Adventure Cycling Association

From your helmet to your butt and your handlebar bag to your taillight, these 8 pieces of cycling gear have you covered.

Route Werks The Big Handlebar Bag, $230

Thanks to an optional five-panel insert with easily repositioned velcro dividers ($40), The Big Handlebar Bag can be packed as neatly as any bento box. So, why didn’t I? Because after years of bike bags whose limited volume and frustratingly flappy openings often necessitated stopping to unpack everything to access anything, it was a joy to simply pop open The Big Handlebar Bag and rummage through its cavernous, six-liter main compartment. And the rigid lid — which features a latch lock and three spots for mounting phones, bike computers, cameras, and other tech — meant it stayed wide open so that said rummaging could happen on the move, no matter how sloppy my packing job. —Nicholas Hunt

Allen Smart Suction Bike Rack, $600

Allen’s Smart Suction Bike Rack isn’t the only bike carrier to use suction, but it is the only one with a dedicated smartphone app that monitors each touchpoint’s holding power — and alerts you if something’s at risk of going sideways (literally). Quick and easy to mount to your vehicle, especially glass-roofed models like Teslas, the front wheel-off system fits quick-release and thruaxle forks, and features an adjustable rear wheel tray to dial in the fit. For the security-minded, it also comes with an integrated cable lock. —Berne Broudy

Trek Ion 100 R and Flare R City Lights, $85

Research has shown that daytime running lights on a bike make a rider 240 percent more visible than riding without lights. That’s a compelling stat — and something that’s been top-of-mind as I’ve been loving Trek’s Ion 100 R and Flare R city lights for gravel biking. Both front and back lights employ an erratic, attention-grabbing flashing pattern that can help me be seen a whopping kilometer away, even in the daytime. The 20-hour run time means that I don’t have to charge very often, but even when I do, there’s no guesswork: a battery gauge means I always know how much juice I’ve got in the tank. The lights are also compatible with the Bontrager Blendr Universal Light Mount, but even without it, swapping them between bikes is fast with no tools required. —BB

7Mesh Guardian Air Jacket, $500

Before I wore this jacket in rain, sleet, snow, and various other versions of water falling from the sky, I would have laughed if you told me I could wear the same jacket for both cycling and skiing. But having put the Guardian Air through its paces for the past nine months, I know that I’ve found a unicorn. Made from Gore-Tex ePE, the company’s new PFAS-free fabric, the Guardian Air is as packable and light as a cycling jacket needs to be. It never restricted my movement while biking — or backcountry skiing — and was reliably waterproof. Clever lightweight pullcords and snaps replace breakable plastic parts, and its fabric can stretch up to 10 percent without compromising its waterproofness. I was particularly impressed by how the rollaway hood slipped over my helmet but, thanks to those adjustable cords, didn’t slide over my eyes when I was bareheaded. The Guardian Air doesn’t look radically different from what you likely already have in your closet. After wearing it, however, I can tell you that it is. —BB

Modl Infinity Tool 2.0, from $19

I started my test of Modl’s Infinity Tool 2.0 with some skepticism. After all, could these stretchy straps really be that different from Voile straps, which have been staples of gear closets everywhere for over four decades? They certainly weren’t any better or worse at lashing full Nalgene bottles to my fork mounts during a recent overnight. But when Modl claims their straps are part of a larger ecosystem, that’s not just marketing speak. Instead of a permanently attached buckle, the Infinity Tool’s galaxy of moveable — and removeable — hooks, links, studs, and even magnets means the biggest hurdle to securing my gear was my initial lack of imagination. Case in point: After finishing the day pedaling through an unexpected tempest, I was able to string together three of the four straps I’d just used on my Nalgenes to create a clothes line in my tent — and woke up to a dry kit the next morning. —NH

Canyon Deflectr RLS Helmet, $160

Most cyclists know it’s rotational forces that cause traumatic brain injuries in bike crashes. And they know that’s exactly what the Multi-directional Impact Protection System, better known by its acronym MIPS, is intended to prevent by allowing the helmet to move independently of the head during impacts. Now the new Release Layer System, or RLS, builds on that idea by employing a sliding surface on the outside of the helmet. When a crash occurs, RLS panels can roll off the helmet on tiny polycarbonate ball bearings, giving your brain a better chance to decelerate. RLS was introduced last September by HEXR, and Canyon’s Defl ectr RLS has already landed the top spot on Virginia Tech’s Bicycle Helmet Ratings. HEXR’s own visorless Miden RLS ($150) is the current runner-up if that’s more your style. —BB

Crank Brothers Klic HV Handpump, $45

A flat tire can be a drag, especially if it takes forever to pump it back up. Despite its relatively diminutive size at 8.7 inches in length, the Crank Brothers Klic HV Handpump hurries things up with a high-volume design meant for treads 1.8 inches and up, making it great for gravel and larger touring tires. But road- and trail-side pumping isn’t just quicker, it’s mostly stress-free, too. The flexible hose magnetically attaches to the pump head, is Presta and Schrader compatible, and stows inside the device when not in use. The handle also folds out into a T-grip for more efficient inflation and locks in place when you’re finished. The pump comes with a bottle cage bracket mount, and for $10 more, you can even snag a hose with an integrated pressure gauge that eliminates did-I-fill-it-enough guesswork. —BB

Ass Savers Win Wing 2 Gravel Bike Fender, $32

I don’t mind riding in the rain. But having a rooster tail from my rear wheel spray into my nether regions is definitely a downer. Enter the aptly named Ass Savers Win Wing 2. The prefolded, recycled polypropylene fender clips onto a minimalist wishbone mount that attaches to your seat stays sans tools and features three angle settings so you can dial in your water deflection. The company claims it’s the fastest clip-on mudguard on the market — a claim I find credible after swapping it between multiple bikes throughout the fall and into winter. Capable of accommodating tires up to 60 millimeters, the fender also comes in a range of colors and prints. Plus, at a featherweight 72 grams with virtually no rattling, you’ll only notice when it’s not there. —BB