Welcome to Cycling News' first Awards Week. This week, July 17-23, we will be honoring the best products that have resulted from the use, research, and testing of countless cycling techniques in a variety of categories.

I'm Josh, the Tech Editor here. I joined Cycling News in 2019 after working in a bike store for 5 years and racing road bikes, mountain bikes, and CX for over 10 years. My assistants are Will Jones and Tom Wieckowski, who have each ridden, raced, and been obsessed with bikes since they were young. Also in the US is Josh Ross, who is not afraid to question the claims of marketers around the world and spends his days looking at every detail of what we test.

Our daily goal in our role (i.e., "editorial content strategy") is simple: to help you, the reader, choose the right product at the best available price in the category you are already looking to buy. We do not intend to force you to buy something you don't need or to introduce you to products that we ourselves would not use. Like many of our competitors, we monetize this content through affiliate marketing, but our recommendations are and will remain resolutely independent of this and other paid advertising. Thankfully, our boss (Future Publishing) has a commercial team that allows us to focus on editing.

Our strategy is supported by hundreds of Buyer's Guides. Buyer's Guides are primarily focused on "What is the best . XYZ" query. That XYZ could be anything from "cycling shoes" and "road bikes" to "cycle computers" and "winter socks," with an emphasis on finding the best products in that category wherever there is interest.

This strategy extends to covering deal events like Prime Day and Black Friday, where we shift our focus to finding the best prices on products we value.

This week, the strategy finds a new outlet: awards. Here, we take the time to showcase our absolute top picks, as well as a selection of outstanding products within a category. In most categories, we have adopted a system of awarding "Best Overall," "Best Value," and, if deemed applicable, "Honorable Mention."

In addition, two groups, road and gravel bikes, were specifically field tested back-to-back, with a price limit of £4,000 (or equivalent in dollars or euros). The results of these tests, along with 20 other categories covered by longer-term ongoing tests, will be published in no particular order from today (Monday) through Friday.

By and large, the criteria for each award are mixed. Of course, objective testing and comparisons can be made in most categories, such as weight, but you are well aware that testing track pumps requires different criteria than helmets, shoes, bikes, etc.

It is also worth noting that our subjective opinions also form part of the equation. In some of these awards, after testing 20 products in a given category, the product we picked up on our ride outing may be the "best overall". Or the "best overall" is, of course, the easy winner on paper, backed by our own testing, and therefore the clear winner, but we may personally prefer something else based on intangible qualities, or fit, look, feel, function, etc. Or we may want to admire another product for challenging the status quo. In these cases, an "honorable mention" is in order.

Hopefully, all is relatively clear. If not, it should be as the week progresses and the first few winners are chosen.

If you disagree with any of our views, don't be shy. If you haven't tested a product you like or haven't worked on a category you are trying to buy, let us know. We are always working on the following buying advice.

We will add products to the list below as soon as they are announced that we think are worthy of an award, so check back later in the week.