2024: The year’s best mountain bike gear

2024 witnessed a whole what of very fancy, high-tech new things proming to make you ride better. But some of the best mountain bike gear we tested this year doesn’t require any batteries.

Some of it, particularly from Canadian brands, is innovative. Other favourites just make a familiar piece of equipment better, refining and improving on the familiar. Not all of it is the most expensive, either.

The best bits and pieces tested by our editors this year.

Koo Alibi Galaxy sunglasses

After getting poked in the eye by an errant twig several years ago, and it resulting in a cascading series of annoyances beyond the initial pain, I vowed to always ride with some sort of eye protection. Or at least almost always. That’s led to much annoyance with fogging, fit, and poor visibility from sub-par lenses. Koo’s Alibi Galaxy, though, are the opposite. They’re light, comfortable, small enough to fit with any helmet (unlike some wide-frame glasses in the current huge-lens trend) while still providing an excellent field of view. Most importantly, the lenses work impressively well in mixed and changing light conditions. With the Alibi’s, I don’t have to wonder if they’ll be the right pair for that day’s riding. Unless it’s dark, they always are.

Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade 2.0 Evo

Vancouver’s Aenomaly Constructs created something rare in 2025: an entirely new product. The Switchgrade allows you to quickly change your seat angle with the touch of a lever. Why? So you can get more power and less discomfort, in your lower back, legs, and undercarraige, on longer and/or steeper climbs. We’ve been riding a Switchgrade for a few months and it is really amazing how much of a difference this small change makes. It’s a bit awkward to use, sure, but it makes such a big difference in comfort on longer climbs that I miss it when it’s not on my bike. With the new 2.0, Aenomaly lowers the weight, price and allows the choice between standard 3-position and a XC/gravel/bikepacking-friendly 2-position adjustment. And the Switchgrade is made right in North Vancouver, which is cool.

Maxxis rules again: High Roller III and Aspen ST

It was a big year for Maxxis, with two very different and high profile tires launching. These come after a period of relative calm from the prolific and preeminent brand. Both are standouts in nearly opposite ways. High Roller III is earning lots of praise among the gravity crowd. The Aspen ST is less of a surprise, but feels as fast as its looked under Nino Schurter for years. Both land with plenty of World Cup podiums already. Both are really fun for the “rest” of us to ride. One delivers endless grip in an impressive range of conditions, managing a loose conditions tire that isn’t squirmy or sketchy on hardpack. The other is pure speed in a deliciously supple race-only casing (for now) that lets you carry speed but still survive corners.

Project 321 G3 hubs

After starting out in Oregon, Project 321 hubs are now made right here in Ontario. That’s neat, we love supporting cycling brands with Canadian connections. But CanCon isn’t what makes the G3 hubs stand out. Precision construction, close attention to design, an innovative feature like 6-lock, and the magnetic pawl system that gives near-instant (1.25-degree) engagement while still rolling quietly set the G3 apart from the massive range of boutique hubs available to riders there these days.

Shimano Cues drivetrain

The best doesn’t always have to be the most expensive. Shimano’s Cues drivetrain is proof. While it was released last year, we’ve finally got a test group and have put Cues through the wringer for half a year now. We are very impressed. It’s not as featherweight as XTR, sure, and it doesn’t have 12 gears. But it shifts impressively well, still has a reasonably wide gear range. It also costs less for the whole group than the new S-Phyre 903 shoes that will be on most end-of-year lists (and they are truely great, too). At a time where run-away bike prices seem to be getting the industry into some serious trouble, Cues is a reminder that mountian biking doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun.

Curious Creatures shorts

Tired of shorts that fall apart halfway through the season or that you really don’t want to know where and how they were produced? Curious Creatures is based in Montana and made in the U.S.A., right down to U.S.-grown cotton. CC’s Ramble Scramble shorts are well designed, well made and will last you for a long time. Which is good, because they’re so comfortable you’ll want to wear them all the time. Screw trashy fast fashion “deals,” this is fashion that goes fast and is made to last.

Leatt Gravity 6.0 Carbon helmet

This technicall came out last year, but it’s been a constant on rides for me this year. Light, breathable, comfortable as heck. It feels more solid than other lightweight helmets while still allowing enough airflow to pedal in, when you have to. The visor isn’t adjustable, but there is a clear extender for extra muddy days. More recently, Leatt’s 6.0 and its 360 Turbine system saved my brain in a big OTB that ended with the added indignity of the hefty eMTB I was testing landing on my head after. Not fun, but I walked away. At $600 in Canada, it’s in the middle ground for full-face pricing, but feels like it’s at the high end of quality.

Insta360 GO 3S

Small but mighty, easy to use, easy to set up with a bunch of classic and innovative mounts. And, perhaps most importantly for mountain bikers, really good in mixed light conditions and changes in light. Like, say, going in and out of trees or the dappled light of a sunny day in the woods. It also connects to the app consistently and the app is easy to use. If you’re a pro influencer or YouTuber, this probably isn’t “powerful” enough for you (or its only part of your content creation arsenal). But if you just want it to be easier to make videos of your rides, without the filming taking over your ride, the Go 3S is great. A rider-focused action camera that does the hard work for you, so you can keep enjoying the ride. Not great at photos, though.