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Interested to hear what mtb-related things people have bought this year and which they'd recommend
Most useful to split into price brackets I think, so for me:
<£20 - Rahox brake pads. Last ages, great modulation and power. Annoyed how long I spent using cheap ones
<£100 - Knipex pliers wrench (150mm version). Like having a third hand and far more useful for non-biking stuff than I expected.
New Hans Dampf (on the back) and an Aussie Grit gilet have also been excellent
>£100 - Coil shock for my Jeffsy (CCDB Coil). I knew it would make the bike better on the descents but I was astonished how much better it made the climbs and flats/berms. I enjoy riding the bike much more now - best upgrade since a dropper post.
Wahoo Element Bolt, a week with White Room in Les Arcs and an Exposure Maxx-D were also good
Regrets - not many but my Camelbak Skyline LR 10 is rubbish on rocky descents and tries to overtake me. Least stable pack I've ever ridden with, despite considerable faffage with the cinch straps multiple times a ride
plane tickets to Norway.
Bird Zero 29. First new bike for a out 17 years. What a machine, I'm loving it and had a great 6 months on it. As a result of getting it I've not really bought anything else this year.
Croix de fer.
Swiss army knife of bikes,love it!
<£20 – Royal Racing jersey on sale at JensonUSA, one of my throw on as its just comfortable.
<£100 – Some Sweat Protection knee pads, just feel so right from day one even if a little pricier than the alternative, luckily on Sale.
>£100 – ASX Dropper post, really digging it and planning to go full AXS when I finally kill my X01 rear mech.
eeWings, zero performance improvement but boy do they look good.
Regrets – Too few to mention.
Ferry tickets
Can’t beat being first to roll off into France at 8am with a pile of French tarmac, gravel and kouign amann ahead of you…
Can’t beat being first to roll off into France at 8am with a pile of French tarmac, gravel and kouign amann ahead of you…
one of the best feelings ever.
nothing to think about except riding your bike, have a cold one at dinner...... ace
Ergon GA3 grips and Nukeproof Carbon bar & stem
No more wrist pain after longer than 1 hour rides. I always said I´d never get a carbon bar but it really seems to make a difference.50€ with a discount on crc and a lifetime warranty from Nukeproof
I can't think of anything I've bought that wasn't a like-for-like replacement for a worn out part. I did get a pair of Pearl Izumi thermal tights for free which I like a lot though.
Shoe-drying device.
High-rise carbon handlebar.
Magic Mary 2.6 tyre.
Carbon seatpost on my gravel bike made an immediate and big difference to comfort which I really didn't expect. Sold the bike 2 months later anyway.
2nd hand pikes for my hardtail, so much more fun than the 100mm recons it came with. I'm sure my headtube will snap and kill me 🙂
Ticket for the lakes Jennride - fantastic weekend riding with friends
My cycling club membership - gets me out on wet weekend mornings
Really liking a newly built up Trek Domane winter bike, much nicer to ride than my old Kinesis
Cha****ng beat me to it, but:
Shoe dryer
A van. No more pissing about dismantling bikes or faffing putting them on a rack.
Space to get changed easily.
Loads of room for work kit and the dogs as well as the bike so I don’t have to keep swapping stuff in and out to be able to get home from work, walk the dogs and then go for a ride.
Plane tickets to Slovenia
Unless you count my bike...
Whole new Campag Potenza groupset for my Wilier, plus a carbon FSA seatpost new from Wiggle that was on sale from £175 to £40. Jackpot!
Plane ticket to whistler
Insurance
£4000 medical bill for concussion! Thanks insurance! Phew
(slight hijack). Which shoe driers did folk get?
This is the one I got...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Prepare-Folding-Eliminate-Bacteria/dp/B07MR7HGYX
Fun fact: When searching for it I accidentally typed "she dryer" and it came up with a load of hair dryers.
How very sexist!
Some Northwave Raptors. Has shaved a good chunk of 'getting ready' time off, and waaaay more effective/warm/dry than shoes & covers.
210mm One Up Dropper - marvellous amount of saddle-lowerage, to go with my new custom chi-ti 29+ hooligan frame.
I like people's responses on activity purchases, in that vein I'll stick in 2x days lift passes for Davos, and one day in Lenzerheide, + train there and back from Basel. Best spent money this year by far!
210mm One Up Dropper – marvellous amount of saddle-lowerage
Most jealous of this one so far.
2018 Arkose 3.
Vittoria Revolution tyres to replace the puncture-prone WTB Riddlers
Carnac Equipe Photochromic Sunglasses from Planet X, which are fab, but I lost mine yesterday when I had a little crash. Damn.
Hummvee mitts - very comfortable.
(Maybe) a messenger from Life Behind Bars - im still pondering.
New bike for my boy and a trans provence entry
Tunnel tickets. Swapped tesco vouchers so just the balance of £3
Stamp 7 pedals from Millets online with 50% off
Brand X 170mm dropper post. Improved my Alps trip no end from the 125mm it replaced.
Regrets. Not getting to Finale when the camper gearbox packed in
+1 to northwave raptors. It's what I wanted the shoe drier for!
Set of Continental GP5000s.
And a 20 year old Tactic Panache folder I converted to fixed wheel.
100 cable end ferrules for a quid!
A one-day, one to one MTB skills course and a pair of Endura MTB trousers.
RRP Bolt on Proguard, nearly 30 miles over the last 2 days in the wettest and muddiest conditions I've ever ridden in, I could count on one hand the number of dirt spots on my face over the 2 days. Didn't even wear any glasses today.
£32 pair of madison bib tights from evans. My first ever set of bib tights, why did I wait so long? No more cold lower back from a gap between shorts and top, or having to hike the shorts up every so often. And no more waistband which feels like it's going to cut you in half!
Camelbak Repack - just the right size (once I ditched the bladder) for longer rides and short local stuff. Very comfy too.
A cheapy no brand 10 quid rear light from Amazon. Has put up with endless abuse and still works perfectly, unlike the more expensive Lezynes etc it replaced, which broke pretty much straight away.
Royal Racing Storm waterproof trousers might sneak into contention. Wore them for the first time today, warm, very comfortable, not even much rustling.
No >100 quid, unless you count the Orbea Oiz...
Lift pass in Morzine
Trickstuff Maxima brakes and +1 for AXS kit
Honourable mention for Cinq Innovations trigger shifters for pinion gearboxes & steadyrack bike racks.
Carradice Super C Rack Pack and courier bags.
Cheap, tough, practical, repairable, local.
Brand X dropper post - as good as the Fox Transfer on the other bike for less than a service on the Fox one, absolute bargain.
Dakine Skyline gloves - comfy as hell and stretchy over the knuckles, need to order a few pairs as spares!
Ergon SE1 Comp saddle - instantly comfortable and doesn't get sore as I pile the miles on.
SunRace 11-46 cassette - a much better gear spread than the Shimano one it replaced.
Only dud purchase this year was a pair of glasses that just seem to attract any moisture whatsoever and smear. Back to the cheap £6 safety specs from Arco from now on!
Solaris Max with helm fork- brilliant!
Family bike holiday to Amsterdam from Newcastle- also brilliant!
Best, not sure. But best buy? Dirt cheap pads from aliexpress. Sounds like an awful idea but I'm pretty sure you can buy the same product for 10x as much with brand logos printed on them. Megavalanche approved 😉
My tropical blue Orange Clockwork Evo, with a close second between the Mary 2.6 on the front of it and a Brand X Dropper.
My starting swoop. LLS radness.
Bad, buying an evoc bag meant for snowboarding rather than biking, as it was cheap. Not much call for a show shovel on most rides.
<£20 – Draper Expert 57768 190 mm Wire Rope and Wire Cutters, like a hot knife through butter
<£100 – Lomo frame bag for carry loads of crap while on the fat bike.
>£100 – NS Bikes RAG+ frameset with full Shimano GRX groupset
Regrets – Cracking the fat bike frame and taking it to the tip...
Commuter built up on Brand X HT01 frame & exotic carbon forks & the Planet-X 27.5" wheelset I rejected for my nice hardtail. It's nippy and fun for my short commutes.
Bike Trial Academy Weekender day ticket - I entered the competition at the easiest (white) level and had my bike handling skills tested hard. Found sympathy with what looked like a 5 year old also competing alongside me. Wish there was stuff like that on my doorstep might be able to get good at it, lol.
Mac-Ride child seat - bit pricey but my boy loves it, we just haven't used it enough. So much nicer than a weeride, lighter, less bulky, quick to fit.
Zee brakeset to replace mismatched 2nd hand and Magura MT7 (unreliable) and Hope XC3 (reliable) brakes on street trials bike.
Brand x dropper for me. Superb at any price, yet the price was cheap.
DMR deathgrips for a tenner.
Mt5 brakes
The only thing I bought this year is my 180mm one up dropper, so err, that.
It is good mind!. 😊
I bought a brand new Fox DHX RC4 coil shock for my MK1 Capra with a Cane Creek Vault coil for £130. It really transformed/improved an already good bike .
Stooge MK4 frameset and a brand-x ascend dropper as far as bike bits go.
Trail days entry was exceptional value for money too.
<£20 - bottle cage tool holder. I don’t have to squeeze everything into my jerseys and it takes seconds to swap between bikes.
<£100 a pair of 32mm Conti GP5000TL - excellent tyres, grippy, light and comfortable. Similar in the dry to Sector 32s, but better in the wet.
<£500 replacing my aluminium road rims with carbon 29er rims. Saved almost 300g on a wheelset. They feel more lively to me. Downside - Max pressure is 70psi, but I tend to use tyres between 32 and 50mm so no hardship.
<£1500 (cost to change) swapping my Kinesis Tripster ATR for an Open Upper. It’s a truly phenomenal bike that makes me just want to ride and ride and ride till my legs fall off. I LOVE it!
Cost??? Swapping my commuters drivetrain around from a Di2 Alfine 11 to an XTR Di2 Mech and cassette. It feels...better and doesn’t have me reaching for a different bike as soon as the weather looks dry. Maybe it’s just in my head, but at the moment, it does feel...better.
Brand X dropper.
Super bargaintastic Transmitter mk1 frame (100 quid from Sonder in their clearance due to a scratch in the finish).
Bikehut lights.
Dakine summer gloves (the ones with the mad looking beaver on them).
26+ Minion DHF.
Deore 4 pots - loads of power every time, no variable bite point, super cheap.
Charger 2.1 damper turned my Yari into a Lyrik for £160
Madision Roam jacket for £30 from Biketart - absolute bargain.
JP
>20€ A snowboarding top from Decathlon. Long in both torso and sleeves, so it doesn't ride up and make my lower back freeze. Also, THUMB HOLES!
>50€ A pair of centrelock discs for the first time ever. Much less faff.
~50€ A guided morning riding trails on my last day on Curaçao. Great trails, great scenery, nothing mad gnarly but just an amazing morning out. Got my arms torn to ribbons and realized 29ers could actually be fun to ride, which brings me to:
~200€ - the cost to change my dull 2013 Zaskar 29er to a lively Scandal, after I'd sold the remnants of it to a friend who actually liked the way it felt.
Regrets? Only that I haven't gotten out as much as I would like.
<20 brandx women's saddle for my bike... So so comfy
<100 superstar wheels in one of their sales
>100 focus jam2 to fit the above parts to
Regrets... Working far too much to actually enjoy the above items lately
Pinnacle monzonite for commuting. Replaced a slightly more racey frame. Very cheap, £250 for the whole bike, shoved decent wheels, proper brake levers, mudguards and saddle on it and set it up as 68 inch fixed. Really nice ride, old school geometry but reasonably nippy for a cheap steel bike.
Ibis Ripley V4 Frame & Manitou Mezzer fork.
My Intense Primer. Best suited bike I've ever had for me and where I ride.
Maxxis Minion DHF & R tyres. They just work well everywhere.
SRAM Guide RE brakes. Took a bit of getting used to but not being able to stop just never enters my mind any more. (If you've ridden SRAM Level brakes you may know what I mean!).
Maxxis High Roller II tyres
Brand X dropper
Like riding a new bike.
Black chilli cycloxking ina a tatty box from the bargain bin, 7 quid. Get in you little dancer!
A komodo free standing floor bike stand - a simple yet incredibly useful bike related product for just 12 quid , cant believe i waited until this year to buy one , makes repairs & cleaning so much easier.
Also the Ergon GA3 winged grips shown earlier in the thread , complete game changer in terms of rider comfort.
Forntunately i cant think of any really duff purchases so far.....
One-to-one coaching day with Cyclewise, best money spent by far.
My NS Eccentric. And after nearly trashing a rim on the first big ride out on it, a set of Nukeproof ARD strips, even if they are a PITA to fit.
Sunrace cassette, Absolute Black Oval NW chainring & 11sp shifter to replace worn 2x10 drvietrain. Really simple, works well and the oval ring really does seem to smooth out my rubbish pedalling technique!
Can't think of anything else that wasn't like for like really.
**Edit** Raceface ambush kneepads to replace old Fox Launchpad pros. RF's are super comfy and open fully so you can get them on and off without removing your shoes. Really good.
Regrets? Not riding more!
Si
Good
Topeak valve-core remover, even comes with a case that clips onto the hose of my Joe Blow. Makes changing tubeless a breeze, great little tool.
Camelbak Repack, fits nice, carries what I need, none of what I don't
Maxxis WT Shorty, weighs the same as a small moon but Hell's teeth; the grip!
A place on the Back Country Pyrenees tour by Basque MTB, pricey, but sublime riding.
Bad
Jublo Renegade, great lenses, but they're just too big for my head and don't play nicely with my helmet (insert your own willy joke here)
Ugly
Gore C5 jacket in sliver, shapeless cut makes it uncomfy, and colour makes me look like I'm from the future!
Bluto fork for my fatty is the only bike thing I have bought this year apart from an SA 3spd hub secondhand
Stand outs for me:
>£100 7mesh revo wayerproof shorts. Just amazing in all ways. Hayes dominion a4 too but they just do their job very, very well. The shorts were game changing.
<£100 Michelin wild mud tyre. Miracle tyre for staying upright. Honorable mention to ion rascal select shoes.
<£20 supafeet foot beds to keep arches in shape and reduce pressure spots.
Regrets - DMR death grips - too slim, shame as they are nice to hold.
surly big dummy cargo bike - used instead of a second car, lots of weekend runs and kids club drop offs and pick ups. Picked up my daughter and her two friends today and dropped them home
Will have those memories with me for a very long time, lots of laughing and fun
A set of those Wera colour coded Allen keys as recommended on here. So good! Bought from Toolstation, automotive section.
Up there with the hosepipe I got a few years back
Well I've made a fairly strong effort to spend less money on the bike but it didn't go so well...
Under £10 - Diagonal snips. Got a cheap set off Amazon, and immediately realised I'd been a d*ck for not getting them earlier. All I use them for is trimming zip ties, but once you get a zip tie flush so it doesn't scratch you / rip apart your sponge when you wash the bike it will be a tiny revelation in your life! It's likely to be a sad reflection on myself (?) but this is the happiest £7 has ever made me!
Under £15 - Zwift membership. Before anyone asks, yes I would prefer to ride my bike properly. However, 3 kids, a full time job, plus the fact a trip to the nearest places to get in a proper ride makes said trip a 5hr endevour makes the chances to get out slim pickings. Cue lack of fitness and motivation, particularly when my riding mates all live on hills, get out all the time, and are FAR stronger climbers. Step in Zwift and I've gone from cycling maybe 30km/month to nearly 400km/month. Its hard work. It isn't going to blow you away with how much fun it is (although I've not done any racing on it which I imagine is better). But it is interesting enough to fill that void,and when I do get out I'll be stronger and able to enjoy myself more! Winning...
Under £25 - Epic Bleed Pike service kit. Far cheaper than sending it off for servicing and pretty easy - just unscrew a load of stuff and put it back the way you took it out... Bled a LOT of air out of the damper, and it feels better as a result. I just did the damper as I didn't have time to do a lowers and was about to go to Revs the next day so didn't want to mess too much, but it still made a nourishment difference.
Under £50 - Revolution Bike Park uplift tickets. Every time I go this place scares the life of our me. It is hard and, quite frankly, terrifying. However, by the end of the day when you have beaten your demons and feel like a riding god you'll find it hard to wipe that smile from your face for days... Very friendly place too. If anyone remembers Richard Hammond driving A Bowler Wildcat on Top Gear it's the biking equivalent.
£600 - Wahoo Kickr Core. As Zwift above. Expensive but nice and a necessary evil. I wish it wasn't so expensive, but it is getting use 4 or 5 days a week unlike most stuff I buy!
the only things I have bought this year are both great. Army gore tex trousers. Amazingly managed to get an odd size to fit me well. Work great. And some on one flat shoes. Great product , fit like my vans, and work well in bad wet conditions
<£5 Purple dice dust caps
<£100 4.8 Minions
<£500 Calibre Dune
A young family and full time job means I don't have the riding time that I used to have so bike related purchases have dropped. So not had chance for any duff purchases.
Also really happy with my GoPro 8, but lack of riding at the moment isn't really making the most of it, and a new phone with more storage would help with the GoPro. Still it's cyber Monday tomorrow so we'll see what bargains are to be had.
Pogies. Once upon a time I had cold fingers no matter which gloves I wore, now I have sweaty warm hands, even after yesterday's sub-zero ride wearing thin gloves.
There's plenty I'm looking at right now at various places, but I think the only cycling gear I've bought so far this year is a replacement rd-310 rear mech for ~£12, DHB Dorika Carbon shoes for ~£80 and Time XPro 10 pedals for ~£95.
Purchase of the year for me by far is the new RRP bolt on mudguard! No more crappy cable ties and works like an absolute charm!
A steerer tube cutting guide - I've only had to cut down one fork this year, but for the first time, it's perfectly straight!
ACCU-GAGE tyre pressure gauge
Never thought I’d say this but the best thing I bought this year has been a bike without saddle, top-tube, seat-post or seat-stays and without any drivetrain whatsoever
Camping spot at the foot of the Tourmalet.
49€ on hiring an e-fat bike for the day after it dumped snow on arrival for our summer week in Livigno.
Chamois cream for a 39 mile organised ride in the Peaks. I've never used it before, but a roadie friend always does, and I now understand why. The route was very pedally and I was expecting quite a bit of discomfort at the end, but experienced none. Now if I'm out for more than an hour it's time to butter up!
Also, an Onza Ibex 2.4 for the rear. I really, really like it, paired with a Magic Mary up front.
I don't buy much but:
£35 or £70: planet X tubeless pump - I got it pre sale at the cheaper price but definitely worth it for the 2 tubeless bikes I run and am thinking of more.
<£20: lots of things from local charity used bike/parts shop. Amazing value (if you run <10 speed for parts)
Great thread!
<£20 surf poncho from decathlon. No more exposing myself Iin car parks!
>£100 renthal fatbar 40mm rise bars. Royal Matrix jacket. Megavalanche race entry (two punctures ruined the end of the week, but still a week in the Alps!).
Best one. Pure V5 bmx frame for my rad lad, he looks ace on it.
£15 fat fryer for Putoline chain boiling. Super smooth chain in winter slop.
Two weeks unpaid leave, spent in the Alps. Expensive, but amazing!