Tech for traversing Belgium on gravel and four race disciplines

By Jack Evans

Published: Monday, 11 December 2023 at 10:00 AM


In 2023, I’ve ridden in excess of 14,000km during more than 500 hours in the saddle on tarmac, dirt and, lately, mud.

In addition to completing several audaxes up to 300km-long and two bikepacking trips, I’ve competed in four different disciplines, including gravel racing and road-bike time trialing.

To be a Jack of all trades and master of none this year, I’ve relied on a hodge-podge of tech.

From bantam-weight kicks to a clever saddle pack, here are my Gear of the Year selections, which helped me into the top 100 of the UK National Hill Championships and across Belgium on gravel.

Specialized S-Works Torch Lace

Specialized S-Works Torch Lace road cycling shoes in blue
I’ve been taken aback by these shoes’ versatility.
Scott Windsor / Our Media
  • £300 / $350 / €340 / AU$550

The Specialized S-Works Torch Lace is the brand’s priciest lace-up road cycling shoe. With a narrow toe box, granite-hard sole and minimalist design, I expected the shoe to suit short, hard efforts and little else.

How wrong I was.

Over thousands of kilometres of testing the S-Works Torch Lace, it remained flawlessly comfortable.

Micro-perforations in the thin, supple upper and larger vent in the sole ventilated my feet really well. This is crucial on long summer rides – your feet swell when they overheat and can begin to rub.

I had no such issues doing big miles in a (rare) UK heatwave and on a sweltering day in the French Vosges mountains testing the new Focus Paralane and Izalco Max.

Specialized S-Works Torch Lace road cycling shoes in blue
The bottoms of the sole have scuffed up slightly, because I’ve ridden them places a careful owner won’t.
Scott Windsor / Our Media

Crank things up a notch and the S-Works Torch feels sublime: stable and supportive beneath your foot and secure around the ankle.

My size-46 test pair weigh 456g, thanks in part to the laces, which save 100g or so compared to the Boa-dial version of the shoe.

As hill-climbing weight-saving mods go, that’s a sizeable one, which could enhance rather than reduce your comfort (the same can’t be said for hack-sawing your handlebar).

The S-Works Torch’s all-round performance goes a long way to justifying its £300 / $350 price label.