After completing my first two gravel ultra-endurance races in 2024, I decided to add another two medals to my collection in 2025 – and I managed to successfully complete both. 

First up was Mother North, a 1,008km loop in Norway with a mighty 16,781m elevation. Although the country’s pristine Champagne gravel network wasn’t overly technical, the elevation and rather iffy weather definitely made this ride rather challenging. 

My major low was having to ride 60km in the worst thunderstorm of my life through a remote area to a pre-booked hotel and coming dangerously close to catching hypothermia. But descending off the top of a glacier that opened up with views of the fjords is a memory that will be seared into my brain for a very long time. 

Next was Across Andes, an 806km route in the La Araucania region of Chile with 12,111m elevation. Although those stats are less impressive, I severely underestimated this race’s difficulty. 

Chilean gravel is unlike anything I have ever ridden and the palm-pummeling terrain required lots of concentration and care, with steep climbs galore and a generous dose of hike-a-bike. The first day in particular came close to breaking me. 

Both races have given me memories to last a lifetime. 

Another highlight outside of my races was bikepacking the Traversée du Massif Vosgien with two friends in France. I’ve also enjoyed my fair share of epic road and gravel rides at home here in the UK too. 

Naturally, my six Gear of the Year picks are items I’ve relied on during racing and training, so you can be rest assured they’ve been thoroughly tested! 

Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 Bikepacking Tent 

While you don’t need the most expensive tent to go bikepacking, a premium option certainly helps in terms of weight and overall footprint – and this Big Agnes tent has become a firm favourite. 

This bikepacking-specific Fly Creek uses a shorter 12in Shortstik Poleset over the DAC Featherlite NFL pole system found on the backpacking variants, saving 11cm. 

Big Agnes also incorporates some cycling-friendly features, such as a helmet holder on the outside and daisy chain webbing to hang clothes off – features I’ve made great use of.    

Although only a one-person tent, I find there’s enough room to not feel claustrophobic when inside. 

It all easily fits into a pack, which can function as a handlebar bag, although I prefer to keep the packed tent in my Tailfin CargoPack or inside a separate bar bag, so I can combine it with other items. 

The Fly Creek has accompanied me on four trips this year – both the aforementioned races (although it wasn’t used at all in Chile), my French bikepacking jolly and a weekend trip on the Trans-Cambrian Way in Wales. 

All these rides went through some very remote terrain, where there were no guarantees of a warm bed and camping meant I didn’t have to stick to pre-planned accommodation. 

I carry a dedicated footprint for the tent too (£60), which I’d recommend to protect your investment even if it adds another 143g. 

Sure, you can spend more for an even lighter option, but the Fly Creek HV UL1 strikes a nice balance between low weight and comfort. 

• £499.99

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

Although it’s now been superseded by the Edge 1050, the 1040 Solar is where the party’s really at if battery life is your primary concern. 

Launched in June 2022, the Edge 1040 Solar runs up to a claimed 100 hours by recharging via sunlight, while offering improved GPS accuracy and more data analytics. It was also the first Edge computer to ditch the micro-USB charge port for USB-C. 

I’ve had my 1040 Solar for 18 months now and it hasn’t missed a beat. While I’ve traditionally stuck to Garmin’s second-tier 800-series computers (I owned an Edge 810 and then an 830), I love the 1040 Solar’s larger display with its clear navigation and solid-feeling build quality.  

The solar charging is what I really wanted though – I found my Edge 830 would last about a day and I had to give it a 20-minute boost during the 408km Paddington Express audax I completed in 2023. 

I have to juggle charging many things while bikepacking and not having to worry about keeping a bike computer constantly topped up has been a real boon. 

I find I’ll get about two-and-a-half days use out of my device – and it lasted even longer when I raced Badlands in the sweltering Andalucian heat. 

While I’m sure the newer Edge 1050 is a very good successor with its improved screen, its reduction to a claimed 20 hours battery life (from the 35 hours of the non-solar Edge 1040) completely befuddles me – you’ll have to pry my Edge 1040 Solar out of my cold, dead hands… 

• £579.99 / $749.99 / €699.99 / AU$1,299.99

Ornot Micro Grid Jersey

The Micro Grid Jersey is an interesting take on a jersey that aims to keep you cool in warmer temperatures and warm in cooler climates, with Ornot suggesting a wide 13 to 22ºC temperature range, but says that can be easily extended if used as a layer.

The jersey’s secret sauce is the Polartec Power Grid fabric, which is designed to trap heat when paired with another layer but allows excellent airflow, thanks to its lightweight fabric and fine grid structure.

I go through a lot of clothing and I’ll confess it took me almost a year between receiving this jersey and taking it out on its maiden voyage.

I took it with me on a long weekend to Shropshire – a short break where cycling wasn’t the main focus, but I took my road bike with me for a couple of morning rides with cold starts.

True to Ornot’s word, I was instantly impressed by its warmth in the cool and breathability when things got warmer, as well as its excellent fit.

It’s since become a firm favourite and joined me on both of my ultras, where it saw regular use.

I’ve found I’m happy to wear this jersey with a long-sleeve baselayer down to about 9ºC, but I’ll opt for a summer jersey for when it’s over 18ºC – I tend to run warmer than others, which is why it doesn’t quite meet that 22ºC claim for me.

With Ornot based in San Francisco, the only bummer are the hefty import bills I’d likely be stung with if I ponied up for a second jersey… 

• $162

Q36.5 Dottore Pro summer gloves

After almost five years, I’ve finally found a worthy successor to my luxuriously comfortable Castelli Rosso Corsa Pro gloves. 

Before stumbling across the Q36.5’s, I’d struggled to find anything that fitted me as well and took the sting out of vibrations as well as my beloved Castelli’s.

Various options from Assos and Velocio came close, but nothing ever quite cut the mustard. Things reached a climax where I’d solely reserve my Castelli’s for bikepacking trips or ultra-races – I’ve had to resew one of the seams three times now.

Imagine my relief when the Q36.5 Dottore Pros entered my life, a pair of gloves that finally proved a match for the Castelli’s comfort.

I also discovered the Castelli Premio Evo gloves this year – another set that have earned my approval over long rides, but these Q36.5’s narrowly trump them.

The Dottore Pros have kept my paws comfortable on lots of my long distance escapades this year, although they interestingly fell short on the seriously shaky Chilean gravel where my palms started to get red on the second day.

But I’ve never ridden such savage gravel and I reckon any glove would have struggled.

My major mistake with my old Rosso Corsa Pros was not investing in a second pair – I’m wisely already in possession of a second pair of these. 

• £50 / $68 / €50 

Schwalbe G-One RS Pro tyres

I’ve tested lots of gravel tyres this year and Schwalbe’s G-One RS Pros stood out from the crowd – they’re excellent hardpack-oriented rubber that are more capable than they look. 

Claimed by Schwalbe to be its “fastest gravel tyre”, it has a striking tread pattern and semi-slick design. The edge knobs alternate between large teardrop shapes, with three smaller ones in between. 

If you think they look a lot like the old RS Pros, you’d be right but the two updates here are these tyres feature Schwalbe’s new Race Pro construction, designed to offer lower rolling resistance and improve comfort, while boosting puncture resistance. 

The Addix race rubber compound has also been updated and is claimed to have a 10 per cent reduction in rolling resitance and improved grip on the shoulders. 

I’ve ridden over 2,200km on these tyres and used them on both of my races – I love their sheer speed and suppleness and those extended shoulder knobs really bite into corners. 

It doesn’t matter if the surfaces are wet or dry – the abundant grip is always there (understandably outside of mud) and they’ve tested very well in independent tests carried out by BicycleRollingResistance.com, generating 18.2W of rolling resistance at 28psi / 1.9 BAR in a 50mm size.

The tyre’s main weak point is their durability – this is very much race-focussed rubber and they’re also not cheap. 

But alongside the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H (albeit for different reasons), the G-One RS Pros have become my benchmark hardpack tyre. 

• £74.99 / $80.89 / €74.90 / AU$147.95

Tailfin CargoPack

The AeroPack took top honours in my Gear of the Year 2024, and Tailfin updated its rear-rack system to even better effect this year. 

The CargoPack is a development from the original AeroPack with expandable side mesh pockets for hauling up to three litres of extra cargo, and a simplified closure system. 

It does nothing to diminish its predecessor’s reputation – the updates prove welcome extras to a system that was already near-perfect. 

This pack has accompanied me on all my trips since April. Regardless of the contents inside, the CargoPack stayed rattle-free without a hint of sway, even when subject to the roughest terrain. This is a real problem with conventional bikepacking saddle bags – no matter how tight you pack them, a little bit of sway is an inevitability. 

There’s a slight time saving with the simplified closure system because you don’t have to clip the roll-top closure into two places – perfect for when your brain isn’t fully engaged after bikepacking all day. 

The TPU strap keeps any cargo contents very secure, even when the pockets are completely full, and I like that you can really cinch it down.  

In terms of value, there’s no denying the CargoPack is a pricey proposition. But, like all Tailfin products I’ve tested to date, it justifies the high initial cost with its top performance and durability. 

It’ll no doubt be joining me on all my trips and races for the foreseeable future and I guarantee you’ll never return to a conventional saddle bag once you’ve tried this system. 

• from £302 / $455 / €395 to £436 / $610 / €570.