Cycling Gear and Bikes We’re Testing That You Need to Know About

Mar 16, 2025

Staff Picks: Tires for XC mountain bikers, a bike trailer for active families, and an easy-to-use indoor trainer are among the products our editors are currently riding and enjoying.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

At Bicycling’s HQ, we get in lots of bicycles and gear. Our editors and gear testers ride hundreds of miles on the road and trails each week while checking out the products and putting them through the paces in real-life situations. Whether it is long road rides or fast criteriums, gravel roads or mountain bike trails, indoor rides or commuting: our staff rides it all.

With spring riding season kicking into gear across the country, I checked in with the team to see what products they’re currently riding and enjoying. I was impressed by the diversity and wide range of gear and bikes we’re testing—these seven products stood out as the best things you need to hear about this week.

I’m currently testing Inside Line Equipment’s Default 25-liter commuter bag, and I’m obsessed. The bag is constructed of XPAC sailcloth material (Cordura and waxed canvas are also available) and has a TPU-coated waterproof liner. The rolltop design closes with an impressive, sturdy machined brass and aluminum Cobra buckle. At $315, this bag isn’t cheap, but it is well-crafted and handmade in California.

This 25-liter bag feels cavernous compared to other similarly-sized commuter backpacks I’ve used. (ILE also offers 18L and 40L models.) The Default easily carries my Macbook, a full winter riding kit, extra shoes, and lunch. It fits comfortably on my back when riding, and the features are well thought out. An example of this is the laptop compartment: It’s on the front, so it’s not against your back when riding. You can tell this is a bag by people who ride bikes for people who ride bikes.

€8,000 (as tested) at fiftyonebikes.com

While Matt only has two rides on the Sika so far, it reminds him of another bike he recently rode and loved: The Parlee Ouray. “Like the Parlee, the FiftyOne is an incredibly sensible high-performance bike. It has a forgiving fit and fits up to a 40mm wide tire.”

In addition to wide tire compatibility, FiftyOne’s wide range of integrated cockpit dimension options (which allows riders to dial in fit) is another aspect he loves about the bike. The Sika has a bit of aero-tuning for more efficiency; it also uses a threaded BB, UDH, and a round 27.2mm post with a traditional seatpost clamp. Matt notes, “That’s the practical stuff: The real joy comes from its lively and responsive manners, mixed with a very smooth ride. I look forward to spending a lot more time on this bike.”

$65 at specialized.com (Fast Trak) | $65 at specialized.com (Air Trak)

Dan is testing Specialized's new cross country racing tires, the updated Fast Trak and the Air Trak (an updated Renegade). “I’m a long-time fan of Specialized’s cross country offerings because, typically, they are competitively priced while being lighter than offerings from other brands.”

The Air Trak weighs in at 585 grams (29x2.35” size) with the lightweight Flex Light casing and 615 grams for the 2.35” Fast Trak with the same casing—Both are priced at $65 each. A tougher Grid Light casing is available for riders seeking a bit more sidewall protection. These tires are commonly paired with a Fast Trak front and an Air Trak rear (similar to how riders often pair a Maxxis Recon Race with an Aspen tire). “I find this combination [Fast Trak front, Air Trak rear] slightly too aggressive for my day-to-day riding on rocky and rooty East Coast trails. So, I will likely swap out the Air Trak rear for another Fast Trak,” he said.

Dan needed to adjust his air pressures because the lighter casing felt like it was folding during hard cornering. He noted from testing, “I had to bump up my pressure by 1.5 psi up front and 2.5 psi in the rear. With the previous generation S-Works tires, I found that 17/18 psi worked well, but now I'm up to 18.5 / 20.5 psi.”

$600 at wahoofitness.com

With everything going on in life, many of us can relate to Natascha’s need for no-fuss bike gear. “I’m that combination of super busy and slightly lazy that makes removing my rear wheel to use a trainer (and vice versa when I want to ride the same bike outside) enough of an extra step to put a damper on my enthusiasm and feel a time crunch—whether real or imagined,” she said.

While the Rollr might not be for everyone, Natascha found a solid benefit to this unique indoor trainer that many cyclists will appreciate: “I don’t have to change a thing about my bike, whether I’m riding inside or outdoors,” She added. “Putting the bike on this trainer takes two seconds. Which sometimes feels like as much time as I've got to spare.”

$1,700 at rei.com

Since the snow finally melted, Bobby has been getting in family ride time using Thule’s Chariot Sport 2 Double trailer. This isn’t his first experience with Thule’s trailers, as he and his wife previously used the Chariot Cross model. “It gave us countless magical family moments—whether biking, skiing, or walking with our son. When our second child arrived, we upgraded to the double, and the adventures continued.”

However, since their youngest child has outgrown the single, they’ve moved on to the Chariot Sport 2 Double. The new trailer also has an integrated taillight, side vents, and extra storage, which are great additions. “Our kids love the softer seats, and we appreciate the washable seat covers,” Bobby said. “One day, our kids will be too big and won’t want to ride with us, but for now, having a trailer they love keeps this special time going as long as possible,” he added.

$90 at backcountry.com

Since we ride so many different bikes, wheels, and tires, we often cannot do high-mileage testing on a pair of tires like Tom performed this winter. He rode a pair of Pirelli P Zero Race TLRs for several months, noting, “I swapped out my front and rear tires to even out wear, and then I realized I rode these tires over 1,700 miles with zero issues.” Tom doesn’t take tire durability for granted; he obsesses over perfecting his lightweight flat kit.

As cyclists, we know that when you find a product with great performance and durability, you often want to keep using it. “When it comes time to replace these tires, I definitely will buy another pair. Maybe the retros will look good on my bike… 🤔”

$129 at madronecycles.com

Don’t bin that old SRAM AXS Eagle 12-speed rear derailleur you have lying around; return it to service with Madrone’s aftermarket rebuild kit. “I had a GX AXS derailleur that took a few hits over its years of service and now found its way onto a hardtail I recently built. It shifted mostly fine but not quite as crisp as it once did,” Trevor said.

The new SRAM Transmission derailleurs are mostly rebuildable, but riders are mostly out of luck with older SRAM parts. That’s where Madrone comes in. The Ashland, Oregon-based brand launched at Sea Otter Classic in 2024 with rebuild kits for links and cages for SRAM derailleurs.

Rebuilding your derailleur might seem daunting, but Trevor explained it was easier than he expected: “At first, I was intimidated by the thought of rebuilding a derailleur, so it sat on my workbench for far too long.” Luckily, he found the process was simple and frustration-free. ”The provided tools made it easy. I was holding a refreshed derailleur in less than an hour after following the instructional video.”

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.

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