Andi brushes off his eMTB to ride with rising YouTube star Tommy C Hype in his latest video edit. For some, a mid-life-crisis might mean buying a 2 seater sports car but Andi is doing it differently. Instead of a toupee or heading back to…
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.
Video: The Brigade Team let loose in Vallnord
With the possibility of World Cup races on the horizon, The Brigade Team headed to Vallnord for a week of testing. The Brigade Team riders, Alex Marin and Rudy Cabirou seized the opportunity to head to Vallnord, Andorra once lockdown lifted to test out a…
Kona Honzo ESD first ride review: Kona’s classic hardcore hardtail gets an update
On one of the hottest days of the year, Andi takes out one of the hottest new bikes of the year. Here are his first ride impressions of the Kona Honzo ESD. There was a time that all I rode was steel hardtails. Now and…
Schwalbe release 5 new Super casings plus updated Nobby Nic and Big Betty
Schwalbe reintroduces the Big Betty, revamps the Nobby Nic and introduces an entirely new range of Super casings for 2021. The pandemic has made keeping products a secret even more difficult than ever before, so while today is the official release of the new Schwalbe…
Sonder goes hardcore STEEL hardtail with the new Signal ST
Sonder has taken the spritely Signal Ti and given it a real steel flavour with the new Sonder Signal ST. Some months, or was it years back, I tested the Sonder Signal Ti for a feature in Singletrack Magazine (yes, there’s a mag!), I really…
2021 Kona Process X launched alongside updated 153
Kona goes eXtreme with a capital X with the release of the new Kona Process X and Process X DL. Gravity-fuelled rigs aimed at the enduro/freeride crowd. Has freeride made a comeback? Well, new bikes from the likes of Commencal and Kona seems to suggest…
SixSixOne release Radia Goggle range
Protection peddlers, SixSixOne enter the goggle game with the new Radia Goggle for just £39.99. We don’t know if the cycling industry has known all along about this wet summer but there has been no shortage of affordable goggles released this year. Funn entered the…
SR Suntour TriAir 3CR Rear Shock Review
The Suntour TriAir 3CR is an affordable rear shock that promises performance and easy maintenance. So, does it live up to the promise? Perhaps one of the most overlooked parts on many bikes, at least when it comes to upgrades, is the rear shock. We're…
Review: Suntour Durolux R2C2 PCS EQ top-performance on a budget!
The Suntour Durolux R2C2 PCS EQ is awarded a Singletrack Recommended Award for providing quality suspension and performance at a budget price. Suntour’s continued development of its rowdy 36mm enduro fork has paid off with Andi thoroughly recommencing this budget bouncer. When I started to…
541mm Reach! Bird Introduces its first carbon bike the Aether 9C
We thought that headline would grab your attention! The Bird Aether 9C is a carbon do it all bike with 130mm travel and plenty of reach! Like many many of our high-tech materials and cool inventions, carbon fibre isn’t a new material and was in…
Rider owned Crossworx Cycles releases Zero 29 hardtail
German-made Crossworx Cycles Zero 29 hardtail promises playful handling and downhill prowess. What’s made in Germany, comes in a bunch of Chipps approved colours and isn’t too long, low or slack? Well if you had read the title you would know it’s the Crossworx Cycles…
Video: 2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 Team First Look
Check out our video first look of the 2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 Team! A bike so rare that even pre-orders are running low on stock! For 2021 Commencal gave its full-suspension line-up a major overhaul. The Meta TR, Clash and Meta AM all received…
Quadruple World Championships to be held in Leogang this October
Could it really be? Are we actually going to see some racing in 2020? The UCI think so with a quadruple World Champs scheduled for Leogang in October! We recently discussed the possibility of going without racing in our latest Podcast, but perhaps our worry…
Long-Term Review: VeeTire Snap WCE Top 40, all the grip none of the slip
Downhill tyres made from motorbike rubber? Andi puts the VeeTire Snap WCE Top 40 to the test in his long term review. I’ve been running a VeeTire Snap WCE on my enduro and eMTB since well before winter and I feel I’ve put in enough…
Watch : Luca Shaw vs. Walker Shaw game of STAMP!
Luca Shaw and his brother play a new twist on the classic game of B.I.K.E. We wonder if you can guess what pedals they’re both using? The classic game of B.I.K.E has 2 or more riders call out challenges and a letter is added to…
Meet the all-new RockShox Zeb Family
Anyone following the latest releases, bike news and rumours will have caught wind that RockShox was planning to launch a new fork, and here it is. The new RockShox Zeb family of forks bridges the gap between Lyrik and Boxxer with the introduction of a…
Les Gets World Cup Now Cancelled!
Both the XC and DH World Cup rounds for Les Gets have been cancelled shrinking the already smaller than usual World Cup season to just 5 races in total. Sad news race fans, Les Gets is off the schedule for 2020 as the UCI confirms…
We’re feeling hungry for Pipedream’s Titani-Yum Moxie
With just 24 being produced the 2020 Titanium Moxie hardtail is set to be one of this year’s most exclusive frames. It was teased just a few weeks ago and now it has been made official! Pipedream is bringing back the Titanium Moxie hardtail as…
Watch: Gowaan Gals “The Final Edit”
An edit full of slow motions, stunts, and smiles! Watch the Gowaan Gals ride their lockdown compound in “The Final Edit”. Those hazy sunny days might feel like a distant memory today, but at least you can relive that early summer blip with Chloe Taylor,…
2021 Commencal Clash | Same look but all-new sporty angles
Another new update from Andorra as Commencal unleashes the 2021 version of the popular Clash platform. Same look, but all-new sporty angles. The Commencal Clash has always been a bike that I’ve looked at as a freeride or mini downhill bike, but in it’s latest…
Review: 2021 Orange Five Evo LE short travel big hitter
Andi tackles the trails on Orange’s latest creation, the short travel, progressively angled 2021 Orange Five Evo LE. A few years ago I reviewed the Orange Four and I concluded that the short travel, single-pivot Orange was probably the bike most riders should be on.…
2021 Orange Five Evo and Stage Evo go big on geometry not travel!
The latest Evo bikes from Orange are short on travel, big on geometry and full of fun. Full details of the Orange Five Evo and Stage Evo. MY21 bikes seem to be following a similar formula no matter which brands are announcing them. It seems…
2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 gets revamped with new frame and features
Following on from the release of the radical new Meta TR, Commencal has announced the 2021 Meta AM with all-new frame, geometry and features. Commencal’s boffins have done it again and totally redesigned the 2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 to bring the design and features…
Commencal tweaks the Meta HT hardtail for 2021
Commencal’s tweaked Meta HT hardtail released with 2021 build and a couple of frame updates. Think Commencal and you will probably picture downhill race runs, enduro wins, and aggressive full-suspension bikes, but full-bounce isn’t all they do. The Commencal Meta HT has been a regular…
First Look: Ride Concepts VICE Kyle Strait Signature Flat Shoe
Ride Concepts’ new VICE shoe is aimed at dirt jump, slalom, BMX and downhill riders who value pedal feel. Ride Concepts produces a whole host of cycling-specific shoes and sponsors some of the biggest talents in the industry. Riders such as the Athertons, Sam Pilgrim…
First Look: Burgtec Mk3 Enduro Stem
Burgtec replaces the much-loved Mk2 with an all-new Mk3 Enduro stem available in all the usual Burgtec colours. Burgtec manufactures a lot of cool kit. From carbon handlebars, and flat pedals, to alloy axles and oval chainrings, the lads in Macclesfield know a thing or…
2021 Commencal Meta TR 29 is lower, slacker, steeper and meaner!
The 2021 Commencal Meta TR 29 has more travel, a steeper 78.6° seat tube, slacker 64.5° head angle and is longer and lower than ever! For 2021 Commencal has made the Meta TR 29 longer, lower, slacker and meaner than ever. The TR, meaning this…
Get your limited edition Troy Lee lid while you can
Troy Lee has released a run of A2 and D4 helmets featuring custom designs available in limited numbers. Do you like standing out from the crowd? Perhaps you like your kit to be a little brighter, more exclusive, or maybe even a tad retro? If…
Meet the Moorhuhn, an utterly fantastic 3D printed Reynolds 953 stainless steel full suspension frame!
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, I want you to stop it and soak in the majesty of this stainless steel full-sus Moorhuhn! Keywords are important when it comes to writing a story. We need to use the sort of words that will not only…
The 520% Eagle Has Landed! SRAM Updates Eagle to 10 – 52
SRAM announces updates to SRAM GX, X01 and XX1 with a move to a 10 – 52 gearing and boosted 520% range! SRAM’s Eagle has been on the market for a good few years now, and thanks to its 1 x 12 gearing and 500%…
First Ride Review: 2021 SRAM GX Eagle, 2 more teeth and 520% range.
Andi has been on the latest version of the SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with new 520% range cassette for 2 weeks, and here are his first impressions. Before we delve in I want to stress that this is a first ride impression of the latest…
2021 Specialized Demo with wheel options and adjustable geo launches
The 2021 Specialized Demo has been revealed with new mullet compatibility and adjustable geometry. If you cast your mind back to the past Downhill WC season then might remember that the Specialized Gravity Team had plenty of success on the 2019 Demo. Well, if what…
Reclaimdesigns Speedster 2.0 is a recycled, carbon mini Nomad
Vancouver based Chris Clarke, aka Reclaimdesigns, turns an old Santa Cruz carbon Nomad into a sweet one-off kid’s ride. Carbon fibre is an awesome material with standout properties that make it ideal for building bikes and bike parts from, BUT it isn’t the easiest material…
Review: Crankbrothers Synthesis E Alloy Wheelset
The Crankbrothers Synthesis range is made up of both carbon and alloy wheelsets, and there are wheels to suit everyone from XC racers to eBikers and downhill racers. For the past few months, I’ve been riding the Alloy Synthesis E wheels, E for enduro, not…
Pipedream Teases Updated Titanium Moxie Hardtail
The ultra-rare Titanium Pipedream Moxie hardtail looks set to make a return with updated geometry. If there is one thing that all mountain bikers can agree on it’s the fact that a Titanium hardtail is still considered super desirable. Even in a world of fantastic…
Fresh Goods Friday 503 | Shed, solar, sunflower, Suntour, Stash, saddle and spokes!
Fresh Goods Friday 503 is filled to the brim with new forks, cool Troy Lee Designs clothing, Hope bling, saddles, and even shed accessories. For a break with tradition, we did consider publishing Fresh Goods Friday on a Saturday, but instead we’re going to start…
New and improved Öhlins DH38 m.1 downhill fork can run at 120mm!
Nope, that isn’t a mistake you can run the Öhlins DH38 m.1 with as little as 120mm or as much as 200mm. Swedish suspension maker, Öhlins has released an updated version of the race-winning Öhlins DH38 m.1, the same fork that Frenchman Loic Bruni keeps…
Now groms can have custom kit with the Únic Junior range.
Únic has unveiled a new range of custom mountain bike clothing designed and developed for younger riders in mind. Head to any bike pack in the summer and you’ll be greeted by countless kids who can ride, jump, and schralp better than you ever could…
Who lives in a place like this? Joe Barnes shed tour!
When Joe Barnes offers you the chance to look around his shed, think less B&Q lean-to and more mini chalet! Orange rider and all-around nice chap, Joe Barnes, has posted another instalment of his Lockdown Bites series, giving many of us at STW severe degrees…
Looking for RADVenture? Then you need a Stooge Scrambler!
The Stooge Scrambler is a fully rigid, adventure/drift machine designed to look like the old school scramblers of yesteryear. Talk about a niche within a niche! Stooge Cycles plans to put a new frame into production, one that combines the fun of pulling skids and…
Join The Fort William Virtual World Cup and Gathering, Sunday 7th June
We’re not able to race or spectate at the Nevis Range, but we can still mingle with racing legends on the 7th June via Facebook for the Fort William Virtual World Cup. Mountain bike fans could finally get a taste of some World Cup Racing…
Granite Design adds the new Talon stashable tool to its range
Granite Design has introduced the £10.95 Talon, a ‘virtually indestructible’ pair of tyre levers / quick link pliers. Singletrack regulars will already know Granite Design for the Stash multi-tool we reviewed here, and our new Singletrack branded Granite RockBand on sale here. The company is…
If Santa Cruz made steel bikes they would probably look like this
No this isn’t an early Santa Cruz prototype, but an entirely different steel frame handcrafted by the folks over at Zoceli Bikes in the Czech Republic. We all know that steel is real, but did you know that steel is real popular right now? It…
Review: Leatt DBX 3.0 Flat Pedal Shoes
Leatt DBX 3.0 shoe review. Leatt entered the highly competitive shoe market in 2020, so how does the DBX 3.0 stack up? Leatt finally achieved its goal of offering a complete rider outfit at the beginning of 2020 with the release of the brand’s first…
More EWS 2020 Dates Announced!
There’s still some hope that the Race Series could be held later this year, with more EWS 2020 dates just announced. More dates have been added to the 2020 Enduro World Series Calander as organisers rush to salvage a season before the end of the…
Fresh Goods Friday 501 – Dicing With The Gods Of Luck
This Fresh Goods Friday is not brought to you in multiples of thirteen. There are no thirteens in this Fresh Good Friday, none at all, no. There are no black cats, either, or ladders, or new shoes on tables. There are not thirteen products bringing…
First Look: Microshift Advent X 11×48 10-Speed
Microshift’s Advent X promises to be a great, low-cost drivetrain. We take a first look at this new wide-range 10-speeder ahead of our long-term review. Microshift has quietly been making a name for itself as a value for money alternative to wide-range groupsets from the…
Millyard Racing shows off Hyper Ride 2 rear shock – 1950’s parts 2020 tech
Millyard Racing, the same chaps behind one of the most iconic UK downhill bikes, have released details of a Hyper Ride 2 rear shock made from 1950’s parts to 2020 specs. What do you do when you have a couple of 1950’s engine parts, a…
TRP goes 12-speed with the new TRP TR12 rear mech and shifter
TRP takes a different approach to offering 12-speed, focussing on just the 12-speed shifter and rear mech for the TRP TR12. TRP released the DH7 downhill shifting combo last year, now based on the same tech here’s the TRP TR12, a 12-speed shifter and rear…
SDG Bel-Air 3.0 launched | 25 years in the making
SDG’s iconic Bel-Air saddle gets fresh new features for 2020, a saddle 25 years in the making! Want to feel old? Well, did you know that the first SDG Bel-Air saddle was released back in 1995! Yup crazy but what’s even crazier is that the…