This article was first published in Issue 129 of Singletrack Magazine. As I pushed back up a certain (pretty large, for me at least) feature on a huge loop in…
Bikes
The Stif Squatch – More than just a big wheeled Morf?
Since launching the Morf in 2016, Stif have taken four years to develop and launch this Squatch, their first 29er hardtail. I respect that, because upfront it tells me they…
Giant Reign Advanced Pro 2 – Long Term Review
Giant reckons their Reign 29er could be the ultimate Enduro machine but what does our resident aficionado of all things big mountain make of it after subjecting it to eight…
Review: Brand New Santa Cruz Nomad V5
The Nomad has been Santa Cruz’s flagship all mountain, long travel enduro bike for a good few years now, around 15 to be precise, and today sees the launch of…
Canyon Stoic 4 (2021) – 140mm of hardtail fun, reviewed
Canyon’s new alloy hardtail, the Stoic, comes in three models: the 2, 3 and 4. With the Canyon Stoic 2 starting at £849, and the bikes starting at a teeny…
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.…
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…
2021 Nukeproof Mega 275 Factory – First Ride Review
The Nukeproof Mega has been the brand's top flight, big hitting enduro bike since 2011. The original prototype was raced to 3rd place in Masters at the 2009 Megavalanche (the…
First Ride: 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper Review
Chipps reports from a day of ups and downs in the remarkably sunny Tweed Valley aboard the new Stumpjumper. Although it was only a day, there was more than enough…
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…
Canyon Strive CF 7.0 – One bike eager to rule them all
Our US correspondent takes the Canyon Strive CF 7.0 for a tour of the UK. Would this shapeshifter bike serve all his bike needs in one? The Canyon Strive CF…
Sonder Signal ST NX First Look & Ride
Launched in August the Sonder Signal ST is essentially a steel version of their existing Signal Ti model - that's Ti = titanium of course. You can check out Andi's…
Privateer 141 | First Ride Review Of Privateer’s Brand New All-Rounder
Ross receives the new Privateer 141 for an early test. See what he makes of this aggressive UK trail bike in this review. Privateer Bikes first came onto our radar…
Canyon Exceed CFR LTD – First Ride Review
When an email dropped into my inbox asking if I’d like to test the new Canyon Exceed CFR, I’ll admit I hesitated before accepting the challenge. The last time I…
Merida Matts J24+ | For the Mini-Shredder with Big Dreams
Eliza Marsh swings a leg over the Merida Matts J24+ little-hitter from Merida It’d be easy to sweep an abstracted eye over photos of the Merida Matts J24+ and assume…
Exclusive First Ride Review: The Brand New Transition Spur
We’ve been lucky enough to have the all new Transition Spur in for an exclusive first ride test ahead of its launch. The brand new Transition Spur sees Transition entering…
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…
First Ride Review: 2021 Specialized Epic Pro – No Mercy XC Racing Beast
Wheel this new Specialized Epic Pro out of the box and you’re immediately struck by how neat and purposeful it looks. Thanks to the SRAM AXS Eagle wireless shifting and…
2021 Juliana Furtado | First Ride Review
The 2021 Juliana Furtado has seen some significant changes. Pitched as being a very capable trail steed, we’ve sent one of our favourite Van Girls out to play on the…
Cannondale Scalpel 2020 SE 2 – First Ride Review
One of the more interesting aspects of reviewing the new crop of XC bikes is that the press packs manufacturers send out often start with an old photo of what…
First Ride Review: GT Zaskar LT Expert
We’ve had this mossy green-coloured hardcore hardtail in to ride for a few weeks now, and Chipps has been able to take it on enough of his local trails to…
First Ride Review: Kona Hei Hei CR/DL | For XC And More
The 2020 Kona Hei Hei has undergone another step-change, continuing its metamorphosis from XC race machine to something much more trail-capable, with a significantly remodelled frame design, geometry updates and…
Orbea Occam M10 2020 Review | One Bike, Many Purposes?
Ross hops aboard the Orbea Occam M10 – is it really the all rounder it’s billed as? Last year Orbea relaunched the Occam as a 140mm travel, do it all…
Canyon Neuron AL 7.0 | How Can You Make A Best Seller Better?
Sanny checks out the latest release from Canyon: the Canyon Neuron AL, an update to their best selling full suspension bike. Another day, another bike to test. Last time around,…
Evolution not Revolution – Identiti Mettle Mk 2 Review
James Vincent spends a winter in the Lake District on the new Identiti Mettle Mk2. Introduction For someone who spends a lot of their time riding bikes in the Lake…
Cotic Flare Ridden And Rated – Now in 135mm Option
Words Daz Hall Photography Chipps First published in Singletrack Magazine issue 126 Price: £3,249.00 (as tested) From: Cotic, cotic.co.uk On a recent holiday to California, I was brutally reminded of…
Lone Parabellum Review | Poppy and playful standards smasher
Lone Bicycles lent us their refreshingly unique Lone Parabellum to test against the UK finest winter weather. Romain Olmos is a French mountain bike legend who once shared sponsors with…
Salsa Spearfish | A Really Very Practical Type Of Bike
Charlie checks out the latest Salsa Spearfish, for ‘down country’ riding, and a lot of other stuff too. Down country, what the hell is “Down Country”? A large demo bike…
Deviate Highlander 29er – Ultimate Enduro Bike Contender
Sanny checks out the new Deviate Highlander, an enduro bike with idler. Back in November 2017, Deviate took a bold step into the mountain bike market when they launched their…
Intense Primer 29 Pro | A Solution For The One Bike Shed?
“WTF is that?!”, exclaimed my pairs partner when I rolled up to the 10@kirroughtree endurance race late last summer. I thought he was talking about my newly acquired beer belly, the…
Vitus Mythique 29 VR | Raising The Bar For Budget Trail Bikes?
Antony checks out the Vitus Mythique, another great budget trail bike for your shopping list. When I started riding mountain bikes, the more affordable end of the market seemed to…
Shand Shug | A Classic Hardtail or Radical Animal?
First published in Issue 127 of Singletrack Magazine, this Shand Shug was reviewed as part of our British Steel test of steel hardtails built in the UK. Shand Shug Price:…
18 Bikes No 9 | Sheffield Steel Hardtail
First published in Issue 127 of Singletrack Magazine, this 18 Bikes No 9 was reviewed as part of our British Steel test of steel hardtails built in the UK. 18…
Canyon Neuron SLX 9.0 LTD Review – A Bike With All The Upgrades?
Take any full suspension trail bike, regardless of wheel size and if you leave it in the shed for any length of time, maybe swapping tyres or upgrading a few…
New Cotic FlareMAX | First Ride Review
The new Cotic FlareMAX is launched today, once again at a Cotic CC event rather than a far flung media launch with canapes and jacuzzi. Luckily for us, Cy at…
Radon Slide Trail 8.0 Review | There’s A Lot To Like
David checks out the value packed Radon Slide Trail – a full suspension 29er – and finds there’s plenty to like. This Radon Slide Trail 8.0 arrived early in the…
First Ride Review | 2020 Norco Sight A2
Hannah gets a quick spin out on the new 2020 Norco Sight A2, before its official launch. Norco, the Candian brand available in the UK through high street store and…
NS Synonym TR1 First Ride Impressions
We take a ride on the NS Synonym, a cross-country bike with a wild side or is it a short travel enduro bike? Remember during our Eurobike coverage when we…
Bike Test | Long Haulers – For Bikepacking In Comfort
Antony de Heveningham looks at three unconventional mountain bikes that come with fitted racks and a sense of adventure. Perfect for bikepacking. Words by Antony de Heveningham. Photos by James…
Trek 1120 Review| Custom Racks For Unbeaten Tracks
First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Trek 1120 was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to…
Salsa Blackborow | Haul More Junk In The Trunk
First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Salsa Blackborow was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to…
Mason InSearchOf | A Bike For Going Further
First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Mason InSearchOf was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to…
2019 Cotic BFe First Ride Review
James Vincent grabs a first ride on the new Cotic BFe hardtail. When launching a new bike, some bike companies whisk a select group of lucky journos off to some…
2020 Nukeproof Reactor First Ride Review
Ross throws a leg over the 2020 Nukeproor Reactor then throws it down the nearest rut infested trail to see how it rides. Today sees the launch of the brand…
Juliana Joplin – The Adventure Bike With 10mm More Fun for 2020
First look at the 2020 Juliana Joplin with an added 10mm of travel, updated VPP suspension platform, slacker geo, adjustable dropouts and plenty of build options. The Joplin is the…
Santa Cruz Tallboy 4 Review – What Is Extreme Country?
The Tallboy 4 is Santa Cruz’s full suspension XC bike. It’s a 29r and we’ve had our hands on this CC model for the past week to give it a…
2020 Calibre Bossnut First Ride Impressions – Super affordable fun!
First ride impressions of the 2020 Calibre Bossnut, a bike that proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to have fun on 2 wheels. I have to admit…
Review | Ti Hard – Sonder Signal Ti
Our very own Bruce Willis lookalike, Andi Sykes, tested out three titanium hardtails from Kingdom, Nordest and Sonder for Issue 122 of Singletrack Magazine. Here is his review of the…
Review | Ti Hard – Nordest Bardino Ti
Our very own Bruce Willis lookalike, Andi Sykes, tested out three titanium hardtails from Kingdom, Nordest and Sonder for Issue 122 of Singletrack Magazine. Here is his review of the…
Review | Ti Hard – Kingdom Vendetta X2
Our very own Bruce Willis lookalike, Andi Sykes, tested out three titanium hardtails from Kingdom, Nordest and Sonder for Issue 122 of Singletrack Magazine. Here is his review of the…