Take a look at the list below and there are three main takeaways: You the reader are most interested in new bikes, weird bikes, and articles explaining how to fix your bike. Indeed, the 10 most popular RoadBikeReview articles of 2015 included product launch posts featuring Giant, Specialized, Felt and Cannondale, plus the wacky Bird of Prey bike, and How To features on quieting creaky bottom brackets and setting saddle height.
This list is based on total page views, and while there are many ways to gauge interest (Facebook likes, number of comments, etc), we rely on Google Analytics, which is the industry standard for this sort of tabulation. Here then are the most popular posts ranked 1 to 10. Thanks to all of you for stopping by. We hope you keep coming back for more in 2016. Happy New Year!
1. Giant TCR Road Bike Line-Up Launched
Leading the way in 2015 was our expansive feature on Giant's impressive new line-up of TCR road bikes, which the world's largest bike maker said, "was not an aero bike, not a sprinter's bike, this is a GC bike. It can climb, it can sprint, it can descend. It's designed to do it all." After two days of test riding in Spain, we concurred, writing "Overall the bike behaved exactly as advertised, delivering the kind of efficient and precise ride you'd expect from a $8800 Tour de France-level race machine. Bottom bracket stiffness was especially noticeable. No matter how hard we mashed, there was absolutely no hint of slop. It truly felt as though all your energy was being delivered to the rear wheel."
2. Ten Things Cyclists Should Eat and Drink
Bucking the trend of tech related posts was this video detailing what you should eat while out on your bike. Indeed, outside of choosing which bike to ride, perhaps the most important consideration a cyclist makes is what to put inside their body. The right food and drink can make or break your ride - and how you feel afterwards. Get the answers here.
3. First Look at the Bird of Prey
No this post was not about a falcon or eagle, it details a bike - a very strange looking bike. Rather than the normal seated position, this two-wheeled contraption places riders in Superman style riding position, which the inventor says allows riders to easily see the road ahead, while offering many positive attributes - such as improved aerodynamics and a lower center of gravity. That may all be true, but we'll stick to our regular road bike, thank you.
4. Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS Launched
Arguably the most interesting "normal" bike to debut 2015, the uber-aero S-Works Venge ViAS caught readers eyes as much for its impressive design as the bold claims that came with it. In a nutshell, the Big Red S claimed that the combination of its new road bike with new Roval CLX 64 aero carbon wheels, S-Works Turbo tires, S-Works Evade GC skinsuit, S-Works Sub6 Shoes, and S-Works Evade helmet could save you more than 5 minutes over the course of a flat'ish 40km time trial. That number exceeds the margin between first and second place overall in nine of the last 10 Tours de France (if you still count Lance).
5. How To Set Your Saddle Height and Position
Checking in at No. 5 was this post on the all-important task of setting saddle height. As most cyclists know, an improperly set saddle can lead to power output inefficiencies at best, severe knee pain at worst. That's why it's imperative that you don't take this task lightly. Instead follow the tips in this helpful video.
Continue to page 2 for more of our 2015 Top 10 list »
6. Felt World HQ Tour and 2016 Road Bike Line-Up
For anyone interested in how bikes are designed, this up-close look at Felt's Irvine, California, base of ops was a must read. Of course, we all also wanted to find out what was coming next from one of the industry's most respected bike makers. More good stuff as usual.
7. Specialized Launches Semi-Custom Bike Program
Taking a page out of the Trek Project One book, and responding to what it described as an on-going request from dealers, Specialized launched S Build last winter. The semi-custom bike program allows customers to create the bike of their dreams. We'll be meeting with Specialized in early February and it will be interesting to see what's next from the popular bike and apparel brand.
8. How To Fix a Creaking Bottom Bracket
One of the most common causes of unwanted noise while riding your bike comes from pedaling. Whether it's your pedals, cranks, bottom bracket or some other part of the drivetrain, it's often maddening to the point of ruining your ride. To avoid that malady, this hugely popular video outlined some tips and tricks to keep your bike running smoothly - and quietly.
9. Cannondale Slate Officially Unveiled
We first got wind of the Cannondale Slate in June 2015 via a series of teaser videos. Then in August the innovative new bike was fully revealed. Built around the 650b wheel platform and equipped with a 30mm suspension fork dubbed the Lefty Oliver (as in ride "all over"), the Slate (as in "clean slate") was designed to be ridden just about anywhere. In December, we put this theory to the test on one very spirited ride near Malibu, California.
10. U2's Bono In Bike Crash
Rounding out our 2015 Top 10 was a post detailing the crash and subsequent slow recovery of U2 frontman and lead singer Bono. While riding in New York's Central Park, the rock superstar was attempting to avoid another cyclist when he went down in a heap, suffering fractures to his face and arm. The singer was rushed to a nearby hospital and underwent multiple X-rays and CAT scans followed by five hours of surgery. "Recovery has been more difficult than I thought," wrote the 54-year-old Bono in a blog post on the band's website. "As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again."
So there you have it, RoadBikeReview's 2015 Top 10. Hit us up in the comments section below and tell us what were your favorite stories and what you would like to see more of in 2016. Thanks for reading!