Gear of the year: Josh Ross’s top picks from 2022

The truth is I struggled to put my finger on how to sum up this year. The more I thought about it though, the word that kept bubbling up was routine. In 2021 I did a series of big rides and really pushed myself to the limits. As the year closed, I was training to attempt a Rapha Festive 500 that covered the whole distance in a single ride. In the end, that ride got cancelled for snow but I didn't want to back off the training. 

Every Sunday I rode about 120k no matter the weather. I spent the time with amazing people, and I witnessed amazing landscapes, but it became routine. I wasn't pushing myself, in fact I was getting slower but I kept going. This year I did one big ride around 320km but otherwise I just kept doing 120km every Sunday. It meant that there was no event I couldn’t do on a whim but it also meant those events felt routine. It took a coach to convince me to make a change. As this year comes to a close, I'm riding less, upping my intensity, and opting to spend less time in the worst of the weather. 

Allowing myself some softness has also allowed hope to come back. The routine is starting to dissipate and there's excitement in my riding again. I don't have big plans for the rest of this winter. I know I can go out in any weather Portland Oregon has to offer but I also don't have to. Instead, what is on my mind is the stories that I'm planning to bring our readers next year. Big adventures in amazing locations with amazing gear. These are the stories that inspire me and now I have the chance to tell my own. For now, keep reading to see some of my favourite gear from 2022. 

Campagnolo Ekar

As I sat down to put together this list, I knew without a doubt I wanted to include a Campagnolo product. The only question was which one. This year I spent time climbing up and down the Dolomites with Campagnolo Super Record EPS and I spent time climbing up and down the Cascades with Campagnolo Ekar. Both times the experience was exquisite and, in particular, the brakes stand out for above-and-beyond performance. Between the two, Ekar gets the nod because it does something no one else does.

Simply put, Campagnolo Ekar is what I would create if I imagined a mechanical gravel groupset. 1x means simpler decisions when dealing with technical terrain and having 1x13 means no hunting for gears and plenty of range. When I imagine, or describe, a gravel groupset I want to tell people all you have to remember is shift one direction for harder and the other for easier. That is what Campagnolo Ekar delivers on. It allows my concentration to stay focused on the ride. The only thing missing is an electronic option but the mechanical is so good it's easy to forget the oversight.

Sram AXS

On the road side of things, I want to highlight the Sram AXS system. It's not new, in fact, typical product cycles probably mean RED is on the way out, but it continues to stand above everything else for me. Groupsets in general are front of mind for me because I built up a bike this year as well as spent time with all three major groupset manufacturers. All the options are incredibly good but it’s Sram that I gravitate towards. 

When most people think of Sram AXS they think of the fully wireless design. Full wireless makes life a bit easier when it's time to build a new bike and it has the potential to change bike designs, none of that is all that important in normal use though. When it comes to the experience of using a bike almost every day, it’s the gearing and the batteries that stand out about AXS for me. 

Of the two, when AXS first came out it was the gearing that spurred the most discussion. A smaller front chainring and the availability of 1:1 gearing on a road bike was a big deal. As time has passed, the other brands have caught up. At this point, it’s not unique to have 1:1 gearing but I still appreciate the smaller front chainring and where it puts me in the cassette most of the time. 

The feature that has endured as unique is the individual batteries that Sram uses. A single big battery gives months of charge and you get multiple warnings when it gets low. Despite all that, I’ve still found myself waiting on a bike to charge before being able to leave the house. When I have to plug in the bike, I tend to put it off due to the extra faff it creates. With Sram I can have an extra battery sitting on the charger and I can swap them around whenever I think it’s been a while since I charged things up. I’ve never had to wait on a charge from Sram AXS and it’s this feature I continue to love. 

Q36.5 Unique bib shorts

There are those who reject the idea that there is a style associated with cycling or that it matters. I’m the opposite, I like to operate within the style of the type of riding I’m doing while also putting my own spin on it. I love showing up to a ride with brash, tall, socks and every piece of clothing looking just right. Simultaneously, there is a performance element and I need my clothing to both look great and perform flawlessly. I call my favourite pieces my uniform and I love searching for the best expression of that uniform every season. This year that search led me to the Q36.5 Unique bib shorts. 

The foundation of the Unique bibs is perfect sizing. If the sizing isn’t perfect, nothing else will work and Q36.5 gets it right. They are consistent with industry standards so I know if I order my size I get what I expect but that’s only the start. The Q36.5 bibs are tight and compressive but never uncomfortable. There’s no chafing because the woven design moves with my body and the chamois is as perfect if the ride is one hour as it is if the ride stretches well past 10 hours. 

You can also tell that thought has been given to how the Q36.5 Unique bibs look. The end of the bibs falls right where I want them to on my thigh and the perfect fit means no need for silicone grip. The cup area is pre-curved and cuts a modest silhouette that’s appreciated off the bike. When you are on the bike though, the upper section falls right where I want it to on my waist. The only thing I would change about these bibs is that they only come in black. Black is never bad but I’ve been enjoying adding a bit of colour to my uniform. 

MAAP x ZWIFT 2022 Pro Air Jersey

The right bib shorts are, obviously, only part of the perfect summer look. The other major piece is the right jersey and this year that search led me to MAAP. It’s not surprising given that I'm always a big fan of the MAAP fit and feel. 

The Pro Air jersey is the MAAP lightweight summer option. That means the side panels use mesh and there are some other nods towards extra cooling. Those details are less important to me though. I don’t mind the heat and even a heavier jersey doesn’t bother me. Instead, what I like starts with the wide band of elastic at the waist. It keeps the jersey in place and also helps you look your best. I'm also a big fan of the big tooth plastic zipper, the long sleeves, and the short, but not too short, cut in the front. The collar sits perfectly and while MAAP pockets can sometimes be higher than I like, this time they are lower and there's plenty of room for everything I need to carry. 

This isn’t just the standard Pro Air jersey though. This is a collaboration meant to highlight the Zwift Off The MAAP event. What I find interesting is that unlike many things on this list, this is not the jersey I would design. I tend to dislike company branding on jerseys and I usually opt for solid colours. This particular design is almost the opposite. There's not just the word MAAP across the chest, there are giant black letters. I wouldn’t have expected to like it but it turns out, I love it. The letters don’t immediately read as a brand name and, paired with a high-quality jersey and a perfect fit, this might not have been what I would have designed but I’m a fan. The black letters, set across a bold magenta the brand labels “Berry,” makes for a graphic style that stands out in just the right way. 

Cadex 50 Ultra wheels 

I first rode the Cadex 65mm wheels in early 2021 and I immediately loved them. So much so that last year they were on my Gear of the Year list. The freehub is ridiculously loud, they are light, and they are aerodynamic. Also, like a Berry jersey with giant lettering, a 65mm wheel stands out in all the best ways. This year, Cadex one-upped that product with the Cadex 50 Ultra wheelset and it once again makes my list.

You don't have to choose a focus with the Cadex 50 Ultra Wheelset. It's a 50mm wheel so compared to the older design it's already going to be lighter and easier to handle in crosswinds. The wild card though is the flattened carbon spokes. They allow Cadex to get down to an impressive 1,316 grams while also being on par aerodynamically with the 65mm wheel. Just as important, there's no narrow internal width allowing for the lighter weight. The 22.4mm internal width is one of the wider road wheels out there and that makes them as comfortable as they are light and fast. It doesn't hurt that the spokes are a visual work of art and the super loud hub is still onboard. This is the wheelset that lets you have your cake and eat it too.

If you want to read more details take a look at my Cadex 50mm Ultra wheels review. 

Enve Melee road bike

Once again, the Envee Melee represents the product I would build if I could. When it comes to a road bike this is what I want. It's a race bike but the focus isn't on winning WorldTour races, it's on winning the race to the county line in the middle of a long ride. It's an aero bike but not at the expense of the ride experience. It's light but not so light that there's any compromise and the same is true of the integrated design that hides cables without being proprietary. It will take up to a 35mm tyre and there are mounting points for mudguards. In my Enve Melee review I said it was the fun bike that made me feel young again and that hasn’t changed in the time since I wrote it. 

It's also right on the line of flashy and understated. For now, there's only a single muted colour available but if you get up close in the sun you'll find there's depth to the paint which you can't see in pictures. If you still aren't convinced it's flashy enough, you can build it up with the components of your choice and I've seen the graphics switched from black to chrome. I'm also a fan of knowing that the people who designed it aren't far from me and it's not a bike you see very often. 

Argonaut GR3 gravel bike

The first time I swung a leg over the Argonaut GR3 it felt like my bike. Before that moment, I'd spent time measuring and re-measuring numbers I'd never even checked before. When it was time to ride, there was no adjusting anything, there was no wondering if anyone had bothered to check the numbers I sent, it was exactly right. I spent ten minutes on it and I knew right away it was my favourite gravel bike of the year because it just felt right. 

The Argonaut GR3 is a custom carbon bike and what that means goes far beyond just getting the measurements right. Yes, the bar drop and saddle setback was perfect but the bike felt right because I'd also sent my weight, FTP, and discussed the kind of rider I am. The carbon layup was custom tuned to me and even the best mechanic following my numbers exactly will never match the ride feel that provides. 

Part of the GR3 design is also a radical front end that helps stability. If you want more details about that, take a look at my review of the Argonaut GR3. As I’m writing this Gear of the Year article months later though, that’s not what I remember. The front-end geometry was something I enjoyed but it was the perfect feel that stuck with me. I’ve ridden lots of very expensive bikes and they can’t match the bike designed for me by a man who remembers customers' names from years ago. 

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

Last year I included the predecessor to this bike computer on my gear of the year. As with Cadex, I’m listing it again because Garmin has jumped ahead. The Garmin 1040 Solar is the most advanced cycling computer on the market. It positions itself in a place in the market that no one else is attempting to challenge and it offers features that no one else does. That doesn't mean that everyone needs the features that are on offer but it's a feature set that feels like it speaks to the riding I do in a way nothing else does. 

I have a reputation with friends and associates for suggesting type 2 fun ideas. "Sure that 2–3-day ride sounds like a great idea, what if we did it in one day?" As such, I ride alone pretty often. One of the biggest challenges that comes along with long solo rides is holding the focus I need to continue pushing myself. Using the 1040 solar I can add a Power Guide to a route ahead of time, then when I’m out on the route, I can just follow the directions and know I’m pushing myself at the level I want to. 

What I love more than anything else though is the battery life that the Garmin 1040 Solar offers. As I said, I mentioned the 1030 Plus last year but I also mentioned the Garmin Charge Power Pack. The combination meant I could attempt any outrageous ride I had in mind and not worry about charging my computer. The 1040 Solar takes that even further and offers 45 hours of battery life just by using it the way you normally would. It’s still compatible with the Charge Power Pack though and now I can’t imagine anything I’d ever attempt where I’d need to consider charging my head unit. It's also good for going weeks of normal use without charging. 

Shokz OpenRun Pro Mini

For years I never used headphones while riding outside. It didn't matter that I was riding long distances on my own, I liked to listen to my own breathing and the noise, or hopefully lack of noise, from the bike. Then I worked on the best headphones for cycling buyers guide and I spent time testing tons of options while riding. The Shokz OpenRun Pro changed how I spend my time on the bike. 

The Shokz headphones use bone conduction to deliver sound without blocking your ears. That means you can always hear what's happening but it also means there is nothing in your ears. If you want to wear them while riding to meet people, you can stop your music once you join the group and there's no need to stash the headphones. The ten-hour battery life is enough for most of my rides and while the sound quality lags behind other headphones, that's not my focus while riding. There are better headphone options for most of life but when I am riding my bike, the Shokz design is my favourite. The OpenRun Pro Mini takes the same design and shrinks the loop that connects the two sides. Either design works fine but the mini fits me a little better. 

You can read more details in my Shokz OpenRun Pro review.

Restrap Bumper Bar

If you want to destroy the finish on a bike, all you have to do is strap a bag to it carelessly. I practically dip my gravel bike in helicopter tape and yet, I've still made mistakes over the years. Each time I get a little better about protecting bikes but it continues to be a challenge. In particular, one of the more challenging places to protect is the headtube when riding with a bar bag. Restrap solves this problem with an ingenious solution. 

The Restrap Bumper bar fits in place instead of a spacer under the handlebars. All it does is provide a backstop for any handlebar bag that holds it away from the headtube. It also adds mounting options if you'd rather keep your lights, or maybe a battery for the lights, off of the handlebars or frame. It's really not a complicated idea, it's simply a quality piece that solves a problem. 

Insta360 x3

I almost left this camera off the list because I use it so often that I don’t even think about it anymore. Obviously, though, that means it should be included. The reason I use it so often is pretty simple, like the Restrap piece, it solves a problem. For years I looked for ways to share the things I saw on my long rides with friends and family. I have amazing cameras and high-quality lenses but when I ride my bike, I don’t want to be in photographer mode, I want to ride my bike. That’s what the Insta360 x3 offers. 

Part of that utility is that it’s a 360 camera. It wasn’t until I started reviewing the Insta360 products that I really understood what that meant. It doesn’t mean you need to shoot in a super wide-angle format. It means you are recording everything around you at once. You don’t have to move the camera around and decide what to show while you are riding. Just hold the camera still for a while and put it away. Sitting comfortably at home afterwards, I pull up my phone, change the field of view to linear, and decide what I want to show the viewer. I can even swing the camera from view to view as if I moved it. 

The Insta360 x3 helps facilitate all this with a form factor that works for me. Being long and skinny makes it easy to hold one-handed while I ride. A single button turns on the camera and starts the recording. A second press of the same camera ends the recording and turns it off. It’s easy from start to finish and these days I never go on a ride without it. 

You can read more details in my Insta360 x3 review.