SRAM's AXS wireless technology trickled down to GX level spec with the release of the SRAM GX AXS system. We like it. A lot.
Andi Sykes
Andi is a gadget guru and mountain biker who has lived and ridden bikes in China and Spain before settling down in the Peak District to become Singletrack's social media expert. He is definitely more big travel fun than XC sufferer but his bike collection does include some rare hardtails - He's a collector and curator as well as a rider. Theory and practice in perfect balance with his inner chi, or something. As well as living life based on what he last read in a fortune cookie Andi likes nothing better than riding big travel bikes.
How to get through winter with Troy Lee Designs (Video)
Get through winter riding with this great range of all-weather riding kit from Troy Lee Designs featuring, trousers, gloves and jackets.
Nukeproof Giga Carbon 290 Elite review
Nukeproof has always tended to lean on the gravity side of the spectrum, but the new Giga was more gravity-driven than usual.
Michelin Wild Enduro Tyre – Editors’ Choice Awards 2021
The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140. The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism,…
Crankbrothers Stamp Flat Shoes – Editors’ Choice Awards 2021
The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140. The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism,…
Fizik Gravita Tensor Flat Shoes – Editors’ Choice Awards 2021
The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140. The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism,…
Nukeproof Giga Elite – Editors’ Choice Awards 2021
The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140. The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism,…
microSHIFT Advent X – Editors’ Choice Awards 2021
The Singletrack Staffers pick the standout products and locations from their riding year. This article was originally published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 140. The year has felt a little like approaching that nemesis feature on the trail: you roll up to it full of optimism,…
Commencal Meta AM 29 Team Review
Commencal went ultra-long and slack for the newest Meta AM 29, so does that make it too enduro for everyday riding? The Commencal Meta AM 29 has evolved from being an ‘All Mountain’ trail bike to a full-on enduro slayer. Compared to the previous generation…
Review – Magicshine Monteer 8000 Galaxy you’re never going to need more light!
Magicshine’s latest 8000 lumen Monteer is less of a light and more like your very own personal solar flare for the trail! Winter might bring cold weather, mud, rain, and constant cleaning of gritty drivetrains, but it also brings with it the fun of a…
Win a Fox Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS Full Face Helmet!
Take a detailed first look at the Fox Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS full-face helmet and enter for your chance to win one for yourself! Fox Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS first look This is the Fox Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS helmet, also known as the RPC…
2022 Giant Trance X is a 27.5 trail bike built for fun
27.5in isn’t dead and thanks to the new Giant Trance X it looks like it has an exciting life ahead! Giant has had a mixed relationship with 29in wheels, and although they now make plenty of big-wheeled bikes they haven’t turned their back on 27.5in…
Specialized releases updated Gambit full face and Roost flat pedal shoes
If you like to ride the bike park or downhill parks in flats, then Specialized has 2 new updates tailored just for you. Specialized Roost – £110 The Roost are a new flat-pedal shoe designed for riders wanting that casual skate shoe look, but requiring…
Mondraker goes down country with the all-new Mondraker Raze
The Mondraker Raze is a 130mm travel trail bike designed for pedalling efficiency and rowdy downhill fun. Full disclosure, I only used the term ‘down country’ so that you would hit the link. If you’re reading this then thanks for not jumping to the comments…
E*13 Vario Dropper Post review – an adjustable dropper on the go!
The E*13 Vario dropper post offers smooth action and simple travel change in a durable package. The dropper post has been around for decades. Even before it became a must-have item for a modern mountain bike, the concept of the dropper post isn’t new. While…
Gusset Slim Jim Nylon Pedals Review
The Gusset Slim Jim Nylon pedal is another composite flat pedal that proves you don’t need the latest CNC flats to get rowdy off-road. I remember buying my first ‘proper’ mountain bike. It was a Giant Boulder and I was pretty chuffed with it. I…
2022 Specialized Stumpy Evo Alloy boasts adjustable headset, BB height and mullet wheel compatibility!
Specialized announces details and pricing of the 2022 Stumpy Evo Alloy sporting a host of adjustable features. The longer, lower, slacker movement started in Europe and it took U.S brands a very long time before catching up, but once they did they went all in!…
Fizik Gravita Tensor flat shoe review: do your feet a favour
After trying and being very impressed with the Fizik Gravita flat shoe, Extra UK sent over the more gravity friendly Fizik Gravita Tensor for me to review. Editors’ Choice 2021 This product features in our Singletrackworld Editors’ Choice 2021 round-up. Andi: “I mentioned there were…
The new Trek Top Fuel mixes uphill efficiency with downhill performance
The Trek Top Fuel was once considered the goto XC bike, but times have changed and the Top Fuel now blurs the line between XC and trail. We know that you don’t like the term ‘Downcountry’ but it’s hard to ignore especially when Trek are…
Sram Flight Attendant is an electronic suspension wizard built into the new RockShox Ultimate family
You’ve likely heard some rumblings about a new electronic product from SRAM, well we can finally tell you all about it. Here’s everything you need to know about SRAM Flight Attendant. It was only a matter of time before SRAM launched a product like Flight…
The Carbon Chameleon is dead long live the aluminium Chameleon
Santa Cruz kills off the carbon Chameleon but replaces it with a new alloy Chameleon starting from just £2399. Wet muddy trails mean it’s about time for some hardtail hooning, and if you’re after something fresh Santa Cruz has the goods. The Santa Cruz Chameleon…
Mullet Commencal Meta SX and Meta Power SX models get SHORTER reach and LONGER chainstays!
Have we finally reached peak reach? Perhaps Commencal believes so with new shorter reach numbers on both the Meta SX and Meta Power SX! Commencal has offered a mullet version of the Supreme for most of this season, and now the Meta follows suit with…
Patrol 691 Evo Review | This Indonesian enduro puts the SUPER in Superboost!
Patrol Mountain has taken input from riders and testers from around the world and brought the geometry of their 691 right up to date. I do bring this up as often as I possibly can, but a few years ago, when pandemics were something only…
Remember the Alpinestars Ti Mega? Well, it’s back with modern geometry… sort of
The car world has resto-mods and even born again classics, and now so too does the mountain bike world. There are many many mountain bikes from the past that I still lust after. Now and then I’ll even scroll the classifieds to see if I…
Weight weenies rejoice! Canyon releases updated Lux and Exceed for 2022
Canyon releases details of the 2022 Canyon Exceed and Canyon Lux, no new frames but new lightweight builds! If your idea of a good ride is one where you power up the biggest hills you have locally then power back down them again with your…
EXT Superlight V2 springs weigh less than Zebedee on Keto
EXT’s first Superlight series springs were launched in 2015, now 6 years on they get a lighter V2 update. We don’t tend to think ‘lightweight’ and ‘coil shock’ together, but while a super plush coil might not be a low-weight as an air shock, there…
This is what a bike edit should look like! Mattéo Iniguez rides Leysin Bike Park!
A video edit that actually inspires us to get out and ride! Mattéo Iniguez and Commencal team up to ride Leysin Bike Park. We get sent video edits on an almost daily basis, but very few actually make it onto the homepage of Singletrack. The…
Orbea now offering Occam in LT long-travel option
Hot on the heels of the release of the new Rallon is the updated Orbea Occam and Occam LT trail bikes. If you read our first ride impressions of the 2022 Orbea Rallon last week and loved the design but were put off by the…
GoPro Hero 10 set to launch tomorrow! Here is everything we know!
GoPro has started to tease the release of the GoPro Hero 10 with the next generation action camera going official on the 16th of September! GoPro’s yearly update cycle is fast approaching, in fact, it is imminent with the release of the 10th generation action…
Mick Hannah announces retirement from World Cup racing
Mick Hannah has announced that he plans to retire after the final race of the 2021 downhill World Cup calendar! The time has come to announce that I’m retiring from World Cup racing. This is a moment that I’ve contemplated many times over the course…
FGF 565 – The future has landed
We’ve made it through another week of mis-forecasts, warm nights, high pollen levels and it’s finally the weekend. We’re sure you all have lots planned, but if you find the time to sit back with a brew, it’s time to make your nominations for the…
The 2022 Orbea Rallon launches with new EVERYTHING! | First Ride Impressions
The 2022 Orbea Rallon has been hitting the EWS circuit this year, and Andi has swung a leg over to give us his first impressions. The Orbea Rallon has always been a pretty progressive bike. In 2014 the bike was updated with some of the…
FGF 564 – Everything Is Different But The Same
This week while some of the STW crew had our first taste of heading back to the office, Chipps started larging it as Editor as Large – starting with a trip to the rather quiet Eurobike. Between the balls of tumbleweed and racks of e-bikes,…
Podcast | What connects mountain biking to Formula One? Andi speaks to Pirelli to find out.
Will we ever see Formula One tyre technology make its way into mountain biking? This is just one of the topics Andi touches on as he chats to Pirelli following the launch of the new Scorpion range of mountain bike tyres. Pirelli is a household…
Cotic BFe Max Review – Another Cotic Classic!
Cotic BFe Max review! Cotic takes the BFe name made famous 16 years ago and gives it a 2021 29er spin. There are a few bike models that have really shaped the modern mountain bike industry and I feel that the Cotic BFe is one…
Fresh Goods Friday 563 – Bank Holiday Treats
The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting, the bees are buzzing, and it’s the weekend! If you’ve failed to make plans for this summery treat of an August Bank Holiday it is not too late to take yourself to The GT Malverns. You can…
Halo Gravitas Review | Downhill ready performance that won’t break the bank!
Halo’s new Gravitas wheelset is aimed at downhill riders, and in fact, has already been tested on the Downhill World Cup, so surely they can survive a few months of STW abuse. Halo has a long tradition of developing wheels that can handle plenty of…
2022 Fox 34 Grip 2 Review | The king of trail forks?
Andi rides and reviews the 2022 Fox 34 Grip 2, a trail fork he thinks you should have at the very top of your wish list. A couple of weeks ago I posted a review of the RockShox Pike Ultimate fork, in that review I…
Fresh Goods Friday 562 | The Raw Tubes and Rubber Edition
This week in Fresh Goods Friday we have cordless tools, beautiful German bikes, and limited edition rubber! Has the bike and component shortage finally come to an end? No, we don’t think so either, but in what must be a momentous event we’ve had so…
Granite Design Cricket Bell Review | ding ding for trail harmony!
Granite Design produces some great little items that you’ll use once and wonder how you lived without them, is this what we think of the Cricket Bell though? What is it? The Granite Design Cricket Bell is a small bell designed to mount to your…
Review | SILT Carbon AM 29, strong, light and cheap?
“Strong, light, cheap: pick two” is the phrase that is often punted around, but has SILT managed to tick off all 3 with the new SILT AM Carbon wheels? We all wish it wasn’t true, but it’s a fact that you cannot have a cheap,…
Sendhit Nock Handguards | Should you go full enduro?
Made in France and designed to protect your hands and your brake levers in the event of a crash, but are Nock Handguards worth it? What is it? Before I fitted the Sendhit Nock Handguards to my bike I believed that only Sam Hill or…
Fresh Goods Friday 560 – The Padded Pyjamas Edition
Ahh yes. Early summer holiday weather. Schools have broken up, the caravans have been woken from their slumber and it’s still a bit tricky to go abroad, so most people are looking forward to a bit of a staycation. Cue endless days of Monopoly in…
Review: Syncros Hixon IC Rise integrated bar and stem
For almost a year now, Andi has been riding the super slick Syncros Hixon IC Rise bar and stem combo and he is absolutely smitten! What is it? This is the Syncros Hixon IC Rise, a complete carbon bar and stem solution. Anyone who rode…
Hope Union, a trio of new SPD pedals to suit gravity, race and trail riders
Hope Technology has announced a trio of SPD pedals suited to gravity, race and trail riding. The new Hope Union pedal range has been announced with an SPD/clipless pedal model to suit most riding styles. The Union is a dual-sided pedal featuring a CNC machined…
RockShox Pike Ultimate Review | Lots of small changes for big performance
The 35mm stanchion RockShox Pike looks positively skinny compared to new school forks, but the latest Pike Ultimate is perfect for trail duties. Way way back, not Judy DH or even Judy DHO way back, but way-ish back, the RockShox Pike was aimed at enduro…
Fresh Goods Friday 559 – Le Freak, C’est Chic
How very odd. Tonight, at the Trades Club just along the road from Singletrack Towers, it is possible to go to a disco. Not an outdoor silent disco with headphones, or one where participants are inside carefully segregated squares, or screened-off boxes. An actual disco,…
Exclusive | Orange Alpine Evo Review a big travel bike with trail bike manners
The Orange Alpine Evo is the latest development in the Alpine range, offering big travel capabilities in a lively and efficient trail-friendly package. The Orange Alpine Evo isn’t designed to be an all-out enduro race bike, though it is surely capable enough. Instead, this new…
Video | Watch Joe Barnes shred on the new Orange Alpine Evo!
The Orange Alpine Evo has been developed to offer riders big mountain capabilities but in a lively, and efficient trail package. The following is the official press release for the Orange Alpine Evo, if instead, you would like to read our review and watch our…
Review | Michelin Wild AM and Force AM tyres, as good as their Enduro cousins?
Off the back of testing and falling in love with the Michelin Wild Enduro, Andi tests the new Michelin Wild AM and Force AM. Will he be impressed? Earlier this year I tested the Nukeproof Giga, a super enduro bike that blew me away not…
Review: Patrol C091 a carbon hardtail with all the gear for just $2199
Low-cost, huge value mountain bike options are drying up fast, so perhaps the Patrol C091 is just what the mountain bike market needs. It seems like just a couple of years ago when the we filled headlines with news of budget bikes, and shops had…