As 2023 draws to a close it’s time to sift through the piles of kit, bikes, and components to see what I think are my favourites. Looking back at my Gear of the Year 2022 it’s clear I have somewhat cast off my retro grouch tendencies. There are no rim brake pads, no boutique friction shifters, no leather saddles… I do still stand by everything in last year’s list, however.
As per last year though I’ve deliberately tried to not overthink things, which if you’ve met me is a little like… well I’ve been trying for fifteen minutes to think of a metaphor that’s just right, so you get the idea. There’s a healthy mix of hardware, soft goods, and a couple of things that are bike-adjacent. All of them have risen to form a creamy layer at the top of their respective fields, which I’ve skimmed off for you and amalgamated into a neat 500ml tub of the bike industry equivalent of that extra thick double cream that only really appears on the shelves at Christmas. I know it’s November, but I’ve already had at least 8 mince pies, and I’m digressing heavily… This metaphor is beginning to break down, so I’m just going to get on with it.
Shortly after writing my GOTY last year, I embarked on a long and regularly very soggy group test of the best waterproof cycling jackets. I spent hours on exposed clifftop gravel tracks getting battered by Atlantic storms; I killed one of my bike lights within an hour once, so wet was it. Naturally in the summer, soggy as it was, testing took a back seat, but in recent months it has picked up again apace as I am keen to keep it as a constantly evolving list of the best options, rather than a snapshot in time.
With all the options on the market at my disposal, I inevitably ended up reaching for the Albion Zoa Rain Shell. It’s wonderfully protective, it fits great, it’s breathable, and a couple of the things I didn’t like so much, primarily the odd double-ended pocket zips, have been changed for the updated version that’s just been released. I’ve had the new one too, and basically, it’s the same as the one I reviewed, but with a few incremental improvements and some new colours. Sadly the black with the orange hood is no more, so I’ll just have to look after mine.
Another reason I’ve really loved this jacket so much is that it is almost as good off the bike. If you’re also a hiker, or you’re commuting too and…
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