Words by Max Rhulen & Cole Greg
As we leave the craziness of the festive holiday season behind, we’ve been given some time to reflect back on an awesome year and the things that have stood out along the way. We reached out to the other members of our team to get some insight into their standouts from 2023, and found the variety pretty damn interesting.
We recently published full time Loam Wolfers Drew, Robert and Sourpatch Sean’s 12 favorite things about 2023, but we also wanted to share a few of the items that stood out most to our contributors as well!
In 2023 I traveled with a bike more than I have in the past, with two international trips and many nationally. Packing a bike is the most stressful part of these trips for me. Making sure that it is adequately protected and secure so that it can endure airlines and TSA is no easy task. At least, it was until I started using the EVOC Bike Travel Bag Pro. All that needs to be done is remove both wheels and the handlebar, mount the bike to stand, and throw the wheels in their designated slots on the outside of the bag. Each wheel slot has protection for the rotors and cassette, so no worries there. The bag isn’t cheap, retailing for $795, but protecting a multi-thousand-dollar bike is worth it, plus the cost of the bag depreciates with every use.
I spent most of the year using hydration backpacks. I switched between a USWE and the Evoc Hydro Pro 3L. While the USWE option was the most secure, it was also uncomfortable for my body shape. The Evoc offered nearly the same amount of stability and lack of movement with loads more options for storage. Having my phone in one of the two chest pockets made getting clips or checking directions while pedaling very easy. All around I just really enjoyed using it. For me having plenty of water and snacks on the trail is super important! Backpacks have come a long way in function for bikes and if you are still on the hip pack bandwagon I would urge you to give this thing a try!
