2024 has been a pretty epic year of riding for me. There has been a whole host of new, cool stuff from suspension to cameras and of course, plenty of new bikes. With new motors to test out and plenty of kit put through its paces, I can’t exactly complain about how my riding has gone this year. But it’s been helped by a few key products, which I’ve highlighted below.

The latest Specialized Epic 8 helped me tick off my first marathon XC race.

Specialized Epic 8

Launched in the early stages of the year, the Specialized Epic 8 redefined the brand’s XC offerings. With 120mm travel to play with and aggressive geometry, it was super fun to ride wherever I took it. It had been my go-to bike for much of this year, before I had to hand it back in the autumn. *Waves fist at the sky.*

Joking aside, the Epic 8 is an incredibly capable bike, with the RockShox SID forks and three-option lockout really complementing its aggressive, racy feel. I rode it in the Yorkshire MTB Marathon as well as some local trails and XC moorland rides, and it took a lot to find something this bike wasn’t comfortable on.

The Bluegrass Vanguard fits even Rebecca’s pea-head (her words) pretty well, and is super ventilated.

Bluegrass Vanguard full-face helmet

After making the step-up to riding bike parks this year, I decided it was finally time to invest in a full-face helmet. I had some pretty decent recommendations from colleagues about which one to try – but after realising they all have giant heads, I had to look elsewhere. The Bluegrass Vanguard stood out as something that has so much adjustability, not just from the rear closure dial but with the cheek pads and other inserts.

I’ve got a pretty small head, (insert joke about having a tiny brain here), but this from Bluegrass really suits me. I’ve changed the cheek pads to the larger ones, so it’s even more of a snug fit, and it’s super well-ventilated and lightweight. And I honestly don’t mind sitting with it on while I’m on the uplift, it’s that comfortable. Protection-wise, I went for the Mips option – hopefully I won’t have to find out how well that works, but it’s a fair bit of peace of mind for if it does happen.

The kitchen pain cave – my Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift setup

Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One

As someone who also dabbles in lycra, drop-bar riding, turbo training has been an unfortunate presence in my life when I wanted to do a targeted training session – particularly over winter. What I’m saying is, I’m used to the eternal pain and torture of riding a bike while going absolutely nowhere and getting incredibly sweaty. Back in February, when I decided to start training for that aforementioned MTB marathon event, Wahoo decided they’d get on board and send me a Kickr Core Zwift One turbo trainer to help my progression.

The leftover dog food offered a great post-ride protein boost!

I’m reluctant to recommend a turbo trainer at all to mountain bikers, because I am yet to speak to one that doesn’t immediately turn their nose up at the idea of churning away indoors when the alternative is a fun, mud-fest outside. And that’s fair, but this indoor trainer really did help me to combine the two – the fun and skill development was for the outside, and the interval training happened inside.

This option from Wahoo allowed me to mount my MTB to it, too. So I didn’t need to dig out an old road frame to sacrifice to the turbo gods. It also made use of the Zwift Cog, which meant I didn’t need to use a dedicated cassette, either. It’s easy to use and setup, and works seamlessly with Zwift, which luckily I already used. If you want to get fit over winter without having to clean your bike after every ride, this is definitely worth looking into.

The almost indestructible Favero Assioma Pro MX-2 power meter pedals.

Favero Assioma power pedals

Sticking with the tech theme, I absolutely love the Favero Assioma PRO MX-2 power meter pedals. I only use them on gravel or XC rides, as I’m more of a fan of flats on the bigger bikes, but for training for my MTB marathon, they were seriously handy. I’ve got a pair of power meter pedals I use on the road, but these work with SPD cleats, and so are ideal for off-road riders who want to understand the effort they’re putting in riding outside.

The battery lasts a really long time, I’ve only had to charge them a few times this year (and that’s not because I haven’t been using them, before you suggest it). And I love how durable they are. They’ve had a fair few bashes off rocks and car boots from my carelessness, and still work seamlessly. There are dual and single-sided options – I have the dual-sided version – but unless you have an obvious discrepancy in one leg, you probably only need the single side.

The Trail Bloom Trousers are great lightweight trail pants for casual and hard riding.

Trail Bloom Trail Trousers

It can be hard to find good-fitting, durable and high-performance mountain biking kit as a woman. And no, that’s not a nag, merely a statement that makes me appreciate the Trail Bloom trousers even more. I’ve been riding these through a less-than-desirable latter half of the year, where rain and mud have reigned supreme. And while they don’t keep me particularly mud-free, they are incredibly lightweight and moisture-wicking when I’m working hard, and remembering how much e-bikes have not contributed to my climbing fitness.

Apparently they’re comfy enough to sleep on, too.

They’re available in sizes UK 8 to UK 24, and cost £95. A small business, Trail Bloom is a woman-owned brand born out of a desire to develop stylish and performance MTB wear for women that actually fits. And I think the brand has done a great job with its first range of kit.