Let’s do it. Another year of great gear and my 2024 Editor’s Choice Awards to wrap up the best of the best.
This year again felt like it flew by. That’s partly because I took on more and more of our Euro and mountain bike workload and partly just that there was a fresh flow of great new bikes to test. Plus, I headed out to the tech pits of more bike races this year – from our home Czech CX Worlds to new Enduro & DH World Cups in Poland, to the local XC World Cup, some Gravel World Series racing, and even gravel & road stages of the Tour de France. There was tons of new tech to cover across every discipline, even some really interesting new ebike development.
I’ll admit the ever-growing price of top-end bikes is a bit disheartening to me. But at the same time, several (but not all) of my favorites of the year tended a lot more toward the more affordable end of the spectrum.
With that in mind, l’ll just dive into my Editor’s Choice round-up of the best new gear that I actually tested first-hand this year. Plus, I’ll also have a few solid Honorable Mentions for some promising new things that I simply haven’t gotten enough time to ride just yet…
About Cory
Another year, another quick refresher on who I – a bike tech nerd & technical off-road rider – am, and why my picks might matter to you. For over 30 years, mountain bikes have been my go-to tool for fun with friends, fitness, racing, and just solo exploration. I’ve also been a designer & maker of all things big & small for even longer. I’ll ride anything with two wheels, but am really partial to getting myself and my bikes dirty. But riding, every category, means I might have the most year-end picks of our whole crew, too.
Anyway, if I had to think hard about it, I could probably say I managed to put every bike I rode this year onto at least a bit of dirt, even those lightest, fanciest aero road bikes. So even though I appreciate a bit of old-school retro tech, I’m really happy that we’ve got powerful disc brakes and fat tubeless tires on all types of bikes these days.
Riding (& testing) bikes isn’t always easy
Interestingly (at least to me), I’ve crashed more on mountain bikes this year than in probably the last 5 years combined. But I know exactly why. A few big mountain bike innovations that I dove head-on into testing this year have meant me pushing much harder and faster on some of the gnarliest terrain I’ve ever ridden. And sometimes I’ve ended up on the ground unexpectedly (or well, it was most often to be expected). But a step up in rideable protection this year has meant I walked away relatively unscathed from all but one of these ‘incidents’. And even that one, I rode away from, but was sore for quite a while. But what sticks with me is that bike tech progression helped me push myself further this year (more or less safely), and that’s something I can look back on favorably as the year ends.
Riding bikes can be hard – whether we do it for work or for fun, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Best Experience
Editor’s Choice: Stupid Adventure Rides with Friends
Does it get any better than a best friend that convinces you and a bunch of other like-minded idiots to go ride somewhere silly on bikes, maybe on ones not well-suited for the type of terrain at hand, or in weather that is dubious at best, maybe bordering on dangerous at worst? I can’t think of anything better. And I’ve got one of those great friends. This year we didn’t ride together as much as we usually do. But we made up for the number of rides with quality & action-packed adventure for his one birthday ride. We started soon after sunrise in freezing fog, climbed a huge mountain with a ludicrous hike-a-bike in the middle, and finished long after dark, hours later than we planned.
Even with the no-drop pace, attrition was high, losing about 1/3 of our group along the way (don’t worry we planned a few bail-out spots where other friends would safely pick up the stragglers). But fun was had by all, no one died, and we emptied a keg in the evening.
★★★★★: 5 stars. No notes.
Editor’s Choice: A Family Trip to Saalfelden Leogang’s Big Mountain Bikepark
Now for something a little less extreme. Leogang is probably best known among mountain bikers around the world for its World Cup DH track. But the bikepark itself has a lot more to offer. Think massive jump lines, multiple downhill tracks, a few levels of groomed park flow trail, and some killer new natural-feeling enduro lines.
And with something like a dozen possible uplifts on adjacent mountains accessible with a single lift pass, there literally are all sorts of trails available for mountain bike riders of all ages and all skill levels. Within the short span of just a long weekend, I watched my wife jump into an airbag for her first time ever, descend crazy steep mud-slicked singletrack, ride long (but safely wide enough) twisting north shore-style bridges, and then flow along an alpine ridge trail above tree line with my teen & pre-teen kids. Not to mention slowly riding the Speedster DH track, taking about 5x as much time to get down the hill as Vali Höll.
★★★★★: 5 stars. Stay on the Leogang side, but don’t forget to cross over to Saalbach & Hintergelmm, too.
(OK, that’s the end of my star ratings. Back to lots of words… and effectively several condensed reviews!)
Mountain Bikes
Editor’s Choice – Long-travel: Scott Ransom
This new Scott Ransom is more versatile than any long-travel mountain bike that I’ve ever ridden. I could leave it at that.
Debuted last February, this is 170mm of plush 6-bar travel out back paired as stock with 170mm up front. I first rode this bike at the tail end of 2023 ahead of its release, but was so intrigued by how it felt and how its unique rear shock remote worked that I had to have one.
My own personal Scott Ransom build is at once over the top, with 180mm of Formula Belva travel up front and ultra-premium Trickstuff brakes, but balanced with a low-cost MicroShift drivetrain and either carbon DT or alloy Hunt all-mountain wheels. This ultra-capable freeride shredder legitimately looks like a DH bike how I’ve set it up. But I’m 100% OK with pedaling it up and down the mountain all day. And that essentially comes down to two features – a smartly designed shock with remotely controlled air volume & compression damping, plus an all-new 6-bar suspension layout.
That new suspension design and slack but not-too-long geometry certainly does the trick. But, sitting just above the dropper remote, it’s that 3-position Trac-Loc remote-actuated shock that seals the deal. But remember, it’s not a lockout.
Freeride down, trail back up
Instead in the fully open Descend position, the shock has access to the full volume of the large air canister. Then, in the second Ramp Control position on the remote lever, a portion of the air can is simply cut off, effectively reducing total air volume and giving the same effect as having added several volume spaces to the shock. The final Climb position where you would expect to find a lockout is actually the Trail mode you might find on a traditional XC 3-position lockout. There, suspension travel is reduced to 140mm and compression damping ramps up, so you get a firmer ride with a more stable platform and more efficient pedaling.
The result is a bike that transforms from fully open plushness to Descend the gnarliest tracks at high speed, then a Ramp-ed up suspension mode for hitting jump lines or smoother trail with a poppy & playful feel, and lastly a still active but controlled mode to Climb back up any hill just like you were on a mid-travel trail bike. It literally transforms 1 bike into 3 – from Freeride to All-Mountain to Trail at the push of a button. Yes, I want this function on every long-travel enduro bike I ride going forward!
Editor’s Choice – Shorter travel: Canyon Spectral KIS
The kiss of death, but in a good way, I promise.
Onto a shorter travel bike because not everyone really wants to go full freeride…
My other big Editor’s Choice for mountain bikes this year was another innovator – the Canyon Spectral KIS. What’s unique here is Canyon took their all-mountain bike – bordering on light enduro, and they shortened travel to differentiate it as more of a trail bike – dialed back to 140mm out back, 150 up front. Then, they added their unique KIS steering stabilizer tech, developed with Syntace. Basically, a lightweight & adjustable spring inside the top tube self-centers your bars (it doesn’t slow inputs so it’s not technically a steering damper), gently straightening the front wheel when it’s knocked off-line by any obstacle in the trail. The self-centering force is higher at first, decreasing as you turn the bars, so it doesn’t make it harder to steer at all.
But it truly has a big, noticeable impact on how the bike handles.
Next-gen, softer KIS
This is the 4th KIS-equipped bike I’ve ridden in 2 years, and the most interesting from a real all-rounder mountain biker’s perspective. It may not be 100% the perfect bike for all riders, but almost every mountain biker could certainly benefit from it. What really stands out for me is how well it unobtrusively keeps the bike stable through the rougher sections of trail at speed, and how it loves to be tossed up into the air. Point it where you want to go into steep, loose, or slick trails… and as the front wheel hits obstacles along the way and starts to bounce off track, it just automatically points itself back where it’s supposed to be. I could jump into a pile of wet roots or loose rocks, and not really worry where the front wheel was going to land. It just quietly and intuitively instills confidence in tricky trail situations, as you ride along.
Keep It Stable
Now, along the lines of my previous talk about some extra minor crashing… this great bike kinda got familiarly nicknamed ‘the kiss of death’ this season. That’s because it actually requires you to rethink how you ride, at least at slower speeds. I often ride our demanding boulders & steeps with a trial-inspired slow techy style of riding, where I’ll stop & balance for a second to readjust & pick my ideal line, just before I drop into some steep chute or down a steep slab. But then sometimes as I drop in, the steering stabilizer will automatically straighten the bike out as I start to ride. More than once (with KIS set to its strongest setting), I’ve ended up off my desired line as the bike overcorrected – even once into a tree.
That sounds like a big downside, but really I suspect most mountain bikers won’t ride quite like I do. And even then, I’ve adapted my drop-in technique to account for it by now. The trick is if you have several trail bikes (or swap between test bikes as much as I do). The KIS system rewards rider who takes the time to rethink how they handle the bike to max out benefits from the system.
My full takeaway is that only people with a garage full of bikes should steer clear. Everyone else could really benefit from some KIS-assisted riding.
A great all-mountain bike, made better by KIS
The Spectral itself is already a great bike. Long, slack & stable enduro-ready geometry in a mid-travel 29er trail package, with internal frame storage and easy flip-chip swaps to a Mullet setup if you prefer a more playful ride. Add in the KIS steering stabilizer, and you really can throw this bike into the most technical trail sections at higher speeds than you are used to with the confidence of knowing that the bike is going to stabilize itself. It’s pretty impressive.
Gravel & Cross Bikes
Editor’s Choice: Equator Sensei
This affordable titanium Equator Sensei gravel bike is my latest go-to for pretty much any mixed-surface riding. With a mix of almost all-road geometry, still enough room for 47mm wide tires, and tons of mounts for everything from classic racks to modern bikepacking bags, it feels fast on hardpack and roads, but is still plenty stable and predictable when hitting loose gravel fast.
I’ve even put 50mm tires in it with a decent clearance, but it shines with fast-rolling 45s – like these all-new Schwalbe G-One RX tires I ride now.
And of course, it’s affordable titanium – with framesets from just 2440€ & complete Di2 bikes from 6350€. That means you get a classic forgiving ti ride, and a bike that’s likely going to last forever. Don’t worry about scratching the paint, dinging a tube, or it ever rusting.
This is a bike that just wants to go ride in any conditions, on any type of terrain, anywhere. And it will keep doing that for years to come.
Honorable Mention: CDuro Gravel prototype
This prototype is an obvious Honorable Mention because it’s not quite ready for the big time, so I haven’t had a chance to ride one. But I really love what CDuro is doing with its unique carbon construction. Instead of laying up individual plies or even simply filament winding tubes (which is how they start), CDuro uses a unique robot machine winding technique to loop carbon fibers from one tube across the joint to another tube.
This Integrated Loop Technology (ILT) takes automated carbon tube production to a new perfectly-repeatable level. And it results in a raw, sinew-like aesthetic that will surely be polarizing. But I dig that it unabashedly highlights the unique technical construction method, not hiding the joint or adding unnecessary filler.
I’m genuinely curious how this will evolve into a production bike in 2025, and look forward to getting a chance to ride one.
(All) Road Bikes
Editor’s Choice: Basso Venta R
A 100% made-in-Italy semi-aero, integrated carbon road bike for 2850€ that will fit 35mm fast gravel tires, the new Basso Venta R sounded like the kind of road bike I could get behind from the start. To be honest, a lot of legacy Italian bike brands don’t really make their carbon bikes in Italy anymore, so when I saw a low-cost Basso made in Italy at such an affordable price, I was a bit shocked.
But its secret seems to be build simplicity, volume, and a mid-level carbon layup. There’s only one build – a no-nonsense mechanical 105 2x build with quite heavy alloy wheels, that make a great entry-level. Plus, there are still 7 stock frame sizes and simple black or white paint. My large 56cm test bike weighed 9.25kg out of the box without pedals, so it’s no featherweight. But I easily shed more than half a kilo swapping to some carbon wheels and even fast gravel tires that I already had in on test.
What that means though, is this probably the most affordable all-road bike I’ve tested in many years. And it happens to be a great-looking, made-in-Italy road bike at the same time, with quick handling geometry inspired by Basso’s much more expensive race-ready road bikes and fully integrated internal cable routing that still works with all disc brake groupsets – mechanical or electronic.
Ride it on tarmac, ride it on dirt roads, and upgrade to lighter wheels when you have more money to spend.
Honorable Mention: Ribble AllRoad Ti
This integrated titanium all-road bike wins my Honorable Mention because I’m just amazed at the value they pack in here. The Ribble AllRoad Ti is the first 3D-printed, ti bike that normal cyclists might actually be able to afford. 3D-printing titanium brought the possibility to have sleek – almost carbon-like – tube shapes and next-level integration. But most swoopy, techy ti bikes these days have prices starting in the five-digit realm.
Ribble offers one of those super premium builds. But the bike that caught my attention is another 105 mechanical build at just $4135 / 4780€ and a claimed 9.9kg with alloy wheels. Like the Venta, 35mm tires fit and a wheel swap would make a solid upgrade down the road. But this seems like a killer entry point to a pretty great-looking titanium do-it-all road bike.
eBikes
A special standout in my mind this year were the eMTBs. Between seemingly minor powertrain updates and all-new drive system players, I feel like the latest crop of performance eMTBs is just so improved to make ebike naysayers reconsider how much fun an ebike could be. The latest motors are quieter, more powerful yet smoother on & off power, and they are almost all more customizable these days.
Editor’s Choice: Amflow PL Carbon Pro
This is the eMTB that might just make you rethink riding ebikes off-road.
The most important ebike development, in my opinion, this year was the entry of drone maker DJI into the market with their all-new Avinox motor. Who better to make an ebike drive system than a company already used to making smart electric motors that have to be powerful & light enough to manage flight in variable wind conditions, have batteries to max energy output & range while keeping weight to an absolute minimum, and more efficient control systems developed to get every ounce of juice out of an electric drive system without any extra weight.
Only one ebike company so far is fitted with this compact new DJI Avinox drive system, but I suspect more will jump on in the coming years.
Enter the Amflow PL Carbon Pro. Amflow may be a complete newbie to the cycling scene, but their eMTB debut is pretty stellar. This ebike is almost as lightweight as the lightest light-assist eMTB, even with a big 800Wh battery inside. But it also puts out more torque than pretty much anything in the full-power ebike segment. I’m talking about a massive 105Nm of torque. Drop this beast into Turbo mode and flies uphill with the regulated 250W of averaged-out ‘nominal’ pedal-assisted power, peaking out momentarily at 850W in ideal situations.
100W & 105Nm, oh my!
But press the Boost button next to your dropper remote, and DJI delivers up to 1000W of boosted power at the 105Nm max torque for up to a full half a minute. It’s way more power than you need on any trail, but wow it feels like flying by the seat of your pants for a moment on a short steep gravel or paved road ramp.
All that might sound like too much power. But what really convinced me of the virtues of the Amflow PL Carbon Pro was the Auto mode of the DJI Avinox system. Sure, you can spend a lot of time in some super-powered modes, but then it feels more like you are being pulled up the hill instead of riding a bike. And likely you’ll burn through those 800Wh in no time.
But pop this thing into Auto mode, and DJI makes sure you get the max range out of your battery, but you still have the max torque and max power available at your fingertips. Riding felt more natural and smooth in Auto mode, yet still, when you ramped up input into the pedals, the motor kicked it up a notch, seemingly just as strong as in Turbo mode, but with battery range longer than Trail mode. Outside of trying to run the battery down as fast as possible burning laps back up gravel forest roads, I think I would never take this thing out of Auto mode except to drop down to Eco for even longer range or to ride slower technical descents with less motor feedback. Anyway, the Boost button is always there if, for some unearthly reason, you feel like you need more power, say to catch up with a friend (or drop them like a bad habit!)
Smarter, full-power ebike drive
Plus, there’s also tons of mode customization in the DJI app that lets the end user tweak how natural or how torquey you prefer the pedal assist in each mode. It really is up to you how you want this ebike to feel.
The only real downside is limited availability. For now, you can only pick one up in a few global markets. Sure, my 10,000€ Amflow PL Carbon Pro was on the expensive side of ebikes. But there’s also a much more reasonable 6400€ version with the same motor, battery & frame… just a more reasonable suspension spec, mechanical derailleur, and alloy wheels.
At 20.8kg without pedals for my Large 1.2kg PL Carbon Pro test bike, this is truly a lightweight among ebikes, without any silly light or especially boutique components. And yet, what you get is possibly the most-powerful e-mountain-bike on the market this year, but also one of the most even-tempered!
Honorable Mention: Merida eOne-Sixty SL
I give the new Merida eOne-Sixty SL just an Honorable Mention, not because I didn’t ride it at all, but because I only got a couple of days on it. And yet it pleasantly surprised me more than I had expected. It is a light-assist eMTB, powered by a 5cw5Nm Bosch SX motor and a relatively small 400Wh internal battery.
At a real weight of 20.4kg for my 9500€ test ebike, it was light enough to truly descend and flow trails with the feeling of a regular, albeit heavier alloy, all-mountain bike. It is significantly more maneuverable than most (but not all) full-power eMTBs, and is an easy ebike to hop around on the trail with a good weight balance that never felt sluggish. And the SX motor really makes for a smooth pedal-assist feel. Never too torquey, always like you are riding on fresh legs.
It’s a great ebike for riders that prefer softer motor support. What gets me though is, if you are in one of their available markets, you can now get the much more powerful Amflow for less with money at the same weight with a lower-spec, or just a bit more money for a more premium spec.
Wheels & Tires
Editor’s Choice – MTB tires: Schwalbe Albert Radial
I could go on and on about these tires. In fact, I kinda did with the next edition of the Bikerumor podcast December Tech Round Up. That’s coming soon so keep your ears peeled.
These tires are literally, game-changing. The uniquely simple update to a more radial construction of these Alberts and Schwalbe’s updated Magic Mary & all-new Shredda give the tires magic-like grip. The secret is that since the direction of the primary fibers that make up the body of the tire are shorter and angled more directly across the tire from bead-to-bead, the tread is able to deform more locally to an impact of obstacle. The result is much-improved tire deformation for much more grip at the same tire pressures. In the end, I run +2-5psi more than before and still get better grip. Sure, there’s some extra rolling resistance compromise that means these won’t be viable XC race tires. But this new Albert tread is generally quite smooth rolling, without really sacrificing much all-rounder grip.
Now when I need a set of new trail, all-mountain, or enduro tires… this is the only tire I want.
No single product I have tried this year will make as big an impact in the lives of experienced mountain bikers more than these tires. And really, at ~$75€ a piece – and Trail or Gravity casings – this is the most reasonably priced and high-value upgrade that I think most mountain bikers can make to be ready for next season.
Editor’s Choice – Road & Gravel wheels – Parcours FKT aero gravel wheels
I’ll admit that I’m often a little skeptical of company aerodynamic claims. I’m happy to see new products refined in CFD and the wind tunnel – because free watts are lovely, even if they aren’t always the most affordable. But indirect or apples-to-oranges comparisons are often not exceptionally useful. So color me surprised when I could literally see the aero performance of Parcours’ new FKT aero gravel written in dust on their sidewalls.
These wide 27mm hookless internal, mid-weight aerodynamic carbon wheels have a unique profile that is widest at 40mm in their midsection, and then taper back to the bead where they meet the tire. The general concept is that by more closely mimicking the bulb shape of a 40mm gravel tire – which is also widest in its midsection – the rims are aero both in the front where the tire cuts first into the wind and at the back of the wheel where the rim leads into the wind. Then, in the middle, the narrower section where the rim & tire meet creates a dead zone where air is essentially trapped as the wheel is spinning, and air flows past the wheel smoothly with less drag.
In the end, you can see their aerodynamic performance in how dust simply doesn’t ever settle on the half of the rim closest to the tire (but it does settle on the nose of the rims.)
They aren’t especially flashy. But I set some personal Fastest Known Times on local segments before sending them back to Parcours. And they hit a sweet spot of visible aero performance, light-enough weight, and reasonable enough affordability that I think makes them an excellent all-rounder gravel bike upgrade.
Components & Gadgets
Editor’s Choice – Drivetrain: Campagnolo Ekar GT
This past spring, Campagnolo followed up their 13-speed Ekar mechanical gravel bike groupset with Ekar GT, billed as a lower-cost alternative to make Ekar even more accessible. It was positioned as a lower spec, but in reality, it improved on the original in a number of ways, while keeping the excellent brakes, carbon levers & no-nonsense, precise mechanical shifting.
Ekar GT has a more robust rear derailleur with pulleys that don’t clog up with mud anymore. Its cassettes are actually lighter than the originals, and there’s a new wider range 10-48T option (480%).
In fact, since the cassettes are now modular, I managed to mash-up a 9-42T & 10-48T to create a super range 9-48T cassette (533%) for the widest gearing range in the gravel industry. Its shifting is perfect in 11 out of the 12 shifts, with one shift in the middle being OK. That makes this the perfect cassette for me for loaded bikepacking, while I can then use a 9-42t (467%) for everyday gravel riding.
The only real downside vs. OG Ekar was a substantially heavier alloy crankset. But if there’s one component users like to upgrade out of groupset, this is the first thing to go – whether you are looking for a power meter or something fancy like a set of titanium eeWings.
Campy Ekar GT... everything great about the original 13-speed Ekar, except 15% more affordable and with bigger cassette ranges. I call that a win.
Editor’s Choice – Suspension: Formula Belva enduro fork
Hands-down the most plush, best-feeling mountain bike fork that I’ve ever ridden!
This past spring Formula officially debuted the double-crown Belva enduro mountain bike fork with 170 or 180mm of travel, after several years in development. I first rode the Belva as a prototype back in 2021 before it had a name, and was immediately enamored.
The simple concept was to take a standard 35mm stanchion 160mm travel Selva, and to increase its travel not by beefing up the stanchions, but by extending them past the headtube to a second crown. The result was a long travel enduro fork that was as light or lighter than an equal travel Fox 38 or RockShox Zeb. But it also has a lower axle-to-crown stack height and smoother action because of the better support & force transfer you get from two thinner double-crown connections vs. the cantilever of a single oversized crown design.
My production Formula Belva fork weighs just 2.47kg, and is set up with 180mm of travel but the same a-c of the Fox 38 that I rode on the first Ransom I tested.
Ultra-plush double-crown enduro travel
The only real downside is that there’s an inherent steering angle limitation with a double crown, but realistically internal routing and steering block headsets have also shown that doesn’t really matter while riding even the most tight & twisty trails. The other is looks. This fork undeniably makes my enduro Ransom look like a full-on DH bike. But I don’t really mind that at all. In fact, it makes it even more fun to turn heads riding this bike up the mountain past them. And with a lockout easily accessible on the top of the right leg (now just next to the bar) even climbing steep gravel or paved climbs feels like no energy is lost.
In the end, the travel is so incredibly smooth that I can plow through the roughest tracks I’ve ever ridden. Or fully send it off ever-bigger drops, fully embracing this Ransom’s desire to be a freeride bike. Yet, I can also easily increase the large volume air chamber’s pressure a bit if I feel like I want a bit more support, and more of a super trail bike feel. Then of course, with Formula’s signature CTS tuning chips, you can easily adapt the forks compression tune to an individual’s personal riding style.
Who would have guessed that my favorite enduro fork would actually look like a DH fork!
Honorable Mention – Braking: Trickstuff Maxima
Me only giving these an honorable mention and not a full “editor’s choice award” has nothing to do with performance. I have actually tested these thoroughly. And I think these may be the best mountain bike brakes that I have ever ridden. But… they are not for everyone. And I don’t just mean that they cost 1300€ for a pair of brakes.
Trickstuff’s Maxima brakes have been the holy grail of gravity mountain bike brakes since they debuted several years ago. At once, because of their rumored stopping power, but also because they were incredibly hard to get ahold of. Produced in small batches, they always sold out immediately. Now with some distribution help from new parent DT Swiss, the brakes are easier to source. And I got ahold of a new all-black set this past summer.
Incredible stopping power
Their power is incredible. But the lever feel is a bit unfamiliar at first. Like other brakes, the initial pull to the braking point is quick & smooth, at which point the brakes have most likely already stopped you. But, from there, lever pull continues to be smooth & easy. Standing next to the bike, that means you can slowly pull the lever almost all the way to the bar. But on the trail what it means is that after the brakes engage, even more power is available with a very tiny amount of additional lever pull. And you will never pull the lever to the bar before you have completely stopped. The result is that you don’t get hand fatigue or forearm pump when pulling the levers for longer periods on super steep or rough/rutted tracks. It’s pretty amazing, but requires some willingness for the mountain biker to adapt to something different.
In reality, not everyone will love them, not everyone will appreciate their different ‘feel’, and they are so expensive that they’re far out of most bikers’ budget. But… wow, they really are powerful without putting a lot of stress on your hands.
Tools
Editor’s Choice – Home mechanic: Fix Manufacturing 224 Torque Wrench kit
Yes, it’s just another torque wrench. Yet somehow, this Fix Mfg 224 Torque Wrench kit is the one that made me switch for my most common install and adjustment needs. It has easier-to-read settings that pretty much every other compact adjustable torque wrench I’ve used. You have to turn the handle until the arrow points at the correct settings. Even Nm markings on top, odd on the bottom – separating the two takes the guesswork out of whether you should be exactly below the line, splitting the line, or covering it.
Then, there’s a broader useable range than most compact cycling torque wrenches – here 2-24Nm covers pretty much everything sensitive outside of cranks or bottom brackets (where, not that I would recommend such a thing, but… you can probably get away with tightening to ‘as tight as possible’). It comes in a nice lightweight meat box. All the bits I need and an extension are neatly tucked inside. And it costs a reasonable 120 bucks.
Clothing & Protection
Editor’s Choice – Leatt Velocity 4.0 X-Flow MTB goggles
I already was quite happy with the airflow of Leatt’s Velocity 4.0 MTB goggles a few years back when they introduced vented mountain bike-specific lenses. But realistically, I run too hot and sweat too much to wear them outside of cool to cold weather for any rides that include sustained climbing. Even taking the goggles off to climb, my helmet gets so sweaty and humid that putting goggles back on instantly results in fogging.
Then, last winter, they launched a follow-up with the Leatt Velocity 4.0 X-Flow MTB goggles. By completely cutting off the lower section of foam padding and removing all of the mesh fabric that covered the top & side vent structure, Leatt boosted airflow substantially. Now, I can wear goggles in hot weather – especially helpful for warm weather enduro racing or dusty bikepark laps with friends in peak summer. I make a small modification by cutting a slit in the side of the foam to make room for Rx glasses underneath, and I’m good to go for extra hot weather eye protection!
Editor’s Choice – Leatt ReaFlex Chest Protector
One of my biggest revelations in finding super technical trails this year was this Leatt ReaFlex Chest Protector (renamed from AirFlex when I got mine). It’s not that this thing offers more protection than other great chest and back protectors I’ve ridden (and this one is actually a bit limited in some aspects.) But I had almost never worn a chest protector before on any ride that would see me pedaling uphill even a little bit. And frankly, I would only wear a back protector in a lift-served bikepark or at an event that explicitly required one. I simply sweat too much and am always too hot during summer riding to even consider a full-coverage chest and/or back protector.
But this Leatt ReaFlex Chest Protector is soft and flexible with a viscoelastic (hardening on impact) protector front & rear for Level 1 chest & back protection. What that means is I can literally take it off, roll it up, and then strap it to the handlebar for every climb. That has meant that I take this thing on almost every local technical trail ride and bigger enduro rides and races. It gives me much more confidence when sending it off some feature that might be at the limits of me/the bike/my tires.
And I have crashed a number of times and got up unharmed.
The one downside is that it offers a little false confidence, as there’s only very minimal side (flank) protection. And I did once slip onto a rock just under that minimal flank pad, reminding me for several weeks later how it left my kidneys & lower ribs vulnerable. For sure, when I go to the bikepark, or more technical trips with uplifts, I break out even more protection.
Parting thoughts
That’s a wrap on another busy year, and a solid overview of my highlights for the best new bike gear of 2024.
It’s been a year packed with a lot of great off-road riding. And I already have more set up for the New Year. At the moment, there’s fresh snow on the ground outside, and I’m looking forward to some more good winter fat biking from my doorstep – with some new tech waiting to get tested. Plus, a new cargo trailer is on the way to haul everything from tools for local trail maintenance to camping gear for longer adventures with family and friends. And I set January plans to ride in one of the few EU countries I’ve yet to set foot in. Plus, the first new gravel & mountain bike testing trips are already lined up for early spring. I’ve even been in discussions for a few interesting Factory Tours as well, so it’ll just be a case of figuring how to squeeze them into my busy schedule to share more interesting tech with you our devoted readers.
Until then, I hope you all enjoy the holidays, and hopefully a much-needed break. Go ride your bikes. Even if it is cold, wet, or snowy… a day on the bike is better than any day just thinking about bikes. Or if you’ve overtrained, take a breather. We’ll all be here when you’re ready to come back. And we promise lots of interesting new bike tech to share in the New Year!
Methodology & Clarification
Each of these products was chosen exclusively by me, purely on their technical merits for the reasons I elaborated in detail above. Many more great products passed through my hands in 2024, but I had to pick what I thought stood head-and-shoulders above the rest. Under no circumstances were any of my picks paid for or influenced by their producers. Nor was any preference or favor given to any brand or advertiser. My Award selections are limited to products I’ve actually spent time riding/testing in person, Honorable Mentions a bit less so. That does mean that a brand’s willingness to invite Bikerumor to join a launch event, or to provide me with product samples certainly makes it more likely that I will have given their products full consideration, if only so I can share my true firsthand experiences.
