It’s Travis‘s turn to join the Radavist edit crew in sharing his favorites for 2024. His list includes a few products, a few podcasts, the adoption of a new habit, and the return of an old one.
If I were judging my 2024 based on how much time I actually spent on my bike, I’d probably give it two stars. Not the worst year ever, but far from the best. Some long-dormant back-pain issues took center stage in early July, and they’ve been hogging the spotlight ever since. But the solutions I’ve found are showing promise of turning back the clock on what has always been a ticking time bomb. Some of the entries in this list are those very solutions. Other entries help motivate me to keep looking forward. And none of them are as much of a downer as this intro…
Favorite Products of 2024
Propain Trickshot Dirt Jump Bike $1,499
On October 19th, 2019. I got a little too sideways on a sharp yanker of a right hip at my local dirt jumps. I overshot the landing straight to my left leg, shattering the top of my tibia. That was the last time I hit a proper dirt jump. But I promised no downers. This summer, I attended a four-day wedding party (shout out to Leah and Satchel) where an on-site pump track session reminded me of what I had given up.
I used to ride an MTB-inspired 24” BMX bike of my own design, but now that I’m over the hill, I opted for a traditional 26” dirt jumper. The Propain Trickshot checked all my boxes. A lot of brands phone it in when speccing their dirt-jump models’ crank, wheelset, or fork. But I have no notes on the Trickshot. Sure, I had a lighter seat and seatpost on hand.
And I performed my air-spring surgery to drop the 100mm fork down to 85 mm, which paired with the taller Deity handlebar that’s next on this list. But for any accomplished, aspiring or returning dirt jumper, it scores a 10/10 right out of the box. And most impressively, it does it for $1,500. A full review and an inspiring comeback story are in the works.
Deity Highside 35 Handlebars, 80mm Rise $84.99
I picked these up specifically to pair with the shorter fork on my dirt jumper, looking to keep my stack high and my top tube low. But later, I briefly loaned them to a review bike to raise the front end, and I might pick up another set. Thoughts on stack height are evolving, and many of those thoughts are “more is better.” That’s especially true for me now that I know what triggers my back pain. The 80 mm Highside allows me to keep my back and neck more neutral, but high bars aren’t just for the handicapped.
I’ve learned that tall bars are a way to hack some of the benefits of longer fork travel while avoiding some of the disadvantages. I’m more comfortable leaning on the front end for traction, and less uneasy on the steeps. Also, the technically “longer” aluminum tube helps eliminate much of the unwanted 35mm-clamp-diameter harshness.
Ergotec High Bass Stem $109.95
I’ll be honest: a high-rise stem with a name like “Ergotec” brings me back to my shop days of converting ’90s mountain bikes into 2000s comfort bikes. But Ergotec actually makes some premium stuff. Though not a household name in the US, they’ve got a pretty big footprint in Europe. Literally, in fact. I first learned of them when I strolled through their sprawling booth space at Eurobike, where the High Bass stem caught my eye.
Of course it fits the “sit-up-straight” theme that’s been driving my 2024. The approximate 40 mm rise and 35 mm effective length allowed me to keep my familiar reach measurement, as well as my familiar Ritchey Comp Koyote handlebar. But if I decide to get a second one for my primary mountain bike, the High Bass is also built for abuse, boasting the same use rating as Ergotec’s more familiar-looking enduro stems. I guess that justifies what is a kinda hefty pricetag for an Asian-made stem. But at least you don’t have to pay import duties. I bought this one from Ergotec’s lone US distributor, Zeitbike. Much cooler name.
Coros Dura GPS $250
I had wanted to stick to products I didn’t already review, but this thing deserves a second mention. I haven’t seen the battery percentage drop below 70%, despite being plugged in only two times since August. The more I use it, the more I wonder why nobody’s attempted anything like it.
I can’t be the only one who owns a GPS unit primarily for multi-day rides. Seems like a lot of folks would accept a little heavier battery for a lot longer range. But the thing is, the battery on the Coros Dura is actually pretty average-sized. The efficient display and integrated solar panel are doing most of the “light lifting” that yields its long life.
That makes for a pretty perfect compromise in its form factor. It’s big enough to be readable when making important decisions, but small enough not to feel like an e-bike dashboard. I’ll admit that there still is room for improvement to Coros’s third-party app integrations and offline features, but improvements arrive on a pretty regular basis in the form of easy-to-install firmware updates. I can’t think of a GPS unit that serves so many purposes, spanning from epic bikepacking to Strava segment-hunting to highly nerdified training.
DT Swiss 240 DEG Hub $499
My mountain bike origin story began with trials riding. It’s a discipline that involves a lot of sudden and sporadic high-torque cranking, and that’s hard on a rear hub’s ratcheting mechanism. I blew up two Shimano freehubs before graduating to the more torque-tolerant “Star Ratchet” design from Hügi, who back then was just acquired by DT Swiss. Later, I graduated yet again to a hub from Chris King, with a ratchet design somewhat similar to DT Swiss offering much quicker engagement at a much higher price tag.
But thirty years later, DT Swiss now makes the most widely specced high-end hubs in mountain biking, while Chris King is still embedded in the custom-build market. That’s why I was so stoked to see DEG, the next evolution in DT’s ratchet design. The much larger ratchet ring allows for both stronger and quicker engagement, with the only sacrifice being a negligible increase in weight and drag. It’s a strong, simple, and serviceable design that I wish I had when I was a kid. These hubs are part of a pretty special custom wheelset that I’ll be reviewing soon, where I’ll share more detailed praise that has nothing to do with nostalgia.
Specialized Trail Air Shorts $77.99
I have a few pieces of clothing that I save for special occasions. I don’t mean for weddings or job interviews or parole hearings. I mean for long, demanding, or otherwise “special” rides. I’ve got a favorite bib, glove, and jacket that I’d probably destroy in less than a year if I wore them whenever they were clean. So, they’re just for special occasions. And the Specialized Trail Air shorts are now my special-occasion baggies.
They’re what I’d call moderately baggy, and have normal trail-bike length of 13.5”. But the stepped shape at the “cuffs” adds a bit of length up front to help limit knee-pad-gap. The broad waistband adjusts with a ratcheting buckle and has only minimal stretch, keeping them firmly above my hips. There’s plenty of stretch in the rest of the short, though. And the “welded” seams give them a smooth, barely-there sort of feel. I can’t testify to their durability just yet. My previous special-occasion shorts were the 100% Celium, and they failed catastrophically after about nine months. Plus, they were $130 in 2018. If you adjust for inflation, the Specialized Trail Air shorts are less than half the price.
Kids Ride Shotgun MTB Tow Rope $45
I don’t have kids. So I’ll never get a chance to try out the adorable top-tube cockpit made by Kids Ride Shotgun. But I do have an e-bike that I use for trail work. It’s just one of two that our organization has access to. And a few times this year, I’ve used mine to assist an unassisted volunteer in getting to and from a remote work site. The Kids Ride Shotgun Tow Rope made that possible.
Originally meant to help little kids up long climbs, the tow rope loops around the nose of the leader’s saddle and clips to the follower’s handlebar. It’s got enough elasticity to keep from slackening as speeds vary, but not so much that it’s a hazard if one end suddenly lets go.
When pulling, I’ll face occasional spikes in resistance as the rope goes taught, but it’s never a struggle to stay upright as long as the caboose is following my line and doing their part. When being pulled, it’s a bit disorienting, but there’s a gentile self-alignment that comes from the central tow anchor. If a gap in capability is preventing you from riding with a particular partner, I say swallow your pride and strap in.
WTB Volt Fusion Form Saddle $47.95 to $142.95
The original WTB Volt is my favorite saddle. It’s wide, but not too wide. Soft, but not too soft. And I like pushing against the gently ramped “shelf” at the rear. I recently ordered a few backups because the introduction of WTB’s Fusion Form editions got me worried they were going to discontinue my ol’ faithful. These feature refinements to the amount of fiber reinforcement in the nylon base, allowing for more targeted flex.
That’s paired with a “sleeker” padding profile. And I actually think I like WTB’s new stuff. It still feels like a Volt. There’s that same moderate width and softness, and there still is a bit of a ramp at the rear, but it feels less pronounced under-butt. The original Volt’s thicker padding and square rear edge has the effect of nestling my sitbones into a sort of “pocket” during climbs.
But as I’ve started angling my MTB saddle further and further nose-down, I’ve realized I don’t really need that pocket. And the Fusion Form base does just enough to keep it from feeling like a race saddle. So, I’m willing to embrace the change. When I want a saddle stuck in time, I’ll get on my B-17.
Nemo Tensor Trail Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad – Regular Wide $189.99
I’ve never owned an insulated sleeping pad. I rarely travel out of southern California, and when I do, I bring my 20° bag. I’ve also never owned a wide sleeping pad. I’d found a hack involving a second pillow where I could keep my elbows supported while sleeping on my back. But aside from requiring a barely soda-can-sized sleeping pad, neither solution was ideal. So, I accepted the bulk of a more comfortable pad, and I’m not looking back.
It takes up a bit more space, but it definitely pulls its weight. I can use my light sleeping pad more often, and I can roll around more freely. There’s a tiny bit more noise thanks to the mildly crinkly insulation, but I usually sleep with headphones on, either playing white noise or ASMR, which often has plenty of crinkling already.
Extremerate Rise4 Remap Back Buttons for PS5 Controller $27.99
Even if you don’t play video games, you might find this interesting. There are specialized controllers out there that feature two or four reprogrammable “back buttons” on their underside. They allow the often dormant ring or middle fingers to execute custom inputs, eliminating the need to move the thumbs off the joysticks or the index fingers off the triggers. I had hoped that the current console generation would be the one to finally standardize them on stock controllers, but you still have to either spring for a $200 “Pro” controller, or wade into the murky third-party territory. Or, you can modify.
Extremerate makes clever little hardware hacks for picky players. Their PS5 Rise4 Remap Kit includes a replacement controller back panel with a two-paddle module at its center. You partially disassemble the controller and connect the new components to the existing board via flexible ribbons by piggybacking on existing ports. There’s no soldering required unless you’ll be mapping the touchpad or R3/L3 to the new buttons. On most games, I’ll connect dodge/roll to one paddle and jump to the other. It makes mobility more intuitive. But given how quickly I bounced off Sekiro, Shadows Die Twice, it didn’t make me any more skilled.
Favorite Ride: Bones to Blue, Lake Tahoe, California
I usually don’t like singletrack bikepacking. Riding technical terrain on a fully loaded bike is interesting and challenging, but it’s not why I mountain bike. I’d rather spend my limited time doing either gravel tours or MTB strike missions, and never the twain shall meet. But then my old friend, Jese Grimes (who happened to teach me how to build proper dirt jumps over 20 years ago) invited me up to the northern Sierra for a ride.
We did two nights on a slightly shorter version of the Bones to Blue route around Lake Tahoe, starting and ending in nearby Truckee. I learned that singletrack bikepacking is like so many things: You should make sure you’ve tried the good stuff before you decide whether you like it or not.
The quality of singletrack on this route is superb. Thanks, no doubt, to the tireless work of the Truckee Trails Foundation and TAMBA. A significant portion of our 150-mile version of Bones to Blue was on honest-to-goodness singletrack, and it was nearly 100% rideable on a loaded bike, up and down. We only encountered one downed tree, but not before seeing a chainsaw carried by two nice fellers… see what I did there? Anyway, this trip somehow perfectly balanced thrill, challenge, and adventure with pizza, burgers, and beer. It inspired me to build up a bike specifically for routes of its kind. Stay tuned for that in 2025.
New Podcasts
Gom Jabar 2024 has been a big year for the Dune franchise. Dune Part 2 totally stuck the landing for Denis Villeneuve, the MAX series, Dune: Prophecy launched, and the Blank Check podcast did their long-awaited series on David Lynch. But that’s not the podcast I’m starting with. All this Dune fever got me interested in learning the lore. I love lore, often more than the franchises it supports. I’ve watched a dozen videos explaining Warhammer 40,000, but I’m never gonna play a single game of it. And I don’t have the patience to read the shelves of Dune books, but Frank Herbert’s world is fascinating. That’s why I’ll dip into the podcast, Gom Jabar once in a while. The two superfan hosts speak of things like the Butlerian Jihad or the forming of The Spacing Guild as if they were real historic events. And they’ll be doing breakdowns of Dune: Prophecy. I’ve only watched one episode, and I know I’m gonna need it.
Will You Accept This Rose? My wife likes reality TV. And I’m a grown man who likes video games about robot dinosaurs. We all have our guilty pleasures. And although playing Horizon, Forbidden West is an inherently solitary experience, watching 2024’s debut season of The Golden Bachelorette can be a lot more fun with a partner. Even more so when you can listen to a few major players in the L.A. comedy podcast scene recap each episode the next day. If you’re open to bonding with a Bachelor fan in your life, I recommend trying an episode of the Will You Accept This Rose podcast. The hosts understand that this whole thing is bullshit, but they also meet it on its level. You don’t even need to have watched the show, but this podcast might make you want to. Any season is a good starting point, but this year’s house of 60-and-over male suitors will be both hysterical and touching for anyone who has a dad.
Murder, They Wrote One reality TV show I refuse to watch is Love Island. Not even Love Island, Australia. But the narrator on the show’s UK version almost reels me in every time I hear an episode playing in the other room. Iain Sterling speaks with what I can only describe as “whimsical scorn.” He’s like Lewis Black, but much more young and Scottish. But thankfully, I can get my Iian Sterling fix without having to sit through a single Recoupling ceremony (IYKYK). He and his also-young (but Irish) wife, Laura Whitmore, do a fairly straight-down-the-middle true crime podcast. I had kinda gotten my fill of that genre years ago, but this one has a fun vibe, funner accents, and it’s under 50 minutes.
Favorite Old Album: Hole, Celebrity Skin
Before 2024, I don’t remember ever hearing the phrase, “song of the summer.” I also don’t remember hearing any of Billboard’s list of 2024 contenders for the title except Hot to Go. But you know what I have heard? Malibu, by Hole. No idea why, but it popped into my life on three separate occasions this past May. It inspired me to download its album, Celebrity Skin, the follow-up to Hole’s better-known breakout, Live Through This. I know almost every word to every song on Live Through This, but not Celebrity Skin. Only a few got regular radio play. Listening to a Hole song that’s not already on my mental clipboard is like listening to the fictional hit song from a fictional music biopic. Like, I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow or That Thing You Do. The deep cuts from Celebrity Skin couldn’t have been conceived in any era other than the late ‘90s, but they somehow feel brand new.
Favorite Book: Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill – $34.95 (paperback) $25.25 (digital)
Big thanks to Saris Mercanti at Ibis Cycles for recommending this book. We were once trenchmates in online bike media, so Saris and I love to talk shop. This year, that included comparing notes on lower-back pain. And I’ve got a lot of notes. With no obvious trauma to address, I was left playing an extended game of whack-a-mole to pin down which exercises helped, and which hurt. Stuart McGill is much more methodical.
The title, Back Mechanic, conveys McGill’s nuts-and-bolts approach to assessing and addressing back pain. He’s not a physician. In fact, the tone of the book is often one of general skepticism towards the medical establishment. I’ve had no such skepticism until now. Chalk that up to six very successful orthopedic surgeries. But back pain has been quite the riddle for me, and that’s how Back Mechanic approaches it. The first couple chapters cover the fundamentals of the back as a structure, and of McGill’s take on treating it. Then, there’s a lengthy self-assessment section that helps identify your issues and later set you up with corresponding exercises. One of my favorite chapters is simply about correcting bad habits. McGill has taught me to treat this not like a search for a cure, but like a course-correction. And I can keep riding during the process. I just have to remember what I learned this year.
What I Learned This Year: Don’t Slouch
Coping long-term with my back pain is going to be an ongoing, multi-faceted process. But at its center is something our moms have been telling us for years: Don’t slouch. Having a job that involves a lot of desk time is certainly not helpful. It’s too easy to fall back into the false comfort of hunching over my keyboard. Same goes for cooking, driving, and lifting up the toilet seat. I’m constantly reminding myself to lift my chest and bend at the hips. This has made every activity less painful and more sustainable, and that includes riding my bike.
I tend to curl over my bars when I ride. I shrug up my shoulders, drop down my torso, and most of that shape is achieved by my lower back. But slowly over the past five months, I’ve gotten in the habit of maintaining my back’s natural “S” curve while riding. It takes constant engagement of my back muscles, but that’s become second nature now that I’m engaging them pretty much all the time. It also helps that I spend about fifteen minutes three times a day strengthening all the muscles involved. I’ll probably be doing that for years to come. I’m making up for a lifetime of bad habits.
