Editor’s Dozen: Logan and VA’s Favorite Gear of 2025 (Spring/Summer)

We’re off to an early start this year—this is the first time we’ve put together an Editor’s Dozen list in May. But after spending the latter months of 2024 and the first part of 2025 cycling and living in Oaxaca and Western North Carolina, Virginia and I discovered plenty of new favorites. This list practically made itself. So, without further preamble or faffing about, here are 13 items that have been in regular rotation over the past six months—including several things that we’ve been missing out on—making for a proper baker’s dozen.

Silca Hiro Presta Chuck

Made in Indiana, USA / $70 at Silca

After Silca’s owner, Josh Poertner, peeped a Japan-made, all-metal loli-pop chuck while working a criterium race in France, he set out to design one for himself. The result was the Silca Hiro, a premium, full-metal, Presta-specific chuck that threads seamlessly into any Schrader-style chuck and has a cool thumb-operated lever to secure to the valve once seated. It’s built to seal on as little as 10mm of valve, which is a nice touch, and it has a replaceable gasket.

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Silca sent me one to try out with my Pista pump, which I also love, and after trying it once, it was pretty clear that this was no ordinary bicycle pump chuck. It’s easy to seal on the valve with just one hand, stays in place, and simply has a nice precision feel. At 70 bucks, it’s an investment, but I highly recommend it as a worthy upgrade for folks who appreciate well-made and highly functional tools.

Arcade Belts

73 grams / Made in China / $35 at Arcade Store

I have a 33-inch waist, and as anyone else in that in-between size knows, it’s tough to find shorts or pants that fit just right—most brands skip straight from 32 to 34. That usually leaves me sizing up and relying on a belt. After spending the last 15 years rotating between the same two flimsy webbing belts—needing to constantly adjust them and being especially frustrated when wearing a hip pack—I decided it was time for a change. A friend recommended Arcade belts, and after trying one, I was sold. I ended up ordering two more.

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There are a few things to love about Arcade belts. Instead of relying on rigid webbing or leather and traditional hardware, their belts are soft, stretchy, and very low-profile thanks to their patented A2 buckle, which happens to be refreshingly easy to release and engage. The low-profile design also solves the interference and pinch issues I had with using a hip pack alongside my other belt. I also can say enough good things about their stretchiness. The webbing is made with 85% post-consumer recycled REPREVE polyester that has the goldilocks amount of stretch to keep pants in place without feeling overbearing. They’re also quick-drying and machine-washable, and the plastic buckle is airport security-friendly, at least for airports that don’t make you remove your belt.

Note that I also tried the Arcade Motion belt—shown below with metal buckle parts. I didn’t like this one nearly as much as the Atlas belt. The Atlas strap is softer and the buckle is slimmer, making it the better choice for cycling and outdoor pursuits.

Maxxis Aggressor 29 x 2.5

980 grams / Made in Taiwan / $70 at Jenson

The 29 x 2.5” Maxxis Aggressor isn’t exactly a tire that comes to mind for bikepacking—it’s neither the fastest rolling nor the most versatile option Maxxis makes. However, I’ve been enjoying this tire on several bikes for both bikepacking and trail riding, and I keep speccing it on builds for a variety of reasons.

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First off, as a rear tire, it has great breaking grip, particularly on loose and rocky terrain. It’s also very predictable, has a fairly stiff sidewall, and boasts excellent cornering traction when you need to lean in and engage the lugs. It’s not fast, but I also wouldn’t call it overly slow, considering the relatively deep lugs. And lastly, it seems to hold up quite well. This tire shown in the photos has about five months of use as my only bike, including a lot of pavement miles getting in and out of Oaxaca City to trails and dirt roads.

Knog Oi Prima Bell

I’ve appreciated the design and concept of the Knog Oi bell since it launched about a decade ago—there’s really nothing else like it. That said, it’s never been the loudest option, which limits its usefulness in certain situations, such as my local bike path next to the rushing river en route to the nearest singletrack. To improve its volume, Knog just released a revamped version of the Oi called the Oi Prima, which is noticeably louder. The brand claims it has up to 85 decibels. For context, the popular Large Crane Bell rings in just under 90 decibels, and the well-known Spurcycle bell tops 110.

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I got a media sample for testing at the Sea Otter Classic and have been using it regularly ever since. It’s plenty loud, and like its predecessor, it has a slimmed-down profile that blends in with the controls on the bars. Better yet, it has a hinged clamp, making it easy to move from bike to bike. The Oi Prima is yet to be released, so I still don’t have a price but will update this once I know more.

PNW Loam Grips

120 grams (pair) / Made in China / $29 at Jenson

Every once in a while, I stumble on a component that surprises me. That was exactly the case with the PNW Loam Grips. At first glance, they appear to be normal mountain bike grips. Nothing special, and MTB grips usually aren’t all that comfortable, especially when in use for six-hour grinds over multiple days.

PNW’s Loam Grip marked the brand’s foray into handlebar grips, which makes sense considering they now have a full lineup of handlebars. PNW approached the design with a few interesting details. The grips are made from their “Happy Camper” rubber, which I can attest is both perfectly tacky and durable—these grips have quite a few miles on them and were run on my primary bike for about five months. They’re still in excellent shape.

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Better yet, I’ve found the Loam grips to be impressively comfortable, and they seem to reduce hand fatigue better than almost any MTB grips I’ve tried. Part of this probably has to do with the grip pattern design featuring a mix of cushioned zones—like the outer palm area—and thinner, textured areas to help maintain finger traction. But I think it’s largely due to the raised fin pattern at the thumb and forefinger section that provides the ability for your hand to twist a little, providing vibration relief similar to the concept behind Rev grips, which have built-in twist suspension.

The PNW Loam Grips are available in a variety of colors, and they now offer them in a Recycled edition, made from 80% recycled ocean plastic in the grip core and 30% upcycled scraps from the factory floor in the grip rubber.

Da Brim

~140 grams / Made in Mexico / $55 at Da Brim

Multiple team members decided to get a Da Brim after Josh’s review last year, Virginia and I included. It quickly became an invaluable accessory over the winter while riding in the Oaxaca Valley. Yeah, I know, Da Brim already won a Gear of the Year award, and it’s been on other lists. But for me, it was a “why didn’t I get this sooner?” kind of purchase, so think of this as a P.S.A. Stay cool and keep from being scorched by the sun!

Cascada Lakewood Adventure Pants

319 grams / Made in Italy / $163 at Cascada

In the words of Joe Cruz, “You should always have a pair of pants while touring.” He’s right—it’s great to have an extra layer for warmth, protection from bugs while camping, and to look presentable in town, especially in places where shorts aren’t exactly considered adult attire. For all those reasons, we’re always on the lookout for lightweight pants that pack down to a small burrito-sized bundle. At one point, I even started compiling a list of travel pants that fit the bill, which I’ll have to dig up, but over the past year, I’ve landed on a pair I really like, even if the fit isn’t perfect.

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The Cascada Lakewood Adventure Pants are relatively lightweight, compress into a compact roll, and are made in Italy from a tough, tear-resistant, four-way stretch ripstop fabric. They have reinforced knees, four pockets, and come with a simple drawstring-style belt to keep things minimal. I’ve worn them off the bike, while sleeping, and on rides—the tapered legs are a nice touch for pedaling. The fit is decent, though the hem is a little loose for my 33-inch waist, and they’re slightly short for my giraffe-esque inseam. Still, they’ve become my go-to bike travel pants.

Safety Pizza

Made in California, USA / $20 at Safety Pizza

I’m a little late to the pizza party, but I’m glad I finally made it. Here on the East Coast, and in Oaxaca, where I’ve been spending a lot of time, bikepacking always involves sharing the road with cars on at least a stretch or two of pavement. I’m notorious for forgetting to charge a rear light or just leaving it at home. The Safety Pizza offers a reflector at night, in the rain, and at dusk or dawn, and during the day, it’s impressive how visible this shimmery piece of vinyl is in the sun. In my eyes, it’s better—and more attractive—than wearing a yellow helmet. And you can use the built-in straps to attach it to a roll-top rack bag or seat pack. I’m happy I finally bought a slice. Consider this P.S.A. number two.

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Litelok X1

1,739 grams / Made in Britain / $180 at Litelok

It’s pretty wild how much content exists on YouTube about bike locks once you start digging. Bike theft is clearly a widespread issue, so it makes sense that there’s a large market for high-quality locks. Still, it’s surprising to see the depth of testing people put these products through—everything from timed angle grinder tests to trials with various grinder discs, including the dreaded diamond cutoff wheel. With cordless angle grinders becoming common tools for quick grab-and-go theft, it’s no wonder this level of scrutiny exists. No lock is impervious to such tools, but some do a much better job than others at slowing them down. Generally, U-locks come out on top in this regard.

After watching several videos where creators timed how long it took to cut through major brands’ locks, it became clear that those taking several minutes to breach were the gold standard—none of the locks in this category are breakable with a bolt cutter. The Hiplok DX 1000, Litelok’s X3, and a few other hefty 2+ kilogram U-locks consistently performed best. That said, they’re massive—and arguably overkill if you’re just locking up in a visible spot for a shopping trip.

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The LITELOK X1 stands out as a widely praised and relatively manageable alternative. The X1 and X3 use a patent-pending ceramic composite called Barronium, designed to resist grinder attacks by dispersing the tool’s energy, wearing down discs, draining batteries, and even burning out motors. In most tests, the X3 required disc changes and took around six minutes to breach with a diamond blade. Still, the significantly smaller and lighter X1 struck the ideal balance for me. In a couple of tests, it still took around four minutes to cut through. A 15-second zip cut or a snap with bolt cutters is one thing, but what thief is going to grind a lock for four minutes outside a grocery store? Plus, with its more compact form factor, the X1 is easy to loop through the frame under a frame bag or even lock up two bikes. From what I can tell, at 1.7 kilograms, it’s much more manageable than the Hiplock or similarly resistant but bulky options by Abus and other popular brands. Granted, I wouldn’t take it on most bikepacking trips—it’s still hefty—but for everyday errands and city use, it’s just right. Plus, they’re manufactured in a solar-powered factory in South Wales, UK.

Light Roast + Munieq Tetra Drip

11 grams / Made in Japan / $17.50 at AMZN

Up until earlier this year, I was ignorantly content with reasonably priced whole bean blends from mid-tier roasters. Then, I somehow got caught up in the “fourth wave” when I learned how to brew a proper pour-over and a precisely timed, ground, and measured Aeropress. I suppose that was a gateway into trying out more interesting coffees.

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Somewhere along the way in my research, I saw that one of the well-known YouTube coffee nerds—at this point, I can’t remember which one—said that their favorite pour-over device, aside from the lauded V60, was this simple and unbelievably lightweight Munieq Tetra Drip. The Tetra Drip is made in Japan and is designed to pack flat and work with V60 filters—note that this is the smaller 1.5 cup version; they also make the 3.5, which is larger. I’ve tried it at home and at camp, and it does an excellent job, rivaling the flavor when compared to my ceramic V60. The only drawback when considering this tiny device for a multi-week bikepacking trip is having to carry and keep up with a bunch of V60 filters. But it’s well worth it, in my opinion, and it’s perfect for weekend outings and overnighters, especially when trying to minimize weight and packing space.

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As for coffee, I’ve tried several bags from a few acclaimed roasters around the Southeast in an effort to keep my purchases somewhat local. My favorite so far is Black and White Roasters out of Raleigh/Wake Forest, North Carolina. I’ve tried four of their single-origin bags, mostly in the light and funky categories, with my favorite—hands down—being the Wilton Benitez Pink Bourbon, which is ridiculously tasty. If you have a suggestion for other roasters/beans in this vein, please leave a note in the conversation below!

1Zpresso Q Air

369 grams / Made in China / $69 at 1Zpresso Store

On the same topic, I also took Lucas’s advice and got a good hand grinder. I actually bought two, a larger one and the 1Zpresso Q Air, a travel-sized model that’s the brand’s lightest and most compact offering. The Q Air has a lightweight plastic body and catch cup, and it isn’t as polished as 1Zpresso’s other all-metal grinders, such as the J-series that Lucas touted in his Editor’s Dozen list from earlier this year. But, at 369 grams, it’s half the wight and half the price of the J manual grinder, even though it’s still equipped with an excellent stainless steel heptagonal burr.

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Being a little smaller, the Q Air also has a smaller 15-20 gram capacity and a shorter handle, which requires a little more elbow grease to grind a brew’s worth of quality beans, but it does the job. It also has a multi-rotation adjustment dial that allows you to grind coffee between a range of 0 to 1,360 microns and is ideal for grinding in my preferred methods, Aeropress and pour-over. With the latter, I’ve dialed in a medium grind based on this chart, and I can basically fill the Q Air up with beans, just above the washer-shaped lever fitting. That amounts to about 20 grams of coffee. Then, I can eyeball the pour-over to fill up my MSR insulated mug to about a centimeter under the rim, that’s about 300 grams of water, which equates to the classic 1:16 pour-over recipe (factoring in a couple dozen grams absorbed in the grounds). Perfect camp coffee every time!

Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD

202 grams / Made in China / $50 at Performance

We’ve reviewed several versions of the Topeak Ratchet Rocket over the years, with certain ones becoming staples in a couple of our editors’ tool kits. This year, Topeak added two new models to the Ratchet Rocket family, dubbed Essential. The Essential tools are pared-down kits that each include the ratchet secured via a small clip and a selection of bits nested in an excellent magnetic sleeve, all wrapped in a compact, snap pocket. The regular version contains the normal ratchet that can handle 18 Nm of force alongside 10 bits. Then there’s the HD version that I have, which features a burlier version of the ratchet, an extender, and 12 bits (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm, T10, T15, T20, T25, PH2).

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One thing that’s always bugged me about relying on small ratchet tools is that you might be S.O.L. if you have to loosen a securely torqued pedal or free a very stubborn bolt. That’s one reason I always liked more solid drivers, such as the Mineral Bar (RIP). This is where the HD offers something different. According to Topeak, the larger design supports up to 60 Nm of force, allowing it to handle a broader range of maintenance tasks. Plus, it comes with an 8mm Allen bit. To test it out, I pulled off two pedals without any issues.

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The Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD is slightly bigger than the normal version, which comes with a slight weight penalty. But at 202 grams, it’s not overly heavy, and it’s still relatively compact. The magnetic bit-keeper and the ability to nest the bits at the end of the wrench for a screwdriver orientation are two other nice touches.

Nike Kiger Trail Running Shoes

Made in Vietnam / $80-160 at Nike

Last but not least, how about a pair of running shoes on a bike website? Obviously, this pick isn’t cycling-related, but I’ve been trail running quite a bit over the past year and wanted to share these shoes because I’ve been so impressed with them. A friend recommended them for several reasons, including their relatively minimal design and low 5mm drop. They’re incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and streamlined—great if you want to mountain bike to a running loop—and surprisingly versatile. They offer solid traction on technical trails but still perform well on pavement and everything in between. Most importantly, they’ve proven to be durable. After more than a year of regular use, they still have plenty of life left in them, which is a top priority when it comes to any apparel, especially footwear.

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If you’re interested in purchasing any of these products, please support your local bike shop and buy from them when possible. If you can’t, or they’re only obtainable online, we’ve provided links to manufacturers and stores where they are currently available; some of these retailers offer a modest referral fee, which helps support this platform. This has no bearing on the review or selection.

Further Reading

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