Maintaining the same theme as my 2021 Gear of the Year, 2022 has been all about gravel riding and bikepacking.
In part, this has been down to my fantastic long-term review bike, a Sonder Camino that has made touring all the more fun and comfortable.
Similarly, the products I have chosen as my Gear of the Year selections this time round are things that have made the long off-road miles as easy, comfortable and manageable as possible.
Ortlieb Gravel Pack
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They may be small, but these cargo fork bags have made quite an impact on my bikepacking this year.
The Ortlieb Gravel Packs are 12 litres in capacity, and fit to your forks using a plastic rack structure. If you have mounts on your fork, the rack can be bolted on, and there are metal collars provided for use on suspension forks too. The panniers lock on to the rack via two clips that are easy to slot on and off.
I’ve been very impressed by the whole system this year. After rattling the packs up and down gravel roads and singletrack, the locking system has been great. They’ve stayed put with no trouble.
Slotting the bags on to and off the racks is easy too – there’s no fiddling with securing bolts or cables.
The packs are very well made, using hardy and waterproof material. Despite being used in muddy, wet and boggy conditions, they’ve performed flawlessly and everything inside has remained dry and safe.
It’s useful to carry weight low on the bike too – using the Gravel Packs helps to keep the centre of gravity low, which ensures the handling remains stable and confident, even on off-camber descents.
A capacity of 12 litres isn’t huge, but it’s perfect for storing tools, food and coats – which are accessible to grab if needed.
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Redshift ShockStop stem
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I borrowed the Redshift ShockStop stem from Tom Marvin after he used it on his long-distance ride across Europe. I admit I was quite cynical about it – it offered only 20mm of travel and I didn’t think that would make any difference to the ride.
However, once I got out on the trails, I found it actually worked really well. It’s not the same as mountain bike suspension (you’re still going to feel the bumps), but as a way to dampen trail chatter, it helps significantly.
The stem offers 20mm of travel through a series of elastomers inside it. When you set up the stem, you choose between different elastomers based on your weight, which is explained in an easy-to-follow manual.
The ride with the stem is definitely smoother than without. When riding on the hoods or in the drops, the movement is fluttery, and incessantly rough surfaces are dampened, reducing fatigue on long days.
It also doesn’t bob around if you’re climbing or sprinting, so you don’t feel you’re expending energy unnecessarily.
It’s not a replacement for a suspension fork, but to help make rough trails smoother, it works a treat.
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Alé Stones Cargo bib shorts/ Blizzard bib tights
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I have been lucky enough to use both the Alé Stones Cargo bib shorts and the Alé Blizzard bib tights this year.
Alé has long worked to make great women’s cycling kit, and these pieces are super-comfortable and well made.
I’ll start with the bib shorts, which I wore on almost every ride throughout the summer. These women’s bib shorts are very comfortable, with a seat pad that allows for a good amount of coverage without being overly padded.
They come with mesh side pockets and mesh back pockets – fantastic for storing snacks or a phone. It also means you aren’t wedded to wearing a cycling jersey (with its useful back pockets) if you don’t want to – and every gravelista knows it’s much cooler to wear a patterned shirt on the trails!
The Blizzard bib tights are as comfortable as the shorts. They use the same seat pad, and have a design with minimal cut-outs to minimise friction.
The B-Power DWR fabric has stayed warm, even in minus temperatures, keeping out wind and light rain. I found the fit of the bib tights very comfortable – they use ergonomic panels to provide a good fit the whole way down the leg.
When going out on a ride, I will reach for either of these before anything else, and I look forward to another year of great riding with them.