Best Cycling Products of the Year: 11 Upgrades Worth Considering

Some cycling products quietly earn their place over months of riding. Others make their case within the first few kilometres. The products gathered here fall into the second group. They range from complete groupsets and carbon wheels to small accessories that remove daily frustrations, and every one of them impressed during extended use across road, gravel, and mixed terrain.

A few of these are brand-new launches that reset expectations in their category. Others are updates to familiar favourites that refined what already worked. A handful are smaller items that solve a specific problem so well they become hard to ride without.

How These Products Were Chosen

Every product below earned its place through real-world riding rather than spec-sheet promises. Testing covered road bikes, gravel bikes, bikepacking trips, training rides, and plenty of mixed-terrain exploring. Reliability, ease of use, performance, and value all played a part, and the final list only includes products that kept impressing long after the initial excitement faded.

SRAM Rival eTap AXS: Electronic Shifting at a Friendlier Price

One of the biggest launches of the year, SRAM Rival eTap AXS matters because it brought wireless electronic shifting to a much lower price point than the market had seen before. It undercuts SRAM’s own Red and Force groupsets by a significant margin and also sits below Shimano Ultegra Di2 in price, while delivering the same core technology, functionality, and customization options as the groupsets above it.

The ergonomics arguably improved over Red and Force, with smaller, nicer hoods. You still get 12-speed shifting and a wide choice of cassettes and chainsets, which makes the groupset flexible enough for racing, sportives, or long gran fondo days. Paired with a small chainset and a 10-36 cassette, the gear range covers everything from fast flats to steep climbs, with genuinely low gears when the legs begin to fade.

The brakes are powerful, and the app-based customization is excellent. The main trade-off is weight: Rival sits on the heavier side compared with Ultegra Di2 or even a mechanical groupset. For riders who value accessibility, function, and the convenience of wireless shifting over chasing grams, that compromise is easy to accept.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Ultegra Di2: A New Benchmark

Shimano launched its new Dura-Ace Di2 and Ultegra Di2 groupsets at the same time, and together they represent the most significant update to Shimano’s electronic shifting in years. The flagship Dura-Ace Di2 is best described as a refinement rather than a radical redesign. It shares the same gloss black look as the previous generation, which may disappoint riders hoping for a visual change, but the performance improvements are clear from the first shift.

The shift speed is phenomenal, and the front derailleur in particular is lightning quick, setting a new benchmark for front shifting. The drivetrain moves to 12 sprockets, and while the extra gear is easy to miss at first, riders who care about cadence will appreciate the tighter cassette and the additional options it provides. Ergonomics are improved too: the hoods are slightly taller, but the shape and texture are noticeably nicer than the old design.

Charging is now handled through the rear derailleur, and the groupset can be customized through a phone via Bluetooth much more easily than before. The one clear drawback is the price, which sits firmly at the premium end of the market. That is where Ultegra Di2 comes in. Launched alongside Dura-Ace, it carries much of the same new technology to a more accessible price point, making it the sensible choice for most riders who want the new electronic shifting experience without flagship pricing.

Zipp 303 S: A Carbon Wheelset for Road and Gravel

Carbon wheels are one of the biggest and most expensive upgrades you can make to a bike, which is why the Zipp 303 S stands out. At a $1,000 price tag, it is not the cheapest wheelset on the market, but from a mainstream manufacturer you get a lot of technology, heritage, and reliability for the money.

This wheelset spent time on a wide range of bikes over the past year, from road bikes running 28mm and 30mm tyres to gravel bikes fitted with 40mm and 42mm rubber. The wide internal rim width suits both road and gravel tyres, and durability has been genuinely impressive on and off road, with no issues with spoke tension or bearing life.

Tubeless setup is another highlight. With any of the latest generation tubeless tyres, installation is straightforward, with no levers, no frustration, and no sore thumbs. Add the low price, low weight, easy installation, and strong reliability, and the 303 S is an excellent all-round carbon wheelset that deserves a place on any shortlist.

Continental GP5000 S TR: Tubeless Made Easy

Tyres arguably have the biggest influence on how a bike feels, and the new Continental GP5000 S TR was one of the most anticipated launches in the category. The earlier GP5000 was already available as a tubeless tyre alongside the clincher version, but installation was a genuine pain point and often left riders with sore thumbs.

The new S TR is designed around the latest ETRTO standard, which means it is compatible with the hookless rim designs from Zipp, Enve, and Hunt. Like the latest tubeless tyres from Pirelli and Goodyear, it is genuinely easy to install: no tyre levers, no special tricks, and no dedicated tools. Fit it, pump it up with a standard track pump, and it seats without drama.

The tread compound performs well in wet and dry conditions, rolling resistance remains low, and the construction is lighter than before. Independent testing continues to rate it highly. Riders looking for alternatives in the same class should also consider the Pirelli P Zero, the Goodyear Eagle F1, and the latest Michelin options, all of which offer easy installation, good durability, and low rolling resistance. Together, these tyres make the tubeless road market an unusually good place to shop right now.

Zipp Explorer: The Versatile Gravel Option

The Zipp Explorer was the gravel tyre that impressed the most over the past 12 months, offering the best balance of grip, rolling resistance, durability, and looks. It is a 40mm tyre with a respectable weight for its size, and the tubeless option is a welcome bonus.

The tread pattern and rubber compound roll quickly on tarmac and hardpack gravel, yet still grip well in looser, wetter, and more slippery conditions. Durability and longevity have been excellent in testing, with no punctures and no excessive wear despite a soft, grippy tread compound.

It may not be the grippiest tyre in deep mud, but for the majority of conditions riders actually encounter, it works remarkably well. It has been used for bikepacking adventures and fast gravel rides alike, delivering a fit-and-forget experience that keeps impressing. The tan sidewalls do not hurt either.

Redshift Suspension Stem: Comfort You Can Retrofit

The Redshift Suspension Stem was one of the standout gravel accessories of the year, and the new version improves on the original in meaningful ways. It adds suspension to a gravel bike or road bike, delivering more comfort and more handlebar movement without a major weight penalty, a suspension fork, or a completely new bike.

Because it retrofits to any bike, it is an easy upgrade for riders who want more comfort without committing to a full suspension setup. The downsides are the price, the weight, and the looks, although the new version is much better looking than the original. In exchange, you get noticeably more smoothness on rough gravel, corrugated tracks, and grassy woodland trails.

For bikepacking, longer rides, or riders who simply want to reduce the punishment of rough surfaces, it works extremely well. The elastomers inside are easy to customize, and after six months of continuous use, there were no issues at all.

RockShox Rudy: More Control on the Rough Stuff

Where the Redshift stem smooths the ride, the RockShox Rudy suspension fork goes further by adding control. It was one of the most impressive pieces of gravel kit tested in the past year, delivering comfort and smoothness while also improving control on steep, technical trails.

Suspension helps you go faster and cover distance at speed, and the same logic that applies to mountain bikes and cars applies here. On a gravel bike, the Rudy delivers more speed, more comfort, and more smiles. The trade-offs are the looks, which will not appeal to everyone, a hefty price, and extra weight compared with a rigid fork.

For riders who enjoy exploring old mountain bike trails on a gravel bike, the Rudy took the whole experience up a level without turning the bike into a mountain bike. It trades some of the simplicity of a rigid gravel bike for a noticeable performance gain, and for mixed-terrain exploring that trade is worth making.

76 Projects High Flow Tubeless Valve: A Smarter Valve

A standard tubeless valve has a small internal chamber, which restricts airflow. That restriction often forces riders to remove the valve core to get enough air through, and over time sealant can dry out inside the valve, clogging it and requiring regular cleaning or replacement.

The 76 Projects High Flow Tubeless Valve removes both frustrations. Its much larger chamber allows four times the airflow, which makes installation noticeably easier. Seating a tubeless tyre needs a big burst of air, and this valve lets that happen without removing the core. The larger design should also resist the clogging that plagues standard valves over the long term.

The downside is the price, which is higher than a standard valve. For riders who fit tubeless tyres regularly, the convenience and reliability make it a worthwhile upgrade. A similar design from Reserve, the Santa Cruz carbon wheel brand, is also available for comparison.

Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT: A Smarter Bike Computer

The new Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT is the kind of update that does not look dramatic on paper but proves itself through daily use. It keeps the excellent battery life, reliable smartphone connection, and solid Bluetooth performance of the original, while adding several refinements that are easy to appreciate.

Navigation is noticeably better. The more detailed map and the addition of color make routes much easier to read than the old monochrome display, which matters for off-road exploring. The whole interface is faster, and moving around the map is much easier. Color is used sparingly but intelligently: heart rate and power values are color coded by zone, so during an interval session you can glance down and instantly see whether you are pushing too hard or easing off.

Battery life remains genuinely good, and when you switch the unit off it tells you exactly how much battery remains, so there are no surprises before the next ride. Back home, it connects to your Wi-Fi network and uploads rides automatically.

Favero Assioma: Power Meter Pedals Done Right

Favero Assioma pedals offer a low-cost entry into power measurement, and they became an almost daily companion during testing. Because they are pedals, swapping them between bikes is easy, which makes them ideal for riders with several bikes or anyone who wants a single power meter that moves anywhere. Installation is far simpler than crank-based or hub-based systems.

The weight penalty is small, the batteries last a long time, and charging is done easily via USB. In testing, they proved accurate, consistent, and reliable. The Look Keo compatible version was the one used most, and the cleats are cheap and easy to replace.

The main gripe is stance width. The pedals start with a much wider platform than a normal pedal setup, and the Look Keo compatible version was too wide to feel natural for some riders. A Shimano version is now available, but it requires assembly and a donor pedal, and its stance width is also significantly wider, so it may feel alien at first. Riders who can live with the wider stance will find a dependable, accurate power meter at a price that makes it an easy recommendation.

Overall Buying Advice

With 11 strong products across very different categories, the right choice depends on where your riding is headed. If performance is the goal, the electronic groupsets and the Zipp 303 S wheelset deliver the biggest gains. If comfort comes first, the Redshift stem and the RockShox Rudy fork solve real problems on rough terrain.

For riders looking to simplify the tubeless experience, the GP5000 S TR, Zipp Explorer, and the high-flow valve tackle the most common frustrations. And for anyone who wants better data or directions, the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT and Favero Assioma pedals are both easy to live with and hard to outgrow. The common thread is that every product here earned its place through real-world use rather than marketing claims.

Conclusion

The best cycling products are the ones that keep delivering long after the novelty fades. Somewhere in this list there is an upgrade that matches the way you ride, whether that means faster shifting, more comfort, easier tubeless setup, or a smarter way to train. Start with the product that solves your biggest frustration, and it will quickly become clear why these earned their place.