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The wheel experts have now announced the Allroad Elite Road+, a 650b adventure wheelset to add to their existing range; for those that want to take the full advantage of larger volume tyres while maintaining similar external circumference to a 700c wheel. The 650b option provides the great handling characteristics of the 30mm tyre mounted on a 700c rim, thanks to its almost identical external circumference, and all the while solves all the problems that come with the larger and lower volume wheel option. The new wheelset is built around Mavic’s ID360 hub (Pic: Jeremie Reuiller/Mavic) Connecting the hub to the rim in this instance is a set of standard steel spokes; when questioned on why the Road+ wheels do not feature the Zicral (7075 aluminium) spokes of the 700c Allroad Pro wheels, The extended Allroad wheel range consists of three levels to suit every price point, all wheels share the ID360 hubs and a wide 22mm internal rim diameter though the standard Allroad UST misses out on the ISM4D rim machining in favour of a slightly more cost effective rim.

We were recently invited to Perpignan in the south of France to enjoy a couple of days riding Mavic’s new ‘Allroad’ collection, which includes all new wheels and a complete range of technical clothing for the growing niche of gravel riding. Behind the Allroad clothing collection is product designer Sylvain Richard who informs us the range is motivated by the same technical function as any other garment in their range but with a more relaxed silhouette; in our experience, that holds true. Firstly, and most excitingly, is Mavic’s new gravel-specific shoe, the Allroad Pro: it utilises patented Matryx technology to weave a one-piece upper, a mixture of polyamide and kevlar, that weighs just 16 grams. The long sleeve thermal Allroad jersey features a thicker merino fabric that’s brushed on the inside; the fabric is luxuriously soft and features subtle reflective details – an ideal garment for those long-distance changeable-weather rides.

Sportful’s clothing range has been revamped for the 2018 spring/summer season, with a refreshed line-up of jerseys inspired by the Italian brand’s two sponsored WorldTour teams. We’ve taken a closer look at the BodyFit Pro Evo, BodyFit Pro Classics and BodyFit Pro Light jerseys in the video above, along with a handful of other highlights from the range, including the refined BodyFit Pro Ltd bib shorts, or read on for more about Sportful’s refreshed clothing range. The BodyFit Pro Light jersey is made from, you guessed it, a super-light fabric (Pic: Toby Martin/Factory Media) The BodyFit Pro Light is a jersey designed for the hottest summer conditions and that’s reflected in a recommended temperature range of 20 to 35 degrees (compared to 20 to 30 degrees for the Evo). The R&D range includes Sportful’s most cutting-edge clothing and the Celsius jersey has an inner mesh layer designed to improve moisture transfer by increasing airflow next to the skin.

The latest Super Record and Record groupsets, which have a claimed 200g difference in weight, will be mechanical only until November 2018, when an electronic version of the Super Record gruppo should see the light of day. Otherwise, the shifter that sits behind the brake lever has also been enlarged over previous generations of Super Record and Record, while Campag’s PR man Joshua Riddle tells us it sits more tightly behind the brake lever for improved aero efficiency and aesthetics. The chainset is where the biggest differences between Super Record and Record appear: Super Record’s crankset is hollow instead of solid for reduced weight, while it also uses Cult ceramic bearings (said to be nine times more efficient that steel bearings), instead of USB ceramic bearings (two times more efficient than standard bearings). The Record and Super Record 12-speed groupsets will both come with the option of disc brake-compatible levers (Pic: Ashley Quinlan) Mechanical Record: £1,750.06 (available from June 2018) Mechanical Record Disc Brake: £2,138.27 (available from July 2018) Mechanical Super Record: £2,603.05 (available from May 2018) Mechanical Super Record Disc Brake: £2,856.29 (available from June/July 2018) EPS Super Record: £TBC (available from November 2018) EPS Super Record Disc Brake: £TBC (available from November 2018) Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers.