With December now in full swing, Pete looks back at the kit and people that have stood out for him over the last twelve months.
Pete gives us his top picks from the Bikes, Components, Soft Goods, Protection, Venue, Service, Tech, Maintenance Product, Outstanding Performance and Athlete.
Bikes
Vitus Sommet 297 CRX
For me this was a no-brainer. Whilst the Specialized Enduro kept charging whatever I threw at it, the Merida OneSixty blended fun and speed for sensible money, and the Santa Cruz Hightower showed just how fast a bike can be, nothing gets close to just how much bike and good times you get for the money than the Vitus Sommet 297 CRX.
At four grand, I figured there must be something wrong with the pricing, but no, this is the real deal. I genuinely didn’t want to have to give this bike back at the end of the test, and had I had the funds available, it likely would have stayed with me.
Components
Hope Union TC pedals
Another hotly-contested category, with the Hope Union TC pedals and Continental Argotals going head-to-head for this title. In the end, I had to flip a coin and the Hope pedals came out on top.
Sliding neatly into the gap between a Shimano SPD and Crankbrothers engagement, the Hope Union TC pedals give me exactly the kind of feel I was looking for from a clip pedal. They’ve been through the wars with me this year and the blue anodising isn’t even showing signs of fading or wear.
Soft Goods
Royal Racing Matrix jacket
Another shootout between the Royal Matrix jacket, Madison Flux softshell and Fox’s Ranger pants. All did their jobs as intended, but crucially, as a short person with short arms and legs, they all fit perfectly. A rarity these days.
For it’s ability to shrug off pretty much any weather, I’m going to give it to the Matrix jacket from Royal Racing. The zip might be hard work to get done up, but once it’s up at your chin, you’ll need a biblical-level hoolie to bother this jacket. At £89.99, there’s also far more expensive jackets that won’t see you as dry as this will.
Protection
Fox Speedframe Pro
Choosing my favourite for this one didn’t take long.
The Fox Speedframe Pro is the standard-setter for modern half-face helmets as far as I’m concerned. It also fits my large, square head a treat which helps massively. The orange hue also pops anywhere and everywhere when it comes to photos, for some extra points.
Light, comfy, well-ventilated and not bad to look at make this a winner.
Venue
Revolution Bike Park
#Revs4Evs
We have to give a massive shout to Revolution Bike Park who are staring down the barrel of the hillside being felled to deal with Japanese Larch Disease.
Service
Country Cycles
Support your local bike shop folks.
For me, this means taking a bag full of biscuits to enjoy with the coffee Keith will place in front of me before we put the World to rights. At some point, we’ll remember that I actually came in to buy something, pay for a bike service or something along those lines.
Keith and the gang have gotten me out of a pinch more than once. Legends.
Tech
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
I’m a bit of a luddite when it comes to tech and bikes. I don’t use tracking apps for training or general rides, and I like to keep things analogue as they can be more readily bodged should things go wrong in the middle of nowehere.
This 24-70mm Nikon lens has been a game-changer. Pro level lenses really are the business. Fast autofocus, super crisp and really versatile, it’s the lens that’s on the camera 99% of the time and takes almost all the static product shots you see on this website.
Maintenance Product
Juice Lubes Viking Juice Chain Lube
It’s rare that I’ll return from a ride with a dry chain, so having a lube that just gets on with it is high on the list of priorities. Juice Lubes’ Viking Juice does exactly that. It just works. It’s not cheap, but then neither are chains…
Outstanding Performance
Gee Atherton
Gee Atherton has definitely been on whatever Brook MacDonald’s been drinking. We weren’t expecting Gee to be back any time soon after his sickening crash filming The Ridgeline, but to come back and be just over a second off second place at Red Bull Hardline this year was unreal.
Athlete
Camille Balanche
Cami Balanche has proven that she’s no pushover in recent years, and when things get dicey on track, you know fine well the Swiss rocket will be miles up at the splits. Snowshoe, Leogang, anything greasy death and she’ll quietly go about racking up a massive winning margin.
A broken collarbone in Mont Saint Anne saw her miss that round but she’d be back to qualify 6th at Les Gets World Champs, finishing fourth. She’d win the World Cup overall title by finishing 5th at Val di Sole.
