The Cycling Weekly Tech Team amassed over 250 reviews on line last year, not to mention the items we’ve evaluated for our buyer’s guides and our magazine. So when my fellow Tech writer, Matt Ischt-Barnard, wrote that “it truly shows that giving only 24 products a 5-star rating means it must be among the very best,” he really wasn’t lying.
Juggling family, work, and home admin means most of my rides are between one and three hours long, with the occasional six-hour epic thrown in for good measure. The core of my rides, which, compared to some of my Cycling Weekly colleagues, such as Aaron Borrill, who amasses more miles than some pros, are perhaps a more realistic reflection of most people’s cycling windows.
The rides I did do in 2025 were nothing if not diverse. From the hilly German Black Forest all-dayer ride in 30+ °C heat for the launch of the Scott Addict 10, to simply hanging out at the park with my daughter.
(Image credit: Future)
Fara F/Gravel bike
If you have the long-term planning skills of a local highways authority, as I do, chances are most of your rides will be last-minute decisions, or an unplanned diversion might be needed, taken on a whim, wondering, “Where does that go?”
This also means you’ll probably appreciate the pure joy I experienced when I reviewed the Fara F/Gravel bike and its ability to handle any terrain under any conditions at any time. My riding windows constantly shift, and sometimes, motivating myself to ride is thwarted by the lack of the ‘right bike’ being set up and ready.
The delight of being able to hop on the F/Gravel and ride virtually any terrain is exactly the kind of bike I need in my life. It’s not that I never know where I want to go; it’s just that I’m not 100% sure of the terrain I’ll need to ride on to get there.
I also tend to over-schedule and underestimate how long it takes to reach the destination – or return home – so any route must be manageable regardless of which bike I’m on.
From gnarly Peak District bridleways to mud larking during cyclocross training, the F/Gravel devoured it all effortlessly. Pairing the frame with the low-maintenance SRAM Apex XPLR electronic groupset was a smart move by the brand; it truly feels like a plug-and-play setup.
Knowing I had a bike so capable – blending agile, nimble handling with impressive utility – thanks to a range of mounting points – and offering excellent long-distance comfort, the Fara F/Gravel was the ultimate terrain conqueror straight out of the box.
I was sad when the Fara F/Gravel was returned, and I still am today. It has become a benchmark for me in how to make a great all-rounder. Since the F/Gravel arrived, I’ve seen Fara expand into a broader range of framesets; this bike is now discontinued sadly, but if you’re quick, you can still get it at a good discount.
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
Beeline Velo bike computer
I never thought I would describe a bike computer as cute, but here we are with the Beeline Velo 2. However, don’t underestimate its adorable appearance.
The device offers impressively fast, user-friendly navigation, even allowing me to easily load GPX files from a link in a WhatsApp message. The prompts are simple to follow, with enough detail to reduce wrong turns.
When used in full navigation mode, I get around seven hours of runtime, which is long enough for all my rides. When I only use it as a handlebar timepiece—one of the most underrated items on a bike, imho- it lasts for a good few weeks.
This is fantastic for such a compact, uncluttered, and surprisingly capable device that it’s even become my daughter’s commuting companion to ensure she’s on time to catch the train, which means I’m having to buy my own. Still, at the current price of £99, it’s not even worth the argument for trying to get back the original.
Zéfal SHIELD G50 Gravel Bike Mudguards fitted to the Fara F/Gravel bike
(Image credit: Hannah Bussey)
ZEFAL Shield G50S MUDGUARDS
What I love about mudguards is how they protect you from mud; what I dislike is everything else.
I know I’m not alone in my frustration with fender fit, along with the accompanying sounds of rattling or the soft hum of brushes rubbing against something wheel-related, and never quite able to stop.
Bolt-on braced guards are the only type I would ever trust for wheel spray protection and to stay exactly where I mounted them. But the fickle fit of a quick-release pair has, in the past, driven me to such distraction that I now prefer to just deal with not using any.
Until the ZEFAL Shield G50s arrived.
If you had told me a year ago that I would include a pair of mudguards on my gear of the year list, I would have laughed hard.
While fenders aren’t the sexiest item of bike gear to review, and I appreciate this might still be a tough sell to many, I assure you I’ve put in the effort to rigorously test these on terrain that would have rattled even the most securely attached fenders to pieces, and they held still.
Mounted on the F/Gravel bike I used to cross the Peak District’s most challenging off-road trails—without suspension—these clip-on mudguards proved to be incredibly reliable. The well-balanced front guard prevented pedal overlap while providing good foot and shin protection, and the spacious rear guard kept me clean and dry. These truly were game-changers, from easy installation to performance on gravel adventures, making them ideal even for the biggest mudguard dodger.
Madison Flux short sleeve jeresy
(Image credit: Future)
Madison Flux Short Sleeve Jersey
When wearing the Madison Flux, with a fit just the right side of body-skimming, I often wonder why other bike kits are so expensive.
There’s no high-tech fabrics or designs involved, just practical-sized rear pockets and a classy black fabric that has made this top a wardrobe staple for me over the last summer, and I suspect it will be again this coming summer too.
It’s super comfortable—soft to the touch—and has proven its worth on road, gravel, and mountain bike trails, all for a fraction of the price of top-end brands.
The Flux is the bike equivalent of your favorite pair of jeans or a woolly hat. You wouldn’t wear them for every occasion, or try to summit Everest in them – but nine times out of ten, it’s what you reach for daily. In fact, you can see the jersey in action in the hero image of this very article.
It’s not that I’m anti-fabric or fit innovation, just that sometimes these things can overcomplicate the simple joy of going for a nice bike ride on a warm day.
(Image credit: Hannah Bussey)
Velocio Women’s One Bibshorts
Riding the Velocio Women’s One bib shorts for the first time on a 60-mile, 30-degree hilly ride without a sports bra or chamois cream could have gone one of two ways. I’m not planning to recreate this kind of testing conditions for every pair of bib shorts, but I couldn’t have asked for a better pair during a time when I forgot to pack half my gear for a press camp. Fun fact: the image from that very ride is the main one for this very feature.
The built-in mesh layer prevented chafing and wicked sweat so effectively on that ride that I forgot I was bare underneath. However, this did add a risk of forgetting that under my jersey, I looked like I had just stepped off an Ibiza boat party, with my top half modesty covered only by the more opaque shoulder straps. I could have easily peeled off my jersey at the lunch stop as my riding companions did.
From a performance perspective, I was so impressed that I experienced zero chafing, either top or bottom, even without cream, allowing me to ride the next day in similar gear without issues.
I have since ridden these with slightly more protection, e.g., with a sports bra and cream, but thanks to the brilliantly designed mesh upper, which is superb at wicking sweat, it has completely changed my cycling wardrobe—so much so that I’ve ditched wearing a vest for the first time in nearly thirty years. I lucked out the day the One Bib Shorts were sent over for review. These would likely dominate my cycling wardrobe for the next few seasons. Chapeau, Velocio—the women’s bib short benchmark has been raised.
(Image credit: Hannah Bussey)
Shimano SH-RC102 road cycling shoes
Despite my initial fashion blunder of pairing black shoes with white socks, the Shimano SH-RC102 road shoes are another example of how to make cycling gear more accessible.
In fact, they have proven to be so comfortable and highly adjustable that I’ve been able to extend their use into the colder riding months by pairing them with neoprene overshoes and thick winter socks.
Most high-end shoes favor sole stiffness, but it was truly refreshing to find a pair that balanced power output and comfort. As a result, I’ve managed to avoid the usual foot numbness that stiffer performance shoes often cause me.
Again, as with the Madison Flux jersey, there’s nothing fancy or high-tech with these, but just a demonstration that the most expensive option isn’t always the best — sometimes, you just need something that fully meets your needs.
