Long-distance escapades have always been my preferred flavour of riding. This year, I got to combine everything I’ve learned from previous bikepacking trips and audaxes with my love of travelling for two gravel ultra-endurance races.
First up was the Seven Serpents – an 850km odyssey with 16,000m of climbing. The race starts in Ljubljana, Slovenia before zig-zagging its way into Croatia, across the islands of Krk and Cres and finishing in Trieste, Italy.
The second challenge was Badlands – perhaps Europe’s most recognised ultra-race in southern Spain, a slightly shorter 790km but with 16,400m elevation.
Despite similar stats, the races couldn’t have been more different from each other. I had to nurse my way around the second half of the Seven Serpents course with a knee injury to finish the blasted thing. The blazing heat was the challenge in Badlands and after suffering with the beginnings of heatstroke twice, the only way to finish that race was to become a vampire, with the sleep deprivation eventually taking its toll.
Still, to have finished both events is an achievement in itself and they’ve provided me with life-long memories.
It would be safe to say a fair amount of training was needed to get me in shape for these events, so you can rest assured the kit I tested and reviewed this year has been thoroughly put through the wringer.
Before I unveil my alphabetised five product highlights for 2024, some honourable mentions that didn’t quite make the list are as follows: Castelli’s Espresso and Q36.5’s Gregarius Pro bib shorts, Velocio’s Alpha Merino Air jacket, Pirelli’s Cinturato Gravel RC-X tyres, the DT Swiss GRC 1100 Dicut wheels (review coming soon) and Campagnolo Ekar GT.
Cycplus AS2 Pro electric pump
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- $109
Electric mini-pumps are considered by some as an upgrade you don’t need. I’ll admit I was also in this camp – it’s another thing you need to charge and, after all, what’s wrong with the humble mini-pump?
I’ve tested a few different options this year and Cycplus’ AS2 Pro is by far and away my favourite – colour me converted. I now carry it on every ride.
Designed to be carried in your pocket, the AS2 Pro is claimed to pump a 700c x 25mm tyre to 80psi in 50 seconds up to four times. You get live pressure readings too, so you don’t have to guess what pressure you’re inflating the tyre to.
It’s proven invaluable for lots of my testing this year. I’m constantly experimenting with tyre pressures whenever I test a bike, wheelset or tyre – and this pump saves me time and removes the guesswork of unknown or incorrect pressures.
It’s also a godsend in cold conditions – 50 seconds with the Cycplus and the job’s a good ‘un. I’ll take that over a mini-pump.
And while this pump isn’t strong enough to seat tubeless tyres from scratch, it got a fellow Badlander out of a sticky situation when their mini-pump wasn’t playing ball with a flat tyre.
The only criticism I can level at this pump is you need to store it in a bag in wet weather, but that’s true of other options on the market too.
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Sidi Wire 2S
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- £399 / $410 / €389
I’ve reviewed lots of shoes in my almost three years at BikeRadar and, for road, I’ll always return to my Sidi Ergo 3 or Specialized S-Works 6 (which I sadly had to retire this spring) when I’m not testing a new pair.
Sidi’s Wire 2S joins the prestigious club. The brand’s second-tier shoes fit my tootsies better than the flagship Shot 2S (which I also rate very highly).
The changes compared to the Wire 2 are minimal, the most obvious being a design refresh by removing a lot of the Sidi branding.
Fit aside, the Wire 2S shoes impress mightily with their comfort and ventilation. They may cost a pretty penny and they might not be the lightest with their substantial construction, but the fact many of the parts are replaceable sets them apart from the competition.
The Sidis shine on long-distance rides, their most significant challenge to date being a 300km training ride ahead of the Seven Serpents.
The shoes were agonisingly close to being awarded my second-ever five-star rating, but one flaw holds them back – the fixed cleat holes. It hasn’t proven an issue for my feet, but putting my objective reviewer’s hat on, it may be an issue for those with specific bike-fit requirements.
If you get on with the fit, I can’t think of a better pair of shoes.
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Specialized S-Works Evade 3
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Aero road helmets historically came with a weight and ventilation penalty, but that’s not the case with the latest crop and the Specialized S-Works Evade 3 is the best speed-oriented helmet I’ve tested to date.
Although it's a couple of years old now, I only started riding with the Evade 3 earlier this year as a means of comparison against the second-tier Specialized Propero 4 helmet. Since the Propero 4 takes heavy inspiration from the Evade 3, I tested both helmets back-to-back to provide an authentic review.
First off, the Evade 3’s a great-looking helmet, cutting a slim profile, while the ‘diffuser’ at the rear is striking.
Specialized claims the Evade 3 is as aerodynamic as its predecessor, the S-Works Evade II, but the ventilation has been improved by 10 per cent, thanks to its nine vents.
The ventilation is certainly impressive for an aero helmet. I rode this helmet in warm temperatures, in both Portugal and Spain this year, and my head didn’t get sweaty. Of course, I’d opt for a lightweight helmet in searing temperatures – my old faithful Kask Valegro – but it’s good to know the Evade 3 has your back.
The Evade 3 has also scored the full five stars in independent safety tests carried out by Virginia Tech.
There’s only one chink in the Evade 3’s armour – I wish the cranial support was a little lower.
- £250 / $300 / €290 / AU$425
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SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission
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First reserved for the top-tier XX and XO levels, Transmission trickled down to the third-tier GX in 2023. I got to experience this groupset aboard the excellent 3T Extrema Italia and I think it’s the best product release from SRAM in years.
Although ostensibly a mountain bike groupset, I tested GX on gravel as part of a mullet drivetrain. Not only does it make for a fantastic gravel option, I think it's the more logical choice over an equivalent gravel groupset for many riders.
Transmission’s major appeal versus other SRAM gravel groupsets is its very generous 520 per cent range, bettering both Shimano and Campagnolo. You can never have a low enough range, especially when bikepacking.
The shifting under load is especially impressive and I love the fact there’s no derailleur hanger to worry about bending or breaking – a boon when you’re travelling or sticking the bike in the car.
The only real drawback is the lever ergonomics found on Apex/Rival/Force AXS. While I’m yet to test Red AXS, the revised lever shape might mean that’s the way to go for my judgmental mitts.
Otherwise, provided you get on with the levers, SRAM Transmission is a no-brainer for a gravel build and I would unquestionably opt for it from a mountain bike perspective.
- £1,180 / $1,099 / €1,399 (price for a mountain bike drivetrain)
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Tailfin Carbon AeroPack
I’ve tried many different bikepacking setups over the years, but this summer marked my first dip into the Tailfin pool when the brand very kindly kitted me out ahead of Badlands. I’ve undoubtedly found my favourite.
While I’ve been seriously impressed by multiple pieces in the range, the Carbon AeroPack is undoubtedly the star of the show – I’ll never go back to a traditional bikepacking saddle bag again.
The AeroPack integrates both a storage bag and a rack, with an arch made of carbon or alloy (and with or without pannier mounts) that attaches to either a frame eyelet or a custom thru-axle. If you opt for the thru-axle, the rack can be removed in seconds and that’s what I went for.
A quick-release connector then secures the system to the seatpost, and I love that you can use the AeroPack and maintain full functionality with a dropper post – I wish I had the AeroPack when I rode The Pictish Trail last year.
Tailfin wins further points for the system’s modularity – rather than having to buy a complete replacement AeroPack, the four different arches are available separately.
On the trail, the AeroPack is rock-solid and there’s not a hint of the sway that’s inherent with conventional saddle bags. The bag has a cavernous 18l capacity, but if you don’t need the full storage, it doesn’t look out of place once you’ve cinched the straps down.
As far as I’m concerned, the AeroPack has undoubtedly rewritten the saddle bag rulebook.
- From £296 / $390 / €380 / AU$555 (alloy without pannier mounts)
