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For me, I think it's an Altura Thunderstorm jacket.
Nicely vented, superbly visible and very well priced*. Removable hood is a great touch for wider use.
*Disclaimer- it was sort of free thanks to my lovely LBS. However, even at full price it's a great bit of kit.
Makita 36v cordless track saw.
Just the absolute bee's ballcocks. So good not having leads. Use it all the time. 👌
Hmmm.... Few good things actually.
Cafe Latex sealant.
Uberbike Radiator rotors and race matrix pads.
Brand X dropper. Got the XL now and great as always.
Massively expanded the bike tool collection too. Just so nice not having to bodge with the wrong tool all the time!
A jacket? Interesting.. Never tried one myself. What is it for?
My 170mm pinner of an Ebike is by far the best mountainbike product I've ever bought in all the years I've been mountainbiking.
Actually a bike. My Boardman adv 9.0, just these hols doing road and gravel and it's seriously good. Love it.
Thank you for the festive positivity!
Mini Knipex plier wrench. A new level of adjustable wrenching. Seriously though, just a great little tool. Small and light enough to take riding if you need to have a decent group repair kit.
this year has been a bleak one on the buying front.
apart from a surly ecr, which makes me smile when i ride it. a sofa of a bike.
Timber bell. Makes for a friendlier ride for both me and the walkers. They actually make other people smile.
Macride bike seat for the toddler, winner by a long way for me.
Specialized Hillbilly tyre for the wet times.
the planet x jobsworth truing stand I got last christmas, it's been fantastic.
Hardly bought any bike kit this year, 2.6 Mary is probably about all I've bought!.
All the running kit I've been buying from decathlon over the year is fantastic, all of it. Shorts, baselayers, gloves, headband, socks etc, all brilliant and cheap as chips.
My best purchases this year have been the LS geo Cotic frames.
Started off with the new SolarisMAX and loved it so much I replaced it with a SodaMAX... 🤢
No justification for it, but they have definitely rejuvenated my riding and kept me heading out after October (unlike last year...). The soda feels that bit livelier (in a good way) and makes me smile. And I’m a grumpy bugger at the best of times!
Other thing would be my Revelate front harness and salty roll. A much better solution than my Ortlieb handlebar pack. Awaiting the large updated revelate seat pack with anticipation as a result...
Push coil conversion for lyrik.
Some kingud degreaser and bike cleaner for me. Think it works better than mucoff and the rest, it’s biodegradable and from a family run business in the uk. Ticks all the right boxes
Maxxis shorty, front and rear now, godsend in the slop.
Bike: my Cotic Rocket. Such a great machine in building my confidence and not once in 9 months has it done anything untoward, brilliant machine. Even encourages me to do stuff I'd never do before, all whole feeling completely safe.
Product: Otter Socks. 10x more comfortable than Sealskinz and warmer too.
A jacket? Interesting.. Never tried one myself. What is it for?
jacket
/ˈdʒakɪt/
noun
1.
an outer garment extending either to the waist or the hips, typically having sleeves and a fastening down the front.
"he put his hand in his jacket pocket"
HTH
Ground Effect Supertanker shorts*, really comfy; which seems like it should be pretty straightforward but turns out to be quite hard to make a pair for mountain biking that don't fall off, chaff, or otherwise get in the way.
*shorts
/ʃɔːts/
noun
short trousers that reach only to the knees or thighs.
"cycling shorts"
For geex, just in case he has some some of previously unknown to science and medicine clothes definition/identification based disability
#prayforgeex
+1 on the Timber Bell
Madison Avalanche Winter Gloves
OKO Tractor Tyre Sealant
Been a very slack year for me ride wise so I'm hoping that it's one of these things that I've bought this year...
Cheap Pikes from CRC - still in the box
The 29er itch will be cured with either the Anthem or Tallboy frames I bought on here.
So sticking to the rules, best thing so far and that I've used is one of the gear hanger alignment tools from CRC.
I have a few but number 1 is my bike Scott Scale RC 700 Ultimate
Squirt Lube - just amazing
Finally MT500 2 Jacket (Discounted Price) Juts a great Jacket and does exactly what it says on the box.
Sorry for I am sure you only wanted one but could not split them.
2019 Specialized Turbo Levo custom build. By a million miles. To anyone who hasn’t tried a good e-bike, who actually likes all the facets of riding a mountain bike (pedalling very much included), I can’t explain how improbably FUN this thing is.
Focus Jam2 E-bike, got me and my gammy ankle back out into the proper hills again after a rather miserable ride-free 2017, also ludicrous amounts of fun.
Bike yoke revive 185 mm droper post, made a huge difference to the Jam2's capabilities and so easy to look after.
100% brisker gloves, I hate padded palms and bulky winter gloves, these are damn near spot on.
X Tools cable puller - one of those why didn't I buy one of these years ago moments!
Zee brakes on my trail bikes.
Bought for heat resistance in Spain, massively more appreciated for their modulation over XTs.
Cafee latex. Way better than stans at sealing the rim bead and side walls.
Mine's probably the Pearl Izumi softshell trousers. I've recommended them enough! Not worn them MTBing, but for the commute they are a revelation.
Then there's Muc Off (or is it Athlete Performance?) Luxury bum anti-chaff arse lube. Had a major saddle sore problem since the stupidly hot weather of 2018 and a huge tub of this for a tenner from CRC has saved my undercarriage from more suffering. But how the stupid fark can someone who has been riding regularly for over 20 years suddenly suffer from saddle sore?? Oh well, not my worse medical issue of the year, I suppose 😀
Wolftooth Sustain 1x remote for Rockshox Reverb - No more bleeding and faffing with hydraulics, dropper now works properly in the cold too, Hallelujah!
SRAM Eagle - Proved to me that 1x is the future (and present), so much so that I've switched my 11 speed bike from 2x to 1x as well.
Deore ten speed conversion on my ancient PACE. Less than £100, worked out of the box. Whatever happened to endless cable adjustments!
Oh, and my Pike 454 service from TFTuned - for £90 they rebuilt them to as new condition.
Maps.... Lots of lovely maps. God bless a map.
50/50 for me between the Skull Candy Smokin Buds
https://www.skullcandy.co.uk/shop/earbuds/bluetooth-earbuds/smokin-buds-2-wireless
Used nearly everyday
and the Canyon Grail, expanded what I can do from the city, got me out on the roads and commuting so a good win for something that was a bit of a rushed purchase
All the running kit I’ve been buying from decathlon over the year is fantastic, all of it. Shorts, baselayers, gloves, headband, socks etc, all brilliant and cheap as chips.
This. Also, Nike Pegasus running shoes.
Bike wise, a NOS pair of Vittoria Open Pave's continue to the benchmark for tough but fast road tyres. A cheap PX Magma jacket, been brilliant for commuting in. Galibier jersey's and Decathlon bib shorts continue to be top class.
Has to be my revelate gas tank and the (I wish I’d thought of that)dwidget 😀
Oh and my soon to be built 700c wheelset with Specialized Roubaix tubeless tyres for those fast road days
Jaybird run headphones, once you go true wireless there is no going back, I have absolutely no interest in headphones with wires connecting them now.
My home gym (squat rack, bench, barbell and weights) it is fantastic having a workout area at home, so conviniant, no excuses.
Wahoo kickr core, I don't know what happened to make a 700 quid trainer the budget option, but brought some high end performance and silence to an almost affordable trainer (but still bloody expensive really), hopefully it will lead to me being much fitter next spring than I have been for many years.
My Nukeproof Mega 290 and my daughters 16" wheeled carrera that she has learnt to ride this summer.
Will sound very cheesy, but they have both brought huge smiles to my face
Inherited a whole load of Rab base layers from Dad. Simple but great!
A Vorsprung Luftkappe has transformed my Pikes. They now don’t blow through the mid travel so they hold up nicely on long steep descents
As for kit, my new Norrøna shorts are mega comfortable and just stay where they are meant to be rather than me ending up with builders crack
+1 for the decathlon running gear.
2 pairs of basicish running shoes ( road and trail) a couple pairs of their compression knee high stockings 😉 and their shorts have all been top notch and the shoes have been better over distance than my previous 100 quid brooks fitted by a running shop etcs.
not bought much bike gear in 2018. Still been riding but mostly just maintaining what i have as it works well.
2019 is the year of the new bike.
My 9yr olds new frame and shock .. Bird MK1.5 in XS .. turns out it’s a really fun jump bike for me 🙂
Probably my Evoc bike bag. I haven't actually bought anything major this year, it's all been consumables.
The bike bag I had to buy in the states after the airline wrecked my Lifeline one. I now use it for keeping my bike under the bed. It says a lot that the second best is probably some DMR V6 plastic pedals for my pump track bike.
the planet x jobsworth truing stand I got last christmas
so not actually this year then?
toss up between
gore-tex shake dry jacket
rad8mtb 504 prescription glasses
crank brothers dropper
Without a doubt, Stumpjumper Evo S3 - it's been stripped from new and rebuilt to custom spec so 163mm(r) 170(f) travel and is stupid fast. First ride out in the wet saw me tickling summer PBs on climbs and descents.
Next up, MRP ramp control for fox 36 - being able to tune the negative pressure separately in conjunction with speed sensitive ramp up has been a revelation. The 36 now has the suppleness it should have, but awesome support when hammered.
And lastly, Hillbilly 2.6". What a tyre.
Off the top of my head:
YT Capra 29
OneUp Dropper
Five Ten ELC
Rear mech hanger tool
Worx Hydroshot
Best product again this year and wearing well.... is....
A winterised Buff....
Usual Buff thin material for half of it and then a thicker Neoprene light type of stuff for the other harf. Toasty-tastic.
And double bonus points for being a freebee
Time Atac pedals, bought having read some recommendations on STW. Just great, and no sore knee like I got with Shimano and Crank Bros.
Paired with the superb Five Ten Kestrel shoes, I'm a happy pedaller at last!
Alpkit Balance Jacket protecting me well from the elements so far and very breathable!
https://www.alpkit.com/products/balance-mens
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Aiguille Frame bag custom made loads of little extras
https://www.aiguillealpine.co.uk/product/rucksacks-bags/bike-bags/bespoke-frame-bag/
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my kinesis sync ti ht.
have always wanted a ti bike since the early 90's but could never afford one.
was browsing the kinesis web site earlier in the year and spotted that they were doing a deal on the sync frame.
thanks to my local bike shop they ordered the frame for us,did a deal on the components and have let us take the bike whilst paying it off interest free (melksham cycle centre are awesome and have always been very kind to me over the years i have to say 🙂
https://m.facebook.com/MelkshameCycleCentre/?__tn__=%2Cg
apologies tried to link the pic but it wouldn't do it if you scroll down there is a pic of my bike if you wanted to see it.
Debonair air shaft for lyrik.
Shorty 2.5in 3c front tyre.
Five ten freeride eps boots.
One up dropper post.
No major buys in 2018, but a fair few bits. The best being a King bottle cage and some fabric 50 01 grips.
Worx Hydroshot. easy car park bike clean makes winter riding a lot less hassle.
Travers prong rigid carbon fork
Been really enjoying riding my solaris rigid since I converted it earlier this year. It's a lovely fork but what I'm just enjoying some simple riding on it
Few people saying Maxxis Shorty just after I decided to buy a Magic Mary over it 🧐
Can't go far wrong with a Mary either TBH, best all rounder ever IMO.
Shorty is better for mud but more compromised elsewhere.
Luggage mostly.
Carradice Super C Courier Bag:
Bought for Uni and work.
Quality, capacity (24l), waterproof, comfy, secure and local. Very happy.
Fancied a LOMO rackbag, but went for a Carradice, Super C again.
Fits the rack perfectly, simple and secure velcro fasteners, useful 13 litres.
Wouldn't use it when camping, but for combined with a big bar bag for longer day rides and overnights it's great.
In no particular order:
Google home speakers, got a few minis, a standard home and a home max. Love the streaming music about my modest house.
Nela flex finishing trowel. For trowelling up when plastering walls.
A 2004 206 GTi 180. Toy. A little 180 bhp hatch for £450. Lots of fun. Much maligned so very cheap to buy.
Ticwatch pro. Smart watch. Dual screen. Great battery life.
Eagle GX. Never keen on SRAM but is an awesome affordable addition to a bike.
Campingaz party grill. Like a cadac but cheaper. Great for impromptu BBQs out the back of the Berlingo.
Worx hydroshot. Great for cleaning bikes and caravan on the go.
Nest learning thermostat. Big winner. Nothing like turning the heating on a few hours and a few hundred miles from home.
Wow. Now I know where the money goes and why I still haven't paid to have the guttering fixed.
First is a non biking item used for bike riding. Rooster Sailing glove liners. Bought for lining my winter sailing gloves but are perfect inside my normal winter cycling gloves for extra warmth with virtually no extra bulk.
Hope PF46 BB to allow me to use 24mm cranks on the FS bike. Easy to fit and service.
NS bikes pedals, my first set of "slim" flats. Less pedal strikes and my feet stick to them like the proverbial to a blanket.
Bikeyoke revive dropper post #gamechanger
I bought an Aeris AM9 frame back in Feb and it's still putting a smile on my face every ride. My 2FO Cliplites and 100% Brisker gloves are also worthy of a big thumbs up.
Caffelatex sealent is a great product.
My new (to me) Salsa Horsethief is great too, can't believe I've been riding a wrong sized bike for so long.
Also, the 76Projects Piggy is lovely for holding tools for local rides, way down low so low centre of gravity.
My Intense Recluse. Poppy, playful, incredible climber and capable on stuff as rough as I care to ride. Some issues with components and aftersales but the frame itself has been outstanding.
A blue Brompton with dynamo lighting and a clip-on front messenger-style bag. Brilliant in the way a bike should be - added freedom and opportunities, plus even less need for car use. Still think the handling is a bit too twitchy but the bag on the front helps there and it's great for what it's meant for.
Haven't bought a single new MTB product all year apart from new chains and pads. Considering that a good result.
The all-road bike got some big cushy G-Ones, they're great to ride despite the rear not lasting the year before wearing worryingly thin.
I’ll give honourable mentions to the two BikeYoke Revives I’ve acquired this year, GX Eagle, the Lyrik RC2 and the Hillbilly 29x2.6 - they’re all damned good. But the new Levo tops them all!
Finally succumbing and getting a DHF and DHR for the 29er was a bit of a revelation. Grippy and quiet, awesome.
Also, another 170mm Brand X dropper - really rather good.
Best spend this year hasn't been kit but rather a 2 month pilates course. Despite only 8 sessions my swimming and snowboarding has noticeably improved through better posture and core strength. I will keep doing it all of 2019.
My new knee. I guess you could say I bought it via years of paying tax. It's a bit more Carrera than Santa Cruz but has been a gamechanger. Also inspired a sympathy purchase by my wife, she got me a Whyte Gisburn gravel bike to help my recovery. I've been surprised by how much fun it is, given that for preference I'd go for maximum gnar
Debonair air shaft for Yari
Neopos suspension squidgy spacers
Cotic Solaris Max - brilliant!
Neopos suspension squidgy spacers
Do go on.
V70 D3 SE with winter pack and premium sound system.
😉
Middle OAB got a new to him Norco Sight. Just feels so planted and solid, especially as it has cheaper forks and shock on.
Blck Dmnd Butchers and another vote for the Turbo Levo.
[img] 
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Cotic Soda Max frame. It’s fast . Up . Down . Along.
Best of all is it makes me smile every time I ride it .
Garmin 1030 was a very generous gift from the family. Only used a few time so far but I love the connectivity with my phone. Loads more features to explore.
New van. Transit Connect Limited spec. LWB. Bloody ace it is.
Non-bike related... One of these silly toys. It sounds like a rally car, so childish.
Bike related...
An Evil The Offering frame....
Pedro’s tyre levers.
I was sceptical at first,half expecting them to burn the house down etc. But so far so good.
New to me Orbea Rallon. 2017 model.
Incredible bike,
Trekz aftershox headphones and my BMW i3.
Two products that have changed the ways I used to do things for the better.
The Orbea Rallon I got has shifted what I think I can do on a bike to where I’m attempting things I’d of walked before. It has resulted in 2 slipped discs for Christmas though.
Stuff that’s kept me riding in the winter, so:
£25 boot dryer from Amazon.
Half price deep winter hat that covers my ears from Rapha