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2009 Gear of the Year

Shimano 230 shoes
Take all the fancy-dancy Custom-Fit technology of Shimano’s high-end carbon fiber ballerina slippers and put them in a shoe with a sensible sole that’s ready for all-day trail riding, and this is what you end up with. Meet the 230—a shoe that can be custom fit by an authorized Shimano dealer via a heat-oven and an orthotics-trained technician. What does that mean? Less of a void in the fit of your shoe, better power delivery and increased comfort over the long haul. A tough synthetic leather upper and a carbon fiber reinforced sole deliver a stiff, reliable shoe that will last for seasons.
$TBD; shimano.com

Fox RP23
Some reference the dramatically improved low- and mid-speed compression damping. Some cite the improved rebound adjustment range. Some call it magic. Whatever Fox engineers did, it’s working. Simply put, the 2009 Fox RP23, distinguished by its all-black decals, is perhaps most successful rear shock of all time. It takes mushy, lack-luster frame designs and turns out traction-giving, plush-feeling, ride-all-day suspension performance. Thoughtful tweaks like the angled air-valve round out the package, and the shock still has its three-setting ProPedal function, which can easily be turned on or off with a quick flick from even a gloved hand. A good thing just got better. A lot better.
$380; Foxracingshox.com
Light & Motion Seca 700 light
For years, Monterrey, California-based Light & Motion has been churning out underwater lighting systems for plunging into the dark-as-night kelp fields off the Northern California coast. More recently, the company’s line of bike lights has been growing steadily. Meet the Seca 700—the best light the company has ever put out, and maybe the best bike light we’ve ever seen. The secret, says L&M engineers, lies in the lens and reflector setup. The light is easy to set up, mounts easily to helmets or handlebars and weights just 686 grams with a 9-cell lithium ion battery. The Seca 700 spits out a ridiculous 700 lumens for up to 5 hours at full power—and recharges in just 3 hours. Less-expensive versions of the light are available, using the same lens and reflector technology. But for a no-holds-barred night-riding experience where you can ride as fast and as hard as you want, look no further than this bad boy.
$550; lightandmotion.com
Fox 15QR
This is less of a particular product shout-out, but a general technological leapfrog. As Mike “Furry Knuckles” Ferrentino waxed so poetically about in his Grimy Handshake column a few issues back, the traditional 9-millimeter quick release system has been around forever. It’s time to put it to rest. And while 20-millimeter options offer a great second option, this third axle standard is pretty hard to kick out of bed. Especially when you combine a super-sized Shimano quick-release lever, which delivers an ungodly amount of clamping force. If you want to get technical about it, the 15-millimeter axle gives forks 15 percent greater torsional stiffness and a 25 percent jump in transverse-shear strength. More simply—you can hammer harder than ever with a stiffer front end, and with this sucker clamped down there’s zilch chance of a major malfunction on the trail. Hub makers are supporting the axle size with plenty of 15-millimeter choices, and Marzocchi and DT Swiss now have 15-millimter forks of their own.
Foxracingshox.com
SRAM Hammerschmidt AM
For as long as we’ve been riding bikes in the woods, and tinkering with bike parts in the shop, it’s pretty remarkable that the Hammerschmidt idea hasn’t been put into production before. The gist of the idea: eliminate the need for a front derailleur and double or triple chainrings by incorporating a planetary gear drive into the crankarm mechanism. This idea has been flirted with before but never has a robust, ready-for-real-mountain biking version been produced. Although there has been very little test time on this crank—which delivers the equivalent of a 22/36-gear combination (the slightly heavier freeride version dishes out a 24/38 combo)—the concept is extremely promising. Potential downsides? Sure—the granny-gear torque action might not play nice with full-suspensions rigs that are optimized for middle-ring pedaling performance. And the shifter is backwards. But on the upside, you can run less chain, and you will never drop your chain. You also get greater ground clearance and smooth, instantaneous shifts…. This could be the start of a very great product. Look for a full-fledged beatdown in a future issue of Bike.
$700; SRAM.com

*Gary Fisher Roscoe
Okay, fine—it’s a top ten list, and it’s impossible to just talk about one bike, so we’re making a special exception and adding this new Gary Fisher as a write-in candidate. Depending on whom you ask, Gary Fisher may or may not have invented the mountain bike. But if you ask Gary Fisher about specific bikes, he won’t hesitate to tell you that this is the best mountain bike to ever carry his name. We agree. Witness the Roscoe’s seriously hydroformed frame, one-piece welded seatstay, custom twin-chamber DRCV rear shock… the highlights go on and on. If you’re looking for an all-around trail bike with a bomber chassis and a go-anywhere attitude, check out the Roscoe, available at a better bike shop near you.
$2,970-$4,950;Fisherbikes.com

Reader Comments 
Posted Thu Jul16, 2009, 4:18 AM — By links of london
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