2021 kicks off with the news that Loris Vergier will be joining the Trek Factory Racing team alongside Reece Wilson, Kade Edwards and Charlie Harrison. Trek Factory Racing’s downhill squad made the most of 2020’s twists and turns. In a thoroughly unpredictable year, they overcame…
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.
2021 Team News: Rémy Métailler says ‘thank you’ to Cube
It reads like a ‘thank you’ message but our sources tell us that Rémy Métailler will be leaving Cube after 4 years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rémy Métailler (@remymetailler) Thank you @cube.bikes for four years! Signing with Cube at the end of…
2021 Team News: Eliot Jackson leaves Giant after 4 years
Our man with the stats, Eliot Jackson won’t be riding under the Giant team for 2021. After 4 years with the team, he’s moving on! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eliot Jackson (@eliotjackson) My time under the Giant tent has come…
Team moves and rumours: The movers, shakers and maybes of 2021
It’s the silly season again, and with the world, in chaos, we’re seeing some surprising team rumours and sponsorship news. Suarez, Höll, Zinc Silva off YT View this post on Instagram A post shared by YT Industries (@yt_industries) Let’s start with the latest news that…
Top 10 Bike Reviews of 2020
It’s been a pants year for a lot of reasons, but we’ve still managed to test some great bikes. Here are our top 10 bike reviews of 2020. Below are the 10 most read mountain bike reviews of 2020. If you’re after eMTB reviews, we’ll…
Christmas Countdown Day 28 – TSG helmet and wet weather gear!
TSG will have you covered for winter with this TSG Scope helmet and wet weather riding gear up for grabs! TSG Bundle TSG Scope MIPS Helmet: £139.99 TSG Drop Rain Jacket: £119.99 TSG Drop Rain Pants: £109.99 TSG and Ison Distributions plan on keeping you…
Top 10 eMTB reviews of 2020
It’s been quite a year for new eMTB releases with new models, new tech and new motors all arriving on the eBike scene. Here are our top 10 eMTB reviews of 2020. 2020 YT Decoy Elite Reviewed by: Andi Price: £6299 From: YT Being one…
Is this the World’s Fastest Hardtail Build? Elliott Heap and Adam Brayton dream build a Scout
Do you think you can build a Nukeproof Scout faster the Elliott Heap and Adam Brayton? Watch this video to find out! This is not your typical dream build. There is no chilled music or mood lighting and there is a little more vomiting than…
Remi Thirion and Commencal parts ways after 8 years!
Remi Thirion is one of the nicest riders on the World Cup circuit and for almost a decade has been associated with Commencal, but not any more! It’s that time of year where teams make changes, riders leave teams and team rumours run rampant. Even…
The Bird Aether 9A is a 130mm travel hooligan that will take a 200mm dropper
The Bird Aether 9A is designed to smash trail centres all day with an efficient 130mm travel platform and modern, but not aggressive, geometry. Bird has made a name for themselves producing well thought out, well priced and great performing bikes with progressive geometry. The…
YT Decoy Elite Review: A great value eMTB with a flashy £6299 price tag!
The YT Decoy Elite takes Decoy pricing up above £6K but for this price, you get a carbon frame and components that other brands would charge £10k+ for! YT bikes are known for their aggressive pricing and high-end builds, so what happens when the buy…
2030g 180mm Manitou Mezzer Expert released for enduro riders not wanting to break the bank
Following on the from the Limited Edition Sterling Mezzer Pro, Manitou has announced the Mezzer Expert built on the same burly 37mm chassis. Manitou has been knocking out some solid performing forks and shocks over the past few years, with riders who choose to ride…
Christmas Countdown Day 14 – Giro Source MIPS Helmet
Another day another advent giveaway and today’s is a stonker! Delve inside for your chance to win a Giro Source MIPS Helmet! Giro Source MIPS Helmet Price: £119.99 From: Zyro It’s already day 14 of the Singletrack Christmas Countdown and today we’re giving away a…
2020 World Cup Winner, Marine Cabirou’s 5 tips to a successful Winter
Winter’s dark nights, cold weather and dirty trails take their toll on your motivation but Marine Cabirou has a few tips to keep on riding. Sometimes it is super hard to train when the weather is not nice, I especially find it difficult when I…
Christmas Countdown Day 12 – Panaracer Aliso and Romero Tyres
It’s time to win yourself a new set of Panaracer tyres, that’s right! The OG tyre makers have teamed up with us to give away a new set of trail/enduro ready rubber hoops to make your Christmas wishes come true! Panaracer Aliso and Romero Tyres…
Loris Vergier Leaves Santa Cruz Syndicate for 2021
Big changes in the Santa Cruz Syndicate camp as it is announced Loris Vergier will not ride for the team in 2021! Loris Vergier, perhaps the most entertaining downhill rider both on and off a bike, will not be wearing the Syndicate kit for 2021.…
Christmas Countdown Day 7 – Evoc Stage Hydration Pack
With all of that flying around the world, delivering gifts, Santa needs to keep hydrated and what better way than with the Evoc Stage Hydration pack? Evoc Stage Hydration Pack Price: £114.99 From: Zyro This day pack from Evoc has all the pockets and compartments…
Christmas Countdown Day 6 | Bell Super Air R Helmet
On the sixth day of Christmas Andi Claus gives us the chance to win the fantastic Bell Super Air R transformable helmet. Bell Super Air R Spherical Helmet Price: £274.95 From: Zyro The Bell Super Air R Spherical helmet is the perfect lid for riders…
Christmas Countdown Day 5 | CamelBak M.U.L.E
It’s already day 5 of the Christmas Countdown, and today with have an excellent CamelBak M.U.L.E up for grabs! CamelBak M.U.L.E Price: £110 From: Zyro When you think of a backpack that you carry water in you will immediately think of CamelBak. The brand is…
Video: Kilian Bron’s Outdoor Synchrony mixes bikes with base jumping!
Kilian Bron and Commencal team up with paragliders, base-jumpers, snowboarders, surfers, climbers and more in this latest video epic. Video edits vary on scale and production. We get those videos shot on GoPro’s or phones, and there are others recorded using the latest Red 4K…
First Ride: 2021 Canyon Spectral CF 29 9.0
If there was one bike missing from the Canyon range then it was a 29er trail bike, that gap has now been plugged with the all-new 2021 Canyon Spectral 29. If you Google “Canyon Spectral 29” then you won’t be too surprised to see that…
2021 Canyon Spectral 29 launched
Canyon launches a 29er version of the Spectral with either 150mm or 160mm of front wheel travel. Canyon has finally launched a 29er version of the popular Spectral trail bike. The new model boasts a completely redesigned frameset, more travel, updated suspension and a choice…
Meet Production Privée’s Proto Ti Jump Bike And Latest Rider
We’ve not seen a whole lot from Production Privée this year, but that’s not to say nothing has been going on behind the scenes. The last time we had any really big news from Production Privée was earlier in the year when it was announced…
FGF 526 – The Countdown To Better Things Begins
Things are about to get better. No, we’re not talking about world events, we’re talking about the giant giveaway of goodness that is December 2020 Plus A Bit Of November And The Megasack Too. We’re still working on the name. But what you need to…
E Pace? No, not a new Jag but the Pace 170e eMTB
Pace goes full eeb with the Shimano EP8 powered Pace 170e boasting coil suspension, 170mm travel and huge 726Wh battery! When Hannah published this article about which brands hadn’t launched an eMTB yet she managed to miss off Britain’s own Pace Cycles. Those who know,…
The multi-standard Lone Parabellum gets a 2021 update
French firm, Lone Bicycles, updates the clever Lone Parabellum with new touches and a new size. Lone Bicycles is a rider owned firm based out of France. The owner and designer, Romain Olmos, is the same man behind HXR components and has had a pretty…
The Cotic Jeht is a 140mm Pocket Rocket
Cotic calls the new Cotic Jeht ‘genre-defying’ but we think it’s more of a pocket Rocket, or maybe a FlareMax +. Cotic’s new Jeht is a new school trail bike made from old school steel. The do-everything 29er features 140mm of rear-wheel travel and is…
Review: Santa Cruz Bullit returns as a Gloss Lavender eMTB and it RIPS!
Andi received one of the first 2021 Santa Cruz Bullit eMTB's to test ahead of launch and watching this review we think be might be in love. The last time I rode a Santa Cruz Bullit it was an alloy, single-pivot bike with 26in wheels.…
Time to bite the Bullit! 2021 Santa Cruz Bullit is a carbon eMTB!
Do you have an eMTB itch that can only be scratched with the most expensive and premium of bikes? Then the 2021 Santa Cruz Bullit eMTB is for you. Bringing an old model name back and turning it into an eMTB is a growing trend,…
UFO Drip chain lube costs £36.95 a bottle and lasts 300km claims Ceramicspeed
Ceramicspeed has released an updated lubrication that uses a new formula for a better life and a lower price. Update: A previous version of this story mentioned the price as £45 a bottle however Windwave has been in touch with the correct price of £36.95…
2021 Santa Cruz Heckler EP8 and MX announced!
Santa Cruz gives the Heckler an early refresh with new EP8 motor options and a mullet MX build available for 2021. We see fresh updates of young products all the time in the tech industry and as tech and mountain bikes become further entwined we’re…
2021 Vitus E-Sommet announced with major redesign
Fancy new eMTB options from Vitus in the form of the 2021 Vitus E-Sommet range packing internal batteries and EP8 motors! Vitus eBikes are great value for money and get rave reviews, but with those external batteries, the design was starting to get a little…
2021 Merida Ninety-Six updated for the XC and Downcountry crowd
Merida’s lightweight Ninety-Six is updated for XC race and down-country larking about. Had you told me this time last year that I would be looking at 120mm travel bikes with a glint in my eye, would have told you to sling your hook! “Only the…
Calibre Triple B Pro rocks performance-ready package at a sub £2k price
Calibre’s popular Bossnut becomes the Triple B Pro in this limited edition build costing £1900. Calibre bikes are regarded as some of the best performing budget bikes on the market and the Bossnut is often THE budget full-suspension bike to have thanks to its sorted…
Fresh Goods 523 | Cars, Guitars, Beer and Women
Feeling a little tired? Thumbs suffering RSI from doom scrolling and refreshing? Now totally expert on US constitutional law? Still gripped? Go join in on the forum. Here, we’re taking a break from graphs, counts, and bemusing broadcasts with our own version of chaos. It’s…
BikePark Wales to reopen on Friday 13th, unlucky for some
This might seem like a ray of sunshine at the start of a long lockdown tunnel, but this great news isn’t so great for everyone. Lockdown, in England, kicks in tomorrow and already bike parks across England are taking to social media to confirm that,…
Orange launches its lightest ever mountain bike!
In the market for an ultra-lightweight hardtail designed for UK conditions? Then check out this 10lb Orange mountain bike, if you can fit on it. Orange bikes have released their most lightweight mountain bike to date, and at just 10lbs it’s significantly lighter than most…
Best eMTB | 2020 Singletrack Reader Awards
It’s time to make your voice heard and vote for which you think is the best eMTB of 2020? Will it be Merida, Canyon or Specialized? The future of mountain biking or a motorised menace? Whatever you think of eBikes, they are here to stay…
How much should an enduro ready carbon bike cost? Vitus says from just £1999
Vitus updates the Escarpe and Sommet for 2021 with new carbon frames and pricing from just £1999! How much does a good trail or enduro bike cost these days? That’s kind of like asking how long a piece of string is isn’t it? When you…
Alutech is selling a €16,000 CNC machined eFanes EMTB
Take the latest eMTB technology and combine it with an expensive manufacturing process and you’ll build something along the lines of this €16,000 eFanes eMTB. Bikes built of CNC machined halves are not as uncommon as you might think, and as brands look at building…
Video: See Stanton Bikes proto CNC and Carbon rear ends!
Want to spend a few moments checking out some curvy CNC machined goodness? Then watch Stanton’s latest video to see what they’ve been working on behind closed doors. Derbyshire based Stanton Bikes was one of the first steel frame makers to push the return of…
Neil Sutton’s 2021 Sonder Evol Dream Build
Neil Sutton, the designer of the Sonder bike range, shows off his newly built 2021 Sonder Evol boasting electronic shifting and kitchen tune suspension. For 2021 Sonder has updated the Evol to run on larger 29in wheels while also stretching the frameset out to give…
2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 Review | Thought you were fast? Wait till you ride this!
The 2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 is a proven speed demon, with sorted geo and kinematics for reduced fatigue and impressive climbing. This is a full-on EWS weapon! Let's cut to the chase, the MY21 Commencal Meta AM is nothing like the outgoing model, sure…
2021 Hope HB.130 now mullet compatible with standard hub spacing
Hope has updated us with news of the 2021 HB.130 now featuring a standard rear hub spacing and the option to run a 27.5in rear wheel. Hope insists that it isn’t a bike brand, and yet they have released an enduro bike in the past…
Review | Orange Crush MX Pro LTD hardcore hardtail
Do the mixed wheels of the Orange Crush MX make this THE hardcore hardtail to own in 2021? Andi climbs on board to tell all. The continued evolution of the Orange Crush means that this alloy hardtail is now available in every flavour from 29er…
2020 Crowns 2 New World Champs in Leogang!
After yesterday’s race, I don’t think we’re going to hear too many complaints that Leogang is a bike park track. After rain and snow, the trails looked more like a swamp than a World Championship circuit with around 90% of the field had trouble staying…
E*13 Helix 556% range cassette is compatible with Shimano and SRAM
The E*13 Helix promises more range, better compatibility, less weight and a lower price! We’re all accustomed to seeing dinner plate size cassettes on our rear wheels, but we’ve not seen something with so much range that looked so good before. The Helix is a…
Heading to the Mill, YT Mill that is
A couple of weekends ago, Andi jumped into his van and headed South for a tour of the newly opened YT Mill in the Surrey Hills. During the lockdown, German bike brand YT opened another of its showroom style stores to the public. This time…
The Brigade builds Ronnie Mac inspired World Champs bike for Alex Marin
Spanish rider, Alex Marin shows off his Ronnie Mac inspired World Championship V10 put together by The Brigade Team. It has been a funny season with races cancelled, but as long as nothing untoward happens in the next few days we’ve got some excellent racing…
MY21 Canyon Sender and Torque big rigs revealed
Need a big travel rig for bike park and downhill duty well you’re in luck with the release of the 2021 Canyon Sender and Torque ranges. Canyon has announced updates to the two longest travel bikes in its range with newly configured Canyon Sender alloy,…
2021 Nukeproof Reactor with updated specs and builds to suit all tastes
2021 Nukeproof Reactor comes in a host of different builds, a choice of 2 wheel sizes and options for carbon or alloy framesets! There was once a famous fast-food chain that had an advert which read out a list of ingredients followed by “you got…
