Looking for a way to raise the bar on the #coffeeoutside movement? Searching for the ultimate utility vehicle for your trail building ambitions? Well, we might have found the perfect bike for you. Except to call it a bike would probably be doing it a…
Wil Barrett
Exclusive! New 1×12 Drivetrain From SunRace!
Well here’s one package that we didn’t expect to turn up today! It’s a collection of new shifty bits from Taiwanese manufacturer SunRace, which assembled together, give you most of a 12-speed drivetrain. You may recall that last week we stumbled across a brand new…
First Look: The UK-Made Robot R-Zero Carbon/Titanium Hardtail
Bespoked 2018 was held over the weekend at the Engine Shed in Bristol, where as per usual it provided small, independent bike and accessory companies the opportunity to show off their wares to both the press and the public. For the 8th edition of the…
Review: These Incline glasses from Ryders Eyewear have an unusual shape, but the lenses are brilliant
Hailing from British Columbia in Canada, Ryders Eyewear has been around since the early days of mountain biking. The brand was established way back in 1986 by Canadian MTB Champ Brent Martin, and it went on to become one of the most successful sporting eyewear…
Review: 4 highlights from Alpinestars for the eternal British winter
I don’t reckon I’m alone when I proclaim that this winter in the UK has absolutely sucked. It has sucked all of the enthusiasm and joy out of me that should have been on tap for a warming spring release. That release hasn’t really happened…
8 Fabulous Handmade Mountain Bikes From Bespoked 2018
Otherwise known as Bespoked, the 2018 UK Handmade Bicycle Show was held over the weekend in the centre of Bristol, with a plethora of beautiful and unusual bike-related goodies to discover for those who stepped inside the old Engine Shed exhibition centre. If you’ve not…
8 Platform Clip-In Pedals Tested & Reviewed
Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. Here’s what they found. In Issue 113 of Singletrack, David coordinated a flat pedal group test that put no fewer than 17 flatties…
Cor Blimey It’s Hot! Hot sun and hot product in Fresh Goods Friday 393
Who is heading into the weekend with a light sun burn after over indulgence in the bright stuff this week? Who is heading into the weekend with the smugness of one who had booked Thursday off work and actually got to go and bask in…
The new Maxxis Assegai is a mashup of the Minion DHF & DHR II tyres
More pre-Sea Otter new product madness, though this time it’s from Maxxis in the form of a brand new tyre called the Assegai. Designed in conjunction with some guy called Greg Minnaar, the Assegai is a full-blown 2-ply downhill tyre that will be available in…
Carbon Shmarbon – Pivot Cycles releases new alloy Switchblade
To kick off the pre-Sea Otter onslaught, here’s a brand new alloy version of the Pivot Switchblade. Sharing the same geometry, suspension travel and 29/27.5+ wheelsize adaptability as the carbon fibre Switchblade (a bike we tested and reviewed last year), the alloy version aims to…
Winner Of ‘Best All Round’ – Shimano Saint M820 SPD Pedals
Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. For this group test, they took eight of the latest platform clip-in pedals to see what each brand has to offer. Each pedal…
Shimano’s Deore XT M8020 4-piston disc brake is here! Plus, confirmed weights & UK pricing
Shimano has some new 4-piston stoppers for 2018, and they’re sliding into the range at the Deore XT level. Rather than being a replacement for the current XT 2-piston brakes though, these new brakes are an addition to the line, and Shimano is pitching them…
Video: What exactly has changed on the new Stumpjumper? And why no Camber? Wil has the answers
Three years has passed since we saw the release of the last Stumpjumper and Camber models, which were first unveiled to the public back in 2015 in Rotorua. About 12 months after that launch, the team at Specialized began testing and development of some new…
Winner Of ‘Best Feel’ – HT Components X2 Pedals
Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. For this group test, they took eight of the latest platform clip-in pedals to see what each brand has to offer. Each pedal…
Found! SunRace has a new 12-speed MZ90 11-50t cassette
Adding to its growing line of value-oriented wide-range mountain bike cassettes, SunRace has recently unveiled a brand new 12-speed option called the MZ90. This new cassette will be available in an enormous 11-50t size that’s designed to slide onto a standard Shimano freehub body, which…
Winner Of ‘Most Durable’ – Time ATAC DH4 Pedals
Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. For this group test, they took eight of the latest platform clip-in pedals to see what each brand has to offer. Each pedal…
2019 Specialized Stumpjumper review | Expert Carbon 29
I’d be lying if I told you that Specialized has just unveiled its most advanced and refined Stumpjumper yet. Because there are actually three new Stumjumper models for 2019. And they’re all rather snazzy. This year we’re going to see two additional models of Stumpjumper…
Specialized launches THREE new Stumpjumpers for 2019, but no more Camber
Having already relaunched the Epic and Enduro models last year, the biggest story for Specialized’s 2019 mountain bike lineup is the arrival of the all-new Stumpjumper. Except there isn’t just one Stumpjumper. There are actually three brand new platforms. Well, technically there are six new…
Hunt Bike Wheels heads off-road with the new sub-£350 TrailWide wheelset
We’ve just got our hands on a brand new wheelset from Hunt Bike Wheels, which is due to be available to the public very soon. Up until now, Hunt has only offered wheels for road, cyclocross and gravel applications, but that changes as of today…
Winner Of ‘Best In Mud’ – Crank Brothers Mallet DH Pedal
Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. For this group test, they took eight of the latest platform clip-in pedals to see what each brand has to offer. Each pedal…
Review: Bontrager’s versatile & durable SE4 Team Issue tyre earns a ST Recommended award
With four casing options, six different tread patterns, and numerous widths and diameters available – not to mention the four fat bike tyres it offers – the Bontrager mountain bike tyre range is about as niche-filling as it gets. Thankfully its mountain bike tyre line…
FGF 392: Sticky shoes from Giro, flat pedals from Shimano, and a weird expanding tubeless foam thingamabob
Good morning all, and welcome to the three hundred and ninety second edition of Fresh Goods Friday! I honestly have sweet FA time for anecdotes this morning, because this week it has been ALL GOING ON. Hannah’s still off on her family holiday in the…
This handmade bike has a 60-70° head angle that you can adjust on-the-fly
Now that we’ve moved on from being dicks about wheel size (well, mostly), the new super exciting topic for debate in mountain biking right now would seem to be geometry. Yes, numbers. Having taken over as the focal point for online debates between bike designers…
Annie Last Brings Home Commonwealth Gold! Plus, Evie Richards With Silver!
Annie Last can add a Commonwealth Games gold medal to her trophy chest after a convincing win overnight at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games XCO race in Nerang, Queensland, Australia. In a dominating performance on the dry, dusty and highly technical 4.5km long race…
Go on a behind-the-scenes tour with Santa Cruz Bicycles
Last month Santa Cruz Bicycles took the wrappers off the all-new, third generation Blur. This was a big deal for Santa Cruz, given that it’s been quite a few years since we last saw the Blur – a bike that has been well loved by…
Yeti’s new SB100 features a Switch Infinity suspension design like you’ve never seen before
Yeti-lovers get your wallets ready; there’s a brand new full suspension 29er in town, and it’s called the SB100. Deviating from Yeti Cycles’ current naming structure, the SB100 is labelled as such because it uses the same Switch Infinity suspension design as the rest of…
Review: Fox’s brand new 34 Step-Cast fork is here from the future and it is super light
The slender front suspender you see before you is called the 34 Step-Cast, and it’s from Fox Racing Shox. Based upon the 34 Float series, this Step-Cast version is a brand new addition to the Fox lineup for 2019. It still features 34mm diameter stanchions…
A throttle for your mountain bike? Not quite – it’s the new RockShox TwistLoc. Plus, new 2019 SID forks!
Today RockShox is releasing the 2019 SID fork range, which includes new World Cup, RLC and RL models. The 32mm chassis’ are largely unchanged for the new model year, but each fork is now equipped with a DebonAir spring and Charger 2 damper internals that…
Danny MacAskill + Claudio Caluori = 333 seconds of good times!
Danny MacAskill’s new video has just hit the internets, and we reckon this one has just a slightly higher budget than that viral video of Danny trashing carbon wheels… Nope, this time round it’s all helicopters and expensive camera stuff, with ol’ Danny having made…
Do you like it raaaaw? Check out our new Commencal Meta Trail V4.2 Race test bike
If you’re a subscriber and supporter of Singletrack Magazine, there’s a very good chance you’ll already have your hands on a copy of the latest issue, which has just come fresh off the printing press as of this week. If you don’t have one, the…
Get a look at this gorgeous UK-made steel full suspension bike from Swarf Cycles
We have very good news for those of you who appreciate locally-made steel mountain bikes. We have just received a new, and very unique full suspension bike in from Swarf Cycles, which is in the house and up on the test rota! The mustard-yellow bike…
Fresh Goods Friday 391 – Sexy Steel, Ingenious Inflators & A Brand New Commencal
Today my dear reader, I regret to inform you that Singletrack Towers is in mourning. We are sad and inconsolable for the loss of a dear friend, colleague and fellow esteemed lover of panettone.. Wow, that actually sounded like Sarah’s dead! She isn’t dead! Let…
Review: Goodbye Bell Super Helmet, Hello New Sixer!
First shown off to the public last Autumn, the Sixer is a fresh top-of-the-line lid from Bell Helmets. Designed as a replacement for the venerable Super – one of the original (and most popular) half-face trail helmets on the market – the Sixer aims to provide similar…
How does Santa Cruz build wheels? Wil goes to the factory to build his own set of Reserve Carbon wheels
According to Syd Newsom, Head Of Wheels at Santa Cruz Bicycles, “wheelbuilding is not magic. It’s a skill set that can be taught, and the goal of our training is to create a very consistent end product.” Within 10 minutes of wandering around the assembly…
A Robot bike, Basque carbon, and a Noah’s Ark worth of kit in Fresh Goods Friday 389
Look! Do you see that? Eh? What am I supposed to be looking at? It’s spring! Can’t you see it? Right there? It’s right there! And wowee, is it beautiful! Nope. Can’t see it. Honestly, I ain’t got no idea what the heck it is…
Video Review: Is XC dead? After testing these three bikes, we don’t think so
In Issue #116 of Singletrack Magazine, Wil and the crew tested three new generation full suspension XC race bikes. Is XC dead? Or is it just a little out of fashion? For Issue #116, we focussed our magazine group test on full suspension XC bikes to…
Review: The 2018 Norco Sight C2 is ready to shreddy straight out of the box
For the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of soaking up some (much needed) Vitamin D during a holiday Down Under in Australia. Aside from the obligatory family and local pub catch-ups, it was also an opportunity to take a smug, momentary pause from…
RockShox beams 2019 Lyrik RC2 from the future, along with a new-new DebonAir spring
We may have literally just finished off our longterm review of the 2018 RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork, but already RockShox is ready to announce the 2019 model – in March. Yes, there are new 2019 suspension products coming your way, including the new Lyrik RC2…
First Ride Review: Santa Cruz Highball 3 CC X01 Reserve
In a refreshing change of programming, Santa Cruz is going all-XC on us for the start of 2018. Jib-specific trail bikes and Beyonduro™ shred-sleds may still whip up the majority of the marketing whirlpool, but cross-country riding and racing is quietly making a comeback, and…
First Ride Review: Santa Cruz Blur 3 CC XX1 Reserve
It’s been about five years coming, but the Santa Cruz Blur is finally back First introduced back in 2002 alongside the V-10 downhill bike, the Blur was one of the original VPP suspension bikes from Santa Cruz. Sporting 26in wheels, 115mm of rear travel and…
Santa Cruz launches the brand new Blur 3, plus its lightest carbon hardtail ever
Today you lovely readers don’t just get to find out about one shiny new bike. No ma’am. Because you’ve been on your very best behaviour (well, close enough), today the hip Californian mountain bike brand that is Santa Cruz Bicycles is releasing two brand spankers to…
Review: Scream if you wanna go faster! We test and review 3 carbon fibre full suspension XC race bikes
In Issue #116 of Singletrack Magazine, Wil and the crew tested three new generation full suspension XC race bikes. Read on for a short summary of each bike, along with the links to each individual review. Images by James Vincent. Progression. It’s a pretty hot…
Review: You may hate the Brain, but the 2018 Specialized Epic Expert is ready to prove you wrong
In Issue #116 of Singletrack Magazine, Wil and the crew tested three new generation full suspension XC race bikes. Read on for the full review of the 2018 Specialized Epic Expert. As one of the most decorated full suspension race bikes on the market, the…
Video: Is carbon all that it’s cracked up to be? We test three alloy versions of popular carbon superbikes
In Issue #115 of Singletrack Magazine, our former Tech Editor, the great Mr Barney Marsh, tested and reviewed three alloy iterations of popular carbon fibre mountain bikes. These days, carbon fibre is the material that many of us lust over. And why wouldn’t we? It’s lighter. Smoother.…
Review: The TwinLoc system on the 2018 Scott Spark RC 900 Team is this bike’s secret weapon
In Issue #116 of Singletrack Magazine, Wil and the crew tested three new generation full suspension XC race bikes. Read on for the full review of the 2018 Scott Spark RC 900 Team. It was 2007 when the first Spark blew minds and broke records…
Review: The 2018 Anthem Advanced Pro 29er 1 is Giant’s best full suspension XC race bike to date
In Issue #116 of Singletrack Magazine, Wil and the crew tested three new generation full suspension XC race bikes. Read on for the full review of the 2018 Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29er 1. The Giant Anthem was first introduced in 2006 as the successor…
Which would you choose? We spend 6 months aboard the 2018 Fox 36 Float and RockShox Lyrik RCT3 to see which comes out on top
Despite mounting opposition in the high-end mountain bike suspension market from the likes of Cane Creek, Öhlins, MRP, Formula and DVO, there is still somewhat of a duopoly when it comes to the fork market. A duopoly made up of two industry titans: Fox Racing…
If you like Orange Bikes & titanium, you better get in quick – there are only 15 of these worldwide
No, this isn’t breaking news. But when we’ve got all these pretty pictures to show off, do you think we give two hoots about that? Pah – just look at this thing! So the bike is called the T7, and it’s from Orange Bikes. The ‘T’…
Review: The Shimano AM901 is good enough for Rachel Atherton, but is it good enough for regular trail riding?
If you’ve been flicking through fresh pages of the current issue of Singletrack Magazine, you may have already read our in-depth technical feature about the latest generation of platform clip-in pedals. As part of that feature, we took eight sets of these new generation clip-in pedals and…
Review: The adaptable ION Haze Gloves have a very clever trick up their sleeve
To be honest, finding the right pair of cold weather riding gloves can be a bit of a battle. There are plenty of them on the market, but finding a pair that doesn’t feel like you’re suiting up to operate heavy agricultural equipment is another…
Review: Endura adds a new ‘Pullover’ option of its popular MT500 Waterproof Jacket – but is it more comfortable?
Forgive me if March seems a little tardy to be reviewing a full-blown rain jacket. But really – who are you trying to kid? A jacket like this can be a handy wardrobe addition during any month of the year in the UK. Additionally, I didn’t…