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It’s time for our (rather belated) February edition of road.cc Recommends, and six great products have made the cut this time, including one that earned a hallowed 10/10 score. We have a feathery 100g saddle, two bikes from Merida, a powerhouse helmet light and cycling jackets that have earned impressive reviews.
Here is the full list of February’s picks, each of them highlighted further down the page:
Rapha Men’s Core Rain Jacket
Rapha’s Core Rain Jacket is now in its third generation and has long been a reliable choice. This latest version brings some useful updates, most notably the switch to a new Pertex Shield fabric that’s designed to be both waterproof and breathable.
In use, the jacket lives up to its breathability claims, and while Rapha doesn’t publish a hydrostatic head rating for the fabric, it proved impressively waterproof, keeping our reviewer dry in everything from wintry mist that dampens you to the bones to catastrophic downpours.
“There is very little to dislike here and Rapha has made an almost perfect rain jacket with a perfect price tag”, said reviewer Henry Winchester. “Definitely the Return of the King of cycling jackets”.
Read our review of the Rapha Men’s Core Rain Jacket
Exposure Zenith 4
Buy from Tweeks Cycles for £252
The biggest benefit of a helmet light (when used with a decent bar-mounted light) is when cornering, and the Zenith 4 is the largest and most powerful helmet-compatible light in the Exposure Lights line-up. It boasts a maximum output of 2,360 Lumens and shares the same aesthetic as both of its other helmet models.
Hidden inside is a 6,000 mAh Li-ion battery capable of belting out the full lumen count for one hour, or on its lowest setting, 36 hours, with various settings in between to tune the burn time and lumen brightness to suit your riding.
“I love the Zenith for its build quality and performance”, says reviewer James Blackwell, “but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, it’s worth looking at other models in USE Exposures’ lineup”.
Read our review of the Exposure Zenith 4
Merida Crossway L 300
The Merida Crossway 300L is a step-through version of the Crossway 300, which we reviewed in 2023. The key differences are a change in geometry to include a step-through frame, 40mm rather than 45mm tyres, and an alternate saddle (the Merida Cross Sport).
It’s a versatile hybrid designed to handle everything from weekday commutes to relaxed weekend rides in the countryside. It offers a straightforward, fuss-free ride, and is one of the few step-through hybrids with suspension.
The Crossway 300L has a wide gear range that set it apart from many of its rivals, featuring a double chainring with an 11-39T Shimano LG300 cassette and 2×10 gearing courtesy of the Shimano Cues.
Read our review of the Merida Crossway L 300
Berk Lupina Short Saddle
Buy from Sigma Sports for £299
Berk is a small Slovenian brand known for its lightweight componentry, with its products tested for many years by the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Matej Mohorič. Some will scoff at paying nearly three-hundred sheets for a saddle, but this Lupina Short 144 is far from the most expensive we’ve ever reviewed here at road.cc.
The Lupina Short 144 saddle is one for the weight weenies, and is the short nose version of Berk’s Lupina saddle built entirely from carbon fibre and featuring a central cut-out designed to relieve perineal pressure.
Reviewer Stu Kerton says, “On the whole this is a stunning saddle and it is now located at the top of my ‘best of’ list alongside that early SLR and my current fave workhorse, the catchily named Selle Italia SLR Boost 3D Kit Carbino Superflow”.
Read our review of the Berk Lupina Short Saddle
Merida Silex 8000
Buy from Triton Cycles for £3,199
The second Merida bike in this round-up is the Silex 8000 which uses geometry cues from the mountain bike world spliced with the low weight and drop bar of the road bike to create a capable, easy to ride gravel bike.
The MTB style geometry is most evident in the slackness of the head angle. It means the handling is pretty much neutral which makes the Silex an easy and predictable bike to ride. It also has a long top tube and therefore increased reach compared to road race inspired gravel bikes, but a shorter stem keeps the handlebar position in check.
The 8000 sits near the top end of the Silex range, so that means you get a carbon fibre frame, tyre clearance is capped at 45mm on a 700c wheel, and the 2025 edition we reviewed had a 2x Shimano GRX Di2 groupset.
Read our review of the Merida Silex 8000
Q36.5 Dottore Que Hybrid Long Sleeve Jacket
While the design may not be to everyone’s taste, the Q36.5 Dottore Que Hybrid Long Sleeve Jacket earned a perfect 10/10 score in our review. It is very expensive, but it makes a strong case for every penny.
The pattern is inspired by the iconic 1970s Porsche ‘Pasha’ fabric, and reviewer Sam Smith says, “Premium, yes. Bold, absolutely. But also one of the finest spring/autumn jerseys I have worn”.
Sitting somewhere between a lightweight jersey and a winter jacket, it fulfils that brief impressively well. The result is a garment that blends impressive warmth, exceptional breathability, refined anatomical tailoring, and a genuinely unique style.
Read our review of the Q36.5 Dottore Que Hybrid Long Sleeve Jacket
To see the full archive of products that have been awarded road.cc Recommends badges over the years, head over to the road.cc Recommends section.