The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140.
The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism, then at the last minute pull on the brakes in an attack of ‘nope’. Whether it was a ping that put paid to yet another plan, or a shipping container that didn’t arrive as expected (by now, perhaps, that should be ‘as expected, a shipping container didn’t arrive’), we had plenty of interruptions along the way. However, our northern hills had an unusually dry summer, so we managed a decent spell of short-sleeved riding on our doorstep, and there were a few chances to get further afield that we grasped and enjoyed. Like that trail feature, once we cleared it, the elation at meeting friends, riding new trails and generally enjoying bikes was all the sweeter.
Ross – Ad Sales
Another year done and dusted! It doesn’t feel like 12 months since I wrote my last Editors’ Choice, and a lot of my sentiments remain the same. While there still hasn’t been any exotic foreign riding, I’ve managed to ride a good amount this year. The local trails have seen almost daily action and I’ve managed to squeeze in a good few trips to the Lakes, along with a bit of riding north of the border. It’s always easy to want more – longer tracks, bigger hills – but these last couple of years have shown that you don’t need to travel far to get top drawer riding.
Burgtec Ride High Josh Bryceland Signature Alloy Bars and Enduro MK3 Stem
Burgtec’s Ride High bars have been out for a while now, and I’ve had a set on my own bike for some time. Bars are one of those things that, for me, are really personal – like saddles. What works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for another. And the Burgtec Ride High work for me.
They’re 800mm wide and have a 38mm rise, which coupled with the 9° up sweep and 5° back sweep, make for a really comfy set-up. Holding them in place is a 35mm Enduro MK3 stem and together they offer a stiff, but not harsh or overly stiff, cockpit that just feels right.
While some bar and stem combos may have the right shape but not the right feel, or vice versa, the Burgtecs just fit me, to the point where I tend to fit them to all my bikes. A bar and stem are key to how a bike feels so if I’m not getting on with the cockpit on a test bike then I’ll put my own personal Burgtecs on as a control set. And they’ve seen that much use through all weathers that I’ve even started to wear the anodising off through pushing up in the depths of winter!
Yes, cockpit set-ups are a very personal thing, and bars and stems are sometimes overlooked for blingier products, but the Burgtec Ride High bars and Enduro MK3 stem just work for me.
