Passion Brands & Gear

SRAM Rival vs Force vs Red AXS E1: Shifting Gears with Pedal Passion

Rival AXS is the accessible option, Force AXS occupies the performance sweet spot, and Red AXS strips away weight while adding flagship materials, adjustment and component choices. More expensive equipment... Read more...

Cockpit Guide (2026 Season Update): Kreuza Apex, Cannondale SystemBar, ENVE and BLKTEC Compared

An integrated cockpit can change a bike almost as dramatically as a new wheelset. Handlebar width affects aerodynamics and shoulder comfort, stem length influences reach and steering response, while flare,... Read more...

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Gen 5: One of the Best All-Round Road Race Bikes You Can Buy

The modern high-performance road bike is expected to do almost everything. It must be light enough for steep climbs, aerodynamically efficient on fast roads, stable when descending, responsive during accelerations... Read more...

A Guide to Our Own Wheelset Selection: 6 Brands to cover Most Needs for Your Dream Build

Wheels influence acceleration, aerodynamic drag, crosswind behaviour, cornering confidence, tyre shape, comfort and long-term service costs. They can change the personality of a bike more dramatically than almost any other... Read more...

TIME NXR Review: Traditional Carbon Craftsmanship for the Modern Road Rider

The NXR makes the most sense for someone prioritising ride quality, construction integrity, balanced handling and long-term emotional appeal. Read more...

The Right Frameset for a Custom Dream Build: Evolve, Cannondale, ENVE, INCOLOR, TIME or Wilier?

An Evolve CIMA build can outperform a costlier bike through lower weight and better components. A standard SuperSix EVO can be more useful than a flagship specialist frame because it... Read more...

Wilier Rapida Honest Review: Italian Style, Modern Versatility, Entry Price

Its NACA-inspired carbon frame, integrated cockpit, hidden hoses, aerodynamic seatpost and 36 mm tyre clearance create a modern and unusually complete platform. The geometry should suit riders who want race-bike... Read more...

New Elitewheels Drive SL Hubs: As good as State-of-the-Art TACTICs?

Well, no... however Drive SL demonstrates how features once associated almost exclusively with boutique hubs are moving into far more accessible complete wheelsets. Read more...

Elitewheels Drive G50 CS Review: Superlight Gravel Race Wheels at a Disruptive Price

Riders no longer need to chose between local dealer support (Reserve, Zipp or DT Swiss) or taking the risk with limited direct-to-consumer support and a shorter warranty. Pedal Passion is an... Read more...

Shimano GRX Di2 vs SRAM Rival and Force XPLR AXS: Which Gravel Groupset Is Best for a Custom Build?

All three are high-quality gravel groupsets, but they suit different bikes and riders. GRX Di2 offers the broadest configuration choice and the fewest frame restrictions. SRAM XPLR provides an especially... Read more...

Wilier Filante SLR ID2: Italian Aero Gets a WorldTour Reboot

Wilier’s Filante SLR ID2 refines the brand’s flagship aero platform with integrated bottle aerodynamics, rider-system testing and WorldTour development. It is not the cheapest, but is beautiful and unapologetically fast. Read more...

BLKTEC L8: The 245 g Integrated Cockpit for Serious Weight Weenies

BLKTEC’s L8 integrated cockpit claims a market-leading 245 g weight while offering full internal routing and modern narrow-bar dimensions. It is impressive, but fit and compatibility matter more than grams. Read more...

Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS: Wet-Grip Confidence With Race-Day Speed

Pirelli’s P Zero Race TLR RS is its fastest current tubeless road-race tyre, combining SmartEvo 2 compound, SpeedCore casing and excellent wet-weather grip—useful qualities in storm-prone Brisbane. Read more...

Continental Aero 111: The Front Tyre That Goes Looking for Free Speed

Continental’s Aero 111 brings aerodynamic thinking to the tyre itself, using vortex-generating tread cavities developed with DT Swiss and Swiss Side. It is expensive, clever and genuinely relevant to windy... Read more...

ERE Research: Lifetime warranty, a 30-day trial and UCI approval at this price?

ERE Research was founded in 2017 by Dutch product developer and former elite racer Piet van der Velde, with its first products arriving in 2018. The company describes its identity... Read more...

Elitewheels Drive II: The Reliable Carbon Wheelset Gets Sharper

Elitewheels’ Drive II builds on the brand’s direct-to-consumer success with wider rims, carbon spokes and revised hubs. For Brisbane racers and bunch riders, it may be one of the strongest... Read more...

TIME Scylon Gen 2: European Carbon Craft Meets Modern Aero Racing

TIME’s Scylon Gen 2 brings the French-born brand’s braided carbon and resin-transfer moulding heritage into a modern aero-road platform, offering a distinctive alternative to mass-produced superbikes. Read more...

Bikone DCTech Ceramic: Quiet Watts for Riders Who Hate Creaks

Bikone has become one of the more interesting names in high-performance bottom brackets, blending Spanish engineering, Fersa bearing expertise and WorldTour validation. Its DCTech ceramic range targets riders who want... Read more...

ENVE keeps its premium aura while widening access via Foundation AR40 (2026)

Buyers value US‑made rims, warranty support, and real‑world aero focus. Melee earned reviews for combining race speed with usability (mudguard mounts, 35 mm clearance). The new AR40 is seen as a... Read more...

Evolve CIMA: Lightweight Climbing Frame Arrives With Intent

Evolve’s CIMA frameset is a 650–680 g road platform from a young Chinese brand linked to Elitewheels and Cybrei. Early reviews suggest this is not just another open-mould curiosity. Read more...

Karoo (Gen 3): For riders who prioritise screen and UX, Karoo is a joy

Karoo 3 (Hammerhead markets it as simply “Karoo”)—arrived in May 2024 with brighter screen, louder alerts, multi‑band GNSS, bigger battery (≈15 h max), 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage, and a faster 2 GHz processor.... Read more...

Look Keo Blade: Carbon blade in place of a coil spring, prioritising low weight, aero profile

Keo Blade offers a secure, broad platform with low mass—ideal for repeated accelerations and sprint efforts in our heat and humidity. If you’re chasing grams and love premium hardware, Keo... Read more...

New SRAM RED AXS: A polished refinement that improves control and comfort

In May 2024 SRAM released the newest RED AXS generation, updating ergonomics, braking, weight and integration with Hammerhead’s Karoo head unit—a refinement of its flagship rather than a ground‑up redesign.... Read more...

Ceramicspeed OSPW RS / RS Alpha: Low‑friction + bling upgrade with debris protection

CeramicSpeed distinguishes via bearing quality, ADR sealing and ALPHA Disc architecture. For Brisbane’s gritty summer showers, ADR and a closed‑disc pulley make practical sense if you’re already chasing marginal gains.... Read more...

GRX Di2 RX825: Better shifting and braking, integrated connectivity and friendlier setup than older Di2

In June 2025, Shimano unveiled XTR Di2 M9200 for MTB—its first fully wireless electronic XTR, along with new brakes and wheels—signalling that, at least off‑road, Shimano is now meeting SRAM’s... Read more...

Carbon‑Ti X‑CarboRing wins the lightweight + premium ramping contest for 2× chainrings

If you’re aiming for a featherweight bike, X‑CarboRing (EVO/X‑AXS) delivers noticeable weight savingswith confident shifting when matched correctly. Read more...

ARC 2025 wheels as wider, lighter (per depth), and more aero, with 55/65/85 mm options

If you want hassle‑free speed with easy parts support, DT remains a top pick: ERC 1100 for rougher roads and crosswinds; ARC 55/65 if you chase watt‑saving on long, flat... Read more...

Hydra2 ticks the boxes! Higher POE, reliability‑oriented internals, and lower drag

Quick Brand Overview Asheville‑built Industry Nine is famous for high‑engagement pawl hubs, vibrant anodizing, and in‑house wheels. The landmark Hydrahub (2019) delivered 690 POE / 0.52°, later superseded by Hydra2... Read more...