Gear Break: 2025 Gift Guide #3 – Pas Normal Mechanism L/S Jersey, Wahoo TRACKR, Factor ONE, Lezyne Gift Guide

Gift Guide #3 is here…and again we are bringing you more options to stuff your stockings, and in one case fulfill your sugar plum dreams of n+1. Leading out, We’ve got a review of the current season Pas Normal Studios Mechanism Long Sleeve thermal jersey, and it’s good. Chuck reviews the new Wahoo TRACKR. Also, Factor dropped the ONE, their new aero bike, and it’s….something. Check it out. Last, we have the Lezyne Holiday gift guide, we’ve selected six products to get you started, but we recommend you peruse the whole list. Lots of links. Oh, and as a special treat, we’ve got Rich’s new video from Stage 9 of this year’s Giro for you at the bottom.

Pas Normal Studios Mechanism L/S Jersey – $255.00
Warmth without bulk

Pas Normal sez: The Mechansim Long Sleeve Jersey is suitable for layering or as a standalone jersey. All through the seasons. The Mechanism Long Sleeve Jersey exhibits the Pas Normal Studios mentality of seamlessly combining visual aesthetics with quality, technical apparel. The soft fleece-backed fabric makes the Mechanism Long Sleeve Jersey perfect for both high-intensity training and racing. Use it as a standalone outer layer on chill mornings or late afternoons. Or pair it with a heavier base layer and a gilet or jacket when the temperature drops.

Andy sez: This jersey delivers warmth without bulk. Per Pas Normal Studios, this jersey should be right from 32°F (0°C) up to 68°F (20°C). I never tested it at the top end of that range, but from the bottom to 55°F (13°C) it just works. I’ve worn it on training rides and while racing. I raced in it at just above freezing, and trained just to the edge of cool. I remained comfortable across the full range of temps I used it. This versatility and usability across this wide of temperature range is quite rare. This is arguably one of the best insulated jersey’s I’ve ever worn.

Up front

This is a straightforward piece of kit. The material is very stretchy, with a soft, brushed fleece lining. PNS state the fabric is antimicrobial and hydrophilic. Judging by the lack of stink after wearing it and that I never felt damp even after hard efforts on the “warmer” days, I’d tend to say that their claims are founded. The jersey utilizes a full-length, “semi-locking” zipper from YKK. It also has “zipper garages” at either end to protect your neck and bib-shorts from abrasion by the ends of the zipper.

I only wore the jersey once in “wet weather.” I put that in quotes because it was misting, not raining. Think Flanders in early spring or late fall. 7°C and air so wet that you are just wet, but it is not rain. The mist droplets collected on the surface and would bead up and run off, and the fabric didn absorb them. This is not truly wet weather kit, but in light mist, or en foggy conditions, you’ll stay dry enough to stay comfortable. Fortunately, the fabric has no bulk, and pulling a rain jacket on over it isn’t an issue.

The design cues are pure Pas Normal Studios. The color ways are subtle and simple. And the graphics are BOLD! The jersey sports a small logo on the left breast, and a massive logo across the back. This is signature PNS styling.

The backside

The back is equipped with three deep pockets. Initially I was skeptical about these, because the tops seemed quite high. I was worried that accessing these while on the bike—might exceed my shoulders’ ability to rotate (crashing bikes isn’t kind to shoulder range of motion). I could not have been more wrong. The same stretchy fabric that the body and sleeves is made of is used for the pockets, and they were incredibly easy to access, simply by hooking the edge and pulling. More importantly, they were easy to access while wearing gloves. And because of their depth and stretch, the pockets securely held their contents.

The bottom line

At $255, this is a not an inexpensive cold weather jersey. But, this jersey works for temps from freezing to arm warmers. Whereas, many premium cycle clothing brands offer cool- and cold-weather jerseys’ optimized for narrow temp ranges, meaning you may need two or three to cover that range. So, for the 2025 Gift Guide #3, I’m here to recommend this for your favorite cyclist who rides year ‘round. To see the full color range of this jersey, check out Pas Normal Studios.

Wahoo TRACKR Radar – $249.99
“Eyes in the back of  your head”

Wahoo sez: Meet TRACKR RADAR, an all-in-one tail light and radar built to keep you aware, visible, and in control. With real-time vehicle detection, adaptive lighting, and seamless integration with ELEMNT bike computers and the Wahoo App, it enhances your ride without adding distractions. Its sleek, road-ready design, long-lasting battery, and versatile mounting system ensure confidence in every mile. Stay alert, see what’s coming, and ride with total focus.

What you get: 1 – USB-C charging cord, 2 – Long mounting strap, 3 – TRACKR Radar, 4- seat post mount (with regular mounting strap and insert for round/aero seat post), 5 – wedge for D-shape seat post, 6 – wedge for flat seat post

Chuck sez:  For those of us who are old enough to remember, “What’s behind me is not important” is a famous line from the 1976 movie The Gumball Rally, spoken by the character Franco Bertollini, portrayed by Raul Julia. In the scene, Franco declares this as the “first rule of Italian driving” while dramatically ripping off the rearview mirror of his 1972 Ferrari Daytona and tossing it out of the car. It’s an iconic part of 70s pop culture.

But when riding your bike, what’s behind you, e.g., cars, is important. I’m an old school/old guy rider (plus I’m a former bike courier), so have largely relied on my ears and eyes to be aware of my surroundings. But I don’t have eyes in the back of my head and have been caught a little off guard on a few occasions by a passing car. The Wahoo TRACKR Radar is a welcome piece of technology as an additional layer of safety while riding.

What is the TRACKR?

The Wahoo TRACKR Radar is actually a 2-fer unit. First, it’s a rearview radar that detects vehicles approaching from behind. Wahoo claims that the TRACKR RADAR detects approaching vehicles up to 150 meters (164 yards) behind you, but I have no way to confirm the actual distance.

Second, it’s a tail light with four modes (toggled by tapping the power button on top of the unit):

Save the High Flash setting for when you’re riding solo to save the rider behind you from being — as Bruce Springsteen aka “the Boss” sang— blinded by the light. On smaller group rides, my experience is that Low Flash isn’t too distracting but eye catching enough to help be seen. On larger group rides, I opt for Low Steady as there’s a “safety in numbers” effect with larger groups.

Left: Power button on top. Right: USB-C port on bottom.

Setting it up

To get the TRACKR Radar set up, you need to download the Wahoo app (if you don’t already have it) and pair the TRACKR Radar with the app (you’ll also want to update the firmware before you use the TRACKR Radar). Complete instructions here.

You’ll also need to pair the TRACKR Radar with your bike computer. If you’re using a Wahoo ELEMNT bike computer, that should be pretty easy-peasy via the app (I paired the TRACKR Radar to my wife’s ELEMNT Bolt 3. If you’re using a different bike computer, here’s what Wahoo says:

• TRACKR RADAR is compatible with devices that support the ANT+ Radar standard.  These include GPS cycling computers and a limited number of sport watches.
• The TRACKR RADAR will pair and function similarly to the experience described with compatible Wahoo ELEMNT Computers. How vehicle location and alerts appear/sound on a third party device is dependent the settings/feature implementation of the ANT+ Radar standard of the respective computer or sport watch.

I’m not going to walk through everything involved with pairing and set up, but will share some screen shots to give you an idea what’s involved. It follows an intuitive pairing procedure not unlike pairing and setting up other devices in the Wahoo ecosystem.

Pairing to the Wahoo app

Updating the firmware

Pairing the TRACKR Radar to my wife’s ELEMNT Bolt 3 was done on the Bolt itself. Which is also where you adjust the settings of the TRACKR Radar.

Pairing to my wife’s ELEMNT Bolt 3

Adjust the TRACKR Radar settings on the ELEMNT Bolt

NOTE: Wahoo has different instructions for using the TRACKR Radar with its different ELEMNT bike computers:

• • • Gen 3 ELEMNT
    • Gen 2 ELEMNT
    • Gen 1 ELEMNT

TRACKR on the road

Riding with the TRACKR Radar is pretty easy/straightforward.

• A lane icon will be displayed on the left side of the screen (you can change it to the right if you ride in a part of the world where people drive on the wrong side of the road)
• • • The lane icon will be green if there are no cars behind you
• When a car is detected, the lane changes color from green to orange or red, depending on the speed the vehicle is approaching (and shows a car in the lane)
• There will also be an audible alert (these can actually be annoying if you’re riding in an area witha lot of cars and Iturn it off)
• Additionally, when TRACKR Radar detects an approaching vehicle, it changes the flash pattern and increases the brightness of the rear light (this feature is controlled in the Wahoo app) to help make you more visible/noticeable

BTW, a cool feature of the TRACKR Radar is that it’s also brake light. It has an accelerometer to sense deceleration and the the rear light brightness increases when you slow down (another feature controlled by the app).

All clear and ready to ride! (Sorry, but I don’t have any pics of the TRACKR Radar in action.)

Increased Situational Awareness

It’s important to note that the TRACKR Radar is NOT (repeat … NOT) a substitute for using your eyes, ears, and brain to be aware of your surroundings. It’s meant to be a supplement. And as a piece of technology, it’s susceptible to false signals:

• • • A false positive is when the TRACKR Radar indicates that there’s a car behind you/passing when there isn’t. At worst, these are annoying and IMHO not a cause for alarm.
    • A false negative is when the TRACKR RADAR doesn’t indicate that there’s a car behind you/passing when there is one. These can be can be dangerous and are another reason why you shouldn’t completely rely on the TRACKR Radar to be aware of your surroundings.
    • NOTE: You’re going to experience both of the above. Wahoo doesn’t provide any data for false positive or false negative rates. All I can tell you is that in my initial riding with the TRACKR Radar I didn’t have a whole lot (as you can count on less than one hand) of either.

The TRACKR Radar uses a quarter-turn mount, but Wahoo’s is different than Garmin’s (other companies that make TRACKR Radar-compatible mounts are Framesandgear and KOM Cycling)

On my wife’s bike

The bottom line

Riding a road bike means sharing roads with cars, which means there’s always a level of risk you have to accept. You can never reduce your riding risk to zero (unless, of course, you decide not to ride). But it’s prudent to do everything you reasonably can to lower/minimize it. The Wahoo TRACKR Radar is a piece of tech that helps increase your margin of safety. It won’t protect you from a distracted driver engrossed in their cell phone. It also won’t protect you from an irate driver who believes you shouldn’t be on their road and has made it their personal mission to run you off. But, for those of us who don’t have eyes in the back of our heads, it’s an additional layer of awareness to help keep us as safe as possible while sharing the roads with cars.

Factor ONE
Redefining the “World’s Fastest”

Factor Bikes is a boutique manufacturer known for its obsessive approach to carbon and aerodynamics. On brand, they have revealed their most extreme road racing machine yet: the all-new Factor ONE. Just in time for Christmas, Factor have dropped a bike that they state, without any hint of shyness, was engineered from the outset to be the World’s Fastest Road Bike.

Graham Shrive, Factor chief engineer, Sez: “The aerodynamics of the one are the first thing that jump out at people. It is clearly fast. But, the design wasn’t one light bulb moment. Instead, it was the result of the cumulative experience of our design and engineering team, as well as its implementation on the factory floor.”

That said, the Factor ONE is in a word—unique. The front end will surely start conversations in the peloton and at the coffee shop. It will also likely generate strong opinions. Let’s dive in…

The Genesis: Lead-Out Speed

The impetus for the ONE came from a specific racing need: former professional Alex Dowsett’s request for a “lead-out bike”—a hyper-aerodynamic machine capable of sustaining high speeds for the final, critical 200–300 meters of a sprint finish. To achieve this, Factor’s R&D team abandoned the constraints of traditional design, leaning heavily into relaxed UCI rules. They worked closely with the governing body to maximize aero gains, resulting in a radical design that reset the wind tunnel baseline previously held by their own ultra-fast OSTRO VAM.

The Aero Breakthrough: Bayonet & The Chin

The most visually and technically striking feature is the innovative front end, which features a Wide Stance Fork integrated with a forward-projected structure Factor calls the “Chin” Fairing. And, Pez fans, let’s be honest, this design feature while being visually distinctive and unique, will no doubt also be the most divisive. Most of us will end up in one of two camps: love it, or hate it.

• Dictating Airflow: This system is not just about slicing the air; it actively manages the turbulent “spillover” drag created when airflow detaches from the front tire and crown area. Wind tunnel data shows this Bayonet Fork + Chin system yields the lowest drag and maintains stable performance deep into crosswind yaw angles (beyond 15°) where competitors’ bikes fall apart.
• The Sensation of Speed: Riders, including Dauphiné stage winner Jake Stewart, report a distinct “lift” sensation once the bike hits speeds at and above 50 kph, directly linked to the tunnel-verified drop in drag at high yaw.

Focused Geometry for Modern Racers

Modern pro riding positions employ narrower bars, forward saddles, and shorter cranks, which require aggressively shifting weight forward. Factor meticulously balanced the ONE’s geometry to ensure predictable handling. By employing a fully integrated cockpit that removes the traditional stem, Factor achieved extreme reach while preserving steering stability.

• Integrated Barstem: The cockpit system uses an Integrated Barstem that comes in five “size codes” (1 through 5) corresponding to equivalent stem lengths from 110mm up to 150mm.
• Custom Fit: Riders can choose between a Low Bar (standard aggressive position) or a High Bar (offering a 20mm rise to mimic the hand position of an OSTRO VAM), allowing for a total shifter stack height range of 35mm with available spacers.

Specs and Builds

The Factor ONE uses a premium blend of TeXtreme®, Toray®, and Nippon Graphite® Pitch-Based Fiber.

• Brakes: Disc-only (Max Rotor Size 160mm F&R).
• BB Standard: T47A with CeramicSpeed bearings.
• Tire Clearance: Optimized for aerodynamics up to a healthy 34mm (Measured) tire width.
• Accessories: Includes Black Inc Aero Integrated Bottle Cages and Computer mount.

The Factor ONE is available now in a wide variety of complete builds. The Premium Package (frameset) starts at $7,599.00, with full builds running up to $14,499.00 for the Campagnolo Super Record option. Check out the full build lineup at Factor Bikes.

Lezyne Gift Guide
Holiday Haul

If you’re in a pinch and can’t figure out the perfect gift for the discerning cyclist, Lezyne has a host of beautifully engineered gear sure to please. We’ve picked six standouts from their Holiday Gift Guide that are sure to please any rider, from the daily commuter to the committed racer.

Gift Guide Selection: 6 Essential Lezyne Items

The bottom line

This is just 6 ideas from a wide selection of quality lighting, inflation, and other bike accessories. Please head over to Lezyne to see their curated Holiday Gift Guide, or their entire range.

Don’t forget to check out the PEZ Youtube channel for more gear and videos:

We hope you like the ideas we’ve provided here in Gift Guide #3. There is a lot to choose from. Wee will be back next week for the last Gift Guide before Christmas. As always, check with the manufacturers and brands for the most up to date info on any of these products.

The post Gear Break: 2025 Gift Guide #3 – Pas Normal Mechanism L/S Jersey, Wahoo TRACKR, Factor ONE, Lezyne Gift Guide appeared first on PezCycling News.