Alternative Budget Cycling Products To The More Known Brands

Cycling Weekly

There's no getting away from the fact that road cycling is expensive, so in this video Sam Gupta runs through 7 different pieces of kit that stand to be great value alternatives to the more expensive counterparts. He has found better value options that rival the best cycling headunits, the best cycling sunglasses, the best cycling multitools and the best cycling shorts.

Transcript

00:00Big brands will have you believe that cycling has to be really expensive, but I don't think it does.

00:06So I've rounded up seven of my favourite best value alternatives, all of which are linked below.

00:12Today, listening to music goes hand in hand with working out, and thanks to bone conducting

00:18headphones, cycling is no different. Bone conducting headphones allow you to listen

00:23to music without actually needing to have an earbud in your ears. Instead, sound is transmitted

00:28through your cheekbones, allowing for increased awareness whilst you're riding.

00:33For a long time now, Shox has been the market leader, with the likes of its Open Run Pro.

00:38And though they are really good headphones, receiving four and a half stars from us here

00:43at Cycling Weekly, they aren't cheap, costing nearly £110. However, recently, we gave five stars

00:50to a similar set of headphones retailing at just 20% of the cost of the Shox. Enter the

00:57Haylou Perfree Lite headphones. Coming in at just $36.99 or £27.69, these headphones offer

01:07all of the same Bluetooth connectivity features and similar technology for a fraction of the price.

01:14For us, it was the clear sound quality, ease of use, and impressive 30-metre range that left

01:20us wondering how these headphones are quite so cheap.

01:25When we think of cycling computers, most of us will point to either Garmin or Wahoo as the go-to

01:31options. But these premium brands both have halo head units well into the hundreds. The Garmin Edge

01:37840, for example, retails at $450 or £430 and shares much of the same functionality as its much

01:46cheaper competitor from the Taiwanese outfit, Brighton. The Brighton Ryder 750 retails at just

01:53shy of £220 or $270, complete with a 2.8-inch coloured touchscreen. Both computers feature GPS tracking and

02:02navigation, Amplus and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as available integration to third-party apps

02:09such as Strava or TrainingPeace. The touchscreen doesn't quite have the same colour contrast as seen

02:16on the Garmin devices. And although smart, the user interface is slightly less refined too. But it's

02:22hard to be overly critical when you are undercutting the market leader by nearly 50%, all the while

02:28maintaining all of the functionality required for some serious riding. Our next value alternative might

02:35seem like a bit of a juxtaposition. That's right, it comes from Rafa. It's fair to say the British

02:41cycling clothing brand is known more widely for its premium level cycling kit. But,

02:46take a proper look at its whole range and you'll see a lot of fabric technology trickle down to a

02:52more palatable price point. Of all the shorts we've tested here at Cycling Weekly, one of our

02:57firm favourites is the LeCol Pro Bib Short 2s. They perform great in a multitude of weather conditions

03:03and they feature a really plush chamois which is great for comfort. But, this is all attached to a

03:09price tag of £185. Rafa's core bib shorts by comparison retail for £110. Now, while this isn't

03:18at the budget end of the bib shorts spectrum, they do represent good value for money. The Rafa core bib

03:24shorts impressed us with the quality of the chamois, the comfortable leg grippers and they're all held

03:29together with some really sturdy stitching. It's fair to say that you won't quite experience the same

03:35armchair ride as some range topping shorts offer. But, in terms of value for money, these shorts from Rafa

03:42are actually seriously competitive. An essential part of any cyclist toolkit is the humble multi-tool.

03:50Packable and versatile, it's safe to say a multi-tool has probably gotten all of us out of a tight spot at one

03:56point or another. Our favourite multi-tool here at Cycling Weekly is the Topic PT30. Even with its £40

04:04price tag, it provides great value thanks to a whole host of tools for almost any eventuality. But,

04:11what if you don't want to shell out £40? Well, that's where the Lifeline Pro 18-in-1 multi-tool comes

04:18in and, as the name suggests, the Lifeline multi-tool has a total of 18 different functions, including

04:252, 4, 6 and 8mm hex keys, common torx keys, a chain tool and screwdrivers too. Although you don't get

04:33the same flat pack form factor as the Topic, we were still impressed by the low weight of 118 grams.

04:39In our multi-tool group test, it was also the only tool to incorporate a CO2 inflator,

04:45which could be a real blessing, particularly if you use tubeless tyres. Like its more expensive rivals,

04:51the Lifeline also uses forged tools rather than cheaper wrapped end tools, which should also

04:57seriously improve its longevity. Bikepacking is perhaps the best proof that cycling can be enjoyed

05:04in any way that you want, whether it's competitive racing, cafe riding or exploration. We would all

05:11recommend a bikepacking trip here at Cycling Weekly, but before you embark on your maiden voyage,

05:16you need a way to carry your luggage. The easiest way to carry your gear is by using bikepacking bags.

05:23Designed to fit on almost any bike frame, bikepacking bags come in a variety of different sizes to

05:28attach to the different locations of your bike. When it comes to all-out quality, Waterleaf stills

05:34the show with its range of fully waterproof bikepacking bags, but the German engineering will set you back

05:40£150 for a saddle bag. If it's value you're looking for, then look no further than ZFAL. The French

05:48brand impressed us with its range of bikepacking bags that offer heat-sealed waterproof fabric,

05:53a similar attachment style to the Autolib bags and all of that for just £79.99. You might not get the

06:00same five-year warranty as Autolib and there is a 200g weight penalty, but the saddle bag is also from

06:078-17 litres in capacity thanks to the roll-down dry bag design which is enough for most bikepacking trips.

06:16When you think cycling sunglasses, it's hard to think of any other brand than Oakley.

06:21Synonymous with success, Oakley sunglasses have been made iconic by the likes of Geraint Thomas,

06:27Remco Evenapol and Mattia Vanderpoel. But a quality set of shades goes beyond just looking

06:33good. Glasses can keep your eyes safe from the sun, and in the event of a crash, save your skin too.

06:40But if you don't want to shell out over £200 on a fresh set of Oakley encoders, then Tafosi's

06:47Rail Clarion Photo Tech sunglasses might be for you. The Rail Clarion sunglasses feature a large

06:54photochromatic lens and stylish frameless design. All of this for just £109.99. And if you want to

07:04save even more money, then check out the Crit sunglasses which feature UV protection and a

07:09shatterproof lens for just £69.99. One thing I wish I realised when I was younger was just how much of a

07:17difference solid thermal kit can make to cold weather riding. With many of the best jackets from Rafa

07:23Castelli and Panama Studios costing well over £150, staying warm isn't always cheap. Unless you have

07:31this. The DHB Aeron thermal jersey was dubbed exceptional quality for the money by our tech

07:38team earlier this year. And for good reason. It's warm, provides a great race fit and features quality

07:45pockets and cuffs, all for £85. Though with current discounts, you may be able to find it an awful lot

07:53cheaper than that. For long rides, you need to get comfy. And that means a comfortable saddle,

07:59shoe and cockpit setup. One part of the bike which is often overlooked however, is handlebar tape.

08:07A simple rewrap of your handlebars can make a huge difference. But buying bar tape isn't always that

08:14simple. If you buy cheap, durability can suffer. And if you buy expensive, you can end up paying more

08:21than £30 a roll. So we think that Bontrager has found the sweet spot with its gel cork bar tape.

08:28It's available in a multitude of different colours. The gel cork tape is flexible, easy to wrap and

08:34comfortable and it just costs £14.99. Well done Bontrager. As I mentioned, everything I've spoken

08:42about today is linked below. So let me know what you would go for.

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