2024 STAFF STANDOUTS

COLE’S TOP PICKS

Another year has flown by, and it marked some significant changes that I could not be more stoked about! This year was my first year transitioning to working here at The Loam Wolf full time. Gone are the days of slacking off at my day job to test products, shoot videos and attend our shootouts.

2024 was packed with new experiences and plenty of responsibility to deliver quality content to you, and I loved just about every minute. I am very excited to see what the future holds and am ready to shred on into 2025. Here are some of my favorite bits from 2024.

CANYON SPECTRAL

When I look back on the year and all the sweet new bikes we got to ride, the latest Canyon Spectral still burns in my mind. The bike brought a smile to my face every time I threw a leg over it. It just did everything very well – composed in the rough stuff, but playful on the side hits. That bike embodied everything a true trail bike should and absolutely deserved of a place on my list.

SANTA CRUZ HECKLER SL

This year’s SL group test featured a plethora of great bikes. For me, the Heckler SL stood top of the list and took the crown for my favorite eBike to date. The riding position delivered high on confidence, both on flow trails and over some seriously gnarly terrain. Whatever Santa Cruz has done with their geometry math is nothing short of magical! Sure, more power would be nice, but the bikes low weight and agile on-trail feel does more than make up for the reduced power of the Fazua Ride 60 system compared with a full-fat.

YT TUES

Man, DH bikes are still the most fun you can have on two wheels! There is just something special about a dual crown and a chairlift ride to the top of a mountain. The YT Tues embodies what I want out of DH Bike: something that you can comfortably ride all day; jump; smash some tech, and still be in one piece to do it all over again the next day. The Tues feels like a 200mm enduro bike as it is plenty light to keep it active and playful, but also sits into the chunk when you are pushing for speed. While it may not be the all-out race bike some want, that is not my goal when it comes to bike park laps. I just want to have fun, and fun is what the YT Tues delivers.

NF DP5 PANT

Late in the year I received the new DP5 Pant from NF, a small rider-owned Canadian apparel manufacturer. These pants tick all of my boxes! Most importantly to me, they are offered in two separate inseam lengths! Being quite long-legged, I opted for the long version, of course. When pedaling the pants still cover my ankles, which is hard to come by for me. NF’s elastic waistband keeps them snug all day, and the material is super durable but still stretchy. While my full review is not yet out for these, I could not leave them off my list.

CRANKBROTHERS MALLET BOA SHOE

While these are not new for 2024, they were new to my feet. The best way I can describe these is that they are slippers with enough support to race DH in. The BOA system is perfect – there are no hot spots, and adjusting tension on the fly is super easy. They have lasted an entire year and still have plenty of life left, and when they are back in stock I will be snagging another pair.

RACEFACE CHESTER GRIP

Being a die-hard DMR Deathgrip fan for many years now, I finally went outside my comfort zone and gave the new Race Face Chester grips a go. I found myself to really like the thicker version for big days in the park. They have a noticeable amount of vibration damping, helping with fatigue on our long days shooting and riding. These are worth a try, and the price is hard to beat.

7MESH SPRUCE HOODY

This season, I was lucky enough to get some gear from 7Mesh to test out. Their Spruce Hoody really left me impressed. This is a light to mid-weight jacket with miles of stretch and fleece-lined pockets. The material wicks sweat and can be worn in a wide range of temperatures, making it unbelievably comfortable both on and off the bike. The only downside I can see is that the fleece-like exterior may snag on branches, but I have yet to have that issue, so take that with a pinch of salt. The amount of stretch offered when on the bike is what I wish I could find in every bit of riding kit, they nailed it!

REVELSTOKE ALPINE PEDAL

This year was my first trip up to Revelstoke, joined by my partner Emma. She planned the trip, so I can’t take any credit. We did an awesome loop at Frisby Ridge, just outside of the town. The views of the surrounding mountain ranges were nothing short of epic! The climb up was very moderate, meandering through an old growth forest before popping out into an alpine wilderness. This is a zone we 100% plan on going back to, although next time with a bear bell. I highly recommend checking this ride out!

FOR 2025:

VANCOUVER ISLAND TRIP

Living so close to Vancouver Island, I am still shocked I have not made a trip over there. The dense temperate rainforests and more trails you could ride in a lifetime draws people from all over the world, yet here I am just a few hours drive and have not made it happen. Any suggestions on what trail networks to check out is much appreciated!

BIG PEDAL DAYS

Most of my rides are between 1,000 and 2,000 feet of climbing, on short loops that are easily repeatable for product testing. Sure, I get in a fair amount of 3k days, but not often much more than that. I want to push myself to consistently put in long efforts now that my day job is to pedal (that is still freaking weird to say). I have never been much of a fan of climbing, but always end big days with a feeling of accomplishment. I am not putting hard pressure on any goals, just to make an effort for bigger days consistently.