Watts & Why
Winter kit watch

Cycling kit worth buying, and when to buy it.

one clear answer per job
lux ≠ lumens
Start here

One pick per job.

5 picks · swipe
P = τ · ω Our pick
Indoor

Wahoo KICKR CORE 2

Cyclingnews' best overall smart trainer for 2026.

  • Direct drive
  • Easy setup
Mid-range£499.99 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the very best road feel: the KICKR (v6) costs a lot more.

  • Easy to set up, with wide app support
  • Sits mid-range on price
F ≈ T / (K · d) click Our pick
Workshop

Park Tool ATD-1.2

A small driver for stem and bar bolts.

  • 4–6 N·m
Mid-range£60 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you need to torque cranks or lockrings: that's a higher range.

  • BikeRadar lists it among its best preset-style drivers
  • Covers the 4–6 N·m range most cockpit bolts use
lux ≠ lumens Our pick
Lights

Ravemen K1400

Cycling Weekly's best front light after testing 30+ lights.

  • Front light
Mid-range£79.99 RRP
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you only ride lit roads: a smaller light will do.

  • Enough output for unlit country roads
  • Remote and several modes
km · W · bpm route climb Our pick
Tech

Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT V2

BikeRadar calls it a brilliant little unit for riders who don't want a touchscreen.

  • No touchscreen
Mid-range£249.99 per BikeRadar
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want a big touchscreen: look at the Garmin Edge 840.

  • BikeRadar's author rates it highly
  • Buttons are easier in rain and gloves
g carbs / hour 1h2h3h4h Our pick
Fuel

Torq Gel

Cyclingnews' pick for most people in most situations.

  • 12-pack variety
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the most carbs per gel: look at the Beta Fuel.

  • Cyclingnews' pick for most people
  • A sensible default before you experiment
Black Friday · 27 Nov 2026
—days

The year's biggest cuts land in late November. Star what you want now.

Deal watch · checked 2026-10-22

Worth a look right now.

Nothing standout this week. Prices move, so check Amazon's live deals below.

P = τ · ω
The indoor season

Rain outside, intervals inside.

The right trainer feels like the road.

3 picks · swipe
Our pick

Wahoo KICKR CORE 2

Cyclingnews' best overall smart trainer for 2026.

  • Direct drive
  • Easy setup
Mid-range£499.99 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the very best road feel: the KICKR (v6) costs a lot more.

  • Easy to set up, with wide app support
  • Sits mid-range on price
Best for data

Elite Justo 2

Cyclingnews' pick if you like digging into the numbers.

  • Best for analytics
Upper mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you only want to ride: you'd pay for data you won't look at.

  • Cyclingnews picks it for analytics
  • High spec across the board
No compromise

Wahoo KICKR (v6)

BikeRadar's best in class, at a price.

  • Direct drive
Premium£1,099 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you ride indoors now and then: the KICKR CORE 2 is better value.

  • BikeRadar's best in class
  • Only worth it if you ride indoors most of the year
F ≈ T / (K · d) click
The workshop

Small jobs, done properly.

Torque, tyre pressure and a clean chain.

6 picks · swipe
Our pick

Park Tool ATD-1.2

A small driver for stem and bar bolts.

  • 4–6 N·m
Mid-range£60 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you need to torque cranks or lockrings: that's a higher range.

  • BikeRadar lists it among its best preset-style drivers
  • Covers the 4–6 N·m range most cockpit bolts use
Wider range

Park Tool TW-5.2

A click wrench for 2–14 N·m.

  • 2–14 N·m
Premium£126.99 per BikeRadar
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you only tighten stem bolts: the Park ATD-1.2 costs less.

  • BikeRadar lists it among its best adjustable wrenches
  • Covers more bolts than a 4–6 N·m driver
Our pick

Topeak JoeBlow Sport III

Cycling Weekly's best value floor pump.

  • Best value
Budget
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the most accurate gauge: look at the SKS Air-X-Plorer.

  • Cycling Weekly's best value pick
  • From its floor pump group test
Best budget

SKS Air-X-Press 8.0

Cycling Weekly's best budget floor pump.

  • Budget
Budget
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want a more accurate gauge: look at the Air-X-Plorer.

  • Cycling Weekly's best budget pick
  • A low-cost way into a proper floor pump
Most accurate

SKS Air-X-Plorer 10.0

Cycling Weekly's most accurate floor pump.

  • Accurate gauge
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you just want tyres hard enough: the accuracy won't matter.

  • Cycling Weekly's most accurate pump
  • Suits riders who set pressure carefully
Most secure

Lezyne Steel Floor Drive 3.5

Cycling Weekly's pick for the most secure valve connection.

  • Steel body
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the lightest pump: steel is heavier.

  • Cycling Weekly's most secure pick
  • Steel-bodied
lux ≠ lumens
The dark months

See the pothole before it sees you.

By November most rides finish in the dark.

2 picks · swipe
Our pick

Ravemen K1400

Cycling Weekly's best front light after testing 30+ lights.

  • Front light
Mid-range£79.99 RRP
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you only ride lit roads: a smaller light will do.

  • Enough output for unlit country roads
  • Remote and several modes
Best rear light

Magicshine SEEMEE 300

Cycling Weekly's best rear light.

  • Rear light
  • Daytime flash
Budget
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you need a front light: this one is rear only.

  • Cycling Weekly's best rear light
  • Bright daytime flash
km · W · bpm route climb
The cockpit

Know where you're going.

Navigation, power and structure on one screen.

6 picks · swipe
Our pick

Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT V2

BikeRadar calls it a brilliant little unit for riders who don't want a touchscreen.

  • No touchscreen
Mid-range£249.99 per BikeRadar
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want a big touchscreen: look at the Garmin Edge 840.

  • BikeRadar's author rates it highly
  • Buttons are easier in rain and gloves
Best value

Bryton Rider 650

BikeRadar's best value bike computer.

  • Value
Mid-range£139.99 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want top-end training features: Garmin goes further.

  • BikeRadar's best value pick
  • Costs well under the Garmin and Wahoo units
Touchscreen option

Garmin Edge 840

The model before the Edge 850, with touchscreen and buttons.

  • Touchscreen + buttons
Premium£449.99 per BikeRadar
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the newest Edge: this is the previous generation.

  • BikeRadar prices it at £449.99, or £519.99 for Solar
  • BikeRadar's author doesn't think Solar is worth the extra
Our pick

Favero Assioma PRO MX

BikeRadar's best overall power meter.

  • Pedal-based
  • Dual-sided
Premium
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you're on a tighter budget: the Assioma Duo is BikeRadar's best budget pick.

  • Measures both legs
  • Pedals move between bikes
Best crankset

Quarq DFour DUB

BikeRadar's best crankset power meter.

  • Crankset
Premium£549 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you swap between bikes: pedals are easier to move.

  • Fitted to the bike once
  • Doesn't move between bikes like pedals do
Best budget

Favero Assioma Duo

BikeRadar's best budget power meter.

  • Pedal-based
Premium£639 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the newer top model: the PRO MX is BikeRadar's best overall.

  • BikeRadar's best budget pick
  • Pedals move between bikes
g carbs / hour 1h2h3h4h
The fuel

Don't run on empty.

Gels and the numbers behind them.

5 picks · swipe
Our pick

Torq Gel

Cyclingnews' pick for most people in most situations.

  • 12-pack variety
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the most carbs per gel: look at the Beta Fuel.

  • Cyclingnews' pick for most people
  • A sensible default before you experiment
Easy on the gut

SiS Go Isotonic

Cyclingnews' pick for easy digestion.

  • Isotonic
Budget
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the most carbs per serving: look at the Beta Fuel.

  • Cyclingnews picks it for easy consumption and digestion
  • A sensible first gel
Max fuel

SiS Beta Fuel Gel

Cyclingnews' equal-best for fuel intake.

  • High carb
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you have a sensitive stomach: try an isotonic gel first.

  • Cyclingnews' equal-best for maximising fuel intake
  • Suits long, hard rides
Max fuel

Maurten Gel 100

Cyclingnews' equal-best for fuel intake, and it's priced like it.

  • 12-pack
Premium£32.4 per 12 as tested
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if you want the cheapest option: Cyclingnews says homemade gel is the most cost-effective.

  • Cyclingnews' equal-best for maximising fuel intake
  • Also its pick for fuel with electrolytes
Most flavours

GU Energy Gel

Cyclingnews' pick for flavour choice.

  • 24-pack
Mid-range
Check price on Amazon
Who should skip it

Skip if flavour doesn't matter to you: choose on carbs and digestion.

  • Cyclingnews' pick for flavour choice
  • Helps if you get bored of one taste
Try it

Two quick tools.

Trainer finder · 2 questions

What are you happy to spend?

Indoor heat load

How much heat are you making?

200 W
709W of heat to lose
1.0L/h of sweat if evaporation did it all
heat ≈ P × (1/η − 1), η ≈ 22%

The body turns only about a fifth of its energy into work at the pedals. The rest is heat, which outdoors the wind carries away. Indoors, a fan is doing that job.

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