The Top 8 Mountain and Road Accessories of 2012 | Shimano SH-M315
The devil is in the details of the 鈥檚: the synthetic uppers felt as supple as suede house shoes, the directional metal fibers in the heels really locked our feet in, and the vented plastic bumper kept our dogs cool but amazingly well sheltered from trail detritus.
Pearl Izumi Launch Kicker
shorts are loaded with trail-savvy technology (removable chamois, adjustable button-and-loop waistband), but it鈥檚 so well hidden beneath the soft and stretchy herringbone fabric that nobody at the pub will know you came straight from the trailhead.
S3 MT
has become our go-to trail helmet because of what it鈥檚 missing: weight and bulk. Though it was so light you could barely feel it, the micro-dial retention system still fit even the most oddball head shapes.
Easton EA70 XCT
29-inch wheels are some of the easiest-sealing we鈥檝e found. They鈥檙e stiff enough for 120-mm bikes, and we dig the stealth styling. We run them with tires ($79 each), which are so sticky on just about every type of terrain鈥攆rom hardpack to jaggy rock鈥攖hey鈥檝e become our favorite all-arounders.
Castelli BodyPaint 2.0
Made of an incredibly stretchy proprietary fabric with virtually no seams, the are the plushest bibs we鈥檝e worn. Thanks to the lack of hems or rough spots to dig into the skin, we had zero -chafing or hot spots even after 24 hours in the saddle.
Giro Apeckx
With an admirably stiff nylon sole, an upper that鈥檚 softer than most shoes at this price, and the same fit as more expensive models, is perfect for everyday use. Though we miss the variable-height insole, it鈥檚 hard to complain at this price.
Mavic Plasma SLR
The helmet has a comfy and durable fit system, and even after months of hot-weather riding, the antimicrobial padding never got nasty. And then there鈥檚 the wicked aesthetics: it just looks cooler and faster than any other lid out there.
Stan’s Alpha Pro
Go tubeless and you鈥檒l never go back. Not only is this combo鈥 wheelset with tires ($110 each)鈥攍ight (we trimmed a third of a pound over another high-end wheelset). It鈥檚 also less jarring, because you can run them at lower pressures without fear of flatting.