Topeak – great kit for every type of rider... but which one are you? | road.cc

2022-10-11 12:31:37 By : Ms. Sophia Tang

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

This article includes paid promotion on behalf of Topeak

Read more about sponsored content

There’s nowt as strange as cyclists, so the mainstream media would have you believe. Why do these odd folk persist on getting everywhere on time, for free, without destroying the environment, and all while keeping themselves fit in the process? Why indeed!

However, even the most die-hard rider recognises we’re not all the same. Of course, there are commuters and roadies and mountain bikers and cycle tourists and leisure riders. But even within and across disciplines, there are also cyclists that do things just a bit differently. They follow their own path. 

Sometimes, though, no matter how wonderfully unique and committed you are, you still need a little help to do things your own way. And that’s where Topeak comes in. When it’s a matter of practical kit that will help you to enjoy your cycling exactly the way you want, Topeak has the answer.

So we’ve put together a list of perfect Topeak products that will fit right into the lives of certain cycling characters. The question is, which one (or perhaps: how many) are you?

Do you like your socks pulled up precisely three inches from the shoe opening? Is it crucial that your underlayers are whiter than white? Do you set a date on the calendar to replace your helmet at precisely one-year intervals? Then, we would guess, the need to make sure your tyres are at exactly the correct pressure needs no explanation. 

If you’re the kind of rider who likes everything ‘just so’, the JoeBlow Sport III pump is ready to become your new best friend. The highly durable steel barrel and base, as well as the ergonomic padded handle and new hammer-style TwinHead® DX5 valve head make inflating tyres a total joy. But the true pièce de résistance is the enlarged 3in chronograph-inspired gauge, which will allow you to get your tyre pressures absolutely pin-point accurate. 

The metal band Bring Me The Horizon once screamed that sleep is for the weak – a sentiment no doubt shared by members of the Audax community. But there’s also a body of hardy cycling souls who would add other unwelcome facts of life to that list, such as wind, drizzle, rain and snow. 

If you’re a cyclist who thinks nothing of hopping aboard when all others are cocooned in a car, bus or train, then Topeak’s Pannier Drybag is for you. Made from a tough, sonically-welded and seam-sealed waterproof material, with a watertight roll-top closure, this incredible luggage solution provides everything you need to carry with maximum protection from trail dust, road spray and any type of wet weather. And with Topeak’s new Handle Loc system, it can be quickly and securely attached to and removed from any pannier rack.

In this world of inequality, is there any starker a sign that cyclists are classed as second-class road users than the fact pedestrians and cyclists have to walk into and queue for a cup of coffee, while – where facilities allow – drivers don’t even have to open their doors for a hot beverage at drive-thru Costas, Starbucks or MaccyD’s?

Now, though, brothers and sisters, things have changed and a revolution is a-wheel.

Thanks to Topeak’s Modula Java Cage, any cyclist who simply can’t survive without a direct hit of caffeine doesn’t have to choose between saddle or skinny latte. The Modular Java Cage’s adjustable height and diameter means you can happily fit a reusable coffee cup to take on your bike with you. It’ll even hold a cylindrical portable speaker if you want some on-saddle entertainment. 

We mentioned earlier about the rider who won’t let the elements beat them. Closely related – a temperamental sibling, if you will – is the rider who shows nothing but disdain for the supposed limitations of the bike as a heavy transport device. If you can fit it on and balance it, you can ride with it. 

Obviously, that’s going a bit far. But if you really do want to get the most practical carrying capability from your bike, the Super Tourist DX rack is your answer. As Topeak’s toughest tubular aluminium rear rack – which will fit bikes with 26in, 650B or 700C wheels – it is perfect for heavy-duty, long-distance load lugging and has been especially designed to fit around disc brakes. Integrated side bars provide a lower pannier attachment point-allowing more space for cargo on the rack top, and its QuickTrack® compatibility meaning it can be used with any MTX TrunkBag, rear basket or pannier bag.

Got a rich daddy? Think education is overrated? Actively change your opinions depending on Twittersphere reactions? Desperately try to hide your privileged background by general coarse behaviour and preying on young minds even though you’re knocking on your 30s? (Get the impression our writer’s had to watch too many Sidemen videos?) 

If you’re somebody who simply can’t stand to be unconnected even for the duration of a bike ride, then the Topeak Ridecase is for you. And even for people who live in the real world, the Ridecase offers huge practicality. It has a scratch-resistant, dual-density, non-slip, high-grade engineering polymer/rubber exoskeleton for shock and impact protection, and its full angle adjustment allows viewing in portrait or landscape modes while on the bike. It’s even compatible with Lightning cable charging, so you don’t have to faff with taking your phone out of the case when it runs out of power. 

Some people suggest that cyclists can be anti-social folk. Not that we go around tagging public infrastructure or hang about on park benches quaffing cheap electrolyte drink. But by a bike’s nature, cycling can a be a pretty solitary pastime. However, if you really want to experience the world as a solo cyclist, there’s nothing quite like riding at night. And to do that safely, you need good lights. 

The Powerlux USB Combo set is the perfect answer to all your night light needs. With easy USB charging, IPX6 water and dust resistance, low 33g weight per unit and bi-directional tool-free mounting and removal, every practicality is catered for. The most important thing, though, is that they pack a maximum 100 lumens of front output and 25 lumens at the rear, so you’ll be sure to see and be seen.

We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99. 

If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.

Irish law is English law, then forked off after about 1922. So, my vague understanding at least, is that a lot of the English legal concepts apply...

Disappearing attacking dog passage - solved. Received the 1983 edition today. It was back in by 1989. ...

Also, moving over to proportional representation would make it easier to implement unpopular greening: https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/10/why...

Greg van Avermaet rode a BMC equipped with Ekar to 4th in the gravel worlds on Sunday, losing to MvdP in the bronze medal sprint. So Ekar evidently...

No, not at all.  I just meant that they are on the CUK/BC leash and therefore slightly less likely to be ambulance chasers.

10 minute warm-up just to calibrate before every session? I'm out. 

The two right handers before the long drag could be the location possibly.

I cancelled my BC membership last year to join CUK (I still think of them as the CTC) because of their campaigning. From their website ...

I know it rained here in the East yesterday morning, so maybe the roads werent as grippy, but I'm lost at how a car ends up there on that corner,...

Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc Fantasy Cycling: game [at] road.cc Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc View our media pack

Report an advert on road.cc

All material © Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. Tel 01225 588855. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. Terms and conditions of use.