It’s mid-November, which suggests we’re already approaching the summit of 2024, earlier than you realize it we’ll collectively zip up our jerseys and descend into 2025.
Within the meantime, I discover myself wanting over my shoulder on the 12 months we’re forsaking and the bikes which have carried me by it. So which ones can be the “Bike Of The Yr?” The place would I even start? Looking for a rubric, I turned to the mainstream biking media:
Listed here are the most effective highway bikes in varied classes, although as you possibly can see they’re all just about the identical bike:
However wait, there’s extra!
That’s some finely-sliced categorization:
I ponder if someday somebody will work out how you can make a highway bike that mixes many of the above attributes–you realize, one climbs nicely and sprints nicely and is manufactured from metallic and can be snug over longer distances.
Nah, it’ll by no means occur.
Oh, wait, sorry, I neglected extra highway bike classes:
“Greatest efficiency highway?” Is efficiency not an inexpensive expectation with the others? And why does “Italian” get its personal class? It’s 2024! Aside from the names, there’s nothing inherently particular about Italian highway bikes anymore. To paraphrase the 4 Questions, why is an Italian bike completely different from all different bikes? Take into account Bianchi, which in 2024 is actually nothing greater than a coloration:
And what about gravel bikes?
No less than there’s not a class for “Greatest Italian Gravel bike.”
Oh, wait, sure there’s:
“I’m available in the market for an Italian gravel bike” is a phrase you hear solely barely extra usually than “I’m searching for a Saudi Arabian microbrew.” And when the hell did cyclocross get folded into gravel?!? That’s simply insulting. Cyclocross bikes are all the purpose gravel bikes exist. Folks typically say that gravel bikes are simply ’90s mountain bikes, however they’re actually simply cyclocross bikes that acquired dumbed down with disc brakes. However now after all the cyclocross bikes have disc brakes too, so it’s all principally meaningless.
And I’m not even going to handle mountain bikes, as a result of I don’t think about these bikes anymore:
I’m sorry, the place’s the “regular bike with out a bunch of shit on it” class? That is simply miserable. For those who’re going to divide mountain bikes into eleven (!) completely different classes (sure, eleven, one in all them acquired reduce off within the screenshot) and also you’re not going embody a Jones in any one in all them, then I’ve no alternative however to fully disregard all the enterprise.
As for BSNYC/RTMS/Tan Tenovo Enterprises, Ltd. Bike of the Yr for 2024, at this level I’d slender it down to 3 finalists. I’m not saying they’re the “finest,” however they’re the bikes which have most captured my creativeness and using time over the previous 12 months. (They’re additionally the bikes which have come to me most lately, which can have one thing to do with it.) Right here they’re:
Greatest Street Bike That’s Additionally a Gravel Bike That’s A Singlespeed However You Can Additionally Set It Up As A Double Or A Triple And Additionally It’s Actually Comfy And It’s Metal And It Has Lugs
I’m definitely not saying it’s a must to be previous to like this bike, however I’m saying that is the right bike for the growing older singlespeeder. Certain, I suppose placing a triple crank in your singlespeed is a bit of like placing a bunch of handrails within the lavatory. However what’s cooler? Sustaining these “clear strains?” Or with the ability to get off the bathroom?
Greatest Over-The-Prime Early 21th Century Street Bike From A “Boutique” Model That’s Actually Simply One other Bike From A Enormous Bike Firm
Whereas I embrace and espouse the traditional metal ethos, as a recovering roadie of a sure age, there’s an plain pleasure in using the unique bikes that have been nicely past your attain while you have been in your “prime.” It seems like I’ve lastly arrived–20 years later, and at a spot the place no one else needs to be anymore, however higher late than by no means, proper?
Greatest Bike I All the time Dismissed As A Rolling Joke However Is Really Surprisingly Enjoyable And Fascinating
I’m nonetheless ready for Outdoors to publish my newest column during which I share what I realized from one of many Trek engineers who designed this factor. (I actually ought to begin a weblog the place I can publish stuff at any time when I would like.) However what I’ll say concerning the Y-Ferl is that, whereas superficially it’s the antithesis of all the things I stand for, additionally it is one of many few bikes that takes true benefit of The Crabon, and for that it has earned my respect. The LeMond is half-crabon, however other than being a bit of lighter and looking out cool (when you’re into that form of factor) there’s actually no purpose for the crabon–and even the titanium for that matter, and I believe I’d get pleasure from using one in all its metal contemporaries simply as a lot. The Y-Foil nevertheless makes use of crabon to create a very distinctive body that might be roughly unattainable in another materials and nets the rider not solely aero advantages however a delicate suspension impact that I have to admit is quite enchanting. After all you may get a lot the identical impact from a pair of higher-volume tires, and nowadays I don’t experience almost quick sufficient to comprehend any of the aero advantages, however within the context of a late-90s race bike I give Trek credit score for pulling off what it got down to do, and it’s a enjoyable bike to experience simply so long as you’re ready to simply accept the power to hold just one water bottle, in addition to the truth that if it’s even a bit of moist out that water bottle might be completely coated in highway grit because of the lack of a seat tube.
So which can win? I dunno, however I’m going to move out for a experience on one in all them now, which can hopefully carry me nearer to a remaining determination.