I started my 2021 Gear of the Year article remarking on how I’d spent the year riding far less yet thinking about bikes far more than I had in 2020.
2022 has been much the same, but it has reminded me of something often overlooked – riding a bike is a joy.
It’s easy to forget this in the sometimes myopic world of performance bikes and when being faster, fitter and clocking greater mileage is revered among other cyclists.
But, once I’d come to terms with the fact I was not going to be as fit or as fast as I have been before, I began to truly enjoy time spent on two wheels, from rare 100km road rides and occasional gravel excursions to commuting by bike.
Dare I say it, maybe I enjoyed my time cycling even more than when I was churning out five-hour club rides at the weekend.
Or maybe what I want from cycling has just changed.
As I said in my Ridley Noah Disc Essential long-term review, I would love to return to the kind of riding I’ve done before.
But my current relationship with cycling has informed my 2022 Gear of the Year choices. My picks have made my year of cycling easier, more enjoyable and some have served me well off the bike, too.
MAAP Roam Jacket
- £220 / $295 / AU$386 / €260
The MAAP Roam Jacket has established itself as a staple this year. I put this jacket on before swinging my Chrome Mini Metro bag over my shoulder and heading off on my commute.
The jacket’s mid-weight 265g/m² three-layer shell provides windproofing and enough water resistance to get me to work, or wherever I’m going, without feeling cold or becoming wet.
The double-cuff design pairs an internal elastic gripper with a harder external shell. This integrates easily with my winter cycling gloves and is a nicer solution than fussy Velcro grippers, which become dog-eared over time.
I’ve also taken to wearing this jacket as my day-to-day waterproof coat. The jacket’s technical features have been part of the reason why, but so too have the aesthetic ones.
The boxy cut of this jacket means it doesn’t look out of place next to the more fashionable, mountaineering-inspired jackets of other brands. The subtle reflective detailing and MAAP logo mean you can pass through life without people spotting the cyclist.
Sportful Fiandre Light Jacket
- £150 / $160 / AU$240 / €149.90
The Sportful Fiandre Light Jacket falls into a category of kit once occupied solely by the Castelli Gabba. That is to say cycling tops that aim to provide the fit and feel of a jersey with the protection of a jacket.
These items are popular with many cyclists here in the UK, thanks to the predictably unpredictable weather we have. You can put these ‘jerkets’ on and head out unfazed by the prospect of drizzle and cold winds.
This jacket is made from windproof fabric in the front and water-resistant material on the back, which has kept me dry and free of wind chill even when I’ve managed to steal a cool (bordering cold) evening ride.
The Fiandre Light has a close-to-body fit, which I welcome. I never really like any flap in my cycling clothing and it helps trap the warmth in.
Despite this, I’ve never felt restricted in this jacket thanks to how thin the fabric is and the excellent cut, for my body shape at least.
Finally, the red wine colour is luxurious and warming, and the black trim blends into bib shorts or tights, giving the jacket a cropped, neat look despite its useful drop-tail design.
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
- £779.99 / $899.99 / AU$1,399 / €899.99
Ah yes, the joy of cycling, made possible by a £779.99 smartwatch.
When I reviewed the Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar earlier this year, I said it would never replace my bike computer.
I still stand by this. When it comes to a bike computer vs a smartwatch, the latter can’t compete for screen size and visibility.
However, in my year of infrequent cycling, I’ve been wearing and using this watch on and off the bike a great deal.
The watch has proven great for switching between bikes at home and on press trips. This may be a luxury problem solved by a luxury product, but there’s no denying it’s made my life easier.
It has also proved great for my intermittent bursts of running, delving into spates of sleep tracking, counting my daily steps, downloading routes directly from Komoot and on-the-fly navigation.
The high-quality colour screen has made all these functions easy, as has the touchscreen.
Its solar charging and incredibly long battery life mean I rarely have to reach for a charger.
As with my Sportful Jacket, I can head out wearing this with little forethought and revel in the riding.
Quoc Mono II road shoes
- £270
The Quoc Mono IIs have become my road cycling shoes of choice since I received them nearly a year ago.
The shoes have a stiff unidirectional carbon sole. This provides a solid pedalling platform, which has been welcome whenever I have felt like pushing on the pedals.
Quoc says the Mono II’s last follows the contours of the foot and I’ve found the shape of the upper fits my feet well.
The comfortable fit is also thanks to the upper’s two-piece design. The tongue doesn’t move out of place, avoiding any frustrating readjustments after long periods of riding.
The heel cup holds my feet in place and has eliminated any heel slip – a problem I’ve had with numerous shoes.
The one-way dials are a bit annoying and I would have preferred two-way Boa dials, which allow for micro-adjustments either way.
The details on these shoes also appeal to me. The stitching is inspired by the zig-zag pattern on brogues and the heel pads are replaceable.
Rapha x Palace Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes kit
- Probably a lot on eBay
Call me a sucker, but I was stupidly excited when I saw Rapha was collaborating with Palace again.
The two brands came together to make a special ‘switch-out’ kit for EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, which was the first edition of the women’s race in 30 years.
The kit has a pink, white and blue colour scheme that looks as if it belongs on a washing detergent box.
The central feature is two green dragons resting their talons on the Venus symbol, with the design celebrating women’s cycling and to “show the world what it’s been missing”.
It’s great to see fun injected into the often over-serious and predictable world of professional road cycling and to see women’s cycling championed.
Doing this by designing one kit for the men’s and women’s teams is a relief, too – it’s surprising how much kit is starkly divided by gender.
And yes, I have been wearing this out riding. Of course, the kit is utterly outrageous, but so be it – here’s to another year of having fun on the bike.
