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These beautifully crafted workhorse shorts are a good bet for cyclists on a budget who want plush comfort that won’t fall apart after a season or three. www.descenteathletic.com…
This cleat stays cool on the hottest days. It has all the performance features you’d expect—rigid carbon midsole, removable mud cleats—combined with an upper that’s supercooled with swaths of mesh venting. northwave.it…
Mammut’s Smart belay device provides autolocking belay action at a fraction of the price and weight of other devices. mammut.ch…
Mountain Anticipating a trip to Moab in July? The Instinct’s cooling system has gaping channels that funnel air through like a fan. www.specialized.com Bonus: The on-off mountain visor is fast and easy.
Shorts and crabs is usually a frightening combination, but not here: The cushy AirGel chamois is infused with Crabyon (made from crab shells), which has antibacterial properties. Bonus: Durable knit between the legs prevents premature wear. www.louisgarneau.com…
This no-nonsense shoe is plenty stiff, has an aggressive tread, and sports a synthetic leather upper tough enough for the roughest trails. It performs as well as some cleats twice the price. bike.shimano.com…
Pick up a couple of Petzl Attache 3D lockers, which are great utility ‘biners for anchors and slings and can also be used for attaching your belay device to your harness. petzl.com…
If the thought of spending more for a quality bike than a decent used car makes you want to take up jogging, the Dakar will keep you on two wheels. The aluminum frame is stiff and responsive, and can take a lot of abuse. (We crashed ours into both…
You get Swiss precision detailing (incredible fit, impeccable flat stitching) with a price tag to match. This bib isn’t cheap, but the full-coverage design and chamois are the most comfortable we’ve tried for long days in the saddle. www.assos.com…
With help from the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, Specialized has overhauled this shoe with a newly contoured last, orthopedic footbeds, and a foot-hugging closure. “The most comfortable cleat I’ve ever worn,” raved one tester. specialized.com…
You can cram all your climbing gear in Mountain Hardwear’s Trad pack. The alloy-reinforced framesheet gives plenty of support for a 30-some-pound load, and the full-length daisy chain makes lashing on extra gear easy. mountainhardwear.com…
As many manufacturers pare down their bikes, Ventana goes gleefully big. Bouncing into the growing 29er fray—these mountain bikes sport XXL wheels for higher clearance and better momentum than you get with their 26-inch counterparts—the El Cap is a handcrafted, dual-suspension aluminum rig that soaks up bumps like an…
The question: Do you buy a mountain bike with big travel or less weight, stable angles or lively handling? Ellsworth’s Epiphany eliminates the compromise, riding an inspired line between cross-country and downhill. You get a bike with five-plus inches of front and rear travel in a package that weighs…
1. The Virtue Two debuts a radical new suspension system (dubbed Equilink) that offers more than five inches of active travel but has none of the drawbacks—no pedal feedback, no bob, and no extra weight—that plague most long-travel systems. It’s super-plush and, amazingly, still handles like a hardtail. 2.
The Modena is the first carbon-fiber stock road bike from Titus, a company known for its formidable custom-made machines. That may sound like a come-down, but consider this: For half the cost of most naked frames in the custom line, you get a complete bike (lighter than last year’s…
Tired of the Matrix-inspired graph-ics favored by most bike-apparel companies? Get your very own maillot jaune with this boldly simple polyester jersey. twinsix.com…
Meet the Houdini of bikes: On the trail, the Anthem is so smooth it feels as if the bike has disappeared beneath you. Giant brings Maestro, 2005’s award-winning suspension, to 3.5 inches of travel, creating a lightweight ride that thrives on all manner of terrain—especially fast, technical, roller-coaster singletrack.
Patches of dimpled fabric are supposed to cut wind drag. It’s hard to say if the gains are significant, but who cares? Just pulling on this sleek jersey makes you feel like an Italian racer. castelli-us.com…
1. The Mojo SL won this year’s award for one simple reason: It defies all categories and excels in every condition. It’s light enough to race cross-country, but with 5.5 inches of front and rear travel, it’s cushy enough for anything a sane rider would ever descend. 2. In…
One tester spirited away the Apache as soon as it arrived and only returned it a few weeks later, after we threatened to withhold his pay—and even then it took a few days. The Apache is simply one of the most fun cross-country bikes we’ve ridden, especially for the…
Attention, bicycle junkies: Whether you replace that quiver of bikes clogging your garage or just add to it, the Zirkel is for people who maintain a bike fund the way others stock a 401(k). This three-inch-travel cross-country cruiser picks up where Moots’s now retired Smoothie left off, with a…
After vanishing for a few years, Swobo is back and producing the same lust-worthy merino gear that built its reputation. These jerseys are cut generously, feel great on the skin, and, thanks to natural anti-stink properties, don’t need to be washed after every ride. swobo.com…
CROSS-COUNTRY REVELATION The Mach 4 is the first cross-country offering from MTB-design legend Chris Cocalis’s newly launched Pivot brand. It’s built around the same dw-link platform as the Gear of the Year–winning Ibis but tuned a bit firmer to stay active while eliminating energy-sapping pedal bob. The bike blasted up…
Long a champion of oversize aluminum tubing, Cannondale shifts gears to create an all-carbon rig that’s fast enough for testosterone-addled group rides but much more comfortable than its trademark metal frames on epic outings. With slack geometry, a moderately upright riding position, and the superior road-damping qualities of carbon…
Why pack 27 gears when you can crush your friends with just one? The Diesel’s list of features reads like a single-speed mantra: slick Formula Oro Puro disc brakes, dual rear cogs (16 and 18) on back for gearing options if the terrain turns testy, and Paragon’s trick slider…
In spite of the daunting name (note to Garneau: Don’t let the lab guys name things), these shorts work quite simply. The stout carbon-infused Lycra provides plenty of support but still wicks moisture on the hottest days. louisgarneau.com…
ALL-AROUND PERFORMER After each ride, we had to check the price tag—could a bike this good cost this little? Not only did Mongoose equip this four-inch ride with a plush Fox RP2 rear shock and smooth RockShox Recon Race fork; they also threw in a complete Shimano XT group, a…
What Amazon did for books, Leopard is doing for bicycles. By sticking with Web-only distribution, this small Bay Area–based bike manufacturer is offering teched-out, full-carbon race bikes at unheard-of prices. The CL1 is constructed of uniquely ribbed carbon tubing and has radically shaped carbon seat- and chainstays, resulting in…
The features justify the price. You get a carbon sole, Boa ratcheting system, and thermomoldable footbed that can be custom-shaped for the ultimate fit, providing long-haul comfort for epic days. 9 oz; www.lakecycling.com…
You think titanium bottle cages are a bit, um, extravagant. Your shorts: the Classic Pro, with solid construction, trim fit, and a workhorse chamois—all at a bargain price. descenteathletic.com…
BIG-WHEELED HARDTAIL In the age of compression rates and leverage ratios, Bianchi continues to produce refreshingly simple bikes. This aluminum hardtail is tough enough for the roughest trails but doesn’t need the constant tweaking of a full-suspension rig. The 29-inch wheels roll so smoothly, you can forget you don’t have…
Not everyone wants to race, so why are so many bikes constructed with aggressive angles and knee-wrecking gears? Schwinn felt your pain and responded with the Fastback Comp, a roadie with concessions to comfort that hardly sacrifice performance. The proprietary aluminum is rigid enough for effective power transfer, while…
For club rides and racing, this shoe’s thin carbon sole is stiff yet sensitive, and the flashy graphics make you look speedy—even when you’re standing still. 10 oz; www.trialtir-usa.com…
The price promises a lot, and these shorts deliver. The bib is cut away in front to reduce binding and overheating, the fabric is impeccably sculpted to a riding position, and the chamois feels custom-fit. castelli-us.com…
PEDAL-FRIENDLY HEAVYWEIGHT Six-inch all-mountain bikes can be heavy and no fun to pedal, which is why they’re generally reserved for car shuttles and ski lifts. Not so El Guapo. With oversized aluminum tubing, stout links, and through-axle hub, it looks the part of a squishy all-mountain banger. But a Shimano…
The Ghisallo is a wake-up call for weight-freak roadies dutifully switching everything (even water-bottle-cage spacers!) to carbon: There’s another gravity-defying game in town. Weighing less than a box of Clif Bars, this all-titanium frame is not only the wispiest factory model available; it’s the lightest complete bike we tested.
Meet one of this summer’s best road shoes: The mostly mesh upper keeps your dogs cool and dry, even when the rest of you is melting. 11 oz; www.pearlizumi.com…
BIKE TO WORK Modeled after classic Dutch commuter bikes, the Amsterdam gives you everything you need for jetting around a city—and strips away everything you don’t. Its steel frame can handle the bumps and grinds of crowded bike racks and won’t buck you off when you hit potholes. And its…
FAST, NIMBLE TRAIL MACHINE Tomac Bicycles built a cult following in the late 1990s for producing some of the best early dual-suspension bikes, but it quietly folded in 2005. The company has reemerged this year with a line of bicycles that includes the beautifully executed Snyper 140. Using a single-pivot…
When minister and aid specialist James Gulley came home alive from the Haitian earthquake—barely, after an incredible survival ordeal in Port-au-Prince—he turned right around and went back. His son went, too, discovering the true power of a faith he'd never shared.
1. MT. BORAH CUSTOM With seven-week turnarounds and minimum orders of just six pieces, Mt. Borah makes customcycling gear easier than ever. Jerseys from $83; mtborahcustom.com 2. VITTORIA OPEN CORSA EVO CX The handmade CX can handle pressures up to 200 psi and is…
This year’s trail bikes are lighter and more forgiving than ever. We tested the best.
1. SHELL MontBell's Mistral Parka is a hooded squall shield that vents well enough for sweaty runs and packs down to a softball-size bundle. $110; montbell.com Trail-Running Gear Essentials 2. SUNGLASSES The new VR50 lenses in Oakley's Flak Jackets block blue light to make trail details…
1. BROOKS INFINITI JACKET The billboard-size logo on the back will make you feel like a pro during warm-ups, while reflective touches make it great for chilly dusk workouts. $100; brooksrunning.com The Goods: Road-Race Day 2. TRIGGER POINT PLANTAR FASCIITIS KIT The antidote to…
Mysteries of the mind-body connection: Why does Willie Nelson make me run faster than the White Stripes? And why do both sound so much better coming out of the Thump Pro? I don't have answers, but I do know that after several trail runs I fell shamelessly in love with…
Strange but true: It feels good to run all day. Prep yourself with this go-far gear.
In the Store: Don’t know what kind of arches you have? Dunk your foot lightly in some water and then step on a paper bag. See almost your entire foot? You’re an overpronator. See very little? You’re an underpronator (this is less common). »…
From low prices to high comfort, the best new road bikes share one basic feature: fun
A legendary bike builder unretires to deliver the slickest new all-mountain ride on the planet
Rethinking the classic game expedition on a winged voyage over Namibia, where wildlife is only part of the landscape of vast deserts and empty coastlines
An exclusive conversation with Floyd Landis's training adviser
Go-fast gear for your next adrenaline-fueled run-climb-bike-hike-paddle through the woods
From sleek and sexy road machines to mountain-taming single-speeds, the big news about this year's best bikes is trickle-down technology that makes cutting-edge performance accessible for every rider and any budget