In our year end review, Grannygear gave out his Top Five and now it is my turn. These picks reflect only the things I have used personally over the course of 2008. They come in no particular order…

Acros Head Set: In a world of rebels, you might find this head set. Yeah, it is basically a King imitator, but if you just can’t seem to fit in the crowd, and want that certain something to set your rig apart from the others, this Acros headset doesn’t give up anything to a Chris king. Colors? Yeah, Acros has that. Quality bearings in a smartly designed package? Yep! That is here too. Light weight? Uh huh……yes. The Acros weighs in the same ball park as a King. So, go ahead….be different!

Lezyne Alloy Drive S Pump: Well, I just can not say enough good stuff about this lightweight, good looking pump. It works, and in a way that makes sense. Look, anything that helps me prevent damage and gets the job done efficiently,…….yeah, that’s a Mechanic’s Choice Award winner right there. Get this pump, (or the road version if you are so inclined), you won’t be sorry you did!

Ergon GX-1 Grip: Wow! An improvement upon the original Ergon grip. This was a revelation to me and I’m an ardent Ergon grip user. Yeah…..this grip may not work for everyone, but if you are not quite there with the original Ergon grip, you need to get the GX-1 and try it. It is even better than the original. The fact that it is lighter weight is just a bonus.

American Classic Hubs: These hubs have been improved for 2009 and are now to be considered seriously for any high end wheel build. The weight is super low, the design is unique and it works. But the best thing? Well, in my mind it is the innovative steel inserts found at three points on the free hub body that prevent the individual cogs of a cassette from digging into the softer aluminum and rendering the cassette nigh unto impossible to remove later. This idea is brilliant and is one of those “doh! Why didn’t someone think of that before” type ideas. Cheers to American Classic! This insert idea is to be found acrss their 2009 range, by the way, so any discipline of cycling can take advantage of this.

Bontrager Inform Saddles and Fit System: Once again, a brilliant idea that is executed well, rendering cycling a more pleasurable experience. Bontrager came out of the gate with the Inform saddle line up in three levels for men and later added a women’s line up that isn’t the first in its field, but definitely the best. We pined away for a mountain bike version, and now that is coming as well. Kudos to Bontrager engineers and the rest of the team. This saddle is awesome, and the fit system is fantastic. No wonder it garnered a Mechanic’s Choice Award from us.

Well, that’s my list. Look for more and expanded gear reviews in 2009 along with our continued coverage and opinions on the cycling gear you will be looking for in the coming months. Thanks for reading in 2008! We appreciate it!