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…
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.
Rachel Atherton won’t race 2020 World Champs
Rachel Atherton has announced that she will not be racing in the 2020 World Championships in Leogang. DH fans will have noticed that Rachel Atherton was missing from the line-up at Crankworx, and will now be disappointed to hear that the 6 time World Champ,…
First Look | Mondraker Grommy 16 “my first eeb”
When Mondraker released the Grommy range of kids’ eBikes earlier in the year the comment section and most of the internet was set ablaze with angry comments upset with ‘lazy’ kids. Andi saw the Grommy as a thing for good, something that his daughter could…
26 still isn’t dead and neither are 20mm axles with the new Marzocchi DJ
The Marzocchi DJ launches today in a dedicated 26in wheel package, with burly chassis and old-school 20mm dropouts. Designed for dirt jumping, pump tracks, and urban riding, the Marzocchi DJ fork is a simple 100mm travel fork aimed at riders wanting to go big, style…
2021 Propain Spindrift “flows like water” “lit like fire”
Propain updates the Spindrift big travel park bike with more wheel options, and a new suspension layout. The Spindrift sits firmly in the freeride/park bike category in the Propain range, and for 2021 it sees updates to the frame design, geometry, suspension layout and also…
Bike Check | Alex Marin’s Monkeys Sauce Wrapped V10
Just before heading off to the World Champs, The Brigade Team Rider Alex Marin shares details and set up of his custom V10 race rig. Alex Marin, the speedy Spaniard of The Brigade Team scored a solid 12th place at this past weekend’s P2V Invitational…
Commencal Absolut 24 is for kids that like to fly!
There are kids XC bikes, full-suspension bikes, hardtails, eBikes and now, thanks to Commencal, dirt jump bikes aimed at young riders wanting to enter Crankworx. If your young rider is more interested in having their wheels off the ground longer than on and the only…
Patrol promises the Evolution of Enduro with the 691 Evo S
What’s this? Another new model from Patrol? Ok, not new, but revised. Built on the Patrol 691 which I rode last year, the 691 Evo is a 2021 update of the alloy Enduro bike with some major geometry updates. The original Patrol 691 features are…
New Nukeproof bikes for your nippers + Urchin specific kit
There has never been a better time to be a mountain bike fan, and this is especially true of our young riders. Big-name brands are finally taking kids bikes seriously with bikes built to shred for little nippers. Nukeproof introduced its range of Cub Scout…
10 hardcore hardtails to build and ride when the trails turn to mush
The glorious weather of the past weeks has been a treat, but deep down inside we all know the slop and mud is on the way so what better time to plan a hardcore hardtail build than now. I don’t know about you, but when…
Bike Check: Rudy Cabirou’s The Brigade Team Custom V10
The Brigade Team rider, Rudy Cabirou gives us an exclusive bike check and reveals some of his secret settings. 2020 was a major change for Rudy Cabirou as he moved teams to the newly formed The Brigade Team, the move came with changes to his…
Formula Mod rear shock with CTS finally official
Regular readers of Singletrack will have seen the Formula Mod rear shock from our coverage at the Burgtec house show, now many months later it’s official. Formula’s rear shock has been seen on the rear of Joe Barnes’ Orange for the past few months, and…
Why so Sirius? Pipedream announces the return of a classic
Made famous with the Moxie and currently trending with The Full Moxie, Pipedream Cycles has announced the return of the original Sirius hardtail. Think Pipedream and a bright pink Moxie is likely the frame you conjure up, but before the Moxie there was the Sirius…
Shimano GR5 Flat Pedal Shoe Review
The Shimano GR5 flat pedal shoe is an affordable mountain bike shoe perfect for dry Summer conditions. Shimano has a shoe for almost every foot with cycling-specific footwear for all types of 2 wheeled fun. For riders who ride on flat pedals, Shimano has 3…
Video: Commencal x Shimano x Kilian Bron do Tour de France their way
There’s no lycra, skinny tyres or drop bars in Kilian Bron’s version of the Tour de France, only epic drone shots, and amazing riding. Kilian Bron, not only is he an amazingly talented rider but a bit of a mastermind when it comes to putting…
Sonder rolls out an updated Evol with new frame and 29in wheels
Sonder sneaks out an update to the popular Evol now with 29in wheels, new geometry and build options. Sonder’s update to the Evol full-suspension bike isn’t limited to giving the frame a few geometry tweaks, and build options. Instead, the new Evol is so different…
Alutech launches TwinWorks adjustable dropper post
Not had your fill or premium German bike components today? Well, what about the new TwinWorks dropper post from Alutech? Alutech is a boutique bicycle maker from Germany. We don’t get to see Alutech bikes very often and the last time we actually got hands-on…
Intend Ebonite | “Probably the best fork you can buy for the money”
Intend releases the Blackline Ebonite fork for riders wanting Intend’s quality and performance in a non-inverted form. Intend makes some of the most flashy kit on the planet, and among those beautifully crafted components is a range of USD suspension forks. Now, a USD or…
Patrol’s latest carbon hardtails cost from just £1300
Patrol Mountain launches updated C09 carbon hardtail range for 2021 with new geometry, specs and great pricing. For a brand that’s generally pretty quiet internationally, Patrol Mountain has been making a lot of noise these past few weeks. It all kicked off with the announcement…
2021 Focus SAM² | an eMTB for riding down?
Think eMTB and you think of the extra assist the bike offers on the ups, but Focus wants you to think of the latest Focus Sam² as a bike designed for down. Sporting 170mm of travel front and rear, the Sam² does sit at the…
Is this the world’s first carbon kids mountain bike? Patrol C020 and C024 released
We’ve seen a couple of custom made carbon bikes for kids, but the Patrol C020 and Patrol C024 could be the world’s first production carbon mountain bikes for kids! Patrol Mountain is back in our newsfeed this week. After the launch of their Shimano EP8…
2021 Boardman Bikes come with killer specs and geo at bargain prices!
£2000 for a full suspension bike with proper geo and a Pike Select fork! And impressive hardtails for under £1k this is the 2021 Boardman Bikes MTB range. We might all enjoy looking at £10k superbikes, but in reality, a lot of riders are on…
Kona announces first EP8 model along with a host of E7000 machines
Kona’s gravity orientated Remote 160 DL receives a 15nm torque boost thanks to EP8, and a new shorter travel brother too. It’s hardly surprising that Kona has released an update to the Remote 160 DL for 2021 fitted with the Shimano EP8 motor system. The…
10 Shimano EP8 powered eMTB’s that have already launched!
Hot on the heels of the release of the Shimano EP8 motor are 10 new eMTB’s that use the new drive unit. The release of the EP8 is huge news for the eBike world and the fact that the new motor uses the same bolt…
First Look | 2021 Merida eONE SIXTY 9000 with Shimano EP8
Merida dropped off the 2021 eONE SIXTY 9000 for us to test the latest Shimano EP8 motor system on, here’s a first look along with riding video. Merida is one of the first bike brands to adopt the Shimano EP8 motor system, and it’s pretty…
Shimano EP8 launched | Here’s everything you need to know
Breaking news eMTB fans! Shimano has released its next-generation motor and it’s more powerful, lighter and more efficient. Meet the Shimano EP8. Shimano have done their best to keep the lid on the Shimano EP8 cookie jar, but now that it’s here and we have…
Fresh Goods 513 | Andi’s Vacation Collection
Are you here for the waffle, or the product? If you’re here for the product, Andi says: Just because he had 2 weeks away from the office doesn’t mean the industry stopped sending our ginger ninja fresh new kit. Check most of it out below…
Video: Andi rides with Tommy C Hype on their local
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…
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…
This new Foes eMTB is just the E-Ticket for eBike fans!
Born in the U.S.A, this mullet-wearing Foes E-Ticket eMTB is the first 2021 bike from the legendary bike maker and it will be available as a frameset too! Foes Racing has been creating hand-made alloy bikes in the U.S.A for as long as I can…
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…
Review Merida eOne-Sixty 8000 | Purple powerhouse
Following on from our review of the Merida eOne-Forty earlier this year, Andi throws a let over the longer travel Merida eOne-Sixty 8000 to see what this STEPS powered eMTB can do. Earlier in the year, the Merida eOne-Forty eMTB arrived with us here at…
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…
