road.cc Recommends is back for 2023, and we’re kicking off with a spring spectacular; a whopping 27 products that we’ve reviewed over the past couple of months have been added this time around. We have bikes from huge brands like Specialized, Scott and Brompton, components and accessories from the likes of Exposure, Apidura and Bontrager, and clothing from Endura, Showers Pass and Altura.

You know all about road.cc Recommends, right? It’s the section of the site devoted to the very best stuff we review. Products get in only if they’re really, really good.

Here’s the full list of everything that’s just been selected, broken down into sections because there’s so much this time around:

Bikes

Components

Accessories

Clothing

2022 Mason SLR SRAM Force - riding 5.jpg
2022 Mason SLR SRAM Force - riding 5 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

We reviewed the Mason SLR SRAM Force right at the end of December and it won the road.cc Recommends Bike of the Year award for 2022/23. It’s a massively versatile road machine that gives the comfort and confidence of a big-mile tourer, while offering the fun of something much quicker. This is a hard-to-categorise bike that reviewer Stu Kerton described as “faultless”.

Scott Foil RC Pro 2023 full bike
Scott Foil RC Pro 2023 full bike (Image Credit: Scott / Team DSM)

Among the other bikes to feature is the super-high-end Scott Foil RC Pro aero road bike – which is an absolute speed demon – a gravel e-bike from Orro and “the ultimate folding commuter bike” in the shape of the Brompton C Line Explore.

2022 Carrera Intercity Folding Bike - riding 3.jpg
2022 Carrera Intercity Folding Bike - riding 3 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

If you don’t want to spend that much, the Carrera Intercity Folding Bike is hugely practical and folds in seconds. Priced at just £380, it proves you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great bike.

Scribe Race-D Wide+ wheelset
Scribe Race-D Wide+ wheelset (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

On the component front, we were hugely impressed by Scribe’s light, stiff and durable Race-D Wide+ aluminium wheelset (£510) and two outstanding sets of tyres have got the seal of approval from our hard-nosed reviewers.

2022 Panaracer Agilest TLR.jpeg
2022 Panaracer Agilest TLR (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The Panaracer Agilest TLR Road Tyre (£59.99) is light and fast while also providing confident and predictable grip…

Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR tyre
Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR tyre (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

…and the Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR Road Tyre (£52.99) is an excellent option for crappy roads and long distances, and it’s highly puncture-resistant too.

Craft Cadence Backpack
Craft Cadence Backpack (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Highlights among the accessories include a couple of superb backpacks. The Craft Cadence Backpack (£94.99), aimed at commuting cyclists, is waterproof and very well built…

Apidura Packable Backpack
Apidura Packable Backpack (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

…while Apidura’s Packable Backpack (£46) is a lighter-weight alternative that squashes down to almost nothing when not in use.

Liv relay mips helmet
Liv relay mips helmet (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

We’ve added three helmets to road.cc Recommends too. The Liv Relay MIPS is priced at just £44.99 but it packs in plenty of quality…

Rudy Project Egos helmet
Rudy Project Egos helmet (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

…and the Rudy Project Egos (£169.99) is low profile with vents that direct the airflow really well.

Bell XR Spherical road helmet
Bell XR Spherical road helmet (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

In terms of tech, the Bell XR Spherical Road Helmet (£209.99) is the high flyer. It’s supremely comfortable and well-ventilated while the Mips is integrated in a very subtle way. Check it out if you’re in the market for a new lid.

> All you need to know about Mips 

Endura GV500 Thermal Bibtight
Endura GV500 Thermal Bibtight (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Finally on to clothing and Endura’s GV500 Thermal Bibtights (£154.99) put in a stunning performance, reviewer Tom Price saying “they provide a near-perfect answer to the challenging terrain of gravel rides”. High praise, indeed.

Galibier GrandTour jacket
Galibier GrandTour jacket (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The Galibier GrandTour Jacket (£82.34) is another highlight product. It provides excellent comfort and a high level of warmth. It might now be March but it’s still worth a look.

2021 Lake MXZ304 Winter Boot 2.jpg
2021 Lake MXZ304 Winter Boot 2 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Speaking of winter stuff, Lake’s MXZ304 Winter Boots (£280) really impressed us. Very warm, very comfortable, good water resistance… Lake isn’t messing about here!

Giant Surge Pro Road Shoes
Giant Surge Pro Road Shoes (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

At the other end of the footwear spectrum, the Giant Surge Pro shoes (£299.99) are all about light weight, stiffness, ventilation… you know the deal. They put in a high-level performance across the board and reviewer Stu Kerton reckons the soles are some of the stiffest he’s ever used. And believe us, Stu has reviewed a lot of shoes over the years. We rate the Li2 BOA reels too, and Giant provides two on each shoe.

That’s a quick whistle-stop tour of some of the new products in road.cc Recommends, our dedicated section of cycling specialness. Head over there now to see the lot.