The Best Road and Gravel Accessories of 2022

Published May 27, 2022 07:00AM

MRP Baxter Gravel Fork ($990)

Adding suspension to your gravel bike can reduce fatigue and open up new routes. MRP’s Baxter comes in 40- and 60-millimeter versions. We appreciate the ability to tweak compression (open, mid, or firm) to suit conditions, and leg mounts for extra cargo or water bottles. Plus, you can customize the color.

Garmin Rally RS200 Pedals ($1,099)

This pedal-based power meter is easy to switch between bikes—you can even swap the power spindles between road and mountain/gravel pedals. They track left and right power data, plus cadence and time spent riding seated and standing. Over a year of testing, they’ve proven accurate and reliable.

Routewerks Handlebar Bag ($179)

This clever bag attaches to your bike via aluminum arms (not Velcro), so it didn’t interfere with our brake and shift lines or rub the headtube. It sports six pockets and a hard-shell top with a computer mount ($5).

Zipp 303 Wheelset ($1,400 and up)

If you can afford one carbon wheelset, look here. The 303 has hookless rims for tubeless tires and a 30-millimeter internal width that accommodates road and gravel treads. The seven-millimeter-deep rim profile provides aerodynamic speed without becoming cumbersome in crosswinds.

Roka Matador Air Sunglasses ($240)

The Matador Air’s mirrored gold lens provides great clarity, a wide field of view, and excellent contrast for bright road conditions. The low-slung arms look funky, but play nice with helmets, especially those with lots of temple protection.

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt GPS Bike Computer ($300)

The Bolt is Wahoo’s smallest cycling computer. But it’s still feature-rich with 16 gigs of memory, Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, and live tracking. You can also customize the screen, and add or edit routes through Wahoo’s smartphone app.

Bivo Duo Water Bottle ($44)

Bivo offers a welcome alternative to plastic bike bottles. The stainless-steel body is not squeezable, but an air port connected to an internal straw means water pours out easily. It’s also dishwasher-safe.

Evoc Hydro Pro 3L Hydration Vest ($125)

Evoc’s Hydro Pro 3L has ample cargo capacity for long gravel races, divided between a zippered rear compartment, front zippered pockets, and mesh stash pockets (plus a 1.5-liter reservoir with a magnetic hose attachment). And it won’t block jersey pockets.

American Classic Wentworth Gravel Tires ($45)

A pair of these tubeless-ready tires costs less than many single tires. Tightly spaced center knobs roll quickly, and larger edge knobs provide confident cornering on loose gravel and sandy dirt roads.