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Has been quite a boring year for purchases this year, LOTS of different saddles, none of which has really been a game changer although the cheap carbon railed Fizik Aliante R1 I found is a lovely thing, shame it went on the winter bike! 😆
Schwalbe studded winter tyres actually might be the most exciting thing I bought, allowed me to get out for some pretty magical frosty morning rides that would have been spent on the turbo otherwise, that's worth £70 on my book!
Also a Komoot premium subscription, really enjoying the 'Collections' feature which gives me somewhere to write up routes and add photos etc. with a view to sharing at some point.
Two things. First was the SQ Lab 614 gravel saddle, basically their 612 road saddle shape with the padding from the mountain bike. Brilliantly comfortable for me, takes all the pressure off the central area, have that 'Active' elastomer thing going on so the rear of the saddle flexes, which seem - for me at least - to make it easier on the lower back. Just genius, also have SQ Lab saddles on my mountain bikes.
Second, just reminded by the ST Editor's Choice stuff of the year article, was the Vittoria Air Liner Tool MTB. I don't usually have issues with tyre removal, but the WTB Scraper rims on my hardtail have a tendency to basically weld themselves to whatever tyre is fitted. Absolutely nightmarish to break the bead/rim seal, even with standing on the bead etc.
The Vittoria tool got a bastard, stuck 2.8 Rekon off in a matter of minutes. I wouldn't use it for anything else, but for really, really stubborn ' might have to cut this off - tyres, the thing is absolutely brilliant.
Two purchases stand out for me. Firstly a pair of Five Ten Sam Hill Impact shoes I got for about £35 from Evans. I did seriously wonder what the hell I was doing at first as they are bulky but my god they have been the most comfy pair of shoes that I have ever worn while cycling. Ended up using them daily.
Schwalbe Super Moto tyres from banana industries for about £14 each. They look like motorbike tyres and allow you to really lean your bike into corners. Makes you feel like Rossi on your commutes.
the cheap carbon railed Fizik Aliante R1 I found is a lovely thing, shame it went on the winter bike!
Mine too! Used for £30 off a long-suffering club mate. Can't use it on my titanium seat post on the Enigma due to the ovoid shape of the rails
Fox union boa flat pedal
Best shoe I've ever had:
Comfort
double boa allows dialling in (pun, haha) your fit/tightness perfectly. tongue doesn't slip around like my previous shoes
fit overall is I guess subjective, but if you get on with most other skate style mtb shoes, these are equally good if not better.
Performance
Never slipped a pedal, so they are grippy enough, they are notably stiff underfoot for power transfer and thus all day usability which for me (trail rider) is far more desirable than a floppy uber soft sole for maximum grip like a DHer or BMXer might prefer
Durability
Worn for every ride since I got them early spring, no marks to the sole so already can determine they are far more durable than 5:10s where I'd just about eke them out for a year.
UK friendlyness
boa closure rather than laces, and a water resistant upper means they are practically unaffected by mud in use and you dont have to unpick muddy laces with frozen fingers.
water resistant means if they are really filthy I might give them a quick blast with the hose while doing the bike. at this point my socks are wet and about to be removed anyway.
worn in just-above-freezing temperatures this winter (and some 30+ temps this summer) and comfortable in both.
Endura MT500 Spray trousers that I bought last winter. Water resistant, some breathability and a good vent setup. Fit is spot on for me, they don't sag at the back or crotch and there's room for pads inside as well as having a close fit above shoes, keeping some dirt and water out.
But the key thing is the really wide range of conditions that they're appropriate for; everything from a cold, frosty Highland morning to heavy rain on a windy local hilltop last night at 6-7C. Alpine pass at 3000m in September; dusting of snow and a biting breeze? Absolutely fine. Love them; bought a second pair.
Fox X2 shock and 38 factory fork way better than rockshox IMO
Come back after the X2 has dropped it's guts a few times.
I've also got the Fox Union shoes and they're a favourite but not the boa version. Currently very reduced on Sports Pursuit but only in small and large sizes.
Also went from an Ohlins 36 to a 38 and they're both the best air forks I've ever used. They make my Lyrik ultimate feel crap in comparison.
The only thing I bought this year that wasn't a like for like replacement part was a Hope dropper lever. X3 more than I've ever spent on such a thing but lovely to use and vastly better than the BrandX one it replaced.
Right, I've remembered my other noteworthy product of the year - the TruTune magic air volume widget I got for my 180mm RS Zeb fork.
The fork had been OK before, but very reluctant to get into the far reaches of its travel and also a little stiff off the top.
I was genuinely surprised how much better it was with the TruTune cartridge. Tracks the ground much more smoothly, feels more linear and uses it's travel more freely while also feeling more predictable and supportive overall.
It cost me £70-odd and that might seem steep for a glorified fork token, but compared to the £300 coil conversion I was eyeing it's a (much lighter) bargain.
So that's my product of the year, actually.
SRAM Pro Piston Press tool. It has become my go to tool for ensuring pistons are fully retracted prior to any adjustments/routine maintenance and allows me to eliminate squeal caused by poorly aligned callipers/irregular piston advancement.
That and Continental GP5000S tyres. They’re amazingly good. Easy to mount and setup tubeless, fast, grippy and comfortable. They could do with lasting a bit longer but meh…
assuming that’s the outlier pedals what’s the total landed cost looking like? I reckon on about £230?
I’ve also ordered a pair of the Pendulum pedals but they’re not for me!
My best purchase has been J-Tech custom tuning for the suspension on my eeb and on the DH bike (Ohlins coils on both, RXF38s on eeb and DH38s on DH bike). The Ohlins default shim stack is far too heavy for me (I’m 52kg) and having the suspension tuned has completely transformed it — uber poppy but also supportive and calm where it needs to be.
The second best purchase would be a DT Swiss 240 rear hub to replace the rubbish Hope Pro 5 hub (candidate for worst purchase of the year) that I spent 9 months fighting with. I know a lot of people really like Hope so I’m assuming the hub I had was just a lemon!
assuming that’s the outlier pedals what’s the total landed cost looking like?
£190 plus whatever HMRC slap on. Will be a while before they arrive though so no idea on any extras
The last cycling related item I bought was the Endura Gv500 insulated jacket, great for mechanical issues, coffee stops, view stops etc. A bit to warm to actually ride in, but it packs up so small.
In the ongoing spirit of things you forgot to include in your first post, I also bought one of the Tailfin top-tube bags for my Camino and it's brilliant. Straps are incredibly secure and stable, bag is really nicely made - the flip-top one - and contoured so it doesn't interfere with pedalling. Ideal for a phone and a few snacks. Surprisingly water-tight too. Just really good kit.
@highlandman - do they fit to size? I'm normally a "M" in Endura - tops/shorts and Leisure Lakes have some on offer. I really rate my three year old and still going strong Troy Lee Skyline troons. So much so I bought the waterproof version and it's a rubbish fit for me- too wide at the waist and a bit baggy everywhere else, so in the market for a pair that I can use through the winter...
The second best purchase would be a DT Swiss 240 rear hub to replace the rubbish Hope Pro 5 hub (candidate for worst purchase of the year) that I spent 9 months fighting with
How can you spend 9 months fighting with a hub that has about 10 parts in it? It either works or it doesn't and if it doesn't they'll replace it.
I've been riding them all year, no issues.
Apart from some big upgrades like a 38 & AXS, the best has been Funn Fast Air valves.
No more blocked or broken Presta valve cores.
Santa Cruz Stigmata gravel bikes (pair of, for my wife and I). Wow, who knew gravel bikes had come so far?
To be fair we didn't buy a lot else bike-related last year and her dad had just popped his clogs so she deserved a bit of cheering up (plus, is coming into enough money to pay for them, though that's a long and tedious process...).
I've changed my mind: my Polaris merino and synthetic 'flip' top is all the shizzles and has been worn loads on hill and rides this year.
Not cycling specific but the Darn Tough socks I got are the best socks ever. And I've had a lot of socks!
How can you spend 9 months fighting with a hub that has about 10 parts in it? It either works or it doesn’t and if it doesn’t they’ll replace it.
I’ve been riding them all year, no issues.
Because it took 8 months to diagnose that the hub was the root of the (admittedly bizarre) issue the bike was having 🙂 and then another month of trying everything to fix it before I lost patience and bought the DT 🙂 . The very (very very) short story is that I ride an ebike with a rotor magnet, and the Hope hub + rotor magnet causes a massive throw in the rotor that is so big the caliper can’t be adjusted to stop it rubbing.
Really happy yours have worked so well though! 🙂 I would say maybe mine is a lemon but a friend got a Hope wheel at the same time as I had mine and has exactly the same problem, though it’s not as extreme as the one I had as his eeb uses a different rotor magnet position.
Specialized Crux, though still not sure on the colour scheme. And the 12 speed cable GRX just works faultlessly.