Once again, it’s time to wrap up one year and kick off the next. The past year has been filled with tons of new product launches, industry troubles, and hopefully plenty of rides. Of course, BikeRumor has been there to cover it along the way. As usual, some of our coverage has attracted more attention than others, and the following list features our top posts of the year…
#1: Sale of the Year!
The team at BikeRumor was shocked that this story hit the numbers it did – but, then again, cyclists do love a bargain. Hot on the heels of the story that The Pro’s Closet (TPC) was “going out of business“, there was a story about the TPC public auction that was selling “everything.” Unfortunately, by the time the story went live, all that was left were lamps, trash cans, and floor mats along with a few repair stands. Not to worry, after all of that TPC is slowly coming back.
#2: Wax On, or Wax Off?
It’s easy to say that there isn’t anything on a bike that needs more constant care than your drivetrain. And the biggest component that ties it all together is the chain. This popular article is a shoot-out of the best lube for said chain. Pick your favorite from the list to keep those vital drivetrain parts lubed, quiet, clean, and happy.
#3: The Best Road Wheels!
Roadies love a good wheel upgrade. Well, the same could be true for just about any cyclist, but especially roadies. This story takes a look at some of the best road wheels of 2024 to help you on your upgrade path.
#4: Eliminate the Presta Valve?
For as long as I can remember, there were two main types of bicycle valves. There was the Schrader valve, which is mostly associated with kid’s bikes and bikes of lower price points. Then there’s the mighty Presta valve. Sure, the Presta valve has some moving parts and all, but was always associated with higher-end, performance bikes. Now there’s a third option. Check out the ingenious CLIK Valve brought to you by German tire giant, Schwalbe.
#5: Twenty Inch Love!
Cyclists are nostalgic people. Especially when it comes to that moment or machine that started your two-wheel love affair. For a lot of us, it’s the BMX bike that turned us on to the freedom a bicycle brings, opening up our young minds and expanding our lil’ world. The BMX bike collector world is full of these types of people, so it’s no wonder that this story kicked up so much dust in 2024.
#6: Transporting Your Investment!
Our bikes can cost an arm and a leg, literally and figuratively. A lot of us put a ton of value in our bikes, and some of the prices of our rigs reflect that. So, why transport your precious cargo using anything but the best bike rack? Your investment deserves the safest, most secure way to get to the trailhead. Use this list to get your bearings on the many available high-quality bike racks.
#7: Get Good Traction!
Another really important place not to skimp on quality is your bicycle’s tires. Regardless of the terrain you’re riding on, the tire is the only connection the bike has with the surface you ride on. And when riding off the pavement, that connection becomes vital. The choices for gravel tires are plentiful, making the decision more difficult. Whether you are racing or hitting the local single track, this list will go over all you need to know about picking the best tire for your needs when the pavement stops and the ride continues.
#8: Bar Tape Shmar Tape…
Well, I’m sure, by now, you all know what my (Ron’s) favorite is. Bar tape is a piece of bike gear that can get pretty personal, for some. For others, it’s more of a “meh, I just need to wrap the bars”. But, if your bar tape needs to fit a specific need, like maintaining bar/road/trail feel, extra cushioning, aesthetics, or even some trail chatter damping, this list can help you “wrap” your head around the many choices out there.
#9: Camp on Your Trailer Hitch?
If you love camping but don’t like sleeping on the ground, and a rooftop tent, or sleeping in the car is not an option, this might be your jam. This tent is a perfect size and is said to comfortably sleep two adults on the built-in air mattress. The tent still gets you off of the ground, so camping in not-so-perfect terrain is not an issue. The tent sits low enough to eliminate the need for a ladder, so those middle-of-the-night nature calls are less annoying. Is this tent right for you? Check out the article and find out.
#10: Buffalo Bike to Save the World!
Grant Petersen once said, “Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world.” And bringing that sentiment to life is the World Bicycle Relief (WBR) Buffalo Bike. Originally using a drivetrain tech that dates back to the late 1800s, the Buffalo bike gets an intriguing two-chain two-speed drivetrain and is once again literally in the process of saving the world. The proof is in the numbers. The WBR has distributed more than 800,000 bicycles across 21 countries. And they’ve tackled the challenge of training more than 3,000 mechanics to help keep those bicycles running. Representing access to healthcare, and education, while providing economic opportunities for people in rural communities, the Buffalo Bike and the WBR are real heroes. See, Grant was right.
#11: Specialized Fixing All the Bikes!
Well, not exactly. In this popular article, Specialized celebrates its 50 years of being a leader in the bicycle world by offering to fix your bike for free. The offer was for any rider, on any bike, from any brand, for one day… October 26th, 2024. After setting a goal of getting 1 million people back on bikes in 2025, Specialized launched its Reuse, Reduce, and ReSpecialized Program. The impact of the program could make a sizable dent in some important matters. Like reducing global carbon emissions by 438 million kilograms of CO2, burning 25 billion calories, and reducing screen time by over 66 million hours. Pretty impressive.
#12: GT Bicycles Says Goodbye?
This was a sad story as the iconic Southern California bicycle brand, that ruled the roost throughout the 90s, shuts its doors… for now? The bike brand that made the “Triple Triangle” frame design its own, has decided to sell through its current inventory throughout 2025 and then close its doors, “pausing the brand”. How long the brand is to be “paused” is not known at this time. We all hope for the healthy return of such an impactful bicycle brand. #blueandyellow
#13: Handlebar Upgrade Makes a Big Difference!
There are a few items on your bicycle that can make really noticeable differences to your ride experience. Earlier, we talked a bit about the positive impact a new wheelset can make on your ride experience, but what about your bars? Yes, in many cases, an upgrade in handlebars can make an immediately noticeable difference the ride characteristics of your steed. In this article, we get a bunch of different bars with varying geometry and materials, and include some testing straight from our handlebar compliance shootout. The results may surprise you.
#14: Affordable Titanium?
Titanium and affordable… these two words rarely share the same space. Don’t get me wrong there are some titanium bike frames that cost a lot less then many others, but the word affordable is relative. Most offshore manufactured titanium framesets are in the $3k plus realm. This story blew up as Arizona’s State Bicycle offers their titanium all-road bike for a mere $1299 (frameset), and only $2499 for a complete bike. The comments on this article were plentiful.
#15: A 3D Printed Titanium Bicycle Frame?
Yup! This article was popular for the obvious reasons… it’s about a 3D printed titanium bicycle frame, whoda thunk!? In the world of exotic metals getting 3D printed for bicycle manufacturing, it’s rarely affordable. And in this case, as we mentioned earlier, “affordable” is relative. In this article, Ribble claims a price that rivals many high-end, conventionally built titanium frames. The swoopy, smooth lines are attractive and lend to thinking that the bike is manufactured using carbon fiber. Nope, it’s a 3D printed titanium bicycle frame!
#16: Yeah, They’re Ugly!
Well, at least, that’s what a majority of the readers thought. As the author of this article, I do tend to agree. The bikes are built by a design house that specializes in building bikes for automobile manufacturers. These Ford Motors eBikes were their latest, and borrow some pretty iconic names in the auto world. Will these eBikes do their namesakes justice, or be a blemish on the Mustang and Bronco names?
#17: Car Back!
Trek Bicycles helps keep you safe on your weekend ride, commute home, or ramble around town. Trek enters the bike radar game with the CarBack light. For those that don’t know, a bike radar is a device that sends a signal to your bicycle computer, or smart phone alerting of an approaching motor vehicle. This signal that is sent by the CarBack unit could be the difference between getting home or going to the hospital. When riding your bicycle among motorists, it’s smart to take all of the advantages you can get.
#18: Seeing RED!
Bicycle component giant SRAM, releases a new king-of-the-hill gravel specific group with its new RED XPLR 13 speed. First there were the sneaky SRAM RED spy photos awhile back. Improving on the RED groups from the past, but the article says the groups biggest updates were in the braking and lever feel. To me, the best part is there is even with the addition of the 13th speed, there is no new standard. The new group uses the same chain and XDR driver as the 12 speed groups. Nice work SRAM!
#19: Wireless Tektro?
Yes! Well, not exactly. Coming after the release of its high-end mountain bike group, it’s obvious that Tektro Racing Products (that’s TRP, kids) has some serious drivetrain goals. Joining forces with Classified, they’ve released two wireless 1x groups. They both use electronic shifting, with wide range gearing for both road and gravel. It’s called Vistar Powershift, and combines a wireless rear derailleur and 12 speed cassette with Classified’s internally geared, two-speed hubs. Using this combo, the new group achieves a range of up to 530% with an 11-40t cassette. Nuts!
#20: To Hook or Not to Hook?
This video explores the opinions of some of the bike industries most prized brands about their thoughts on hookless wheels. This whole heated debate was sparked by some pretty massive wheel failures in the pro pelotons. In the video, the question is asked… are they safe? Check it out and come to your own conclusion.
Curious how this year stacks up against 2023? Check out the best stories of 2023 on BikeRumor right here.
Happy New Year!
That’s a wrap on 2024. From all of us here at BikeRumor, thanks for reading and we wish you all a happy new year full of amazing bikes, great rides, and excellent health!
See you in 2025!
