In 2023, I've ridden in excess of 14,000km during more than 500 hours in the saddle on tarmac, dirt and, lately, mud.
In addition to completing several audaxes up to 300km-long and two bikepacking trips, I've competed in four different disciplines, including gravel racing and road-bike time trialing.
To be a Jack of all trades and master of none this year, I've relied on a hodge-podge of tech.
From bantam-weight kicks to a clever saddle pack, here are my Gear of the Year selections, which helped me into the top 100 of the UK National Hill Championships and across Belgium on gravel.
Specialized S-Works Torch Lace
- £300 / $350 / €340 / AU$550
The Specialized S-Works Torch Lace is the brand's priciest lace-up road cycling shoe. With a narrow toe box, granite-hard sole and minimalist design, I expected the shoe to suit short, hard efforts and little else.
How wrong I was.
Over thousands of kilometres of testing the S-Works Torch Lace, it remained flawlessly comfortable.
Micro-perforations in the thin, supple upper and larger vent in the sole ventilated my feet really well. This is crucial on long summer rides – your feet swell when they overheat and can begin to rub.
I had no such issues doing big miles in a (rare) UK heatwave and on a sweltering day in the French Vosges mountains testing the new Focus Paralane and Izalco Max.
Crank things up a notch and the S-Works Torch feels sublime: stable and supportive beneath your foot and secure around the ankle.
My size-46 test pair weigh 456g, thanks in part to the laces, which save 100g or so compared to the Boa-dial version of the shoe.
As hill-climbing weight-saving mods go, that's a sizeable one, which could enhance rather than reduce your comfort (the same can't be said for hack-sawing your handlebar).
The S-Works Torch's all-round performance goes a long way to justifying its £300 / $350 price label.
Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow
- £399.99 / $449.90
A short-nose saddle with a long name, the Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow has also impressed in contrasting scenarios.
Shorter saddles are intended to improve comfort and pedalling efficiency, while 3D-printing, a technology the saddle also incorporates, is aimed more at comfort.
In my experience, the Novus Boost Evo 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow fulfils both objectives.
On the road bike saddle, I've found it relatively easy to hold a fixed, aggressive position, helping me to put the hammer down on my local chaingang.
The prominent cut-out and 3D-printed padding make it a pain-free place to sit on endurance rides, too.
I fitted the Novus Boost Evo 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow to my hill-climb bike. Although a true weight weenie would opt for something lighter and drill holes in it, I know which I'd rather ride in training, and to and from races, as I like to do.
Like other 3D-printed saddles, the Novus Boost Evo 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow is painfully expensive. But what price comfort?
RAB Cinder Phantom Waterproof Jacket
- £195 / $235
At 101g, including its case, which loops securely around your bike's frame, the RAB Cinder Phantom Waterproof Jacket is also light. But I've put it to completely different use from my two previous products.
During a 450km gravel traverse of Belgium, the Cinder Phantom Waterproof was worth its minimal weight in gold.
In the August showers, I would have had to take a heavier waterproof jacket on and off to avoid boiling.
But because the Cinder Phantom Waterproof Jacket is readily breathable and highly waterproof, it stopped me getting wet from sweat and rain. Once the sun emerged again, the outside seemed to dry in minutes.
The relaxed fit is well suited to minimalist bikepacking – it's not too racy to wear off the bike, so you don't need to take an extra jacket for the evening.
The sleeve of the RAB Cinder Phantom Waterproof ripped on a thorny section of singletrack. However, through RAB's repair scheme, which you'll be able to use too, I got it patched up.
Post-repair, the jacket performs as well as before.
Restrap 18L Saddle Pack
- £129.99 / $194.99 / €155.99
The Restrap 18L Saddle Pack is an antidote to the ills of less well-designed saddle packs, which swing disconcertingly under load.
Unlike some bikepacking bags, it's stable over rough stuff, including cobbles and technical singletrack. This results from the rigid holster, double seatpost attachment, and the quality and position of the straps.
The 18L Saddle Pack performed well on the road too. It didn't sway as I grinded out of the saddle on the frightfully steep upper slopes of Bwlch y Groes, Wales' second highest public mountain road.
No matter how much you pack in, the fastening that runs lengthways over the bag packs its content into a compact shape.
I found the 18L capacity ample for my lightly laden Wallonian adventure, in conjunction with a frame bag for spares and food.
The dry bag lives up to its name and the vent enables air to escape as you compress it. A stiff, reinforced lip to the top of the bag keeps the roll-top closure firmly shut.
You can slot your off-bike shoes or waterproof jacket under the drawcord at the bottom of the pack.
