The colourful edition: 5 cool things coming soon from Giant, Santini, Van Rysel, Fizik and MAAP

Let us brighten up your life with five colourful things we’ll be reviewing soon on road.cc from Giant, Santini, Van Rysel and more.

Before we start, don't forget to check out our reviews regularly because new ones are added all the time… 

Giant Defy Advanced SL 0, £11,499

First of all, don’t let the price put you off reading about the new Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 endurance road bike. Although this top-of-the-range model – a lightweight frame (785g, size medium) built up with SRAM’s flagship Red eTap AXS groupset – costs more than most of us will ever spend on a bike, there are much more affordable options available. The Defy Advanced 3, for example, is £2,299, and there are loads of models in between.

The Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 that we have in for review comes in a finish that is described as Blue Dragonfly/Black/Chrome. Sometimes it looks purple, sometimes it looks greenish blue, depending on the light.

Giant says that it has made this incarnation of the Defy “lighter, smoother, and more efficient” than ever before. It has also tweaked the geometry, lowering the head tube height by 10mm across all sizes, and increased the tyre clearance – you can now fit 38mm.

Do all of these changes improve the overall package? We’ll be back with our full review soon.

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Van Rysel Men’s Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Winter Jacket Racer Extreme, £89.99

Decathlon’s Van Rysel brand makes some big claims for its Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Winter Jacket Racer Extreme – to go along with the impressively long name – saying that it will keep you warm in temperatures as low as -5°C. The top end of its recommended temperature range is +10°C, so we’re talking about a jacket that, despite the name, could cover many autumn and spring rides too.

The outer layer is made from what Van Rysel calls Nirta Rice fabric, designed to be windproof, warm and water-repellent, while the inner liner is intended to provide extra warmth. Both the liner and the neck warmer are removable in warmer conditions.

If the Fluo Lime Yellow version doesn’t do it for you, Van Rysel offers Bordeaux and Abyss Grey versions.

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Cycology Secret Garden Handlebar Bag, £35

We’ve not reviewed anything from Cycology on road.cc for ages so we’re pleased to have the Australian brand back. We have a few reviews in the pipeline, including one for this handlebar bag.

It’s 24cm long and 10cm in diameter and is made from waterproof polyester. You get a waterproof zip too. Cycology doesn’t claim its handlebar bag is fully waterproof but says that it’ll handle light showers easily enough.

The bag is held in place by three Velcro straps: two around your handlebar and the other around the head tube for stability.

Cycology offers the same bag in various finishes so you can pick one that best suits your taste.

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Fizik Terra Artica GTX shoes, £259.99

We reviewed the Fizik Tempo Artica GTX winter road shoe earlier in the year and now we’re taking a look at the Terra Artica GTX, which is similar in many ways but aimed at gravel riding and mountain biking – although we know that many people ride with recessed SPD-style cleats on the road too, especially in the off-season.

Essentially, you can think of these as riding shoes with an overshoe built in. Kind of. The upper section extends just above your ankle, the idea being that you don’t need to add anything over the top to keep your feet happy in bad weather.

The GTX in the name is short for Gore-Tex, these shoes being equipped with a breathable and waterproof membrane to help keep your feet dry. Mat Brett found that the membrane was effective in the Tempo Artica GTX winter road shoes so we have high hopes here.

You also get a brushed-fleece lining inside that’s designed to provide comfort and insulation, a Velcro strap and Boa dial closure, and Fizik’s X5 grippy outsole. Mike Stead is reviewing these in Scotland right now.

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Santini Guard Neo jacket with hood, £340

This rain jacket is made with Polartec’s NeoShell fabric which is designed to be both waterproof and highly breathable. The material is also stretchy and lightweight, our size large jacket hitting the scales at 326g. The seams are thermosealed throughout.

An interesting feature here is the hood; most cycling waterproofs do without. Santini says this one is made to be worn on top of your helmet to keep your head as dry as possible. It can be stored inside the collar so it won’t flap around when not in use.

Designed for use in temperatures from freezing up to 10°C, this could be a good option for the autumn and winter, so we’ll be interested to hear how reviewer Tom Weijand gets on with it.

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