Much of my riding this year has revolved around ultra racing, so when it comes to my favourite gear and tech from the last 12 months, it's unsurprising that much of my focus has been on kit that will help me ride faster, further and more comfortably. What makes you faster at an ultra-endurance event isn't always what you think it will be.
Marginal gains can become major advantages when a race stretches over multiple days, but the time savings aren't always from the conventional upgrades that you would expect. While my colleagues have been busy testing aerodynamics and rolling resistances for Cyclingnews Labs, I was spending a lot of my time thinking about how to minimise stop time, optimising on-bike storage and poring over bikepacking kit lists.
