Our year-end tradition, now in its 10th edition. No matter how many years you’ve been riding, a new product always has a way of making the next ride feel fresh.
This year, from the gear we brought in to fine-tune our riding life, we’ve handpicked 10 items across 3 categories.
text & photo / Tats（@tats_lovecyclist）
Bike Parts & Gear
Handlebar: Polymer Workshop “Sculpture Handlebar” (¥135,300)
I swapped my road bike’s cockpit for an integrated bar from the Danish upstart brand Polymer Workshop. It turned out to be one of the best calls I’ve made.
At 177cm tall, I thought a 360mm width might feel cramped — but in practice, it sits naturally with the body and makes bike handling intuitive. The sense of connecting to the bike more aggressively and directly has made every ride significantly more fun. When friends try it, the reaction is always “This is brilliant!! (…but expensive.)”
If you’re curious about a product that overturns the conventional wisdom of the cockpit, this one deserves a test.
Polymer Workshop Handlebar (MAGNET)
GPS Computer: Wahoo “ELEMNT ACE” (¥99,000)
The GPS head unit that makes everyone go “That’s huge!” — but that size is exactly its strength. With 30 hours of battery life giving real peace of mind, a beautifully legible display, and dead-simple navigation, it’s become an outstanding ride partner.
The new Google Maps integration is brilliant too (see our review). It was harshly criticized at launch, but most of the rough edges have been smoothed out through updates. If you’ve never tried Wahoo, the “BOLT 3” and “ROAM 3” are also exceptionally easy to live with — well worth a look.
Saddle: S-Works “Power EVO with Mirror” (¥69,300)
The Power series barely needs introduction at this point, but where the standard “Power with Mirror” feels like the completed form, the “Power EVO with Mirror” pushes that platform in a different direction. The original Mirror locks you firmly into a single position; the EVO Mirror, by contrast, welcomes positional change.
That new character meshes beautifully with my current setup, and I now shift positions far more often to suit the moment. It’s expensive — but the satisfaction of owning it sits at the highest level.
S-Works Power EVO with Mirror (Official)
Apparel & Accessories
Shoe Laundry Net “Zookleen Net” (¥3,740)
Another genuine win. The idea of washing shoes in a washing machine had never crossed my mind — but once I tried it, I have to call this the ultimate combination of time-saving and cost-saving.
The routine is simple: brush off the shoes, drop them into the “Zookleen Net,” and run a normal wash cycle. Your usual laundry detergent does the job. Because the machine spins them out, they dry faster than hand washing (a shoe dryer finishes them in about 20 minutes).
Being able to keep white shoes consistently clean is a real joy. It also works on the kids’ constantly-dirty shoes, easing the household workload at the same time. I wholeheartedly recommend this to every cyclist with a family.
MAAP / Pas Normal Studios / hypersupp. — apparel
I’ve grouped these into a single entry, but apparel was easily the category where I bought the most pieces — and spent the most — across the year.
When it comes to design, function and forward-thinking style, the two brands setting the pace right now are MAAP and PNS, and naturally my wardrobe ended up centred on these two (with prices climbing the way they are, spreading across too many brands simply doesn’t add up).
hypersupp. was the emerging brand I most wanted to wear, and I built out a full SS-to-AW rotation over the course of the year. The MAAP and PNS influence is unmistakable, but I sense real room to grow here.
Otafuku Glove “Wind Smash 3” (¥2,700)
I’ll be honest — I had reservations about wearing anything from Otafuku Glove (some readers will know exactly the feeling). But as my tolerance for the cold drops year by year, after one ride spent shivering, a friend nudged me with: “Just put on some Otafuku.” No one sees it under your kit anyway — needs must.
What makes this piece work is the windproof fabric. No matter how good your winter jacket is, cold air still finds the seams. Add a windproof base layer underneath and the chill stops short before it reaches the skin, transforming how you handle winter rides. It doesn’t trap sweat-chill either, and for the price the satisfaction is enormous. Bonus points for no visible branding at the collar.
Rapha “Explore Top Tube Bag” (¥8,300)
Since switching to Polymer handlebars, I’ve stopped using handlebar bags — they just don’t sit right visually. So for rides that demand a bit of carrying capacity, I picked up Rapha’s simply-shaped top tube bag.
I mount it differently from the official recommendation: usually slung inside the front triangle of the frame, as in the photo. There, it doesn’t interfere with pedalling at all (mounted on the top tube proper, it inevitably rubs against the inner thigh).
It earns its keep especially on rides where I’m carrying camera gear — the GR IIIx, the Insta360, that kind of thing.
Rapha Explore Top Tube Bag (official site)
uvex Helmet “surge aero MIPS” (¥44,000) + Eyewear “pace stage CV” (¥19,800)
uvex is the best-fitting helmet I’ve worn in my entire cycling life. It’s a thoroughly Euro fit, so it may not work for every Japanese cyclist — but if GIRO or Sweet Protection fits you, I think this will too.
The surge helmet isn’t just comfortable; it’s beautifully designed. Within a thoroughly contemporary aero silhouette, there’s no wasted line from any angle — a genuinely resolved object as a piece of style.
The pace stage CV eyewear pairs perfectly with the surge, and the optics are clean and free of distortion (the only real gripe with this brand is how cryptic the product names are).
I’ve long been a KASK and POC loyalist, but having discovered uvex’s fit, these two are practically all I’ve worn this year.
uvex product lineup (Y’s Road)
THREE Essential Scents R & ZARA ELEGANTLY TOKIO BRUSH-ON
On winter rides, I wear a touch of fragrance. Unlike summer, it doesn’t get muddled with sweat — and a soft drift of scent through the bitter cold makes the ride feel that much more pleasant.
From THREE, I’m using “00 WRITTEN IN STONE” from the eight-strong Essential Scents R (¥5,940) lineup. A clean composition where sharp citrus freshness gives way to a calm, woody depth — lightness and gravitas, in balance.
ZARA’s ELEGANTLY TOKYO (¥2,190) is a grown-up woody floral. The brush-on applicator makes top-ups easy mid-ride, the leak-proof design slips neatly into a back pocket, and at this price you can wear it without thinking twice.
Camera
RICOH ‘GR IIIx’ (¥139,800)
For years I’ve carried a mirrorless camera on rides, but honestly, the weight and the sheer presence of it had started to wear me down. The ‘GR IIIx’ is what freed me from that creeping fatigue around shooting.
I covered the finer points of usability in my review, but one of the unexpected gains from buying the GR IIIx is that my photography skills have leveled up. The fixed 40mm equivalent does limit your framing, but the built-in ND filter and the camera’s compact, grab-and-shoot nature open up a surprisingly wide range of expression. Experimenting with aperture and shutter speed to push the look of an image has sharpened my instincts, and that’s carried over to how I shoot with the mirrorless too.
Personally I don’t think the GR is an easy first camera, but for many people, running it alongside a second body is what lets the GR’s unique character truly come out.
About the Author
 | Tats Shimizu (@tats_lovecyclist) Editor-in-chief and photographer. 12 years on sport bikes. Maintains close ties with overseas brands and proposes a range of riding styles through the media. Also works extensively as a photographer for cycling brands in Japan and abroad. Main bikes: Standert (road) and Factor (gravel). |
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