It’s hard to believe I’m coming up to my first anniversary of joining the BikeRadar crew.
After nearly a decade in retail, it’s been a huge change. Not only that, I’ve contended with living and working in two separate nations, a multi-hour commute and essentially living out of a bag for most of the last 12 months.
What hasn’t changed though, is my love of mountain biking and getting properly nerdy about the latest and greatest kit.
I’ve been spoiled with some real standouts. Norco’s Fluid is right up there with the best bikes I’ve ridden and SRAM’s new AXS Transmission groupsets have blown me away.
I’ve been treated to a smörgåsbord of tech, a lot of it coming with a hefty price tag and earning a place in my picks for 2023’s Gear of the Year.
7mesh Northwoods Windshell jacket
- 7mesh Northwoods: £170 / $180
I’ve been a huge fan of 7mesh’s clothing for years.
If you’ve watched any of the videos I’ve been in on our YouTube channel, chances are you’ll have seen me rocking their threads.
One of the lesser-seen but most frequently used garments I’ve turned to this year has been the brand’s Northwoods Windshell.
This little jacket has been a godsend on days when the weather doesn’t play ball.
The Northwoods is lightweight, breathable, water-resistant and packs down small. Just stuff it into its own pocket, zip it up and it’s ready to stow away.
Its trump card is 7mesh’s Stash System, which enables you to strap it to your bike.
I’ve become a bit of a minimalist when it comes to the kit I carry on my person on a ride. I’ll usually take a small hip pack with essential tools and sling a water bottle on the bike.
Being able to have a bit of weather protection that goes totally unnoticed strapped to the bike, but is there when I need it, is worth its weight in gold.
Even if, at only 125g, it’s not a lot of gold.
SRAM HS2 rotors
- SRAM HS2 Rotors: £52-65 / $53-69
These rotors from SRAM are not new. Nor are they particularly fancy. They don’t float and, much to the chagrin of my inner weight weenie, they actually add weight to my bikes.
However, having run several sets of these on my personal and test bikes throughout the year, I can’t think of a better-value upgrade for your brakes.
There are cheaper and lighter rotors around, but what makes the HS2s stand out is how much of a difference they make to SRAM’s brakes.
The G2 RS brakes on Norco’s Fluid were distinctly lacking in a few areas, but the HS2s largely solved the quibbles I had.
They increase the power noticeably, thanks to the increased surface area that comes into contact with the pads.
The thicker 2mm-wide construction also removes a good degree of play in the levers before they bite, which is nice on brakes lacking any kind of bite-point adjustment.
Most importantly, they stack up well when I’m inevitably dragging the brakes and putting undue amounts of heat into them.
They may not be a particularly noteworthy entry at first glance, but few bits of kit I’ve used this year have made such a difference.
Crankbrothers Mallet pedals
- Mallet Trail/DH: £179.99 / $179.99
In my years of riding clipped in, I’ve been a Shimano man through and through.
In 2023 though, my head (and feet) were turned.
I tried out Crankbrothers’ pedals for the first time in years.
My only dalliance with its pedal produce before was a set of Eggbeaters I tried on a road bike about eight years ago.
Armed with a set of Mallet DH shoes and pedals, I quickly became a surprise fan. But this was only after I switched to the optional easy-release cleats.
Up until then, I’d struggled with them. My right ankle is twisted and weak, and I was struggling to get enough movement to unclip with the stock cleats.
Once I swapped over to the easier-to-escape options, I was hooked.
I’ve since also used the new Mallet Trail pedals and am equally a big fan of those.
They may be spendy compared to their Japanese counterparts, but for the foreseable I’m going to be cranking it up with the Brothers.
NOBL TR35 x Berd spoke wheels
- NOBL TR35: $2,188
I’ve ridden a few different MTB wheelsets this year and all have impressed at some point.
But for this list, I’ve selected the most interesting and spendiest wheelset I’ve ridden all year; NOBL’s TR35 laced to Onyx hubs via Berd’s unusual PolyLight spokes.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, these wheels will be right up your street.
They’re also light for a wheel rated for downcountry and trail use, at a measured 1,522g for the pair. And that’s with Onyx’s relatively heavy Vesper hubs.
They are a standout performer though.
I’ve grown to love the instant freehub engagement, as well as how they just glide along effortlessly with so little drag, and pick instantly out of corners and on tech climbs.
Combined with the vibration damping from the spokes and compliant yet tough TR35 rims, these wheels feel incredible on the bike.
They enabled Norco’s Fluid to fly up and down, and the level of vibration damping and improved acceleration they added over the stock wheels was transformative.
Yes, they are pricey, and pretty flexy in the bends, but if you want to add some serious zest to your trail bike, these wicked wheels are worth it.
Öhlins RXC34 m.1 fork and TXC2Air rear shock
RXC34 m.1: £1,310 / $1,190 – £1,485 / $1,390
TXC2Air: £609 / $565
While I’ve put a lot of miles into the other items on this list, this last selection was a case of just a few hours.
But, even in that time, they left a lasting impression.
When I heard Öhlins was launching an XC fork and shock, I was keen to see how they would stack up to my benchmark, the RockShox SID and SIDLuxe.
At the launch in Sweden, I had only three hours to get some trail time on the new RXC34 m.1 fork and TXC2Air shock.
On an unfamiliar bike and trails I’d never ridden, I was shocked (no pun intended) by how quickly I felt at ease.
The RXC34 feels like a proper trail fork, but lighter. It feels closer to a RockShox Pike in precision, but at the weight of the SID.
The control from the new OTX14 damper was sensational and it was incredibly plush over small bumps.
The same could be said for the TXC2Air, which offered excellent support, small-bump compliance and bottom-out resistance.
At the time of writing, I’m still waiting to receive my longer-term test setup, but my Transition Spur is ready and waiting for its Swedish gold.