It’s that time of year again. Summer has faded, the Black Friday bonanza has been and gone, the Christmas music is blaring (it has been since mid-November, don’t email me), and it’s the point in the year when we get to reflect back on our year of riding, racing and reviewing all the tech that the bike industry has to offer.
For me, 2023 has been a quiet year of on-bike achievement. It’s been fairly busy here at work, especially in the first half of the year which saw me heading overseas at least once per month between February and August. Combine that with a new puppy taking up a lot of my spare time and a wedding on the horizon to save up for, I’ve not managed much-structured training, racing, or any really big rides this year.
Most of my riding at home has been done indoors (alongside testing various smart trainers). Although I spent a good number of summer days on a mountain bike that was loaned to me by Giant, and that reignited a love for riding mountain bikes, something I’ve not done since I was around 16; almost half a life ago.
Despite the lack of mileage, I’ve ridden more bikes this year than ever before and had some serious pinch-me moments too. In April, I was lucky enough to get to ride on the Monza F1 circuit with Josh Tarling for the launch of the Kask Elemento, and then a month later I rode around Vicenza with Filippo Pozzato for the launch of Campagnolo Super Record Wireless. I also got away to Morzine for a week-long holiday in August with startup Treacle Velo, taking with me the Factor O2 VAM and some excellent tyres.
My first road race of the year was most people’s last, in October (I came 2nd and was very proud of myself), and my only other race was a reasonably dry CX race on a gravel bike with 1,100g road wheels (more on that below).
Anyone who read last year’s version of this will know that I had recently begun bikejoring with our older dog, Duke. This weekend, we have our first-ever race in that, marking three races this year, each in a different sport. Does that mean I’m like Van Aert and Van der Poel? I hope so. Anyway, wish us luck.
I’ve already digressed a little, so let’s get to the point of this article: The gear I’ve loved this year.
2023 was my first full year as El Capitan of the tech ship here at CN, and it saw a shift in our approach to one that has seen us get hands-on with A LOT more gear. More bikes, more clothing, more shoes, more tools, more… stuff.
Naturally, that helps us have a greater understanding of…
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