Joe Cruz’s Favorite Dozen
It’s always fun when somebody mentions Rene Herse components among their favorites, but it’s doubly meaningful when it’s somebody of the stature of Joe Cruz. bikepacking.com contributor, route finder, philosopher—Joe is an absolute legend!
Imagine our surprise (and delight) when Joe mentioned TPU tubes among his four favorite new products of 2024. He wrote: “Here’s the thing: Tubeless is great and, when riding in thorn country, plainly essential. But there are a lot of bikes in my shed, and I’m often rotating through different tires for different applications. My patience for checking and topping off sealant, for wrestling with seating beads, or for dealing with the mess on the side of the trail if something goes wrong, is finite.”
Joe isn’t easily impressed: Asked to write about his favorite dozen products of 2024, he listed only five: four products and a tour. So he continued his list with ‘gear that lasts.’
Among his seven all-time favorites is ‘thrift-store shopping for clothes’—and Rene Herse knobby tires. He calls the Juniper Ridge Extralights “absolutely the best I’ve ever pedaled on.”
Thank you, Joe—we’ve been fans for a long time, and it’s been fun to see all your adventures on these Juniper Ridges
Head to bikepacking.com to read about all of Joe’s favorites, and also his insights into why we pick the gear we ride and like.
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