Editor’s Dozen: Nic’s Favorite Gear and More of 2024

It might seem like hyperbole to say this has been the most consequential, fast-paced, transitional year of my life, but I’m not too sure how else to sum it up. If you haven’t put it together, I’m the newest member of the editorial staff here at BIKEPACKING.com, and that, in and of itself, is a pretty incredible change that would define any other year. But 2024 contained multiple lifetimes of experiences, trips, breakthroughs, and so much more that it’s just one of the many plot points on this roller coaster ride of a three-six-five.

Though it has been a few weeks since coming on board, what better way to officially introduce myself than with an end-of-the-year listicle? I know–I give you people my very best. Jokes aside, I’m beyond excited to be part of the team and look forward to contributing hopefully insightful, interesting, and challenging ideas to an already fantastic community of writers and readers. So, without further ado, my Editor’s Dozen for 2024!

Corded Apple Headphones

Made in Vietnam / $19 at Apple.com

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Topping my Editor’s Dozen is a product I’ve wanted to discuss for years: my beloved wired Apple headphones. Anyone with the kind of life that allows for long, six-to-eight-hour rides at least once a week (the single loners among us) knows that wireless headphones are for the birds. They’re easily lost, have pretty limited battery life, and are genuinely horrific for the environment due to the nature of their planned obsolescence. While no environmental darling, corded headphones have been my favorite and most essential daily ride gear for a few years. Though I’m continually frustrated by the ever-changing standard of my Apple devices, the corded headphones are durable, cheap, and offer a mix of decent sound quality while simultaneously allowing users to still hear what’s going on around them due to the universal, but not altogether perfect, fit.

Routing them through my shirt and into the loops of my helmet strap typically ensures they’re never more than a few inches away from my ears, and the careful placement of a phone in the non-drive side pocket of my preferred frame bag gives me more than enough leash to listen to whatever podcast, album, or audiobook I want. They’re better than those awful “bone conducting” headphones and have withstood storms, 100°F+ temperatures, and much more.

Yellow Bird Threadworks Stem Caps

Made in Chester, CT / $45 at YellowBirdThreadworks.com

About a year ago, I opened up Google and searched “cool top caps.” I didn’t expect much, but what greeted me was exactly what I’d envisioned: a slew of cringe-worthy, dare I say, boomer-inspired cycling-oriented ephemera. Top caps featuring some version of “I Ride 4 Donuts” or the kind of fiery skull art you see on your weird uncle’s Facebook wall. I’d spent considerable time, money, and energy building up my bike, but I didn’t have the perfect topper. The final piece of the puzzle. The lynchpin of a considered build.

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A few days later, one of either Ronnie Romance or Tenzin reposted Brian Tucker’s work on their Instagram story. It was a top cap he’d made specifically for the spring edition of the Nor’easter event. It was beautiful. Complex, machined, colored brass lines entranced my gaze, hypnotizing my weary eyes. Having seen other top caps of comparable beauty, I thought, “This is going to cost 400 dollars,” expecting to open up a shop page full of unattainably priced accessories. To my amazement, while not cheap, the top caps from Yellow Bird Threadworks were within my budget. Having now met and ridden with Brian, I’m happy to report that he’s a great person, a dedicated father, and someone with a reasonable and measured perspective on a difficult industry. Since buying my first, I’ve picked up a few top caps and have never regretted it.

Single Speedin’

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and my lack of a consistent single-speed rig in the past two and some years has reminded me of my love for the atypical practice. Having recently single-speeded a test-turned-personal bike, I got to re-live my early days of cycling and become entranced with the flawed mode of pedaling all over again. Far from ideal, the practice of single speeding has so many material and general benefits that I just had to include it in my editor’s dozen.

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Though I had a very positive experience with the Wheels MFG solo-spline kit, there are tons of affordable ways to de-gear your bike in the name of fun. In addition to its simplicity, riding single-speed makes you stronger, is generally cheaper due to a lack of parts, and can be a fun way to spice up builds that have lost their luster. Aside from all that, it can engender an interesting and unique sense of community among those doing the same. Misery loves company, and single speeders like talking gear ratios and grinding up stupidly hard grades together.

I could go on about the benefits, as they always seem to present themselves in the oddest ways, but I’ll just let you find out for yourself. As I said, single speeding isn’t reserved for specific bikes anymore, with things like the Solo Spline Kit and Velo Orange’s eccentric bottom bracket making it easier than ever for bikes of any kind to become that much simpler and even more fun.

Road Holes Cheater Bar

Made in Seattle, WA / $240 at RodBikes.com

Having spent most of my cycling career on drop bars, I wasn’t exactly foaming at the mouth to throw on this riser bar from Rodriguez Bikes’ owner-operator, Alder Threlkeld. I find the discomfort commonly associated with drop bars misattributed and generally like the look a lot more. However, after a few hundred miles and some adjustments for more hand positions, I don’t see myself taking the Cheater Bar off any time soon.

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With an integrated bag support via the “cat’s paw” braze-ons, these simple flat bars are a surprise favorite for me. They’re comfortable, weighty enough to take out some of the harsh vibrations felt off-road, and look pretty darn good. As an entry point into the handling benefits flat bars can provide, particularly on the gravel bike I’ve put them on, the bars are a solid, subtle entry in a crowded component space. Though I wouldn’t say I’m a total flat-bar convert, the Cheater Bar and its understated aesthetics have me well and truly convinced me of their value.

Outer Shell Half Frame Bag

292 grams / Made in San Francisco, CA / $110 at OuterShell.com

Few pieces of kit have seen as much use as my Outer Shell half-frame bag. A simple, largely brandless half-frame bag, this velcro-attached bag sets my standard for appropriately sized inner-triangle storage with all the requisite features. Offered in Cordura and X-Pac, I’ve often thought about writing to this durable bag’s credit but find myself stumped. What more is there to say about a product that nails it? It fits most bikes, offers ample room in both pockets, is water-resistant, and does everything at an affordable price. It’s a bag that has lived on every bike I’ve owned and will stay with me until it breaks—a reality that isn’t likely to come soon as it shows little to no signs of structural wear after thousands of miles of use.

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In addition to the above, Kyle and Jim are great small makers who are finding ways to make it work in the tumultuous seas of the bike industry. Some may be surprised to learn that the Outer Shell team is comprised of just four people. Supporting smaller companies is always good, but it is all the easier when the product is second to none.

Comments from “The Cost of Convenience”

Like many ideas, the one that sparked my first feature article as a staffer bounced around in my head for quite some time. I like to say I’m blessed with the gift of cynicism, but it’s a “gift” that didn’t serve me all too well in my younger years. It can be an alienating, ornery disposition to maintain, and it’s something I’ve tried to take some steps to temper. That being said, when imbued with compassion, some great editing, and refinement through conversations with others, I think we arrived at something worth sharing! With a heck of a lot of comments, I was nervous to look at the response. I don’t care to chastise people for buying things they think are cool; I simply want to challenge both myself and others to think about the world we live in for the sake of making this beautiful blue-green dot we all share a little bit better. I was happily encouraged by the comments and level of conversation that piece helped start, and I look forward to engaging in spirited conversation with this community for years to come.

Pretty Great Instant

Made in Sacramento, CA / $50 at PrettyGreat.com

With a more extensive article digging into the complexities of coffee extraction coming down the line, one product stood out as a personal favorite. Throughout my testing, I found that Pretty Great Instant gives recovering coffee snobs like myself an accessible means to pretty great coffee outside (I’ll be here all week… try the baba ganoush and so on…). To put it succinctly, coffee extraction is simple. Doing so at a high standard is less so. In an affordable, easy-to-execute, and hard-to-screw-up package, Pretty Great Instant is a genuine craft coffee offering for someone in remote areas and limited motivation all the same.

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It’s one of my favorite coffees, full stop, with the larger, value bag all but saving my delicate tastebuds during a hectic time traveling the country earlier this year. Because all you need is water (it doesn’t even need to be hot), I find Pretty Great Instant to be the complete package. Due to coffee being incredibly user and brewer-specific, a great roast can taste like dirty bean water if a few variables are less than ideal. Pretty Great simplifies that sometimes overly complex equation by improving the easiest brew method available. From the branding to the taste and overall ease of use, I can’t speak more highly of the product and have found it to exceed the quality some specialty roasters put out now that third-party companies offer even the smallest roasters the ability to sell an instant coffee.

Stiff Tires

Alright, hear me out! Plenty of fantastic, high-quality, supple options are on the market for folks looking for tires with both performance and comfort-oriented benefits. However, unlike a good portion of the cycling market, I’m looking for neither performance nor comfort but a secret third thing: durability. Aside from riding like a bull in a china shop, I’ve never been one for the finer things in life. When I played high school sports in the sweltering Florida heat, I would—to my parent’s disgust—opt for a 100% cotton tee. Preferably one found or given away at some charity event or blood drive. I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m a little odd.

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I like things to be rough and tumble. I don’t typically wear chamois, I eat my food in a disassembled, ingredient-like fashion, and I like my tires nice and stiff. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried the good stuff. It all holds up. But I’ve ruined so many thin, high-quality casings that I think it’s about time I call it with the softer tires. Pure, unadulterated rubber is what I find works for me and the way I ride, and I’m using this spot in my Editor’s Dozen to make space for those of us who feel the same. Come on out. It’s okay. This is a safe space. If you want to push me for a specific model, the Maxxis Ikons that came with a dynamo wheelset I purchased secondhand have been great.

Modern Aluminium Alloy

While I’m not the first to revise my position on aluminum alloy bikes this year, I certainly won’t be the last. After spending a lot of time on an aluminum prototype from Velo Orange, I’m excited to swing a leg over the slew of aluminum bikes we’ll review in the coming year. Neil’s video discussing the perceptions of aluminum is a good place to start, but it’s clearly an idea that has been floating around the culture for some time.

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In my time on modern aluminum alloy, I’ve found that it provides a similar ride quality to some of the better steel frames while being about a pound or two lighter. With tires and touchpoint components being better than ever, modern aluminum alloy frames are a cheap way to get a light adventure bike for significantly less than what you might end up paying for a high-quality steel frame. Regarding negatives, I’m not sold on the thicker tubing look, and the welds leave a lot to be desired from an aesthetic perspective (though the Ron’s EVOO pictured above is the best I’ve seen and a testament to the bespoke nature of the frames). But if affordable aluminum bikes pave the way for quality to be more accessible to more people, I think that’s an end worth endorsing.

Growtac Equal Brakes

135 grams (each) / Made in Japan / $365 (set) at Velo-Orange.com

Despite my brief time at the site, I’m not sure I need to pre-empt my love for mechanical bike components–and the Growtac Equal brakes are a big part of that. Though we’ve yet to cross the electric Rubicon when it comes to stopping ourselves, hydraulic brakes and their added complexity have never really appealed to me. Though I see a greater use case for hydros now that I live within biking distance of steeper grades, my ventures to mountainous places have only underlined my positive experience with these mechanically actuated calipers. From their sleek, utilitarian design to their ease of use and installation, I’d hesitate to use anything other than my beloved Equals when building up a mechanically focused rig.

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They’re also sold in pairs, come in all sorts of fancy colors, are shipped with all the necessary accoutrements, and look a heck of a lot better than any other (yep) mechanical caliper on the market.

Cycling Events

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As I mentioned in my Mega Mid-South piece, I was proven wrong regarding my perception of cycling events this year. Sure, I probably went to two of the best offerings in the US, Mega Mid South and Nutmeg Nor’Easter , but they were experiences that have me actively planning to make space for at least one or two events a year. Moreso for the community than the riding, seeing all the people I’ve met through bikes in these past years is worth the price of admission. Breaking: bikes are great. But the people who pedal them, in all the funky ways they end up doing so, are infinitely more remarkable than any device, event, or race. It’s not a new idea, but I’m happy to hold my hand up and say I was totally and utterly wrong about events. Hopefully, I’ll see you out there.

Shots of the year

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Oh man, what a year! After about April, I feel like I could barely catch a breath. I can’t succinctly describe everything that happened this year, but here are a few of my favorite moments in photos. To tease an upcoming piece, part of what this new year entails is my departure from my home state of Florida. I have so much to say about my beloved home state, but what perhaps sums it up best is a common interaction I had when meeting folks in the bike industry. They’d ask, “So, where are you based?” and I’d say, “Orlando, Florida.” Usually, a look of confusion and bewilderment washed over their face as they failed to comprehend how someone who rides bikes could ever come from the lowly swampland of this country’s most infamous peninsula. But believe it, folks. Orlando and the greater central Florida area served as my home for nearly 29 years, and it’s a fact that I’ve wrestled with for so many different reasons.

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Orlando (and central Florida as a whole) is simultaneously a great and horrid place for cyclists of any kind. Though I’ll be sure to dive into all the specifics in a forthcoming piece, the reason I struggle so much with my Floridian identity is that being from Florida, much like anywhere in the American Southeast, carries a certain connotation. People out west and up north tend to thumb their noses at us Southerners. And, while I can’t always contest the motivation for that sentiment, it’s a reality that harms the vast majority of kind-hearted, well-meaning folks here in the South.

Floridians aren’t the monolith you see reported on in viral media posts, and Florida is an incredibly diverse, beautiful, and altogether awe-inspiring landscape. Alas, Florida is dying. It’s being over-developed within an inch of its life, and the green spaces and natural beauty that people move there for are quickly disappearing. I hope to share what I can of my childhood home, so stay tuned!

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...