Ryan’s Favorite Products of 2023

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Ryan’s Favorite Products of 2023

Over the years I’ve slowly tinkered with my touring setup to really nail down which pieces of kit work best for the type of riding I do and where I’m heading next.  I’m always looking for new products that are versatile in terms of the climate and terrain they can be used on, and most importantly I want them to last, as this stuff can be difficult to replace while on the road.  Most of the items on this list are things I’ve started to use over the last year or two, but there are also a couple of items that have been a staple of my setup for the last 7 years.

Josh’s Favorite Products of 2023

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Josh’s Favorite Products of 2023

It’s been a wild year around these parts. In addition to the organizational changes we experienced with this website, I feel fortunate to have met and collaborated with many amazing people in addition to traveling to some truly remarkable places. My list of favorite products ended up being rather eclectic, but I think it reflects the wide range of material we get to cover here. Of course, music was an integral backdrop to my work – on rides, traveling abroad, and with my family at home – so I have joined some of our other contributors in offering a selection of favorite tunes, alongside a handful of products, below.

REMINDER: TODAY! (11/30) is Your Last Chance to Sign Up for Your Chance to Win Paul Klampers for November’s Group Ride Giveaway!

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REMINDER: TODAY! (11/30) is Your Last Chance to Sign Up for Your Chance to Win Paul Klampers for November’s Group Ride Giveaway!

Join our Group Ride subscription plan by TODAY and be entered for a chance to win a complete PAUL Component Engineering Klamper disc brake set! This is open to Group Ride members, worldwide!

We’re stoked to offer up some of the best disc brakes in the world for our Group Ride subscribers. Our good friends at PAUL have offered up any set of Klampers, in any available finish, plus a set of brake levers. Add some bling to your current flat bar (or drop bar) bike or build a new bike around these lovely brakes.

Check this post out for all the information on how to join Group Ride for $6.66/month or $69.69/year.
SIGN UP HERE.

October’s Group Ride Giveaway–from ORNOT–was Owen from Duluth! Congrats, Owen!

Bikes, Products, and People from Sea Otter Classic 2023: Part One

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Bikes, Products, and People from Sea Otter Classic 2023: Part One

Sea Otter Classic is one of the largest annual cycling festivals in the world. Each April since 1991, cyclists of all persuasions have descended on Laguna Seca Raceway outside of Monterey, CA to cheer on professional and amateur racers, as well as check out the latest and greatest in cycling technology at the massive vendor expo.

And this year, that tech happened to be especially late and great, and there was more to talk about than usual. Maybe it’s because there were more exhibitors in attendance than normal. Maybe it’s the easing of strains on the supply chain. Whatever it was, Josh Weinberg and Travis Engel were on the ground all weekend and, over the next few days, will be sharing their findings and observations from the massive event. So, let’s get into it below!

John’s Summer Shred Pack Product Reviews

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John’s Summer Shred Pack Product Reviews

Once the high country melts here in Santa Fe, it’s singletrack 24/7 in the Land of Enchantment. Santa Fe is a MTB town with trails accessible right from your front door. Because of this accessibility, I put a lot of miles on my gear in our summer season. I wanted to offer a quick rundown of some of my favorite new accessories and apparel items I’ve enjoyed over the past few months…

Ben Frederick’s “Love your Brain” Fundraiser and Jersey Pre-Order

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Ben Frederick’s “Love your Brain” Fundraiser and Jersey Pre-Order

Earlier this fall we featured Fergus Tanaka’s touching story about Ben Frederick‘s fundraiser with Love your Brain, a non-profit organization that advocates for traumatic brain injury relief and recovery. Ben is also raffling off one of his custom Ritchey Swiss Cross frames. We’re bumping this today in hopes of elevating Ben’s raffle and getting more eyes on this project. The raffle runs through the end of this year and tickets for the frame and other prizes can be purchased from Ben’s website. Check out some more photos below!

Yoshimura Pedals Review: We Can’t Get Enough of These Yoshimura Chilao MTB Pedals

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Yoshimura Pedals Review: We Can’t Get Enough of These Yoshimura Chilao MTB Pedals

I’m a collector of goods by nature. When I find a pair of pants, backpack, shorts, or even shoes I love and cannot live without, I tend to buy a “backup” or secondary set to hold onto. Sometimes, this can get expensive, especially when it comes to bike parts but with the uncertainty of the current supply chain shortage brought on by the pandemic, my hoarding has been elevated. Take for instance these Yoshimura Chilao Pedals. When we first posted about them back in 2020, I bought a set for a few reasons…

Ben Frederick’s Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc and Love Your Brain

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Ben Frederick’s Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc and Love Your Brain

I was introduced to Ben Frederick by my predecessor at Ritchey, Sean Coffey, in the summer of 2015. “Get a load of this kid,” he said while showing me what appeared to be someone not only racing the pro/UCI cross field on a cantilevered steel bike but easily on the podium of these races as well. The iconic red of the Ritchey Swiss Cross sticking out amongst the sea of carbon contenders dressed in every color but that made it easy to spot him moving up through the field. “We’re sponsoring him now,” Sean said, and possibly the easiest introduction to a  soon-to-be friend as I’ve ever had.

Sea Otter Classic 2019: OD Green Chapter2 AO with Fulcrum Rapid Red Wheels

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Sea Otter Classic 2019: OD Green Chapter2 AO with Fulcrum Rapid Red Wheels

Can you OD from OD green? I can’t and at the 2019 Sea Otter Classic, there was a lot of olive drab green bikes, one of which I wanted to spend a little more time documenting because it was from two brands taking on the all-road market. Chapter2 is based out of New Zealand, spearheaded by Mike Pryde. They pride themselves in many of the roadie mantras with “light, fast, responsive” in their tagline, yet the Chapter2 AO looks to add a couple more to that list. If I were to expand on the light, fast, responsive, line, I’d add in versatility and compatibility to that list.

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A City Bike Hill Race

Pardon me, a GoBike Hill Race. The crew from Ornot documented the Hawk Hill GoBike race that happened last week. That’s one way to utilize public bicycle transportation!

Two Hot Vintage MTB Commuter Setups

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Two Hot Vintage MTB Commuter Setups

Literally seconds after walking into the 2015 Sea Otter Classic, I ran into Nick and Matt from SF. They had driven in that day and rode their lock-up MTB commuters down to the show. In SF, with bike theft at an all-time high, having a beater that is both cheap and functional is key.

Matt’s Trek 890 features porteur bars, a rear rack, a porteur rack and a Strawfoot bag for cargo. Meanwhile Nick’s Mongoose utilizes dirt drops and barcons. Both bikes have a fair amount of beausage and can both be maintained with a local bike shop’s parts bin.

Thanks to Matt and Nick for embracing my request for a wheelie photo!