It is a fact that most bikes, cycling clothing and other gear are pretty good these days. Poor products are thankfully few and far between, so in order for a piece of kit to make it into a reviewer’s top 5 for ‘Gear of the Year’ it must be more than just another highly competent item. It needs to resonate for some reason or other on a personal level and this can happen even if the product isn’t completely perfect.
The biggest surprise for me was the Caledonia-5. Having ridden many thousands of kilometres on my own standard Caledonia, I was amazed at how fast, efficient and all-round fun the new -5 was to ride. Similarly, I can’t claim to have been particularly excited at the prospect of testing a gilet but the Espresso Vest completely changed how I viewed gilets and how I integrated them into the day’s clothing.
