Criminy Dutch, it’s crazy to think that the year’s already at a close. I know everyone says this, but I’m truly shocked… it really seemed to go by so fast.
There’s usually a lot going on for me at this time of year, and this year is no exception. One of the many things on my “holiday to-do” list is picking my favorite bike bits that I’ve reviewed throughout this last year.
This can be fun, but it’s often a daunting task. One of the reasons it can feel overwhelming is that it can honestly be hard to remember the stuff I’ve reviewed over the last 12 months. Plus, I don’t want to forget anyone.
Also, there is the difficulty of actually picking a favorite. Everything I’ve reviewed this year has been pretty awesome. So, it’s going to be a tough one. But let’s see what I come up with.
But, first…
Let’s Get Personal
In case you’re curious, I thought I’d share some stuff about me.
I’ve been on and around bikes my whole life. I’ve also been on and around bikes professionally for 30 years this year. I just love the bicycle and bicycle people.
And, I really love talking about bikes while riding bikes with bike people.
As a lifelong cyclist, I’ve ridden just about all there is to ride. And, I can’t seem to get enough to satisfy my need to own all the bikes. My current stable of steeds consists of three mountain bikes, a gravel bike, an all-rounder, and three eBikes. Yeah, it’s excessive, I know. (Editor’s Note: That sounds like a totally reasonable amount of bikes… right?)
But, It’s Not Always About Bikes
It’s close to always about the bike, but not quite. That being said, I thought I’d touch on some important non-bike stuff about me, too. Just for a second.
I’m proud to say that I’ve been married to the love of my life for 25 years this year. I met her in the bike biz, and together, Maria and I have raised six kids. Believe it or not, the youngest just turned 28. That’s crazy.
For me, my beautiful wife, all of my children, my two beautiful granddaughters, and family take up most of my heart and get all of my passion. What’s left in my heart is reserved for Western movies, friends, music, sweets, and of course, the bicycle.
The “C” Word…
Going a little deeper and stepping out of my comfort zone a bit, this next thing might be too much. I dunno, it happened this year, and it was a big deal. So, here it is: I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer a while back.
My last radiation treatment was on January 31st of this year. I felt like sharing this bit of personal info with you. I also wanted to take the time to acknowledge something that I actually don’t think about all that much, and frankly, wasn’t crazy about admitting. This year, I became a prostate cancer survivor. There, I said it. Although I obviously would’ve liked to not have cancer at all, I am grateful for the outcome. And at the end of the day, a survivor is a pretty great thing to be.
OK, jeez. We’re almost done with the personal stuff. Let me just touch on one more thing. Lately, I’ve been mentioning where I live quite a bit in my work, so I thought I’d show you guys a couple of pics of our “new” home. We’ve recently moved to a cottage in the mountains. We bought the house almost two years ago. Our little cottage actually turned 70 years old this year.
I’m still able to get down the mountain to ride my fave trails with my pals as much as possible, but having my own place in the mountains with a bicycle workshop is a dream come true.
‘OK, ’nuff said about me, let’s dive right in to the good stuff.
Best Non-Bike Experience
Editor’s Choice: Eastern Sierra Backcountry Trip
Just as I did last year, I took another epic trip this year. Last year’s trip with the K-Edge crew got my Editor’s Choice Award for 2024. And just like last year’s trip, this trip didn’t include bikes, but it did include two of my closest cycling friends. So, I think it’s fair to say this trip was also “cycling adjacent”.
I met Dave and Daniel through my time at GT Bicycles. Daniel, Dave, and I usually try to do at least one epic trip together each year. We’ve been doing so since 2017. They used to involve camping and riding mountain bikes, which was amazing.
But lately, the trips now involve self-supported vehicles, off-roading, history, exploration, and camping in remote, hard-to-find/reach areas. Sometimes the trip takes up multiple days. But no matter what, the trips are about the journey more than the destination.
Check out the Gallery
This trip was extensive, with a lot, and I mean a lot of photos. All of the photos of the trip were taken by my pal Dave Woolley, unless otherwise stated. The trip was a serious adventure that included some of the most amazing scenery I’ve ever seen. Especially on the way up to and over Mount Patterson’s peak of 11,650′. Enjoy.
Day three of the trip brought an entire day spent crawling up and down in 4-low. But we finally made it to Mount Paterson’s peak. It was an amazing adventure-filled day with some pretty gnarly challenges.
That’s all the photos I think I should put up. I have a ton more, but it’s ok, we can move on to the bike stuff. It was an adventure for sure. And a great pick for my Editor’s Choice Award for best non-bike experience.
Rooftop Tent
Editor’s Choice: Topoak Overland Galaxy Pro
While I’m on the subject of camping, the Topoak Overland Galaxy Pro is a lot of roof top tent for the money ($1,668). It works great and fits two adults with gear comfortably and with zero issues.
The trip that I just took really put it to the test. The nights on this trip were dipping into the high 30s. The beefy 300GSM poly-cotton blackout canvas kept some of the chill out, which was nice.
The premium 3″ mattress stayed very comfortable throughout all the nights that I slept on it during the trip.
It was an easy choice picking the Topoak Overland Galaxy Pro RTT for my Editor’s Choice Award for best rooftop tent in 2025.
Ok, now for the best bikes and bits of the year!
Gravel Bike
Editor’s Choice: Wilde Rambler SL
I love my Wilde Rambler SL. It’s hands down one of the best riding drop bar bikes I’ve ever owned and ridden. I’ve recently swapped out my beautiful White Industries polished cranks for some 5DEV titanium cranks and their titanium bottom bracket.
That swap brought the bike down in weight to 22lbs 11oz. This bike has an amazing ride quality to it. It also just feels like “me” when I’m on it. The crew at Wilde really has it figured out.
The geo is perfect on this bike. The aesthetics are wonderfully understated and elegant. Add the look of the skinny steel frame tubes, along with the beautiful copper color, and you’ve got me!
The Wilde Rambler SL gets my Editor’s Choice Award for not just the best gravel Bike, but perhaps for the bike of the year!
Mountain Bike
Editor’s Choice: Scarab Cycles Custom Darién
Through the middle of 2025, I had the opportunity to get a custom-built Darién hardtail MTB frameset from Colombia’s own Scarab Cycles. I know I haven’t formally reviewed the bike yet.
But it’s not because I haven’t decided whether or not I like it. To be frank, it’s because I’ve been putting off the writing part of the review process. But, I assure you, one is coming in the first part of the year, just you wait.
All that being said, I’m still riding this bicycle a lot and putting it through its paces. Spoiler alert: it rides amazingly. It rides like a mountain bike that was custom-made to your very own geometry specs, and put together with high-end, light-weight, multi-butted steel tubes. That is to say, it rides like a freaking dream.
I’m not going to review the bike here. But I will say that the process to get the frame built and painted was so seamless. We even decided to color-match the RockShox 140mm Pike Ultimate Charger 3.1 RC2 fork.
Look, I’m no stranger to getting custom bikes made for myself, and this was one of the easiest and most pleasant experiences to date, with one of the best results. The bike really does ride as good as it looks.
So, my Editor’s Choice Award for best mountain bike of 2025 goes to the Scarab Cycles Darién.
All-rounder eBike
Editor’s Choice: Aventon Aventure M
2025 is a year in which the Southern California eBike company, Aventon, has really stepped up its game. All of the Aventons I’ve ridden and reviewed in the past 12 months have been fantastic. These new bikes are 100 times better than the Aventons of a few years ago.
The Abound LR that I reviewed in May is an amazing value for a fantastically equipped eCargo bike. And the Level 3 Commuter that I reviewed back in February is a great choice for an affordable commuter eBike.
But the one that I think is their biggest improvement is the Aventure M. The Aventure M is a mid-drive eBike. It uses Aventon’s own A100 motor and is the second eBike in their line to do so.
The Aventure M is a really fun eBike that you can quite literally take anywhere. It’s affordable, safe, and accessible. It comes loaded with a ton of great, high-value features and still comes in at sub $3000 for the price.
It’s for these reasons, and more, that the Aventon Aventure M is my pick for the Editor’s Choice Award for best all-rounder eBike.
Tires
Editor’s Choice: Teravail Cannonball
These are and have been my favorite tires of all time for use on my gravel bikes. I did a little adjacent review of the Cannonballs when I reviewed Teravail’s new Updraft gravel race tire. While the Updraft is a nice light tire that rolls really fast, it just wasn’t my jam.
The Teravail Cannonball is simply a great tire. It does everything really well. It’s not too heavy and rolls fast, like a lighter tire. It feels confident when the going gets rough, and brakes with the best of them. There honestly isn’t anything I don’t like about the Teravail Cannonball gravel tire.
And that’s why it gets my Editor’s Choice Award for the best gravel tire in the universe.
Bike Rack
Editor’s Choice: Kuat Piston ION
The Kuat Piston ION is a pretty great rack. I’ve been using it for a few months now and have zero complaints. That’s something I can’t say about past racks that I’ve reviewed. The Piston ION is well-made and seems tough, and I have no doubt it will last for many years to come.
It’s especially great for hauling fendered eBikes. It’s surprisingly effortless to get a heavy eBike onto the rack with the included ramp. It holds the bikes stable on some of the rougher local forest service roads that I’ve taken it on.
It’s got great features, sure, but it wins this year’s award for its sheer versatility and its ability to carry almost any type of bike. To top it all off, it’s a handsome, lightly branded rack that doesn’t look “over-the-top” on my Jeep.
The Editor’s Choice Award for best hitch rack 2025 goes to the Kuat Piston ION.
Handlebars
Editor’s Choice: Velo Orange Nouveau Randonneur
The Velo Orange Nouveau Randonneur handlebar has been a favorite of mine since I put it on my rando bike back in 2017. It’s a really great, affordable handlebar. It’s got great geometry. And for me, the geometry highlight is the 6-degree sweep back of the bar’s flat section.
I’m using their widest version of the bar, which measures 46cm. However, I do wish they did it in a 48cm width. I really like the bar, it works very well on the Rambler. It’s really comfy, and is a great value at $70.
Velo Orange’s Nouveau Randonneur handlebar wins my Editor’s Choice Award for best dropbar.
Safety
Editor’s Choice: PDW Gravity Plus USB Tail Light
The Gravity Plus USB Tail Light by Portland Design Works (PDW), may seem like just an ordinary tail light. But with the accelerometer built into it, the light becomes a lot smarter. The accelerometer works to illuminate the light to a bright “brake” light upon deceleration. And it works great.
Add the convenience of being USB chargeable, and this will become your “go-to” rear light when you need one. It’s currently my go-to. There are different ways to mount it, whether to the bike or a hip/backpack. It also has a 30-hour run time in flash mode.
This little light wins my Editor’s Choice Award for best tail light.
Foot Wear
Editor’s Choice: Lems Shoes Trail Thrasher
What can I say? I am a Lems shoe fan. I have been a customer for a very long time. They are all I wear. So, it was no surprise that I really liked the new Trail Thrasher that Lems sent me to test. The shoe is marketed as an all-around trail shoe, which is designed after a mountain bike shoe.
Even though the shoe isn’t a dedicated riding shoe with a stiffer sole for better power transfer, it is a great shoe for riding. I’ve pedaled a few miles in these and found them to be very suitable for riding. Bottom line, they are extremely well made, like all of the Lems I’ve owned, they’re comfy, have a wide toe box, and zero drop. They walk and ride very well.
So it’s kinda a no-brainer that the Lems Trail Thrasher gets my Editor’s Choice Award for best all-around trail shoe!
EDC Essential
Editor’s Choice: Spurcycle’s Titanium Key Clip
Bottle opener, key clip, titanium, convenient, minimalist, and super easy to use. These are things that describe the Spurcycle Titanium Key Clip. I know it’s a bit weird to review, but I did. It seemed like someone needed to. It’s kick ass, super useful items like this that often get overlooked in the grand scheme of things. And, it’s a shame because it’s an awesome product.
Sure, at $59 it’s not cheap. But when you consider that it’s made in the USA, machined from titanium, and brought to market by a small company. If you really consider all that, then it’s not expensive at all. And by the way, the bottle opener works perfectly every time.
So yeah, it wins my Editor’s Choice Award for the toughest, most handsome, and useful EDC Key Clip on the market.
Just For Fun
Editor’s Choice: Paul Components BËP
These Paul Components Bar End Plugs (BËP) are so cool, I had to mention them. They are engineered and machined in Chico, California. The BËPs work perfectly, and will not, I repeat, will not fall out of your bars. They match Paul’s stem caps, and both look just like the adjuster wheel on the Paul Klamper disc brakes.
I’ve been rocking these on my Rambler since I received them a few months back. They are easy to install and look great. They finish off a good bar wrap with a unique style and flair. I will, however, suggest that for the best results, you should be using Camp and Go Slow’s bar tape when using these bar end plugs. Just kidding… but seriously, go get some of that tape.
For ingenuity, creativity, and because there isn’t anything I don’t like about these little unsung heroes, I give them my Editor’s Choice Award for best BËPs out there.
Bye, For Now…
I just wanted to say thanks to the Bikerumor readers for reading what I write. It means a lot to me, and I appreciate you guys. And a special thanks to all of the brands that trusted me to share my opinions on your products. Other than the shitshow of a political climate we’ve all been experiencing, it was an eventful and pretty great year over here.
So on to the next year, where we continue to nerd out together on bike stuff. It’s always a good time. Also, let’s continue to be kind to others, wave to one another, and share trails. Let’s unapologetically be the cyclists we want to be, riding the way we want to. Whatever that means to us. Right?
Ok, I’m done here.
Hopefully, I’ll see you out there. Maybe we can jump stuff, pop wheelies, and drink beers or coffee or whateves.
Ok, go ride your bike!
Until next time. 🙂
