Curved treadmills have a whole host of benefits that early research into these models has identified. One research paper found that non-motorized treadmills are associated with higher cardiometabolic demands than motorized treadmills. In short, people tend to work harder on a curved treadmill because they have to keep it moving using their own power. 

Woodway curve treadmills have also been used in studies involving athletes pacing themselves, rather than using a motorized tread to set a pace and running to that. If you fancy really testing yourself, they're also great for testing how well you can perform, as you can really go all-out without being limited by having to adjust the settings of your equipment. Running on a curve and having to push the treadmill down with your foot also works your glutes, and ensures that your legs become used to generating power. 

On the other hand, the advantage of conventional treadmills lie in all those granular settings. Training for a course with lots of hills? Tweak the incline to the desired settings. Your Peloton instructor wants you to turn the speed of your treadmill up to a certain setting? You can do that. Need to train at your desired 'race pace'? Simply set the treadmill to the right pace, and get your body used to moving at the speed it needs to go on the big day. 

The settings offer an advantage of being able to tailor your workouts based on your training needs. In addition, many treadmills are able to fold away and slide into a cupboard or under a bed for easy storage, or can fit under one of the best standing desks so you can walk while you work. Those chunky curved treadmills are more or less fixed in the shape they arrive in, and confer no such benefits. 

Curved treadmills vs motorized treadmills: Conclusion

Choosing the right treadmill for you depends on how you like to train. Love to test yourself, generate power and speed, and train in an eco-friendly fashion? Spring the extra cash for a curved treadmill, if you can afford to. 

Want something cheaper, tailored to a specific speed, ideal for streaming fitness classes, or that can fold up for easier storage? Opt for a conventional motorized treadmill. 

Virtual cycling program Zwift is further gamifying its fitness platform by launching its first dedicated controller called the Zwift Play.

It functions similarly to the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Cons. The Zwift Play is comprised of two separate pieces each with its own set of buttons. The left half comes with a direction pad for navigating on-screen menus and for making select turns inside the company’s virtual world. On the right half are the face buttons for selecting menu options or activating certain in-game abilities like teleporting “to Pace Groups,” among other things. At the back of both halves are a couple of paddles. Pushing them in brakes your on-screen bike while pulling them helps you steer.

Features

As for other important details, the Zwift Play “requires two Bluetooth connections”, one for each half. Battery life for both pieces is a claimed 20 hours of ride time. The overall package does come with a split-end USB cable so you can charge the two at the same time without any issue. The controller can connect to any exercise bike via silicone straps. However, the machine must sport drop handlebars and not have any sort of unique configurations. As an example, the company states the Zwift Play doesn’t work on the Garmin Tacx Neo bike since it won’t “allow proper placement due to shifter shape.”

Alongside the controller, the company also launched its new Beta Zwift Play Game Experience, a virtual environment where users can test drive the device’s functionality. It features a cycling course where people can try out the rear braking paddles and the ability shortcuts on the face buttons. 

Availability

For a limited time, you can purchase the Zwift Play controller from the company's website for $99/£99/€99. This lower price tag will stick around until the Zwift Play Game Experience leaves beta. Once it does, the price tag will go up to $149/£149/€149 moving forward.

We asked Zwift when the virtual world will officially launch. A representative told us they don’t have a confirmed date yet for the release. In the meantime, the company will focus on improving exercise modes and taking user feedback on how to improve the experience.

We also asked the representative if there are plans to roll out the Zwift Play to other global regions – namely Australia. They told us the company is looking into it, but currently doesn’t have plans to expand outside the US, UK, and EU.

• TechRadar's list of the best fitness trackers for 2023

Saucony Guide 16: One minute review

As a runner, stability in a trainer is very important, especially if you tend to overpronate, or roll your foot too far inward when it lands. This is what the Saucony Guides have always been known for, helping to "steer your stride" with a guidance frame. If it works, it's certainly going to be one of the best running shoes for overpronators. 

I’ve never tried any of its previous versions, but the Guide 16 trainers provide stability for not just those who overpronate, such as me, but any runner who wants to feel secure as they complete their miles.

It's also very rare that running trainers are comfortable from the get-go, usually needing a few miles to "break in" so to speak, but I can authoritatively say that the Saucony Guide 16 are just that. As soon as I laced up the trainers they felt like slippers, molding into my feet as soon as I took my first steps. 

This design benefits from upgraded PWRRUN+ technology, a gilley design around the laces that helps then wrap into the shoe further around the upper, and lightweight support on the heel and ankle. Performance is exceptional as its PWRRUN+ insoles and midsoles cradled my feet and helped with comfort and stabilization as I ran. 

The trainers aren't waterproof or as bouncy as some of the other trainers on the market, so aren't going to be suited for trail fans or speed junkies, but their comfort is second to none, and they are now a firm favorite for short runs. 

Saucony Guide 16: Specifications

Saucony Guide 16: Price and availability

• $160 in the US
• £130 in the UK
• AU$219.99 in Australia

Launched in February this year, the Saucony Guide 16 are priced at $160 / £130 / AU$219.99. The shoes are available direct from the Saucony website and from other third-party sites such as Wiggle, Decathlon and Amazon. 

This is about the right sort of price point, at the same mark or slightly cheaper than other running shoes designed for stability and to course-correct your stride, such as the ASICS Gel-Kayano 29. We're satisfied this price is about what you'd expect, and not out of line with the rest of its competitors.

Value score: 4/5

Saucony Guide 16: Design

• PWRRUN+ insole contours the foot
• The unique gilley system gives a secure fit
• Upper mesh is breathable but could be more waterproof

Well-designed with high-tech foam to help with stability it’s a good-looking shoe, as well as designed with comfort in mind. Available in a variety of different colors from the "soot/sprig" red-and-green number to our more somber black testing pair, the sneakers' performance upper mesh gives them some edge, design-wise, and has a thicker material than its predecessor. 

However, the mesh still allows for enough breathability when running. There's next to no waterproofing, which is a shame and precludes them from any trails other than light, hard park paths, but a lack of waterproofing isn't uncommon in these sorts of road shoes. 

The design really benefits from Saucony's unique gilley system, a criss-cross lace-organization design on the midfoot that loops the laces further back on the upper than normal, and gives your foot more support. However, we sometimes found this design slightly too tight. 

With a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, the trainer's lightweight heel and ankle padding meant no rubbing as I ran, and its deeper footbed added to the comfort of the trainers and gave them a very personalized feel. A little like memory foam.

Its XT-900 outsole, made from carbon rubber, gives the shoe durability, as I took them through a series of short and longer runs, while its upgraded PWRRUN+ insole adds to the comfort, contouring my feet well.

Design score: 4.5/5

Saucony Guide 16: Performance

• PWRRUN+ technology helped cradle and cushion my feet
• Great for runners with overpronation 
• Lightweight but not as bouncy as some other running trainers 

Comfortable from the moment I laced up, I was impressed with just how easily my feet molded into these trainers. I wore the shoes on multiple training runs for an upcoming 10k run - which involved 5-8k runs and some interval training runs. New trainers normally rub on the sides of my feet and sometimes give me blisters as I wear them in, but not these trainers, which could be down to their new PWRRUN+ insoles, which seemed to cradle my feet and keep them stable as I ran.

Unlike other trainers, like New Balances’ latest SC Elite v3 and Brook’s Adrenaline range I didn’t get as much energy return as I ran. The trainers also benefit from PWRRUN+ technology in their midsoles which gave me a firm and cushioned stride, but not as bouncy as I would have preferred. However, they still felt supportive, as my foot rolled from heel to toe, which is probably down to the shoe's HALLOW TECH support frame. 

This frame support also provides more stability for anyone that overpronates when they run, like me. Overpronation is when the arch of your foot collapses inwards as you run, meaning this part of your sole will have more wear and tear. Although I still overpronated in these trainers they felt far more supportive - hugging my feet as I ran. 

Lightweight, they didn’t add a considerable amount of weight to my feet, however, their upper mesh material didn't keep my feet dry. I wore the trainers in multiple weather conditions and although they didn’t keep my feet dry in wet weather, their XT-900 outsole did provide great grip. 

Performance score: 5/5

Saucony Guide 16: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You overpronate when you run 

They feel incredibly supportive for any runner who overpronates due to their insoles and updated foam technology. 

You run mid distances

This is an everyday show for 5k and 10k runners - allowing for comfort and stability.

If comfort is key to you

Lets be honest, most trainers take a few runs to break in - but these were comfortable from the moment I stepped into them. 

Don't buy it if...

You need waterproof trainers 

Running in all weather conditions? My feet were soaked through when I went out on a particularly rainy run

You want a bigger energy return

Although stable and comfortable, these running shoes aren't as bouncy as some of the other models on the market

You prefer more movement in the midfoot

Although their unique gilley system looks great they made our midfoot feel suffocated at times.

Saucony Guide 16: Also consider

First reviewed: May 2023

Engo 2: One minute review

My calves are aching, and sweat is running down my back and soaking my shorts. I can feel my pulse in my neck: I’m not going a mile a minute, but my heart sure is. Or am I? I flick my eyes to the display in the corner of my mirrored sunglasses to check my splits and heart rate. It ain’t great, but I’m on pace still. For now, anyway.

The display is the important part of the Engo 2 augmented reality glasses, which resemble Arnie’s shades from the Terminator flicks but house a secret. Tucked in around the nose piece is a monochrome OLED display that beams stats from your bike computer or smartwatch directly onto the lens in front of your eyes. 

It’s like the head-up display fighter pilots use, and it’s made by one of the top suppliers. I’m wearing tech designed for F-15 pilots. I am invincible. 

Other augmented reality glasses – like the Nreal Air or Virture One, or even the prototypes we’ve seen from Xiaomi and TCL and Lumus – aim to be platforms that do it all, offering directions, integration with your virtual assistant, the vast database of the Internet at your fingers. They also threaten location-based advertisements (“McDonald’s is just ¼ mile away. How about half price McNuggets?”), which feels as intrusive as it is inevitable. The Engo does one thing and one thing alone: Real time data for endurance athletes.

“We’re not here to facilitate a new advertising context,” Mark Prince, GM and Chief Commercial Officer for the company told me. “We’re here to make people faster, better, smarter.”

It’s a glimpse of the future, the first AR solution that connects directly to the Apple Watch. It also retails for $329.95 – a fair bit of money for sunglasses. Does Engo 2 deliver on that promise? Can it make me a better runner?

Engo 2: Price and availability

Currently, the Engo 2 is available to purchase directly from the Engo website in the US and Europe. Engo 2 is available for in the US for $329.95, and in mainland Europe for €329.00 euros. Although the Europe store ships to the UK, the glasses are not currently available in Australia. 

Engo 2: What's in the box

• Two carrying cases
• One charger
• No manual

The Engo 2 glasses come with a fairly comprehensive collection of components. There’s the glasses, of course, as well as a cloth travel sleeve and a rigid case. The rigid case is quite well designed, with cut outs for the glasses and a spot to store your cords. There’s a microfiber cloth, cleaning brushes to get the gunk around the display components, and a somewhat janky power cord -- more on that later. There’s also a safety manual for some reason, but no user guide.

This absence became a real sore spot for me. A manual handily details the features and functions of a product, walks you through setup, and so on. Somehow, Engo hasn’t made one. There are detailed YouTube videos for Android and iOS set up, and help pages online. These are not a manual.

• Score: 3/5

Engo 2: Design and display

• Comparable to ordinary sport glasses
• Hardware neatly concealed
• Power button is an afterthought

From the front, the Engo 2 glasses look more or less like ordinary sports sunglasses, with a mirrored, wrap-around sun visor and black or white plastic temples (I had black). The glasses themselves are state of the art polycarbonate. Turn them around to put them on and you’ll see the magic: Tucked in around the nose bridge is a tiny micro-OLED projector, mirror system, and batteries to power them.

Put the glasses on and you will notice this hardware, but not really by much. Just place your index fingers on either side of your nose and you’ll see that they mostly vanish; the Engo’s hardware works in the same way. Yes, it’s there, but it’s not as intrusive as you might think. Within a day I had forgotten it completely.

The glasses weigh 36 or 41 grams, depending on whether you’ve got the large, full coverage lenses or the slightly smaller streamlined model. (I’ve been testing the large model.) That’s about as much as a standard pair of Oakleys, Prince told me. They feel a bit heavier to me, but not much. But the weight is definitely off center, meaning the glasses will slip down your nose and off your face if you aren’t careful. To offset that, the company includes a bungee cord that slips snugly over the temples and cinches behind your head. It’s a perfect solution.

A bit of background on the display: The Engo 2 glasses come from MicroOLED, which is the largest manufacturer of micro OLED displays outside of Asia, and the second largest globally in certain markets, notably military supply. The company’s displays are in use in most western military organizations today, in things like head-up displays, night vision, scopes, and so on, Prince said.

“It’s kind of a Meow Mix thing. The cats ask for it by name,” he told me. Engo is a wholly owned consumer subsidiary, designed to promote and use these screens in other ways. And they should! Micro OLED screens consume radically less power than micro LED displays, yet most of the big tech initiatives that you read about tend to use micro LED. The power consumption is the reason other advanced eyewear is bulky or has an external battery pack.

At CES 2023, several companies touted AR glasses that use waveguides, wherein a tiny LED beams light through several sets of mirrors embedded in the lens that expand it to fill your field of view. So mirrors, but really, really smart mirrors. “There are two approaches to waveguides,” Dave Goldman, VP of marketing for Israeli-based Lumus, told me. “One is called diffractive, and that’s the other guys. And I mean everybody else.” Everybody else includes the Vuzix Ultralite, Nreal Air, and Virture One. The Lumus Z-Lens prototype uses reflective waveguides, which are much more power efficient.

But they’re all power hogs compared with Micro OLED, a proven tech that exists today. Again, it’s what the military guys use. Sure, LED is brighter, but Micro OLED is bright enough, Prince says. The monochrome display in the Engo 2 glasses was perfectly visible even in bright sunlight, and the glasses don’t require any sort of external power supply. Battery life: 12 hours, Prince says. I’m sold.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Engo 2: Features and setup

• Apple Watch works beautifully
• ActiveLook software needs work
• Not enough support material

Today’s athletes mostly use Apple Watch or Garmin devices, although there’s no shortage of people with Suuntos, Fitbits, and so on. Depending on whether you’re Team Apple or Team Android, you’ll find Engo to be either super simple to set up or maddening as all get out. I set up my Engo 2 glasses with both, and lived to tell the tale. 

In both cases, start by downloading the ActiveLook app. ActiveLook comes from MicroOLED as well, but it’s a third, separate company from the same folks with an API and an SDK and customers of its own. ActiveLook is essentially the bridge between the smart glasses and your sensors, and Prince says the company thinks it could be a platform to itself. 

Using ActiveLook with an Apple Watch is a snap: download, pair, and you’re off to the races. Using it with a Garmin watch is like trying to drink scalding hot coffee on a roller coaster. You can see what’s going on, but dear god, why is it happening? The problem lies in how Garmin surfaces information from devices like the Forerunner 945 I rely upon. Info from the smartwatch is broken down into data fields, which the Engo 2 displays on screens.

By default, the ActiveLook app and Engo 2 come configured with three sets of data fields; one set of defaults, a set for running, and a set for cycling. A carefully concealed page on the ActiveLook.net site reveals how to configure the dashboards. Buried deep within the ActiveLook app is a configuration page that lets you adjust the datafields being passed to the screen, by looking up codes on that webpage. The codes are listed not in numerical order but by type of data (power, heart rate, speed and pace, and so on).  

Any sane human being would long since have thrown a hammer through a plate glass window. Seriously, I’ve reviewed motherboards that have clearer explanations of jumper settings. I’d have liked to see more information than that supplied by Garmin or Apple, beyond pace, time out, and distance. But navigation is only possible with Suunto.

• Features score: 2/5

Engo 2: Performance and ease of use

• Easy to start and connect
• Gesture controls are so-so
• Display is very legible

Press the power button right before your run and the Engo 2 glasses connect instantly, every single time. And once I started running with the Engo 2 glasses, I found the information to be super handy. There’s a dirty secret to smartwatches: Every time you raise your wrist to check your pace or heart rate, you break your stride, slowing you down, throwing off your cadence, and so on. With data directly in front of your face, you merely look to the side and can see it all. 

Even at pace, I had no issues checking the screens for information. The glasses tend to sit close to your face, which means they do steam up a bit from body heat, something I anticipate will worsen in the summer. But they’re easy to clean with microfiber cloth or simple soap and water. 

The glasses support gestures as a way of navigating between screens of information as well. A keystone-shaped sensor right between your eyes can detect when you pass your hands before your eyes and will automatically step between screens. And here’s where a manual would have come in handy, mentioning to me the existence of the gesture support, how to turn it on, and so on. Nope. There isn’t one.

I had the feature enabled through the ActiveLook app, but somehow it hadn’t been turned on in the eyeglasses themselves. I went back into the app, disabled the feature, and as I had been advised, force-quitted the app and disabled Bluetooth entirely before repairing it with my phone. Rinse and repeat to re-enable gestures, and the feature was suddenly up and working, an odd glitch I suppose.

Gestures work acceptably, though not brilliantly. I sometimes found myself passing my hand before my face twice to switch screens, and swiping only works in one direction you can’t go back a screen. 

• Performance score: 4/5

Engo 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

JTX Movelight: One minute review

Buying a treadmill can be a bit of a scary proposition, with so many variables in play - do you need hand rails? What about elevation options? Can I fit the one from the gym in my house?

Thankfully, the JTX MoveLight is an excellent treadmill that’s likely to do a lot of the thinking for you, since it’s one of the best under-desk treadmills we’ve tested. It can even be used as one of the best treadmills, but it’s a little long so alcove desk spaces may struggle to take advantage of this.

Still, it’s relatively compact, and surprisingly easy to slide under some sofas or out of the way. That compact nature does have a downside, however - there’s a weight limit of 100kg, which sounds like a lot but for someone like myself, made testing feel a little uneasy.

Thankfully, the build quality is good, and the JTX MoveLight is sturdy, if unspectacular, in its design. For a low-profile treadmill to keep the blood pumping it certainly understands the assignment. In fact, I was surprised by how often (weight limit be damned) I found myself returning to the JTX MoveLight during the review process - even as the weather outside made outdoor walking much more of an option.

JTX MoveLight: Price and availability

• £499 (around $620 / AU$900)
• Only available in the UK so far

The JTX Movelight retails for just under £500 (around $620 / AU$900) in the UK, but it’s not available in the US at present. 

That’s not cheap by any stretch, but it a far cry from the most expensive under-desk treadmills, which reach into the thousands for office-standard kit, and remains more wallet-friendly than buying most gym-sized treadmills.

JTX Movelight: Design

• Flat, low-profile design
• Easy to read, large LED screen
• Easily stored

We’ve mentioned it a few times in this review, but the JTX MoveLight is made to be fairly nondescript – it’s sporting a low-profile design that doesn’t catch the eye, and that’s, well, fine.

It’s 1.43m in length, under 55 cm wide, and it’s less than 13 cm tall (53 in x  21 in x 5 in), meaning you can brush it under the sofa for the most part when you need it out of the way.

It’s also only available in black, with a matte finish on the sides. As you can probably guess, the belt is black, too, so there are no concerns with scuffs.

You’ll find a screen at the front, and it’s relatively unambitious but means there’s less to be distracted by when you’re on the move, and you can read it easily thanks to white text.

• Design score: 4/5

JTX MoveLight: Features

• 1HP motor
• 0.5-6kmph speeds
• Easy to set up

One of the JTX MoveLight’s best features is just how easy it is to put together. Plug it in with a single cord, and you’re off to the (walking) races once you press the remote.

That removes some of the friction of feeling like your workout needs a lengthy setup procedure and allows you to get moving as and when the mood strikes.

Thankfully, doing so won’t cause too much noise if you’re watching TV or listening to music while walking on the MoveLight. That’s thanks to a 1HP motor that’s almost whisper quiet, meaning if you do use it at a desk, it won’t be seen or heard in meetings.

The starting speed of 0.5kph can ramp up to 6kph, and while JTX says that’s a light jog, for taller users it’s likely to be more of a power walk. Still, it’s plenty for burning calories, and you’re likely to reach step goals much more regularly with it.

The LED display can track your steps, distance, calories and speed, meaning you can set your own goals for each to keep on track, and the remote is easy to use, too.

• Features score: 4/5

JTX MoveLight: Performance

• Comfortable in motion
• Longer legs may need a little more runway
• Easy to use

The JTX MoveLight, despite its relatively basic appearance, is impressively built for comfort and safety.

This is done through eight-piece elastic cushioning under the belt that gives a pleasing amount of feedback per step, while also helping your joints with the ongoing motions. The result is a walking surface that feels almost as sturdy as heavy-duty, handrail-offering treadmill options, and feels a little magical - like walking on a cloud.

That’s particularly useful for using as an under-desk treadmill, which JTX suggests. However, the remote doesn’t give you the values or stats from the treadmill, and under-desk, the LED display would be partially or completely hidden. It’s a minor quibble, but on worth noting. In my testing, it’s perhaps a smidge too long for smaller office spaces, and even then as a 6 ft 4 (193cm) tall user, I did feel I could have done with just a few more inches of length to really get into a stride.

That’s likely to be no trouble for many, however, and if it gets your blood pumping and your brain feeling productive, it’s likely to be a watershed moment you can’t go back from. The lack of features is almost a blessing for beginners, as it removes intimidating options paralysis. You just get on and walk at the speed you want. 

• Performance score: 4/5

JTX Movelight: Buy it if...

JTX Movelight: Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If you want a massage gun but can't quite decide if it’s going to be a beneficial purchase or not, there are a few core points to consider. There’s no doubting their popularity, simply because a decent massage gun can seem to provide instant relief for tired or sore muscles. Massage guns are convenient too, because they’re handheld, rechargeable and don’t require an appointment with your physio or a masseuse, both of which can get expensive.

Some of the best massage guns are models that can pack impressive power for something so small, offer multiple heads for massaging specific points, or even heated attachments. Whichever model you choose it’s possible to take control of your muscle recovery and that’s always a bonus if you’re short on time and money. 

Before you buy a massage gun though, take a tour of our 5 things to know before you make that purchase. Knowledge is power, and having a good grasp on the core reasons to buy one makes a lot of sense prior to parting with the cash.

1. Do you need a massage gun?

Remember this when you’re researching the massage gun you’re going to purchase. Aside from the frothy descriptions that come with every product, it’s a good idea to carry out some research on the bona fide benefits of using a massage gun.

For example, research shows percussive massage increases your range of motion. In fact, according to science, this can potentially help reduce the risk of injury and provide similar benefits to stretching.

If you get knotty muscles after a workout, you might also benefit from the purchase of a massage gun. Muscle knots are technically known as myofascial trigger points caused by tension in a muscle band. Research has found massage can ease that tension, reducing the feeling of painful, knotty muscles after a workout. 

However, if you regularly or religiously stretch, or are lucky enough to have a standing appointment with a masseur or physiotherapist, and don't feel particularly sore after working out, you might not need a massage gun. Crucially though, whichever massage gun you fancy, it’s vital that you follow any/all instructions to the letter and seek guidance from a medical professional if you have any worries from a personal health viewpoint.   

2. There's one for every budget

In the current economic climate, this is perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of owning a massage gun. Aside from the relatively low outlay, you’ll have a device that should deliver years of service. It will not incur a cost each time you use it either – save for the power supply, which will be nominal. And, unlike a physio, it can be used at any time of the day or night. 

The cheapest massage guns online start at around $25 on Amazon, and although cheap brands are unlikely to have as many settings, heads or as good a battery as premium offerings, more affordable brands still offer some of the benefits. 

Splash out on a higher-end model like the Power Plate Mini+ or Bob and Brad Q2 Mini, and you could get more functionality and additional heads, even though these are at the lower end of the pricing scale.

3. They can reduce perceived pain

A massage gun could certainly help you overcome the painful after-effects of over exertion, as well as providing a degree of stress relief. According to this evaluation of percussion massage gun devices as reliable rehabilitation tools, there is no concrete evidence to support a reduction of pain during and after using a massage gun. 

However, the perceived pain of diffusing muscle aches and pains can often be tempered with the help of a massage gun. Some models on the market come with heated heads, which can offer additional relief for muscle aches. There’s also the appeal of gentle massage on the skin even if you’re not feeling direct pain as result of exercise, sporting activities, cycling or even walking. 

In fact, a massage gun can be a great stress-busting advice following a long day at work craning your neck at a computer screen and can be used more or less anywhere. Slammer models with carry cases are perfect to throw in your gym bag.

4. The science is still out on recovery

There have been many studies and insights as to whether or not there’s scientific proof that massage guns can work. As of now, it’s widely recognised that massage guns have benefits, but as mentioned above, whether or not they actually help you recover faster is up in the air.

A study by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, for example, found that “similar to a conventional massage by a therapist, range of motion (ROM) can be increased by a handheld percussive massage treatment without having an effect on muscle strength.” However, a separate study found no evidence that sports massage aids in muscle recovery. 

The bottom line is that even professional masseurs can’t help you recover faster, but like massage guns, they can reduce perceived pain and increase ROM. there are reasons to believe you may get similar results from using a low-tech foam roller instead. However, foam rollers are a little bit more difficult to use than the point-and-press massage guns, and you’re able to get into all the difficult muscular nooks and crannies with models featuring multiple attachments.
 

5. Massage guns aren't perfect

Massage guns, even the generic branded ones that you can get for a few dollars on Amazon can be pretty good, but it's just one aspect of home care. There are lots of supplementary gadgets and gizmos you can buy that can have a positive effect on your health and wellbeing.

If massage guns aren't for you, foam rolling or lacrosse balls are a very affordable, low-tech but no less effective route instead. Or, simply exploring a good stretching programme might be just as beneficial and there are plenty of health and exercise apps that can help you do everything properly. Different things often work for different people, so it’s worth keeping an open mind on how to tackle aches, pains, stress and more general fatique.  

Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini: One minute review

The Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini is really, really good. I’ve been using it for about a month, and following the completion of a grueling fitness challenge, the percussive massage helped to retain my range of motion and get recovery back on track. In fact, I enjoyed using it so much that I'll continue to use it going forward. Especially impressive is the power output relative to its small size. With five settings to choose from, and up to five heads in varying degrees of width, you have 25 different combinations available. It's certainly the best massage gun I've tried so far.

You can put up to 32lbs of force onto a very small point, allowing you to target specific muscular knots in addition to larger areas. In comparison, the Theragun Pro deals 60lbs of force at almost five times the price; our previous top gun, the Power Plate Mini +, offers only 25lbs of force.  

The battery life is said to last about 4 hours following a 3.5-hour charge – and in my experience, the 2500mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery meets and exceeds that. Fortunately, the charger is USB-C, so it’s pretty ubiquitous and universal. We’d like it to charge more quickly, of course, but it isn't the biggest pain to leave it on for an afternoon. 

The brushless motor is very quiet – not whisper-quiet, but close – and revs up to a maximum 3000rpm. All in all, for a unit that’s essentially the size of a bottle of water, I can’t recommend it enough. The Bob and Brad massage gun comes in a convenient carry case, and you’ll find it easy to slip into a rucksack or gym bag. 

Serious athletes looking for bigger batteries and more power might opt for a premium-priced Theragun, but for everyday gym-goers and runners looking for a smaller, cost-effective percussive massage solution, this is an easy recommendation.

Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini: Specifications

Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini: Price & release date

• $69.99 in US
• £79.99 in UK
• AU$109.99 in Australia

The Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini currently costs $69.99 / £79.99 / AU$109.99 from Amazon, although you can find it via other third-party retailers. That's cheaper than our other top massage gun, the Power Plate Mini +, making a massage gun of this size and quality a really good value pick.  

Should you buy the Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini: Also consider

How I tested the Bob and Brad Massage Gun Q2 Mini

I’ve been testing the Bob and Brad gun on and off for about a month, running down its battery and using multiple attachments to loosen and increase the mobility in my neck, shoulders and calves. I’ve tested each different head on each different setting.

The product might best be used to increase the range of motion in your muscles after exercise. Percussive massage doesn’t decrease recovery time, but research shows it can decrease perceived feelings of soreness and improve muscular range of motion. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2023

ASICS Gel Nimbus 25: One minute review

The ASICS Gel Nimbus 25 is a squishy running shoe, and it's in good company: running shoes that go big on cushioning are all the rage right now. Nike, New Balance, Asics and Saucony all have max cushioned shoes in their collections that are designed to be the ones you lace up when you care mostly about comfort over shorter and longer distances.

The Gel-Nimbus line has been going for some time now and with the Gel-Nimbus 25, Asics has sought to make quite sizable changes to one its most-loved and best running shoes. I used the Nimbus 24 and thought it was pretty well suited for easy runs and longer distances and while the Nimbus 25 is clearly built differently to its predecessor, it’s a shoe I’ve wanted to spend more time in for different reasons.

It doesn’t quite have the same capacity to mix up the paces like you could on the 24, but what it does give you is something that feels lovely to slip your feet into, and delivers a level of cushioning that makes it enjoyable to run in and is one that feels like it can handle logging a fair amount of running time in.

ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25: Price and availability

• $160 / £175 / AU$260
• Competitively priced with other max-cushion shoes

The Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 only launched in January 2023 so hasn’t seen a drop from its pretty steep $160 / £175 / AU$260 price. 

While not expensive in carbon racing shoe terms, it’s still not cheap, but it does sit well with the price of other max cushioned shoes like the Nike Invincible 3, Saucony Triumph 20 and the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4. 

ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25: Design

• Knit upper
• 8mm heel-to-toe drop
• FF Blast Eco cushioning

ASICS still aims this shoe at neutral runners, so those looking for something with more supportive elements to guide the foot in the right place will find better-suited shoes elsewhere.

The first thing you notice when slipping on the 25 is that you do really sink into it. ASICS has changed from a mesh upper to a knitted one that noticeably hugs even at the heel where the collar has a more stretchy feel to it this time. It definitely sits more snugly than the upper on the 24 but it does also feel that the change in materials means you lose some breathability when you up the mileage.

There’s a change in heel-toe drop too, going from a 10mm to an 8mm one, though it doesn't feel like it drastically alters what it feels like to run in. What does have more of an influence is the addition of FF Blast Eco foam in the midsole, which sees ASICS slightly move away from the FF Blast+ and layer of Flytefoam used on the 24, offering 20% more foam. 

Also in place is what Asics calls PureGel technology, which is primarily designed to help handle impact when your foot hits the ground and also shapes the sort of smooth ride you should get here.

It’s a shoe that certainly feels true to size in fit and while the changes seem radical compared to the last Nimbus, they feel like changes that are largely for the positive.

• Design score: 4/5

ASICS Gel Nimbus 25: Performance

• Smooth and stable ride
• Really notice that plush cushioning
• Outsole feels best suited to roads and pavements

The Gel-Nimbus 25 just feels like a really nice shoe to run in and that was a feeling I had every time I put it on. No, it doesn’t have the most lively ride and it isn’t as suited to running at a mixture of different speeds as the 24, but if you like a shoe to go long and easy in, it absolutely fits the bill.

The first key part of that is just how well the upper fits. Barring some small rubbing issues we had from the redesigned heel collar on one long run, this is a shoe that wraps nicely and does also offer an all-important good lockdown as well. That change in cushioning really changes what the new Nimbus feels like to run compared to the previous one. It’s not super bouncy like the ZoomX foam on a Nike Invincible but it is plush, you sink into it and it does deliver a smooth and not-too-wild feeling underfoot.

Running at speed just doesn’t seem to be in the Nimbus 25’s repertoire, and that comes down to the overall weight of the shoe and generally offering a much flatter feel when you do try to increase the pace. You can find max cushioned shoes that can handle some quicker stuff, but the Nimbus 25 isn’t one of them.

The outsole felt solid though and not drastically different from the last Nimbus. It has been eaten away from well over 50km of predominantly pavement running and while it could handle some lighter trail time and wetter conditions, drier roads and pavements are where it firmly belongs.

The Nimbus 25 is a different shoe to the Nimbus 24, but it’s different in a good way and it might find more fans outside of loyal Nimbus users thanks to the level of comfort and plush cushioning it can deliver.

ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25: Buy it if…

ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25: Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

First reviewed: March 2023

Cyrusher ranger: Two-minute review

The Cyrusher Ranger is a full-package, premium electric bike that’s shares genes with a mountain bike about as much as it does with a dual-purpose motorcycle. It’s not a cheap e-bike, but it’s making sure you get a lot for your money.

Many of the best electric bikes simply embed a little bit of motor power in an otherwise standard bicycle, like the Ribble Hyrbid AL e or Marin Sausalito E1. Some take a different tack. With front and rear suspension and fat tires, the Cyrusher ranger provides a supremely smooth ride, which is great given the 28mph top speed you can find yourself cruising along at with ease using the 750W motor. Even when you’re flying, the bike offers plenty of range from its 52V20Ah battery. With a half-twist throttle that can pull the bike along at 20mph, it really is much like a motorcycle.

The Cyrusher Ranger might be a bit over-the-top for some. If you live somewhere that doesn’t allow Class 2 or Class 3 ebikes, you’d be spending a lot for tech you can’t tap into. If you just want a casual commuter and are largely riding on smooth pavement, the Ranger suspension and big tires will be less useful while playing a large part in the pricing. 

But, if you want an e-bike that’s happy to zoom down city streets, hop up and down curbs, and then hit trails all while enjoying plenty of motor assistance and range, the Cyrusher Ranger makes a competent option that’s not a bad value. 

Cyrusher Ranger: Specifications

Cyrusher Ranger: Price and availability

• $2,799 in US
• £2,799 in UK
• Unavailable in AU

The Cyrusher Ranger is available now directly from Cyrusher for $2,799 in the continental United States or Alaska and Hawaii with extra shipping charges. It is also available in the UK for £2,799. Discounts are often available on the site, and it’s as-yet-unavailable in Australia. 

Cyrusher Ranger: Design

• Big, bulky and robust
• Heavy-duty off-roading wheels
• Removable battery

Electric bikes come in all shapes and sizes, but the Cyrusher Ranger’s shape and size are both decidedly big. From its monstrous wheels and motorcycle-esque dual-crown fork to its giant battery compartment and expanded bottom bracket, everything goes big on this bike. That goes especially for the weight. While Cyrusher rates the bike as weighing 66 pounds before jumping to 74 pounds with its battery installed, we weighed our test unit at 78.2 pounds before finally hitting a total of 90.4 pounds with the battery installed and all included accessories accounted for — a confusing discrepancy.

The Cyrusher Ranger makes sense of all that size with the gear it’s packing on. It squeezes in supple, grippy 26” x 4” offroading wheels, which are held on with a curious axle that connects with a bolt threaded onto each side — not your typical thru-axle or skewer. It has a deep Cyrusher-branded spring suspension fork in front (we’re told it’s a YISHUO Kunshan Yishuo Strong-DH/P171-26 suspension fork, but can find no details on this model online) with preload and compression adjustment dials, and a comfy soft tail with air suspension in the back that can also lock out. 

The rear suspension is also Cyrusher branded but we’re told shares much in common with this DNM shock system. The bike uses Logan dual-caliper hydraulic disc brakes and includes motor cut-off circuitry with the brake levers. It’s even tacked on a 9-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain It fits a large LCD display with a USB port for charging extra gadgets onto the handlebars, though sadly most of the screen is taken up by a large green and gray arc that doesn’t actually indicate anything. 

Even the controls are stacked. There’s a two-button controller for the headlight-horn combo unit, which has a decent headlight but seriously lackluster beeping noise that’s neither loud nor attention-getting. Next to that is the control unit for the bike’s assist modes and power. Meanwhile, the right handle has a half-twist throttle. This does result in quite a bit of cable mess at the front end of the bike, but it’s well-grouped with cable ties.

The beefy downtube is housing the bike’s 52V 20Ah battery, which is about as large as you’ll find on standard e-bikes before breaking into the sort that is really not even pretending they're not motorcycles anymore. The battery has a latch to keep it from falling out and has a keyed locking pin. 

Unfortunately, the battery comes out the bottom of the frame, which can see make it tricky to remove around the front tire, and it doesn’t provide any easy spots to get a grip and pull it out. Still, it’s good the battery is removable because the bike is incredibly unwieldy to carry as large as it is and at XX pounds, so anyone who can’t plug it in to charge in a garage will desperately want to just take the battery alone in for charging.

The Ranger comes in a few different colors, all of which use a different color for the rear triangle. Cyrusher goes a little overboard with accents on the bike, giving a bit of a gaudy appearance to a bike that already has a loud presence due to its size.

Despite all that the bike has going on, it’s fairly easy to put together. The handlebar needs attaching, and the front wheel needs to be seated in the fork (a job best for two people), the pedals need attaching, and then a few accessories need to be connected. But it’s a quick job and Cyrusher includes the necessary tools.

One problem with the bike’s size that we don’t want to overlook is how hard this can make it to safely lock up. A U-lock can really only effectively go around the top tube, and it will take a long tether to get around both wheels. Locking through the fork is possible, but less secure. You’ll likely want a long, robust chain lock for this bike, which is going to add considerably to the amount of weight you’re already dealing with.

• Design score: 4/5

Cyrusher Ranger: Performance

• Frame and seat awkwardly sized
• Powerful motor and throttle
• Holds charge well

As a bike that’s tuned for offroad riding, the Cyrusher Ranger is supremely comfortable on pavement. There’s a major confluence of comfort from the bikes various components. The front and rear air suspension combine to soak up substantial amounts of shock. That’s on top of the exceptional absorption offered by the bike’s enormous tires. 

In comparison, the saddle and handlebars feel like weak links. Part of this comes from the available riding positions. The Ranger comes with an exceedingly short seatpost, so even though the bike is advertised as fitting riders up to 6’6”, taller riders will be stuck with a very low seated position that puts more weight into the saddle and will have to stand to pedal comfortably. The handlebars have basic, cylindrical grips that feel surprisingly comfortable, but that may simply be because we don’t get to put a lot of weight into our hands given the riding position.

For those who want a more natural riding experience, a new seatpost is an inexpensive upgrade. Though Ranger is styled like a mountain bike, it’s more of an urban all-terrain vehicle, so the out-of-saddle riding that’s common for mountain biking doesn’t seem all that appropriate for the Ranger. No less because the Ranger’s hub motor doesn’t have the same smooth response of a mid-drive, which would be preferable for trail riding where a jerky motor could be hazardous.

That’s not to discount the motor on the Cyrusher Ranger. The 750W Bafang hub drive is a blast. On throttle alone, it takes little time to cruise up to the bike’s 20mph cap. Even at that speed, the motor hums along quietly while the large wheels are responsible for the bulk of the noise coming from the bike. Even more speed is available by pedaling. The bike will zoom up to 28mph with ease. The system uses a torque sensor, responding to the force we put into the pedals to ramp up the motor. 

The result is far more natural than a cadence sensor, which just measures how fast the pedals are spinning. The sensor may be a little oversensitive, though, as we often find it kicking in when we’re making small maneuvers at stoplights.  That can be a concern since there’s a lot of motor power to wrangle after it unexpectedly kicks on. 

Thankfully, the bike has motor cut-offs built into the brake levers. The 180mm hydraulic disc brakes are also predictably effective. Our ability to come to a quick stop has never been a concern even with a payload of around 330 pounds between our weight and the bike’s.

Between its speed and super-smooth ride, the Cyrusher Ranger has more appeal as a low-cost motorcycle alternative. While the Super73-R Brooklyn was more overt in its attempt to make a “bike” that was as close to a motorcycle as possible, the Cyrusher Ranger stays closer to a true pedal bicycle while still being able to bleed over into that motorcycle-like category. Part of that comes from the 9-speed gearing, which makes it possible to easily find a gear where pedaling is actually useful, unlike the aforementioned single-speed Super73.

For those looking to tool around on a motorcycle, the roughly 1kWh battery provides plenty of juice for doing just that. Cruising around on the Ranger largely using the throttle and set to its highest assist level, we’re able to go over 33 miles before the battery is on its last legs and giving too little support to continue providing an enjoyable, electrified ride. As fun as e-bikes are to ride while they’re powered, they’re nearly equally un-fun to ride when that power runs out because of all their added weight.

Gearing on the Ranger makes it fairly easy to continue riding at low speeds, getting up to 12mph casually even when the battery gives up. It’s worth noting that we tested the Cyrusher Ranger in winter conditions, including some freezing days, which negatively impacts the battery performance. The 33.8-mile range we got is all the more impressive as it's effectively a worst-case range. Lighter riders, better weather conditions, and less stop-go city traffic should all make for an even longer range.

• Performance score: 4/5

Cyrusher Ranger: Buy it if...

Cyrusher Ranger: Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed: March 2023

Superstrata E: Two-minute review

I’ve been riding the Superstrata E, which is an electric road bike based on an intriguing frame design. It’s built by Arevo, a company that produces carbon components for the aerospace industry, so if you’re into geeky two-wheelers this is an exciting prospect. Lots of other people seem to think so too, as the Superstrata project raised over $5 million on Indiegogo to get the project to the start line. 

As well as being notable for its distinctive frame, which comes without a tube under the saddle, Superstrata E features eco-friendly materials in its construction. The frames can be customized to suit owners, which could make the Superstrata E a good option if you find it hard to get a bike to match your size. 

The assistant on the website can tailor a bike specifically to your size and form a package of components, building your bike to these custom specifications. Your Superstrata E is then made to order. That makes it an expensive proposition, with gears and your choice of frame color adding extra cost to this premium bike. 

Things then start to go downhill when you find it isn’t possible to purchase better-quality component parts to complete the bike. Standard kit, as supplied, proves less than satisfactory for anyone who’s keen on cycling and expects hardware that can meet their needs, especially when it comes to gearing, pedals, wheels, tyres and so on. Unfortunately, this lack of value prevents it from joining the ranks of our best electric bikes right now.

Superstrata E: Specifications

Superstrata E: Price and availability

• Expensive due to custom build
• Can only be ordered from the US
• Starts at $3500 / £2840 / AU$5215

Superstrata E is available directly from the company's US website, mainly because it’s a bespoke setup that requires bikes to be tailored to individual customers. 

The Superstrata E electric bike example featured in this review costs $3500 (£2840 / AU$5215) plus $1250 (£1015 / AU$1860) for the Luxe custom frame finish, and $850 (£700 / AU$1270 for the geared edition, giving a total of $5600. That's before shipping.  

Supertrata bikes are available to order now, though note that shipping is extra, starting from $300 / £243 / AU$445. 

Superstrata E: Design

• No seat tube makes the bike look distinctive
• Wild Starry Night color scheme is hard to miss
• Drop handlebar Sport or flat handlebar Urban options

The Superstrata E example I got sent to try arrived resplendent in Starry Night, a wild multi-color design that forms part of the Stardust color palette. Bikes can be ordered in an array of different colors, from a diverse palette ranging from Essential to Premium and, finally, Luxe, which my example came from. 

Costs for Essential frames are included in the bike price, but colors from the Premium range cost $500 / £405 / AU$745 extra and the Luxe palette adds a hefty $1250 / £1015 / AU$1860 addition to the overall price.

Of course, the most distinctive thing you notice about this bike as you pull it out of the box is its frame. Aside from the wild color scheme, there’s no seat tube, just a void from under the saddle down to the crank. Although it makes a design statement, this omission doesn’t come with much in the way of weight loss. The Classic model weighs in at around 7.5 kg or 16.5 lbs and my bike, as a whole, was just under 11kg or 24.2 lbs.

I also got the Sport edition of the bike, which comes with drop handlebars and a racing saddle, which is fine if you’re keen on doing road cycling. If you’re more of a casual biker though, the Urban model might make sense thanks to its flat handlebars. There’s a single-speed option, as opposed to the geared edition you see here, which might work if you tend to pedal around town and don’t want to work your body with the 11-speed geared setup. The Superstrata ethos seems to be all about being able to choose what suits you best.

It feels hard to recommend the Superstrata E in its current setup, simply because the sizeable cost of the basic bike is high enough, let alone adding in a geared option and choosing a customized frame color. The fundamental flaw with this bike is the way the innovative design lacks a great set of component parts. If you add everything up, this version of the bike was very expensive and not good value when put alongside other bikes in the same price range. 

•  Design score: 3/5 

Superstrata E: Performance

• Workmanlike power delivery from motor
• Lackluster mechanical gear changes
• Brakes feel underwhelming

Curiously, I got an ‘Error 46’ notification on the LCD screen prior to my first foray on the Superstrata E, although this did only happen once. I couldn't find anything in the documentation to explain what this meant, though it didn't seem to have any detrimental effect and was resolved using the age-old tech trick of turning it off and on again. 

Setting off down the road, the Superstrata E doesn’t feel like a high-end bike either. The tyres look and feel downgrade, the gear changes are lacklustre and the power delivery from the hub motor is workmanlike rather than exhilarating. It’s definitely a disappointing ride, which didn’t improve on successive trips.

I think one of the main issues with the Superstrata E is that anyone spending a lot of money on a bike will probably already be a keen cyclist. In that respect, the bike’s performance suffers as a result of the patchy compendium of components. The wheels, tyres, pedals, gears and brakes on my example all look quite cheap and certainly feel that way when you’re riding the Superstrata E. I think if buyers could opt for a better quality of these components when they spec their bike, fortunes for the Superstrata E could be improved.

It’s a similar story with the Bafang handlebar-mounted computer that allows you control over the power delivery. This looks and feels very cheap, with a low-resolution view of the different speed settings. 

The buttons are poor quality too and although they work well enough, it's hard to imagine anyone thinking they’ve bought a premium bike feeling particularly happy with the arrangement. That’s the overall feeling I get from this bike. It’s a nice idea, but lacks the quality components to finish the job and performance suffers as a result. If you’re a keen cyclist I’d say you’ll want to get a lot more from this bike than a ‘wow’ factor.

• Performance score: 3/5 

Superstrata E: Battery life

• Dependable enough supply
• Proven Bafang powertrain
• Not particularly smooth delivery

If you’ve had any encounters with an electric bike before you’ll doubtless have seen the Bafang name as it’s found on so many models, especially those at the more affordable end of the spectrum. I didn’t find anything to complain about with this aspect of the Superstrata E, with the official figure of 60 miles seeming achievable on the most modest power consumption setting. 

As is the case with any electric bike though, range figures depend on how you ride the bike, the conditions, and the surfaces you’re on too. Nevertheless, the Bafang powertrain used here is more than adequate, though the power delivery is a little bit clinical rather than organic. 

Controls for the speed settings are basic too, but in terms of getting electric assistance, you can certainly feel the benefits. I found an overnight charge to be the best way to get the battery topped back up.

• Battery life score: 4/5

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How we tested the Superstrata E

• I spent two weeks testing the Superstrata E
• I rode it on a variety of road surfaces and in different weather conditions
• I tested for ease of use, performance, handling, comfort and battery longevity

I tried the Superstrata E on a mix of local roads, cycle paths and gravel trails over the course of two weeks. The testing took place in wintry conditions, with road surfaces that had on occasions been treated. The bike is easy enough to ride, though lacks comfort in both the saddle and handlebar departments. Riders who prefer an upright-style bike should head for the Urban edition of the bike, with flat handlebars.

I found the power delivery to be everything you’d expect from the Bafang brand, which is a name well-known for its hub motors. While the power is fine, the controls via the computer are less satisfactory, with a digital screen and rubberised buttons that leave a little bit to be desired in the quality department.

The Superstrata E delivered a rather uninspiring ride during testing, with the component selection taking the edge off things. It also feels heavier in the back than in the front, probably due to the hub motor, which leaves the overall cycling experience feeling a little disjointed.

First reviewed: March 2023

Acer, a tech company best known for its PCs and laptops, is branching out into new territory with an e-bike called the ebii.

What's unusual about this bicycle is it uses an AI called ebiiAssist, which, according to Acer, adds the ability to “learn” a person's riding style in order to offer “a more personalized experience”.

By learning, the feature can tweak the “motor output to provide effortless riding based on” your pedaling power and current road conditions. All that information is collected as user insights that can be viewed through the ebiiGo companion app. In it, riders will be able to “check recommended routes, [ebii’s] battery life, [their] riding speed,” among other things. There’s also the ebiiRide app housing three different ride modes. You have the energy-efficient Eco Mode, Boost Mode for adjusting the motor to go faster, and My ebii Mode for a “smart balance” between the two. 

As for the hardware, it has a sturdy, lightweight aluminum frame with an “intelligent vehicle control box”. In total, the ebii weighs around 35 lbs (16 kg exactly) making it one of the lighter e-bikes around. It sports a single “250/350 W motor with 48 V CANbus [battery]” and 40 Nm of torque allowing the bicycle to hit speeds of about 15 mph (25 km/h). Acer claims you can ride on the ebii up to 68 miles (110 km) on a single charge give or take, and the bike can fully recharge in about 2.5 hours. Interestingly enough, the battery pack can also be removed to serve as a portable charger for other devices.  

Safety first

Acer will also include numerous bike safety features. You have your standard headlight and taillight which “automatically illuminate” at night. Another set of LED lights is present underneath the control box to improve visibility in the dark. A Rear Collision Warning radar is “mounted under the seat to alert the rider” of cars or objects getting a little too close from behind. Additionally, ebiiGo allows users to enable an eLock to prevent theft, but in the unfortunate case it does get stolen, the app has theft alerts and Find My Bike to help you locate the e-bike. 

The launch date, price point, and region availability are all currently unknown. You can, however, sign up for email alerts from Acer on the ebii webpage. Considering everything coming with the ebii, namely the AI, we don’t expect this e-bike to be cheap.

If you're looking for an affordable way to get around town, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best cheap e-bikes for 2023. 

I’ve had the Saucony Ride 15 for a few months, and they’ve been my go-to shoe when doing middle-distance training runs – which is pretty much all of my runs unless I’m going over 15-20 miles in a marathon training block, for which I’ll use my race-day shoes. They're definitely some of the best running shoes for me.

The Ride 15 is comfortable yet firm, with a good energy return from Saucony’s trademark PWRRUN foam outsole, and great for ‘neutral’ runners. This means that if you don’t roll your feet to the outside (overpronate) or inside (underpronate) too much when you run, you can’t go wrong with the Ride 15. It’s not quite as good on trails, as it’s designed for roads, and you can’t get the same return when running on softer ground, but it’s ideal for road running.

Although the Saucony Ride 16 is now available, the Ride 15 is still a perfectly viable option; you can now get it cheaper than the newer model, and it’s still a truly excellent running shoe. It’s my everyday shoe of choice, and hits the nail on the head in so many ways. 

Saucony Ride 15: Specifications

Saucony Ride 15: Price and availability

The Saucony Ride 15 is available fairly cheaply now that the Ride 16 has been released. Originally priced at $140 / £130 / AU$220, it can now be found in all regions at discounted prices. We’ve seen it as low as $104.95 in the US from Saucony itself, £69.99 in the UK from SportsShoes.com, and AU$149.99 in Australia from the Athlete’s Foot.

Saucony Ride 15: Design

• Engineered mesh upper
• PWRRUN sole
• 8mm heel-to-toe drop

The construction of the shoe is excellent. Saucony claims its FORMFIT design addresses ‘every point of contact with your foot’, touching all of the foot at the same time. This means that, if you size it properly, it should pretty much perfectly conform to the shape of your foot. It’s good marketing, and perhaps one buzzword too many (the running-shoe industry is rife with designers trying to sound like they’ve reinvented the wheel), but the shoe fits well and is very comfortable. 

Like most running shoes now, the mesh upper is breathable and comfortable, a little thicker than most meshes thanks to the inserted sleeve underneath the mesh itself. This sleeve doesn’t constrict the foot, nor does the extra layer contribute towards retaining any odor that I’ve been able to notice. 

The midsole and outsole are made of EVA and PWRRUN foam, with strategically placed rubber strips either side of the heel and sole to distribute weight evenly. This is why the shoes are designed for neutral runners: both strips are designed to brace for impact, rather than leaning to one side or the other. In practice, those strips have held up very well, as you can see in the image below.

The result of all this is a solid, stable, neutral shoe with a good true-to-size fit that’s perfect for everyday runners. It’s worth noting that the heel-to-toe drop on this shoe is 8mm, so they’re significantly thicker than Saucony’s popular Kinvara range. If you like a minimalist or thinner running shoe, opt for the Kinvara over the Ride.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Saucony Ride 15: Performance

• Held up very well, and the shoe is very durable
• Excellent and very comfortable on all roads
• Not particularly suited for trails, but can handle hard ground

The shoe is extremely comfortable on the roads and feels firm and secure, with no rocking or instability. I never feel like I’m in danger of rolling my ankle on an errant misstep, as I do with some squishy shoes designed for a fast-paced run. These are workhorses. 

The shoes offer good ‘energy return’, storing the potential energy in the sole of the shoe and releasing it as you lift your feet again, but they’re unlikely to make you much faster or give you an added spring to your step in the same way carbon-plated race-day shoes might. It’s simply a well-designed, well-cushioned shoe that will keep your foot stable, offer comfort on the road, and help conserve a little energy.

These are road-running shoes, so they’re not really designed for anything rougher than a park run trail, but they’ll see you through hard ground no problem. On softer, unstable surfaces they lose some of that energy return, and even though they’re fairly light you’ll definitely feel more sluggish than you would with slightly heavier shoes that are better suited to trail runs. 

•  Performance: 4/5 

Saucony Ride 15: Buy it if...

Saucony Ride 15: Don't buy it if...

Two minute review

Wahoo Kickr: Two minute review

This is our full review of the Wahoo Kickr Bike. This is a fixed exercise bike designed to be ridden at home yet features so many adjustable positions, it's also akin to riding your road bike. 

There's a reason Team GB has trained on Wahoo tech for years and it's apparent in the quality of this fixed-only version of the turbo trainer tech that this company specializes in. Even the best treadmill doesn't offer this level of personalization.

This is more expensive than a turbo trainer but means you don't have to faff about with your bike, attaching it to this to train – one less excuse to avoid a ride when it's raining out. Of course, there is more to it, and our guide on turbo trainers vs exercise bikes is worth a read if you're unsure which cycling solution to buy. This bike is also backed by a host of apps that allow you to ride in virtual worlds with other riders or to train to a specific goal with a training plan generated for you.

There are more options than ever and with some great exercise bike deals out there, this model is certainly sitting at the higher end of the price range – yup, even when compared to Peloton. Unlike Peloton, this doesn't come with a display, or even a mount, but rather puts all that investment into the bike itself. As such you're getting a reassuring heavy and solid bike that will keep up with any level of training you need.

Unlike a lot of the competition, the Wahoo Kickr Bike sets itself apart by offering super levels of personalization. That means a whole host of adjustable options that let you get the perfect fit to match your other bike. It also offers hydraulic moving adaption to incline and decline which gives the feeling that you're really riding up or down a hill. Couple that with shifters that can be adjusted to match your bike and this is a really complete package for training at home without going out the door or sacrificing very much at all.

So is the Wahoo Kickr Bike worth its top-end price?

Wahoo Kickr Bike: Price and availability

The Wahoo Kickr Bike is out now in the US, UK and Australia. The retail price sits at a premium $3,999.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$6,499.95. 

It's also worth thinking about adding a Wahoo Tickr X chest strap heart rate monitor, Kickr Cycling Desk, and even the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, a cycling computer which can enhance your on-road work.

Wahoo Kickr Bike: Design

• Five point adjustment system
• Electromagnetic motor
• Two-year warranty

The Wahoo Kickr Bike is solid. The second it comes to removing this from the box its 42kg weight becomes very apparent. Despite coming in a relatively compact form, this folds out pretty easily. Once you have the legs added to the rear, which slot right in with ease, all you have to do is add the saddle and handlebars. 

Crucially, the whole setup process can be followed on the app which guides you through with words and images. You can do this as you feel or use a guided setup to match this to your road bike. Take a photo of your road bike against a white wall, highlight some key points on the bike and input some data and this will give you the settings to have the Kickr Bike match that exactly. Or if you've had a professional bike fit you can simply import the data from Guru, Trek or Retul.

All that is great if you ride and want to match this up, but if you're new to setup then it just means you have a whole host of options to play with before you can start. There's stack, reach, setback, saddle height and frame height. And if you don't really know what you're doing there isn't a whole lot of guidance on how to find the right position for you to get the most power out of your legs. Even the pedals have five attachment point options.

The bike itself is finished in a premium metallic paint and all the twist out handles to make adjustments are very easy to use. There is minimal tool requirements to get this setup and to make adjustments you need none at all. Plug in the power cable and the bike is ready to go – just get WiFi setup and then you're set to start working with an app.

On the bike itself there is a small LED display that shows your gearing and allows you to double-tap a large button to make sure the bike is self-levelled to be flat. All of which usefully lets you get riding even without an app, if you wanted. What's lacking is a mount for your phone or laptop, which you will most likely be training with. Wahoo charges you for a table that sits in front of the bike but with a price tag in the hundreds I just used the box the bike arrived in to prop up my laptop.

• Design score: 4/5

Wahoo Kickr Bike: Features

• Hydraulic height adjustments
• Personalizable shifters
• Multi-app support

The Wahoo Kickr Bike features a hydraulic adjuster that allows the bike to move between incline and decline from 20% to -15%. When this is used in combination with virtual and automatic resistance variations, it can create a super life-like riding experience for a fixed bike setup. Theoretically this should mean your muscle groups will respond more like riding up or down a hill to give the best possible training experience.

The shifters are a brilliant addition to this bike as they are fully digitally adapted. So while you move the armature left and right, as you would on any bike, the way they work can be changed. Using the app you have the choice of shifter so this will work like your bike with options including Campagnolo, SRAM and Shimano.

There are also two inner buttons and two upper buttons. The upper ones are fun in apps where they allow you to look behind or signal to another rider. But the inner buttons have been used well to allow you steer your bike in apps like Wahoo RGT or Zwift. While these could be seen as unnecessary, for serious riders that want to follow a specific line and don't want to leave it up to the auto-steer, this is a useful option to have.

The addition of rear wheels makes moving this bike, despite its considerable weight, a doddle. Hold the front, tilt the bike up and move about as needed – much like a bench at the gym. Then double tap the auto level button and you know you're riding flat no matter what surface you need to place the bike on.

• Features score: 4/5

Wahoo Kickr Bike: Performance

• Wahoo RGT app offers virtual rides
• Up to 2200W output
• Super stable electromagnetic ride

The Wahoo Kickr Bike is built to such a high standard that it is capable of handling up to 2200W (with the V2 model hitting 2500W). To give that some context, most basic riders have an FTP (functional threshold power) score of about 150W – this is the amount of output power you can maintain for an hour. Better riders are at 300W and some can even hit over 1,000 but in most cases that is a peak power output, not something that is maintained. Get up to Olympic level and riders can hit 2,200W and even maintain that for a short while, but not long.

Here is a good example of an Olympic cyclist powering a toaster at 700W:

So all that means this bike is built to be used by the very best possible riders in the world. That should mean (unless you're reading this as one of those) this bike will be able to handle anything you can put out. That's important as riding at power, or high cadence can have you bumping off your saddle and rocking the bike. In the case of this bike, there is no rocking at all. It's super solid leaving you feeling safe enough to ride to your limits.

The electromagnetic motor is very quiet, runs smoothly, and adjusts quickly to gear changes, all of which leave you feeling like you're riding a bike out on the road. Add in the immersive Wahoo RGT app and that is taken even further. This is akin to Zwift, where you can set up your rider profile, select a place to ride and go join others on those roads in real-time. The app shows you your power output, your cadence, and your heart rate all at a glance.

Crucially the app allows you lots of ways to ride from simply picking a spot and riding as you please to selecting a workout and following training guidance as you go. You can even enter events that happen in real-time, ideal for meeting up with others virtually or racing against other riders.

The saddle, like everything else on this bike, is like a real road bike, which means it is not comfortable. You'll need bib shorts with padding, or a gel seat cover if you're new to this and plan to put in any amount of miles. As mentioned before, there are lots of adjustments to make on this bike so getting more comfortable should be possible but ultimately it's just part of riding that means toughening up a little. Or taking a break. The Wahoo Systm app also offers yoga, strength training and more to give you a well-rounded training experience. 

• Performance score: 5/5

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed February 2023

Six-pack abs aren't the be-all and end-all of fitness, and the vast majority of very healthy, fit people don't walk around looking like a fitness model. However, if you really want six-pack abs for some reason, the internet is full of advice, tips, and hacks to get there faster. Some of it is useful: for example, you can't "burn belly fat" in time for summer, but you can lose fat overall by using one of the best fitness trackers or best running watches to monitor your calorie burn and eating less calories than you burn each day. 

You can improve core strength (and get visible abs if your body fat is low enough) by performing moves such as planks and hanging leg raises, which don't compromise your spine health in the same way sit-ups do.  Again, solid advice, even if core strength doesn't always equate to visible abs.

However, there is also some really dumb advice out there, designed to part you from your hard-earned cash. Spurious claims on equipment used to vibrate your fat away, miracle fat-burning supplements full of caffeine or green tea or cider vinegar, or outrageous (and occasionally dangerous) exercise programs reportedly used by superhero actors to get in shape in a matter of weeks.  

One piece of fitness technology that's often soundly mocked, but also seems to sell like hotcakes, is electric muscle stimulation. Home electric muscle stimulation technology comes in many forms, usually a belt that is strapped around the waist to deliver shocks to your midsection, but you can also get pads to adhere and deliver jolts of electricity to any muscle group. Perhaps the most famous of these is the SIXPAD system, once heavily advertised by footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

The price for SIXPAD units and other stimulator belts have dropped these days, and they're no longer the $400 / £350 / AU$550 investment they once were. You can pick up belts and arm straps for around a fifth of that price on Amazon. Ronaldo's advertising campaign heavily implied, very persuasively, that he uses the SIXPAD in place of normal training, although all documentation mentions they technology is to be used alongside regular exercise and a balanced diet. It looks, and sounds, far too good to be true.

However, it turns out there are benefits to the practice of electric muscle stimulation technology, according to peer-reviewed research papers. One study, published in the  Journal of Sports Rehabilitation, looked at the strength of participants beforehand when asked to lower their body while standing on one leg, like a pistol squat. Half the group did eight weeks of electric muscle stimulation (EMS) training, while the other half did traditional strength work. 

It was found there was significant improvement in both groups, and the EMS trained group got stronger. However, greater improvements were seen in the traditional strength training cohort. 

Another study, published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, found participants who did EMS training thought their midsections were "more toned" and "firm" and their posture was found to improve. However, there was no change in the participants' BMI or body weight as a result of an EMS training program. 

Therein lies the rub: if you're already an active person and you're looking for additional strength support, 20 minutes with an EMS device might actually improve muscular strength and endurance. However, it's not going to make you look like Ronaldo, and if you're sat on the couch eating junk food, wearing an EMS belt isn't going to slim you down a jot. 

The fitness industry is unfortunately full of scams, and occasionally it preys on our feelings of inadequacy and laziness. Everyone wants to be able to sit on the sofa and wear something that will make them look like a superstar, but unless you're already putting in the work, an automatic six-pack machine is sadly too good to be true. You need to use the right tool for the job, which is why I've ditched my Apple Watch in the gym and just use my Notes app instead.

The best cheap piece of fitness gear I've ever bought from Amazon, for myself or someone else, wasn't one of the best fitness trackers. It wasn't a yoga mat, or a set of weights, or even a massive discount on one of the best treadmills or other cardio machines. It cost less than $30 (around £25 in the UK or AU$45 in Australia), it's easy to use, weighs practically nothing, and essentially acted like a home gym for beginners. 

If you're just starting out on your fitness journey and you're interested in building even a small amount of muscle, the best advice I can give you is to buy a full set of resistance bands or tubes. Not every cheap piece of fitness kit is worth buying (just check out what happened when I tested the cheapest fitness tracker against a Garmin watch, for example) but bands are worth twice what they cost and I couldn't recommend them enough. If you were to limit me to only one kind of fitness kit for the rest of my life – apart from my best running shoes, and maybe a pull-up bar – I would probably choose resistance bands. 

Resistance bands come in several different shapes and sizes. Some are simple short loops, and they work fine, but the sets I like to use are tubes of different strengths ending in hooks. These hooks can clip onto handles, ankle straps or an anchor that can be fixed behind a shut door.  

What you end up with is a kit that costs less than a round of drinks, but can replicate the effects of almost any weighted or cabled gym machines. Resistance bands can be rolled up and fit into any gym bag or backpack, making them ideal for on-the-go. You can work out in a hotel, at the gym, in the park, or at home. If you use a pull-up bar, you can use resistance bands to help take some of your weight while you work up to unassisted pull-ups. 

And if you're a fitness beginner, at home is where the bands really shine. The insane portability of bands means you can get a full-strength workout with no big, unwieldy machines or weights taking up a huge chunk of your floor space. They're also a far less intimidating and perhaps safer way to begin building muscle. 

Regardless of your fitness level, building and maintaining some muscle is very important, especially if you're looking to stay healthy into your senior years. As you age, your muscles begin to waste, shrink and shorten, undergoing a process known as muscular atrophy. Fortunately, resistance training can help slow and even reverse this process. 

Research from Canada's McMaster University says "resistance exercise training combined with appropriately timed protein ingestion… may represent a highly effective treatment strategy to counteract the muscle wasting associated with aging and chronic disease". A strong body means climbing stairs, maintaining grip strength, and better circulation well into your twilight years. 

Some seniors might not want to lift heavy objects, especially if they've been sedentary for a long time. Elastic resistance bands are often presented as a cheaper, safer alternative to heavy metal or plastic weights. And for more experienced lifters looking for a workout solution at home, you can simply double up on bands to really make it harder to push or pull them with increased resistance. This means one set of bands will last you years of training. 

Even though January's nearly over, it's not too late to make a change for 2023. For $30 / £25/ AU$45, you're never going to get a better bang for your buck than this. 

One minute review

The Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock is another offering from Kryptonite, a respected cycle accessory brand and maker of some of the best bike locks around. The main bonus with the 685 is the foldout design, which collapses into a sturdy block when you’re not using it and can be stored on your bike frame thanks to a handy mounting bracket-cum-holder. 

Once extended, the Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock offers lots of reach and can be manipulated through wheels of all shapes and sizes and around something else too, like a lamppost. The locking barrel is very nicely engineered and, as a whole, this is a super sturdy bike lock. 

Kryptonite’s 6/10 ‘moderate’ security rating claims it will withstand most bolt cutters and be ideal for suburban areas, but may eventually yield to serious theft attempts with tools such as an angle grinder.

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Price and availability

The Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock is available to buy right now from all major cycle accessory specialists and online outlets, including Amazon, starting from $74.95 in the US, £50.74 in the UK, and AU$149.95 in Australia. 

One of the additional benefits of buying a Kryptonite cycle lock is its Key Safe program, which means you can register with the company and they can help replace any keys should you end up losing the originals.

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Design

• 85cm lock reach
• Heavy duty barrel lock
• Fully foldable

The Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock is just that: a bike lock that is designed a little like a concertina. When it arrives in its packaging, the lock is condensed into a chunky block of alloy and steel weighing in at 1.31kg. Remove it from the packaging though and you can easily open up the Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock to reveal its full potential. The design is one of the main bonus factors, especially if you regularly need a little more freedom with your cycle lock.

Some bike likes, particularly those of the D-lock style, are often a little short on coverage, meaning they’re great for putting around a wheel and frame, but little else. The Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock on the other hand extends up to 85cm, thanks to its concertina design and this allows it to reach much further. This is hugely practical if you want to harness your bike to railings, a lamp post or, indeed, other bikes.

Kryptonite has done a great job with the locking barrel part of the design equation here too. It’s very chunky, there are two keys and the mechanism is both easy to access and works smoothly too. The 5cm-thick folding sections of the lock are top-notch quality too, although the hardened steel surface of the component pieces is less forgiving on bike frames than some other locks. It’s a factor that’s worth bearing in mind if you prize the paintwork on your bike or have a brand new cycle to fret about.

• Design score: 3/5

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Features

• Collapses for storage
• Mounting bracket included
• Two-key barrel lock

One of the great things about locks in the Kryptonite range is that the lively yellow and black packaging always shows the security rating of the product. In the case of the Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock, it gets a 6/10, with a rating of '1' being a mild deterrant and '10' being as safe as houses, even for densely-populated urban areas. 

6/10 is classed as ‘moderate’, which means it’s more than adequate for everyday use in rural, suburban and most urban environments, but not be quite as useful if you’re planning on locking it up overnight in an area known for effective, well-armed bike thieves. 

The fold-out design is actually one of the key features of this lock, as it delivers a lot more flexibility in terms of reach, right up to 85cm. That aspect could also make it quite awkward for any cycle thief to get a grip on as the sections move around so easily. Granted, the lock would probably succumb to an angle grinder, but seems well-placed to fend off bolt cutters. 

The other key feature of the Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock is that it comes complete with a plastic mounting block, which can be fixed to your bike frame and acts like a holster for the lock when you’re on the go. It’s nicely made and will fit to a bike frame without causing harm to the paintwork and certainly less scratching than you’d get from simply harnessing the lock around your bike. 

A couple of keys for undoing the lock barrel are supplied as standard and Kryptonite has a Key Safe program, which means they can replace any that get lost following their registration process. A definite bonus!

• Features score: 3/5

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Performance

• Positive locking performance
• Extra reach is a real boon
• No play in the multiple components

Using the Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock on a daily basis is easy enough, although initially it feels like a bit of a handful as you try and tame all of the connecting sections. These are connected with a steel rivet-style system, and thankfully there’s no play between the links. 

How they fare over time and with increased use will be interesting to see, as locks like this can have the habit of becoming a little loose over time. In fact, some of these concertina-style locks can become downright floppy with prolonged use, but so far, so good.

Once you’ve worked out the best way to snake the sections through your frame or wheels and, say, a lamppost the lock is easily joined up and locked thanks to that chunky barrel. The locking action feels good and solid, while the two keys are sizeable enough to you can keep then in a coat pocket or in a bag without them disappearing as can happen with some locks that come with dinky keys.

• Performance score: 4/5

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Buy it if...

Kryptonite KryptoLok 685 Folding Lock: Don't buy it if...

 First reviewed December 2022 

I love nothing more than lacing up a good pair of the best running shoes and hitting the road on Saturday morning. Whether it's a nice long run taking me through the city and along the river, or a quick jaunt around my local park to get some sunlight and keep me away from my computer screen, it’s so much nicer than my local windowless gym. 

Depending on where you live, January means plunging temperatures, often below zero, which can make it difficult to train due to slippery black ice patches and heavy snow. 

While I could (and do) run in this temperature, it’s difficult to raise my body temperature enough to break a sweat in a meaningful way - and sometimes, all I want is a nice little sweat session in the morning to clear the pores and sharpen the mind. As it’s been particularly cold recently, I have occasionally chickened out of my regular outdoor run and headed to the gym to use the treadmill. 

I used to consider even the best treadmill a thoroughly pointless exercise. Why run indoors on a belt, like a human hamster, when the natural world is right at your fingertips? I thought it was totally redundant, and people who used them were just scared of a little rain. 

I could see how the best under-desk treadmill might be useful to people just looking to get their steps in, but I was still thoroughly dismissive of the idea of running for ages on a conventional treadmill.

However, as part of my deep-dive into the Peloton ecosystem last year, I went to one of the treadmill classes at the then-recently-opened Peloton studios, and began to see how exerting total control over every aspect of your run could make for an interesting training experience. You can lock yourself into running certain speeds by setting the pace of the belt, which the instructor used to great effect to crank the speed up as the class reached its crescendo. You can adjust your gradient so you’re running uphill. You have a flat, even surface to run on - far easier than hopping up and down curbs and dodging pedestrians, and no weather hazards. 

In training terms, for me, it represents a baseline, or a ‘white room” level of fitness. My performance on a treadmill is indicative of what I can do in ideal conditions, without variables like weather, terrain, parents pushing prams, or two men carrying a pane of glass across the street slowing me down. 

As I’m currently training for Brighton Marathon I’ve also been finding the speed function particularly useful. I can set the treadmill speed to around 5.45/km (my desired ‘race pace’ for Brighton), stick a good podcast on and let my legs do the work. The aim is to get subconsciously used to that pace, so when I run on autopilot I’m not going too fast, or too slow. 

And yes, the fact I’m indoors is nice, despite my previous moaning. Battling against the elements is fun, sometimes, but when it’s been below-freezing temperatures for a full week, I really didn’t want to get out of bed. A treadmill run may be a bit of a compromise, but at least I’m sticking to a training plan rather than not running at all. It’ll never replace outdoor runs for me entirely (which means I’m unlikely to ever actually buy one) but I have a gym membership, which means the treadmill is there if I need it. 

I now see I was unfairly dismissive of the humble treadmill: it may make me feel like a hamster, but there are plenty of uses to the treadmill beyond getting your steps in while watching The Last Of Us (which is a good enough reason in itself, to be honest). For me, it will always be a tool in the arsenal like the best running watches or a heart rate monitor, not a replacement for outdoor runs per se. But if like me, you’ve also dismissed treadmill runs outright, it’s worth giving them a second glance. 

One minute review

The LiteLok X1 is a conventional D-lock design with a detachable section that comes complete with a barrel lock and two keys. There’s a difference with this entry into our best bike locks though, in that it boasts an additional layer of Barronium, which is fused with the inner high-tensile steel core to produce a result that’s tricky for angle grinders to get through. 

It weighs in at 1.kg so whilst the LiteLok X1 isn’t the lightest bike lock on the market, it is undeniably sturdy. There is a useful LiteLok Twist + Go mount supplied with the lock too, which means that you can mount it to your bike frame and not need to lug it around. 

Everything works a treat, the rubberised cover over the entry point for the key provides weatherproofing and it’s suited to most makes of bike.

LiteLok X1: Price and availability

The LiteLok X1 is a recent arrival to the bike lock marketplace and is available to buy right now. It currently comes with an RRP of £149.99 and can be purchased direct from the manufacturers or from online outlets such as Amazon. 

There’s also a LiteLok X3 model too, which has an RRP of £279.99 and the extra cost covers an even sturdier locking mechanism if you think you’ll be needing it. 

LiteLok X1: Design

• Rubberized covering
• Weatherproof lock insert
• Mounting bracket

Buying the right bike lock can be more tricky than it appears, especially now that there are so many cycles out there with many different frame, wheel and tyre designs. Mountain bikes, for example, with their thick tyres can prove a challenge, but if you’ve got a conventional bike a good old D-lock design can work a treat. That’s where the LiteLok X1 proves its worth, with a standard look but with a few tricks up its sleeve in the construction and use of materials, including a special ‘Barronium’ composite metal layer as part of the construction. 

The first thing you notice about the LiteLok is just how well it’s been made. This is a British company and there’s an almost handmade quality to the construction. There are also some neat design flourishes, with the most practical aspect being the rubberised cover where you insert the key into the lock. This area is always the first to start sticking after the weather has done its work, along with the inserts onto the D section as well.

However, the design here suggests that the LiteLok should be pretty good at fending off the elements over time. There’s a nice rubberised-feeling finish on the metal too, which means you won’t scratch or scuff your bike frame during use. It’s a nice touch. 

The twist-and-go mount adds to the appeal, allowing you to mount the lock onto your bike so you don’t have to worry about it. At a fairly light 1.7kgs, you can easily slip it into a backpack if you need to. 

• Design score: 4/5

LiteLok X1: Features

• Weatherproof cylinder lock
• Eco-rubber covering
• Two keys

The main selling point of the LiteLok X1 would appear to be its additional layer of LiteLok’s composite Barronium in the construction. The manufacturers reckon this makes the lock up to 15 times harder to get through using an angle grinder, although we didn’t take a grinder to this testing unit. 

Slowing down a bike thief with this sort of tactic is often enough to put them off altogether, so this definitely adds value even though we were reluctant to try chopping it up ourselves. 

At 101mm by 196mm, if you need or prefer extra length with your locks, the X1 might offer a little too much constraint. Once you’ve got the lock around the bike and anything else like a lamppost the fit is snug, but thankfully the eco-rubber soft coating on the metal means that it doesn’t scratch things. That’s a real boon compared to some models of lock that can ruin prized paintwork and other finishes.

The other main part of the design is the cylinder lock itself, which comes with two keys and ART4 security accreditation, which means it has been given the thumbs up by those who know how a great bike lock works. The mechanism itself feels nicely engineered, is easy to lock and unlock while the overall feeling when the two elements are clasped together is one of ruggedness. It’s a chunky, reassuring setup.

• Features score: 4/5

LiteLok X1: Performance

• Easy and efficient lock access
• Non-scratch finish proves its worth
• Lock holder is handy

During day-to-day use the LiteLok X1 proves to be a dependable lock with a real practical edge, especially with the rubberized coating and cover over the key entry point. The latter aspect also makes it really useful in wintertime, when hard frosts and moisture ingress can often mean many barrel locks get frozen tight if they’re outside for the night. 

The LiteLok X1 is also very easy to use, with a good, solid action when it comes to joining the two sections together. That rubberised covering on the lock itself is welcome too, as it really does help to avoid marking paintwork and other people’s property if you’re hooking up to a gatepost or similar. Although the lock isn’t the lightest out there it is still reasonable portable. You’ll find it even more convenient if you opt to fit the lock holder to your bike frame too.

• Performance score: 4/5

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed: December 2022

Many of us are trying to set a new goal for 2023 around getting fit or staying active. But the activities we choose to help us meet these goals can be the very thing that sees them unravel. Suddenly diving right into a high-impact activity you're not used to, like running, can quickly lead to burnout or even injuries. It's one of the reasons you shouldn't exercise too hard in 2023, or you could risk quitting your new routine.

Cycling, whether with the best electric bike or a conventional push-bike, offers a uniquely low-impact way to exercise and stay active, and its ability to tackle commutes even makes it convenient to work into more parts of your life.

Lots of conventional sporting exercises that involve running or jumping are high-impact. Your legs will get worked, certainly, but the joints will also absorb a lot of shocks. In contact, cycling sees your feet and joints work smoothly, spinning away at the cranks. The only jolts you’ll get are from bumps in the road, and even those can be reduced with suspension or cushioning on the bike.

Of course, any good exercise needs effort. Cycling can be about as hard or as easy as you want to make it, though. Part of the equation will be how heavy you are, but then how much work you do riding will be largely a matter of how far and how fast you go (and then some if you’re dealing with wind or hills). You can modulate your effort by simply pedaling faster or slower, or you can use your bike’s gears to adjust your difficulty.

Benefits of cycling for first-timers

Once you’re out of the house and hitting the open road, you can start seeing the burned calories mount quickly. Healthline estimates a 155-pound rider will burn 298 calories in 30 minutes of moderate riding at 12-13.9mph. That figure can jump up if you weigh more or go faster, too. To get a clearer picture of how many calories you might burn on a ride, you can use this calculator at Calories Burned HQ.

Part of the beauty of cycling is that it can almost be a passive exercise. While you may be picturing hardcore cyclists sporting lycra outfits and hunched over an ultra-light road bike, cycling doesn’t have to be anything like that to get you a good workout. In fact, it can blend seamlessly into your day if you use your bike as a way to get around.

Say you want to visit some friends who live five miles away on the weekend. Instead of driving over, you can simply hop on your bike and burn a few hundred calories along the way. While you might worry about showing up drenched in sweat if you tried running to commute, the ability to modulate your effort cycling, especially if you used the assistance of an electric motor, makes it easier to get from A to B without breaking the same sweat. 

If you start working those little bike rides into other things, like your commute to and from work, the calories you’re burning will really start to stack up. I’ll use myself as an example: I weigh 230 pounds and ride casually between 14 and 16mph. I’ll take my bike to a rock climbing gym and back a couple of times a week, and I’ll visit people twice a week, riding my bike to get there and back. 

Most of these rides are about 5 miles away. None of that riding feels like I’m going for a workout, but I’ll have burned nearly 3,000 calories by the end of the week.

While some of us might be able to just hop onto a bike in the new year and work cycling into our everyday life with ease, those of us feeling especially out of athletic shape can still get started with a little extra help. There’s no shortage of cheap e-bikes geared up for beginner cyclists. 

With a bit of motor power to tap into, you’ll have even more flexibility for deciding how much effort you put into each ride, so you can always work at a comfortable level. If you tire out before the end of a ride, some e-bikes will allow you to ride with a throttle so you can still reach your destination. And, as you get stronger and are able to push harder, you have the option to lean less on the motor for support or you can continue to use the motor to simply ride that much faster. 

E-bike conversion kits can even let you electrify a bike you already own, so you don’t need to get an entirely new ride if you already have a great bike you’d like to keep. The best folding e-bikes, or folding push-bikes come to that, can overcome the challenge of small storage spaces.

In the new year, you might find cycling is just what you need to bring your fitness goals within reach. You might also find all the joy there is in cycling, as you get to cruise around, feel the breeze, and explore your surroundings in ways a regular trip to the gym would never allow.

• This article is part of TechRadar's Get Fit For '23 week

After hearing that I was doing the Inca Trail hike in Peru, a male acquaintance enthusiastically suggested that I invest in this cool portable bottled oxygen mask that “all the athletes are using.” I, of course, laughed at the idea. While doing the four-day trek to Machu Picchu isn’t easy for sea-level dwellers like me, it isn’t exactly the Everest summit, which is more than 4,000 meters higher than the Peruvian trail’s highest point. Supplemental oxygen would have been a little excessive, especially since I do not have any respiratory issues.

His reaction isn’t uncommon, however. Not because he doesn’t really know much about hiking but because there’s this perception these days that buying the latest fitness equipment and gadgets will somehow help us build those muscles easier, lose that extra weight faster, or learn a new skill better. Proving my point further, he announced later that he was going to learn to ride the motorcycle and was going to start by buying a boatload of accessories that he claimed he “needed” for lessons.

In reality, much like an unused gym membership, many of us just spend all that money on fitness gadgets that only end up gathering dust. Unless we’re professional athletes training for a competition or climbing a notoriously difficult peak that has killed hundreds of people, we really don’t need to spend a ton of money to stay active and get fit. The COVID pandemic has proven that many of us do not even need that expensive gym membership to hit our fitness target.

In fact, last year was the fittest I’ve been in my whole adult life when I was training for my trek by climbing our local 233-step staircase (LA is low-key famous for its hidden, historic staircases) daily and hiking 10 miles a day on weekends, both of which cost me a whopping total of $0. Not only did I lose a lot of those extra pounds, but I was stronger, healthier, and breathing better.

Fitness resolution 1: Stop buying the latest fitness gadgets for motivation

Don’t get me wrong: fitness equipment and gadgets are absolutely vital for certain workout programs and to reach certain goals. But, if you’re starting your fitness resolution this year by spending lots of money on an expensive smart studio mirror or buying one of the best smartwatches, you’re already going about it the wrong way.

Sure, those things might help motivate you to workout at first. But, most people give up on their new year’s resolutions after just 17.8 days, according to research published in the International Journal of Public Health. And that shiny new toy is eventually going to lose its luster if you don’t get into your fitness journey with the right mindset, as well as the right workouts for you.

I had, for example, an under-the-desk exercise bike that I hardly ever used and eventually gave to my neighbor. The reason I got it was because I spent long hours working at my desk, and it was a promising way to stay active while still being in front of a keyboard. But, it never really worked for me. If anything, it just distracted me, which in turn made me work slower – a literal waste of my time.

Fitness resolution 2: Use public facilities

Climbing my neighborhood staircase and hiking the trails around Los Angeles worked beautifully for me, for example, because I love being outdoors. I supplemented those activities by exercising at home to free YouTube workout videos and my $12.99 USD per month Find What Feels Good membership (some Yoga by Adrienne videos, by the way, are also free on YouTube). 

All that I needed to round out my workout plan were my Apple Watch Series 6, which I already owned, a pair of $30 JLab Go Air Sport workout headphones that I found to be much more reliable and less painful to wear than the expensive Beats Fit Pro, and my $10.99/month Apple Music subscription.

That absolutely beat my pre-pandemic $200+ monthly pilates studio membership, which only gave me four one-hour sessions per month. I’m not saying, of course, that you shouldn’t invest in proper equipment, but you also do not need to spend $1,400 plus $12.99 a month on a Peloton Bike program to get fit.

On top of hitting stairs and trails this year, I’m also going to get better at swimming (I love to swim and being in the water, but I’m not a strong swimmer) by visiting public pools, which should only cost about $5 to $10 per visit. 

It’s worth mentioning that while some gym memberships are expensive, there are others that will only cost you $10 or so a month (on top of an annual membership fee that most gyms also have). However, if you want to skip the gym this year like I am, whether it's because of that toxic gym culture or because anything near you is just too damn expensive right now, there are also public exercise parks and outdoor gym stations that are free to everyone to use. You just have to do some research.

Fitness resolution 3: Eat healthier

Even if you’re spending two hours a day working out, all that hard work isn’t going to matter if you’re eating crap. What you put in your body matters as well, and getting takeout and/or eating fast food every day is still going to set you back, especially if you’re hoping to lose weight.

This year, you should also devote more time to cooking healthier dishes at home with more veggies and less meat. Doing so not only helps you have a more balanced and nutritious diet since you know and have more control over what ingredients you're using, but you’ll be saving a lot of money, since veggies cost less than meats and you're not paying $15 to $25 per meal on top of delivery fees and tips.

That should not only help you reach your fitness goals but also help you significantly reduce your weekly food bill, saving you even more money. 

I enjoy working out indoors in a gym, but you can't beat the feel of the open road. Every two years, I look to pick up a pair of running shoes for the new year.

That’s because, along with a fitness tracker, the best running shoes are the piece of equipment I simply cannot do cardio without. Since I tend to run mid-distance, I don’t need heavy-duty shoes that are designed for marathons and ultras. As most running shoes have a shelf-life of between 300 and 500 miles, they will need to be regularly replaced, but as a more casual runner, I can afford to pick up a new pair every other year as opposed to every 12 months.

The best part is that there’s never a better time than the new year sales to look around for the best running shoe deals. That’s because not only do retailers drop their prices ahead of the holiday season, but shoe manufacturers do, too. In fact, in some years it’s been cheaper to buy from the likes of Nike than it has been to buy from a retailer.

With so many options out there, though, it can be tough to narrow down what you’re looking for. Are you someone interested in running your first 5K this year, or a seasoned runner looking to transition to longer distances? Here are the running shoes I’m looking for in the new year.

Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

• Best for short-to-middle distances
• Price: $160 / £99.99 / AU$199.99

An easy pick, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 comes highly rated with a five-star review from us.

These lightweight shoes are what’s known as a “neutral motion-control shoe”, so they add a little bit of pep to your step by helping your foot roll. For newcomers, that helps mitigate and avoid the risk of injury and may make it a little easier to keep going in those early weeks of training.

It’s also been trimmed down considerably to a weight of 221g per shoe, meaning it’s perhaps better suited for shorter runs, where you don’t need quite as much padding.

For someone who’s just starting out on their running journey, or for people looking to run no further than 5K or 10K and having fun doing it, the Saucony Endorphin Speeds are the shoes to look out for. 

Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2

• Best for middle distances to marathon
• $249.95 / £159.99 / AU$309.99

This is an easy pick, since the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 (yes, that’s a percentage in the title) rank first in TechRadar’s own best running shoes list.

In our review last year we awarded the Vaporflys the coveted five-star rating, noting how lightweight they are at just 206g (even lighter than the Speeds above), and how the ZoomX foam manages to maintain its shape without feeling like it’s going to swallow your foot. A lot of this is due to the technical construction of the shoe: the 8mm drop on the heel means you’ve got a good chunk of Nike’s ZoomX foam underfoot for bounce, and the forefoot incorporates a platform of grippy rubber. 

That helps keep things just springy enough to push for a new personal best, although we did note that the foam may lack durability in the long term. Still, for a middle-distance runner such as myself, this is perfect. They also look great, and while many may look for a low-profile shoe, the sheer array of colors is staggering – there’s orange, green, and black with a bright pink sole among plenty of others. 

Hoka One One Bondi X

• Best for marathons and beyond
•  $249.99 / £99.99 / AU$329.99
  

From one extreme to another, the Hoka One One Bondi X is another less-than-catchily titled shoe, and it’s arguably not the best-looking either – these are some chunky shoes, but they may just help push me to longer distances. Tailor-made for the long haul, the Bondi X incorporates a few neat tricks to help you run marathon distances.  

While not a household name like Nike, the Hoka One One Bondi X is another five-star shoe, with our review saying “it might not be the lightest of running shoes, but despite the heft, the Bondi X won’t weigh you down.”

There’s an embedded carbon plate sometimes seen in long-distance that, when paired with a moulded EVA sole, springs back into shape after your foot lifts from the ground, which can quite literally propel you to a new personal best. Impressively, the Hoka One One Bondi X helps to maintain good running form and stride length over longer runs thanks to that flexible carbon plate supporting your stride when you fatigue and helping to train your body after that inevitable drop-off.

Workout app Fiit has launched new workouts that can be completed on indoor bikes including the Concept2 BikeErg and indoor Keiser M3i bike. This comes after interactive rowing and treadmill workouts were added to the app earlier this year.

The best fitness apps have variety - and this is what both Fiit and Peloton are offering, but with the addition of these hybrid workouts, which can be done at home or in the gym, means Fiit could be giving Peloton a run for its money – with Fiit’s subscription set at £9.99 a month, it’s £30 ($33) a month cheaper than Peloton's. The best fitness apps have variety - and this is what both Fiit and Peloton are offering, but with

Fiit subscribers can use any stationary bike for these workouts, but if you want to record your workout, connecting to the Concept2 BikeErg or indoor Keiser M3i bike, whether you’re at home or in the gym, means you’ll be able to enjoy a more interactive workout and record stats like RPM, calories, and distance traveled. However, one of the best fitness trackers can also give you these stats.

Hybrid working out is becoming more popular as people have realized they don’t need to be limited to just working out at home or in the gym. Fiit's 11 bike workouts allow its members to take their workouts to the gym too when they want to change up their fitness routine. 

Fiit will also launch numerous other bike workouts on December 12th, alongside its Bike Academy – a two-week indoor cycling masterclass that will give cycling novices a chance to speed ahead of their competitors.

In March the company launched Fiit Tread, again competing with Peloton’s treadmill offerings – and just like the bike workouts, the interactive classes can be taken on any manual or electric tread, although members will need to run on an AssaultRunner to experience the fully connected experience with the Fiit Tracker.

Fiit demonstrated its commitment to hybrid workouts by partnering with the Gym Group in 2020 and now offers its members access to Fiit Pods in the company’s gyms, allowing them to do these workouts on a big screen.

Could this be a big step for Fiit?

Let's be realistic: Peloton’s app is expensive – especially when you’ve already paid for an expensive bike or treadmill, and then you have to pay another £39.99 / $44 / AU$59 for their workouts every month. I love my Peloton bike, and its on-demand workouts keep me motivated, but that comes at a cost of nearly £500 a year – and I haven’t even stepped outside my flat. 

That’s why I’ve always loved the Fiit app, it’s cheap, it has great workouts, and the company keeps innovating – it knows that not everyone wants to only work out in the confines of their home. And with the fitness industry moving as quickly as it does, companies that can stay two steps ahead of their competitors and spot future trends first will keep on succeeding. 

Fiit isn't new to the industry – it launched in 2017 with hundreds of live and on-demand workouts, which mainly consisted of HIIT, strength, and yoga-based workouts. With gyms closing in lockdown and working out at home becoming the norm, the app became a firm favorite with fitness enthusiasts. 

Many of us have adapted to a hybrid way of working, and there’s no reason why we can’t do the same with our workouts. I love working from home, but it’s also nice to get out of the house and interact with people – it shouldn’t have to be one or the other, and it’s good to see Fiit embracing that philosophy. 

If you’ve been riding bikes for any amount of time, one of the things you may remember is how much smaller cycling lights have become over time compared to older models. Have a look at the best bike lights you can buy right now and they’re all pretty compact. 

Thanks to space-saving designs, lighter materials and the ability to work using power from smaller batteries, modern bike lights are a fraction of the size of their predecessors. That’s obviously a good thing though, especially if you’re into road biking where keeping weight down is everything. 

This pair, the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 is another duo that can be added to the ‘compact and bijou’ bike light list. They combine svelte design lines with plenty of power and come from the CatEye stable, which is a brand well-known for producing dependable cycling accessories. Are they as good as they look though? Short answer: yes. 

CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5: Price and availability

The CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 are available as a combination set and can be had in one box if you want to kill two birds with one stone. This is also the more cost effective way to go in terms of value for money.  

Both lights can also be bought individually, if you only need one or the other rather than both. They’re available now from Amazon in the US for $31.75, Amazon in Australia for AU$54.92 and other cycle accessory retailers in the UK such as Wiggle for £21.79. 

Considering their performance credentials and general usability they’re super value, compared to other rivals in the current best bike lights guide.

CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5: Design

• Flextight mounting brackets are easy & quick to use
• Can be mounted to a bag
• Battery insertion can get tricky

One of the most appealing things about a decent bike light, aside from its ability to let you see and be seen, is being able to get it on and off your bike. This is especially so if you have, or ride, more than one cycle. 

Both the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 come with clever FlexTight mounting brackets, or rather, strap-like creations that allow quick and easy fixing to just about any type of frame or handlebar configuration. Alternatively, the lights can be fixed to a cycle bag, your clothing or a helmet depending on preference. Flexibility is the watchword here.

Elsewhere, although the bulk of the construction is plastic, both lights feel sturdy and able to fend of being dropped or knocked about a bit. The body of both lights is slender, with removable covers where the batteries need to be inserted. These can be quite tricky to get off and on again, and care is needed to ensure you don't split the plastic. However, in terms of keeping moisture out, this is a real bonus.

• Design score: 4/5

CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5: Features

• Simplicity and low price means lack of features
• Intermittent flashing and strobe settings
• IPX4 waterproofing

Alongside the FlexTight mounting brackets, another big part of the appeal of the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 lights is their simplicity. That means less in the way of features, but they do just work and require very little in the way of fixing and even less effort to turn on and off. 

The front unit is certainly bright, with 150 Lumens and three LEDs. Meanwhile, the Omni 5 rear-facing light offers up five LEDs and delivers 360-degree visibility. Both lights have settings that can be changed to suit the cycling scenario or rider preferences such as always on, flashing intermittently, or a strobe effect in the case of the rear-facing one.

You also get the benefit of IPX4 waterproofing and, as previously mentioned, the tight fit of the battery casing cover is reassuringly sealed on both models. They seem more than capable of fending off the worst of any winter, which is fine as IPX4 offers protection against splashes of water and wet weather. 

The lights will work for rainy commutes, but we wouldn’t recommend submerging the lights or subjugating them to jets of water for any reason, as you’ll need IPX5 or higher for that. If you’re going to wash dirt off the frame and wheels of your bike,  best remove the lights and clean them separately.

• Features score: 3/5 

CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5: Battery life

• Both front and rear use replacement batteries
• No recharge option
• Efficient, with up to 320 hours of use

There’s nothing wrong with insertable batteries if you only tend to use your cycle lights occasionally, which makes the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 combination okay. However, the front uses two AA batteries and the rear three AAA, which do obviously run down over time or after frequent use. There’s no option to recharge with this bundle either, so that might not appeal if you’re going to be using them every day. 

For the HL-EL135, you will get around 320 hours of use from the batteries if set to flash. Always on provides around 80 hours on tap from the twin batteries. The rear light works in rapid mode if you want it, which delivers 120 hours of illumination. Alternatively, the flashing option will give you up to 90 hours of light. Keep it on constantly though and this goes down to around 60 hours.

• Battery life score: 3/5 

CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5: Performance

• Bright and clear, up to 150 Lumens
• Viewable from multiple angles
• Great for the price

The CatEye HL-EL135 turns out to be pretty bright, considering its diminutive status, with a decent beam reach that makes it good for cycling around town. If you’re after higher performance you’ll probably want to head in the direction of something more potent, but this is perfect for everyday cycling activities. The same can be said for the rear light too and it’s very viewable from multiple angles, which is a definite plus.

Curiously, the Lumens rating for the rear light is nowhere to be found, either on the packaging or when visiting the CatEye website, but that doesn't turn out to be too much of a worry. Simply pressing the on button underlines the brightness credentials of the Omni 5, with the different modes ideally suited to a variety of cycling scenarios. Both lights really win you over with their easyfix mounting options though.

If you’re keeping a keen eye on how much you spend currently the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 bundle makes a lot of sense. This is a very affordable duo of cycle lights, with the added benefit of coming from a tried and trusted brand. Get them as a pair and you’re talking solid value. It’s a cost-effective, practical solution you’re after, this CatEye combination is a sensible middle-ground option.

• Performance score: 4/5

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