2024 has been a tale of two halves for me. The first half I must admit was dominated by running, with riding serving as a welcome escape from the punishment that this was repeatedly serving me. At the tail end of 2023, a friend convinced me that a 100 km ultra-marathon would be a ‘fun’ thing to do. After one DNF due to trench foot and one seventh-place finish, I quickly reverted to cycling full-time, with the odd run creeping in when I am short on time or the weather is foul enough that my bike begs to stay inside.
From June onwards I have enjoyed cycling like never before. I haven’t done anything especially noteworthy, no all-day epics or alpine adventures; I have simply enjoyed swinging a leg over my bike and heading out on new and familiar roads. Having spent so much time running I have a renewed love for the efficiency of cycling, how much ground you can cover with relative ease.
Rekindling my love for road cycling post-ultra-marathon has really allowed me to explore what I want from my riding. It’s not quite a clean slate, but it is as close as a seasoned rider can get. I have been able to approach my kit choices, set-up preferences, and riding style all with fresh eyes. It has been lovely to see an evolution in my mentality around riding from a self-confessed data addict to a data-aware rider who might pick a route simply for the pleasure it delivers rather than its ability to accommodate the perfect interval session.
With that in mind, here are just a few of the things that made my 2024 list of things I would happily recommend to anyone who sees a bit of themselves in my approach to riding.
Specialized Tarmac SL8 Expert
It would be remiss of me to create a list of my favourite things I’ve used in 2024 without including my personal bike purchase. Admittedly it is not an ‘out there’ choice but I have enjoyed every moment of riding on the SL8 and it marks my first foray into Tarmac ownership.
For my style of riding (full gas most of the time), the SL8 has been the perfect companion so far. Given its race pedigree, I am continually blown away by just how comfortable the bike is. Even with the stock 26 mm S-Work Turbo tyres the bike seemed to glide over broken roads with a composure that I haven’t experienced on a pure race bike.
Currently, my SL8 is kitted out with 32 mm S-Works Mondo tyres in an attempt to make the wet and dirty roads of England a little bit more predictable. It is nothing unique to this bike but the ability to fit 32 mm rubber into an outright race-oriented frame makes the bike more comfortable but also more capable if a gravel path was to ever stand in my way.
As much as I love the SL8 I can’t help but feel it would be that little bit better if it shared a bit more genetic material with the Aethos and routed the brake hoses externally until after the head tube. As a rider in the UK, perhaps the Aethos and its external cable routing may be the more sensible pick that would make headset bearing replacement a less-costly and time-consuming affair.
Personally, I love the purple satin colourway of the 2024 SL8, as someone who has had more than their fair share of black bikes it is nice to have something a little bit louder. I often find myself returning to my bike at a cafe to find some inquisitive rider asking if it is custom-painted. Luckily for my bank balance, it is not but the purple goes down well with a lot of admirers.
Price: US$6,500 / £5,500 / AU$8,600 / €6,500
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
This might be more than a few years old at this point but as the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Unlike someone else in the tech team *cough Ronan cough* I am a big fan of sports watches. For all but the most navigation-heavy routes or specific training sessions, I tend to record all my rides on my Fenix 6. The removal of the constantly visible stream of data does wonders for reconnecting with the sensations of riding; it is still there whenever I want to check my speed or power but it is that little bit less convenient than just staring down at a head unit.
There are now two Fenix watches that have superseded my Fenix 6 with Garmin releasing the Fenix 8 Pro earlier in the summer. Both the Fenix 8 Pro and the 7 Pro that come before it have incrementally added great functionality with the Fenix 7 and 8 both incorporating a touchscreen onto the watch face. Although this and a small in-built torch among other features have no doubt improved on the Fenix 6 it hasn’t had me reaching for my wallet just yet.
14 days between charges or a week, if I am riding as much as I want to, is more than enough. I am also a fan of the simplicity that comes with my activity tracker also monitors my sleep, HRV and heart rate is great for overall health and fitness monitoring. For a lot of people the functionality of the Fenix 8 Pro over the 7 Pro is not worth the additional investment so given that the 6 Pro has been discontinued the 7 Pro would be my multi-sport watch recommendation.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar Price: US$800 / £650 / AU$1,350 / €750 (Fenix 6 Pro has now been discontinued)
Van Rysel FCR helmet
This one surprised me the most. Not that I had any reason to dislike it, but at the time of purchase it was some £60-£70 under some of its direct competitors. From the moment I had it in my hands I knew Van Rysel had worked some magic on this helmet and that they were on to a winner.
If you weren’t aware of the FCR’s budget price tag it would be easy to assume that the FCR is a premium helmet that demands an equally premium price tag. The full satin polycarbonate shell that wraps around the edges of the helmet and the Fidlock Snap buckle make handling the FCR a pleasant experience.
For my slightly oval head shape, the fit of the helmet is as good as it gets, with nice full coverage that extends down to my brow and sits close enough to my ears to create the feeling of good protection. A simple, if not a little bulky, dial adjuster takes care of retention, along with a three-position cradle height adjustment.
With good ventilation, effective glasses stowage, and an aerodynamic design courtesy of SwissSide the FCR has been a winner for me this year. A full review of the FCR will be making its way onto the site in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled.
Price: £100 / AU$150 / €100 (I bought the helmet for £90 however the £10 increase does little to change my opinion on the FCR.)
Decathlon ISO Isotonic Drink Powder
Coming as the second item from highstreet sports retailer Decathlon, I have been using the ISO range of isotonic drink mix throughout 2024. I found this product when looking for some drinkable calories that would agree with my body in my preparation for that 100 km ultra-marathon. Running, especially for 12 hours, most certainly has a greater toll on your stomach than any riding I have ever done, so finding a drink mix I could stomach for the ultra was the perfect proving ground.
At £9 for a 600-gram bag which makes 8 litres of drink mix the price is hard to beat. Each serving is measured using the cap of the pouch with a 38-gram serving containing 34 grams of carbohydrate. For me the lemon flavour is the nicest; it has a refreshing taste that doesn’t have too much punch to upset my stomach or make me feel like I can’t take any more fuel onboard. This proved to be a lifesaver in said ultra-marathon when due to the heat on the day I struggled to eat any solid food beyond the 20 km mark. From then on it was liquid calories only. I died a death in the last hour of the race with drink alone not able to keep up with my demands but I am sure that without an easy-to-consume drink, it would have been a DNF.
In the UK at least Decathlon offer the ISO range of drink mixes in a 2 kg bag for £25 so once you find a flavour you like this represents a slightly improved value over the 600-gram pouch. In comparison, SIS’ Go energy powder costs £33 for a 1.6 kg tub.
Something I have found to be useful out on rides is that it is possible to double up servings without the taste becoming too sweet or sickly. On harder rides or when I simply don’t want to have to eat anything on a ride I have double-served the ISO powder giving 68 grams of carbs per bottle. For a 90-minute to two-hour ride, this is the perfect amount for me to keep fueled enough to press on the pedals the whole way around.
Price: £9 / €9 (600-gram pouch)
Castelli Perfetto 2 RoS
Rumour has it that it rains a lot in the UK. Whoever started those vicious rumours might well be on to something especially given this year’s poor attempt at “summer.” One of the wettest summers on record has meant that I have spent more than my fair share of time out riding through puddles and desperately drying my shoes out (if anyone from a slightly more temperate climate would like to swap, I am taking applications).
As a result, I have needed to find some wet or at least damp weather kit that I can rely on. When the temperatures have been in the high teens or lower I have often found myself reaching for the Castelli Perfetto 2 RoS. It isn’t a waterproof jacket but rather water-resistant. This means that if it is raining this might not be the right jacket for anything more than a 20-minute blast across town. Where I have found the Perfetto 2 to excel is when riding in the aftermath of a deluge. The long tail and water-resistant Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper fabric do a sterling job of keeping road spray from getting to me.
One of the features that makes this particular garment so versatile is the inclusion of two zipped vents that sit on the sides of my abdomen. Opening these introduces a level of airflow that can keep you cool even when riding with intent and opens up the Perfetto’s usable temperature range.
I will say that for me the sizing didn’t come across as particularly Castelli-like; at 172 cm and 65 kg, a small jersey is normally erring on the side of a racy aero fit. In the Perfetto 2, I found that a small was actually closer to the baggier end of what I would deem acceptable. It does mean I have space for a baselayer and an additional jersey underneath if I want to layer up as the temperature continues to drop but if I was getting this solely as a “damp but not too cold weather” jacket I would probably size down to the XS.
Price: US$280 / £260 / AU$390 / €230
Canyon Tempr CFR Off-road shoe
I got my hands on a pre-release pair of Tempr CFR off-road shoes back in April when the brand showcased the shoes to the media at Sea Otter. Here we got to see the ins and outs of the shoe design and the technology that went into their construction. We were also given a pair and sent off into the wild to try them out for ourselves.
At the time I thought I would try them out for a bit and then return to my normal shoe rotation of Fizik’s Vento Ferox and Specialized’s S-Works Exos. As it turns out, since I started riding with the Tempr CFR the other shoes have had little use, with the Exos demoted now to my wet weather shoe, partly because of how quick-drying the upper is.
Canyon designed the Tempr to have a completely floating Boa closure system that wraps around the heel and arch, meaning that tightening the shoe produces more of a tight hug around the whole foot rather than clamping the upper down. The use of some low-friction materials on the closure system means that as the shoe tightens these areas are still able to slide across each other rather than bunching up. The result is a shoe that I can run tighter than other shoes and is more comfortable with no hotspots or pressure points across the top of my foot. At £320 for a pair, they aren’t cheap but they are up there with the best in terms of fit and comfort.
Price: US$330 / £320 / €330
A few noteworthy mentions
Shimano XT pedals
As someone who jumps between road, gravel and mountain I found that this year I got bored carrying multiple shoes around on any trip that had the chance of multi-discipline riding. The result was fitting XT pedals to my Tarmac and embracing it; the result has been fab and walking into a cafe is a civilized affair without sliding around on a tiled floor.
Exposure Zenith Mk3
When the days draw in and more rides take place under the dark blanket of the night I am well equipped on the light front. I have a few lights from Trek, Magicshine and Hope to choose from. I also have an Exposure Six-Pack and a Zenith. For sheer versatility, I find almost every night ride I am reaching for the Zenith more than any other light. With a claimed 2200-lumen max output it packs a punch, especially considering its size. It is also easy to mount to a helmet or handlebars and lasts around 90 minutes even on a light-intensive mountain bike ride where full power is frequently required. At £295 it is a premium light but the cost is justified by its performance.
This is the eighth instalment in our Favourite Things series, which will continue throughout December. You can find the rest of series here.
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