It's the Mountain Bike World Championships this weekend. Here's all you need to know about when it's on and how to livestream it.
Ben Haworth
185cm tall. 74kg weight. Orange Switch 6er. Saracen Ariel Eeber. Schwalbe Magic Mary. Maxxis DHR II. Coil fan.
Watch trailer for ‘Shires’ – A Very British Bicycle Film
This looks like it'll be a good 'un. Shires is a bike film encompassing UK riders, locations, landscapes and the sh*t* weather.
Fresh Goods Friday 663 – The Preparation H Edition
H in this instance being 'Holiday'. Preparing for holidays can take many forms. Some can be fun, some stressful, some exhausting!
The New RockShox SID Collection
We've yet to ride any of this new SID stuff so you'll have to make do, like us, with some words and piccies from RockShox.
NBD: Coal Scab, Torq Naked Gel, Norco Fluid Carbon…
... Limited Edition Ortlieb Bikepacking Luggage, Unior Tool Speed Pedal Wrench and an 'Inverse Type Bicycle Shock Presentation'!
Quick drool: Starling Cycles Mega Murmur
Our resident steel boinger fan Benji is currently having a bit of lie down after receiving details of the new Starling Cycles Mega Murmur.
3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross: No Gravel Bikes Allowed
The latest tweak to the Bike Regulations in the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross rule book confirm the event’s cyclo-cross intentions. No suspension forks or frames (but suspension stems and seatposts still allowed?) The 59th Edition of the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross takes place on Sunday 24th September…
Fresh Goods Friday 662 – Where The Eagles Dare Edition
After a series of tentative moves followed by capitalising on a fumble, Bon Jovi has made it through the wrestling ring of musical tastes.
NBD: RockShox Boxxer, Intense Tazer Alloy, Mason Bokeh 3.0…
... Trek Fuel EXe in Alloy, Privateer DJ101 and a perfectly Pink Process X from Kona. It's all of this week's most-interesting bike launches!
Canyon Strive:ON – Race Up, Rave Down
Canyon has launched a new addition to its electric line up: the Strive:ON. This ditches the Shapeshifter of the non-electric version, and sets its eye firmly on E-Enduro racing. A few weeks ago Canyon unleashed a whole new wave of e-mountain bikes. The one we’re…
Fresh Goods Friday 661 – The Hard Lining Edition
It's Red Bull Hardline weekend! And it's looking like it might be a terrifyingly wet one. Good luck to all the racers giving it their best.
NBD: Scott Endorphin, FSA x Cannondale Factory, Deviate Tilander…
... Hunt Proven Carbon Race XC UD wheels, Patrol full-sussers for kids, more ticket availability for Fort WiIliam World Champs and revised Nukeproof Megawatt.
Specialized Trail Wind Jacket review
The Specialized Trail Wind Jacket is one of those cliché 'goto' garments. For what I appreciate in a 3-season jacket, this ticks all boxes.
Fresh Goods Friday 660 – The Pump Me Pub You Edition
Hannah says: Living with an American is an endless source of lingual anomalies. My latest observations are around their curious deployment of French. A piece of fish without bones? I bet you and I said fill-it. Them, fill-ay. Fatbiking is a nitch of cycling to…
NBD: Specialized P.Series in 20in, 24in, 26in or 27.5in
The Specialized P range hasn't been updated since approximately yonks* ago, the new dirtjumpin' pumptrackin' range comprises four models.
New UCI Mountain Bike World Cup show hosted by Rob Warner, Eliot Jackson and Emily Batty
Episodes will be released throughout the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Season. Watch Beyond the line only on Red Bull TV from today.
Fresh Goods Friday 659 – The Fiddle Edition
Hannah here, fresh from a podcast recording which has left me full of beans and bike enthusiasm. Assuming I haven’t screwed up the technical side of recording, you should get to listen to another Desert Island Disc Brakes episode, this time with Jake100, who you…
Privateer E161 launches today
The long-awaited pedal assist version of the Privateer 161 gets its official launch today: say hello to the Privateer E161 with a Shimano EP-801 motor and 630Wh battery. We’ll get our name down for one of these for a proper test ASAP. In the meantime,…
NBD: Commençal Meta V5 SX, Deviate Claymore Artist Edition, Ibis HD6…
... Canyon flat pedals, Thok 3D-printed e-bike, HUnt XC Wide Wheelset. Here's a compendium of the more interesting things to arrive in our Inbox this week.
Saracen Ariel 50E Review
The Saracen Ariel 50E may only have 60Nm torque but there’s no way Benji would trade in this bike’s amazing handling prowess in exchange for 25 more Nm. Pros Cons If you read our recent First Look about this bike… or watched the YouTube (see…
Fresh Goods Friday 658 – It’s a Gas Gas Gas Edition
New Schwalbe tyres and a new Aphex Twin tune! Truly it feels like Xmas in Benji's domain this week.
NBD: Wyrm Racing Lab, Tacky Chan, Cotic E-Scapade Concept…
... CushCore E-MTB, Schwalbe Green Marathon and the new Commençal Meta 5 all feature in this week's news round-up.
Pinion E-Drive System: E-Bike Gearbox Motor
Pinion have crammed a motor into the gearbox. Here’s details of the Pinion E-Drive System AKA Pinion Motor.Gearbox.Unit (MGU). TLDR: Pinion E-Drive System Pinion press release in full: WORLD’S FIRST. MOTOR AND GEARBOX. FINALLY UNITED. The drivetrain is the heart of an e-bike. Until now,…
How to deal with overgrown trails
'Tis the season of overgrowth. Here's how to protect yourself and how to keep your trails running sweetly with a few trail maintenance tools.
Bosch Performance Line SX: 55Nm, 600W peak, 2kg
Joining the mid-power mountain bike melée, the Bosch Performance Line SX offers 55Nm of torque in a low-weight package with more piggyback battery options. TLDR: New Bosch Performance Line SX We haven’t seen one in the flesh yet. So in the meantime, here’s the Bosch…
Fresh Goods Friday 657 – The Hand Dryer Edition
Hannah says: I have a conundrum of the most modern and first world variety. I need to decide what to do with my name when I get married next week. Maybe I’ve already decided what I’m going to do, and maybe I haven’t, but in…
NBD: Orange Switch 6, SRAM Apex, Lapierre E-Zesty…
... Hope Dropper Lever, Cannondale Habit HT, Sixpack Headset Cable Routing System, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Saracen LSL Hardtails, Specialized Levo SL Kids.
WIN THIS BIKE! Is This The Best E-Bike Under £5k?
And you can win yourself one! The Saracen Ariel 50E is more than the sum of considerable parts. Great geometry, great suspension, great parts allied to a capable Shimano STEPS motor and capacious 720Wh battery from Darfon. This particular model is the Saracen Ariel 50E.…
Daytrippin’ Kit Essentials
Benji brings you a kit list for a pilgrimage to the mountains, or just somewhere new and far away.
CamelBak M.U.L.E. Pro 14 Review
“Hydrate or die.” This is one of my favourite ever marketing slogans. CamelBak came out with it in the nineties, and it has a point.
Specialized Gambit Helmet Review
This Specialized Gambit is going to be a controversial one. It is a product I very nearly didn’t include. Why? Not because of its price tag.
Troy Lee Designs Resist Trouser Review
I’m happy to say the Troy Lee Designs Resist Trouser completely confounded expectations and have proved to be an excellent.
Unparallel West Ridge Shoe Review
Although these Unparallel West Ridge are high-top shoes, I usually don’t lace them all the way up the very top.
Torque Covert 7 Crank Multi-Tool Review
This Torque Covert 7 multi-tool could be better. I’m happy to accept the cost-cutting aspect of it in exchange for the lower price tag.
Gusset Sleeper Push-on Grip Review
If you suffer from arm pump during rides, forget new bars/forks/wheels/bike, just spend ten quid on some Gusset Sleeper push-ons.
CushCore XC 29 Review
The best solution to keeping the dreaded deflations at bay is a tyre insert. And in my opinion, CushCore XC is still the best option.
Scrub Alloy Trail Wheelset Review
These Scrub Alloy Trail wheels from one-man-band UK outfit Scrub are what I’d actually spend my own money on.
Marzocchi Bomber Z1 Coil Fork Review
Time for some more preaching. Coil is better. Always has been. Always will be. Yes, some gravity racers prefer air. Are you a racer? I’m not.
Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station Review
The Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station is not for everyone, BUT for some folk this thing will be really, really useful to have.
Lenzerheide DH World Cup: How Was It For You?
SPOILERS. The racing itself was as amazing and entertaining as ever, but how did the new format and the new broadcasters fare? It's time for some 'hot takes'.
Double Yer Money Hardtails: Bike Test
Hardtails are not just for winter, and mountain bikes don’t have to be expensive. Benji looks at what your money can get you.
Voodoo Braag Review
The Voodoo Braag is an exercise in seeing how low you can go with price while still ticking sufficient ‘proper mountain bike’ boxes.
Merida Big Trail 400 Review
The Merida Big Trail 400 may not have some of the more boutique brands’ bits bolted to it, but it has absolutely nailed the essentials.
Trek Procaliber 9.6 Review
Sure, you can ride the Trek Procaliber 9.6 whenever and wherever you like but the raison d’être of this bike is to perform between race tape.
Column: Weight For It
Benji argues that weight does matter (but not much). The following column will hopefully unite the warring tribes in mountain biking. From the weeniest of weight watchers, to the whatever-est of funtime trail riders, everyone should be able to get behind the following words. Essentially,…
Fresh Goods Friday 656 – Lenzerheide And Seek Edition
In many* ways, Fresh Goods Friday is like a Downhill World Cup.
WTF is happening at tomorrow’s MTB World Series DH?
Welcome to the brave new world of elite Downhill racing. New race formats, new schedules, new broadcasting rights and new commentators.
New Mountain Bike Event Hits Dyfi Valley on 1st July
Dyfi Wild Ride is a new mountain biking event in the Dyfi Valleys on 1st July.
Big Vid: Amaury Pierron’s Rise and Fall and Rise Again
Two World Cup Downhill Championship titles with a space of four long years between them, connected by the resilience of one man. 'The Pilot' is a 79 minute fillum about one Amaury Pierron.
Bike Check: Benji’s Stif Squatch
I got the Stif Squatch frame in to act as a testbed for the sort of stuff that wouldn’t quite suit my other longer-travel full-sus testbed.
Fresh Goods Friday 654 – Kylo Ren’s British Knights Edition
Benji is out on a hill with bikes. So is Amanda. Charlie is on holiday. This video was already in here, so it means something to someone but I (Hannah) have no idea what. But I am partial to a spot of Leonard Cohen. If…
