In the Drops: A fast Conti tyre, faster Rule28 kit, Poc’s new Cytal helmet and the Columbia Arctic Crest jacket

There isn’t anything I can say about that Tadej Pogačar chap that hasn’t already been said in the wake of his astounding World Championships Road Race victory last week, but I’m paid to write about cycling, so I’ll add my two penneth. Only he could make a 100km solo break entertaining. I don’t think even he knew whether it was a genius move or a huge mistake until reasonably close to the finish, so for most of those watching I’d bet it was the most exciting 100km individual time-trial they’ve ever seen.

Reflecting on this year’s vintage edition, our content this week has been WC-heavy, with many a pro bike check done by Cyclist web editor Will Strickson. Check out his ones on Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs, Remco Evenepoel’s gold Specialized Tarmac and Kristen Faulkner’s spangly Cannondale SuperSix Evo.

Staff writer and pro-cycling aficionado Ewan Wilson got in on the World Champs act too, publishing photo galleries of the men’s and women’s road races respectively, as well as ranking the last ten Championships and posing the valid question of what Pogačar really has left to win.

Tech-wise, we’ve made up for a lack of quantity with a abundance of quality, publishing reviews of Giant’s latest TCR and Condor’s new Leggero, as well as the latest edition of In the Drops, of course. Read on to find out more about the latest kit to arrive with Cyclist.

Poc Cytal Carbon helmet

From its first Octal to the more recent Procen Air and now the Cytal Carbon, Poc has never been afraid to shy away from launching original helmet designs, provided that distinctive design language serves a performance purpose. The notable feature in the Cytal’s case is the carbon ‘wing’ that helps to form the upper part of the shell.

‘It’s made in Italy and contributes to a number of the Cytal’s performance attributes,’ says Oscar Huss, Poc’s chief product officer.

The wing, spanning laterally across the top of the shell as it does, is a fairly faithful aerofoil in profile, with its size and angle developed to work with the vents in the rest of the shell to take in and guide air over and through the helmet. Huss says the design has been validated in the wind-tunnel, claiming the Cytal is Poc’s fastest vented helmet to date.

This air management has a secondary benefit of improved ventilation, as the shape of the wing causes the air underneath it to speed up – a phenomenon known as the Venturi effect – quickening the flow across the rider’s head.

The wing is also said to help in the safety stakes, as the carbon is formed around a new core material called Koridion.

‘Koridion is a foam that becomes structurally part of the carbon composite itself post-production, improving its integrity,’ says Huss.

Poc says the reinforced wing better distributes impact forces across the helmet, rather than absorbing them in one particular area. Independent safety testing facility, Virginia Tech, seems to agree the design has merit, as it has recently awarded the Cytal Carbon top marks.

Continental Aero 111 tyre

Despite its narrow width, as the first part of the bike to meet the wind the front tyre has an outsized impact on how air begins to flow over the rest of the bike-rider system.

Continental, in partnership with DT Swiss and aerodynamicist SwissSide, has attempted to harness the aerodynamic potential of the front tyre by producing the Aero 111.

It is similar to Conti’s popular GP5000 S TR tyre in construction, but uses 48 cavities set within the tread. SwissSide says these notches trip the airflow, producing a turbulent boundary layer of air across the rim.

Using the tyre to control where this transition occurs is said to allow the air to stick for longer, decreasing its wake and therefore drag.

As the partnership alludes to, the tyres were designed using DT Swiss wheels, and at 45km SwissSide says testing shows up to an 18 watt advantage at wider wind angles with DT’s ARC 62 model. However, Continental says the tyre stands to provide an edge for all wheels.

• For more information on the Continental Aero 111 tyre, visit swissside.com

Columbia Arctic Crest Packable Down jacket

Just because the mercury is trending downwards that doesn’t mean you need to spend any less time riding outside. Admittedly, Columbia’s new Arctic Crest Down jacket isn’t primarily focussed on bike riding and can’t be all that aero, but more importantly for those riders on adventures out in the wild, Columbia promises the jacket to be exceptionally warm for its weight.

Plus, as bag space is always a factor when bikepacking, the Arctic Crest Down jacket apparently packs down very efficiently.

Columbia credits the jacket’s insulative properties to its ‘Omni-Heat Arctic’ fill. The brand says this system is inspired by arctic wildlife, such as the way polar bears use the hollow hairs of their fur to capture heat. According to Columbia, solar energy passes through the outer layer of the jacket and is captured by the insulation inside, where it is retained next to the body.

Sensibly, the face fabric of the garment has been treated so that it shields the insulation from any water and muck that might get kicked up from the muddy conditions that will undoubtedly come this winter.

Rule 28 kit: One Aero jersey, Ultra bib shorts, One Aero socks

Already known for making fast kit, Rule28’s founder Sam Calder says the brand’s latest road outfit hoovers up even more efficiency gains that normal kit makers leave on the table due to inexperience or expense.

‘The One Aero jersey and socks use completely new fabrics typically only seen at the top of the sport,’ he says. ‘Most of our rivals don’t use them in stock kit because their margins would be too low.’

As a result, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that a Rule28 outfit stands to save the rider more than 20 watts at 40kmh, thanks to the careful deployment of fabrics with features such as textured valleys to trip the airflow in the right places, and other materials with low surface friction so that the air continues to flow smoothly elsewhere.

While, the new jersey and socks meld together a complex array of fabrics, simplicity is the name of the game in the Ultra bib shorts, however.

‘There are no gimmicks; everything is there for a purpose,’ says Calder. ‘Paired with Elastic Interface’s best road chamois, we’ve used one fabric throughout with as few seams as possible, and laser-cut the panels for a really clean finish.

‘We’ve used a compression fabric that has been shown to aid power production in Zone 2, as well as help to reduce muscle fatigue. Plus it keeps the shorts in place without grippers. We’ve kept things as minimal as possible in the Ultras and I think they are all the better for it.’

• For more information on Rule28's kit, visit rule28.com