Ten wholly unsolicited opinions on ten new-to-me products I found genuinely exciting over the course of the past year. Each has surprised, delighted, and elevated the ride experience in such a way I felt compelled to share. All have found their way into my routine, quickly becoming staples I can’t seem to live without – and it turns out very few of them are actual bicycle parts.

Rapha Brevet Windstopper Jersey

You are gearing up for a brisk wintertime century. It is a dry, crisp 33°f. What do you wear? Conventional wisdom would layer layers upon layers on top of more layers. While layering is never a bad idea, this Gore-Tex-fortified jersey reshuffles the approach by fusing the insulation of Rapha’s beloved Brevet jacket with wind-neutralizing Gore-Tex Infinium fabric. The net result is an ultra-minimal winter kit for your upper half. Combined with a merino base layer, one can comfortably ride all day in just this single jersey up top, which, if you think about it, is quite liberating. ‘But aren’t you cold?’ your ridemates will ask. ‘Not at all.’ you’ll reply. Gore’s Infinium is a bit less stretchy than Rapha’s typical jersey fabrics, so if you’re on the cusp, it is best to size up. It’s got the standard array of rear pockets, two zipped bonus pockets at the sides, and a prodigious amount of reflective detailing. If you could pick only one deep winter jersey, this is the one.

Mason Dixie Liege Waffles

The monotony of sickly sweet engineered ride nutrition gets old fast. So to diversify the palate, I find myself cycling through sweet and savory in phases. One year it was cheese. The next few years were all about sweet potatoes. I had a good thing going with lentil wraps for a spell. But this past year I’ve been enraptured by Mason Dixie Liege waffles. They nail the sweet-savory balance fantastically. They are loaded with available nutrition at 220 calories a pop. They are infinitely palatable, ultra-lightweight, compact, and travel extremely well. They come frozen in Apple Cinnamon and Maple varietals. Pop them in your framebag or fannypack and they’re ready whenever you are. They have quickly become an absolute staple for big days. I am hesitant to use terms like gamechanger, but sometimes it just applies.

Bookman Block Rechargeable Tail light

There are still plenty of folks who still don’t speak dynamo. For those who opt out, this micro-taillight is for you. It is the size of a Starburst, yet blasts out 18 highly visible lumens for up to 25 hours of claimed runtime. Seriously, have I mentioned how TINY this thing is? It also weighs in at a whopping 12g – about as much as a cat’s whisker or a single blueberry. It mounts instantly and ingeniously care of an integrated rubber fastening loop, yet stays firmly affixed through the spiciest patch of bob-n-jostle. Steady + blink modes and two brightness levels provide an economical range of visibility options. This featherweight nano-unit is all killer – no filler.

Rapha Explore Lightweight Jacket

This jacket has saved my ass on a handful of occasions but that’s not the reason it stands out. I love this one specifically because it adds a striking degree of packable warmth at almost no cost. The comfort-to-size ratio is astounding. It’s a DWR-treated just-in-case layer so compact I bring it on almost every ride. It packs succinctly into its own self-contained pocket. It is the size of a dinner roll and weighs only 78 grams. Do note – a dedicated all-day rain layer this is not. This is for the chilly mornings, frosty evenings, unexpected microclimates at elevation, and precarious turns in the weather. Mine is from a previous model year before they added the hood, but seeing as I almost never find myself wanting a hood while riding, it suits me just fine. Variable conditions require versatile gear and this low-impact piece is absolutely one of the best.

Swift Industries Hold Fast Framebag

You can quite often judge a bag by its zipper. Robust, smooth-gliding YKK zippers are a good sign a bag has been thoughtfully considered. This one clearly has. Grippy, oversized pulls open and close readily with one hand, and honestly, that is half the battle right there. Is the Hold Fast also lightweight (less than 200g), secure (6 attachment points), and highly durable? Why yes it is and then some! Another win is its svelte design which allows two full-size water bottles. That means it stays on for daily rides, casual rides, weekend rides. All the rides. It's just easy and solid. Nothing is compromised. I use the 4L capacity, which fits my XL frame dimensions like a snuggie. Would I like a smaller internal pocket or two to secure the tiny bits? Sure, but outside of this minor request, the Hold Fast checks all the right boxes – plus that Coyote colorway ties the whole ensemble together.

HiFi EP30 700c Carbon Wheelset

Make no mistake, stepping up your wheelset is the single most impactful performance upgrade your bike can get. So what exactly does that mean…performance upgrade? In this case, a set of HiFi EP30’s turned my older, slightly sluggy, middle-of-the-road CX build into an bona-fide road rocket. The EP30 sits at the lightweight, shallow end of HiFi’s carbon road lineup with ample 21mm internals, ie, a thoroughly modern road-plus footprint. The ridefeel is lively, quick, stiff, stable, and flat-out FAST. And while speed is not my primary concern, it enables me to ride further faster with less effort – longer days with less fatigue. Yes, the EP30’s absolutely fly up climbs, accelerate through rollers, and rail corners with a vengeance – all of which I expect from high-end carbon but the biggest surprise is how well they shut down road chatter for an incredibly stable ride. They take the edge off bumps, rough pavement, gravel, and rocky, rooty trails in ways that spark zesty, spirited efforts. They inspire me to go for it just because I can. After all, isn’t that what your bike is ideally supposed to do?

Garbaruk Shimano 11 Cassette + Pulley Kit

Imagine a world where 46t was all you were allowed for singletrack climbs. Looks pretty bleak doesn’t it? Welcome to Shimano 11 for mountain bikes. Garbaruk Components thoughtfully addresses the issue by CNC milling these exquisite cassette + pulley kits, retrofitting Shimano 11 with modern 11-50t gearing. This precision upgrade adds 4 teeth while shaving 125g in the process over 11-46t XT. What a time to be alive! They are slick, blingy, precise, and available in 8 anodized color options to play well with your bike’s existing palette. Step up to 50t and you’ll never look back.

Wyld CBD Gummies

I keep a packet of 2-3 of these Oregon-made gems deep in my ride kit alongside a tiny bottle of chain lube, quick-link, and Dynaplug. Like with like, logically organized as a trailside fix for a ravaged body. At 25mg each, I scale dosage relative to the intensity of the ride – 1 works for a midweek 30-mile roadie, 2 is appropriate for solid adventure rides, and 3 buffers the torment of 7000 ft MTB days. Careful though – the trick is all in the timing. Take them too early and you risk it wearing off before you’re done, which crossfades into an unfiltered world of pain. Too late and what’s the point? But if you time it just right in the final 20-30% of a big day, It is a welcome salve for sore legs, back, neck, shoulders, hammies, glutes, and everything else that hurts.

DryGuy Boot Dryer

Boot dryers work exceptionally well. This is no revelation. People have told me this for ages, but for whatever reason, they never seemed particularly necessary. After all, I had floor vents and toilet paper rolls to coax a bit of lukewarm air into my sopping winter gear pile. What could go wrong? The idea here is quite simple: two large vented posts for your shoes, two smaller ones for your gloves, a forced-air blower, a heating element and timer. That’s it. It works with cycling shoes, ski boots, running shoes, hiking boots, any kind of gloves, and dries your gear in 10 minutes. If you ride, run, or hike anywhere it rains – like the Pacific Northwest – it’s a no-brainer. Get one of these. You’ll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner.

Therabody Recovery Air Jet Boots

I use these every single day. I use them after rides, after runs, after lunch, but mostly while watching Paul and Prue judge treacle tartlets on the telly. If I’m honest, I probably use these TOO much. I’m a bit fuzzy on the particulars of recovery science but the idea goes something like this: pneumatic compression increases lower body blood flow, boosting oxygen distribution and reducing inflammation, fatigue, and lactic acid buildup, which enhances and speeds recovery. Does it work? I have no hard proof but I certainly like to THINK it does. And holy Jeebus, they feel amazing after big rides – like a rhythmic, muscular hug for your leggyparts – which should be justification enough right there.