Islabikes is best known for making good quality children’s bikes. Owner, Isla Rowntree, developed the children’s bike range when she found her friends’ children needed bikes, but that there wasn’t…
Review
Review | Panzer Rim Protection takes on the big guns of the tubeless tyre insert world
Tubeless tyre inserts claim to offer additional protection for your mountain bike rim, so you can run lower tyre pressures for improved traction. The Panzer insert is one of the…
3 Consumer-Direct Mountain Bikes Tested & Reviewed
With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each…
Review: The UK-designed Sonder Evol aims to deliver maximum grins-per-mile
With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each…
Review: The Intense Primer Expert comes with extra enthusiasm as standard
With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each…
Review: The Bird Aeris 145 GX Eagle is uber-long and uber-fast
With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each…
Review |Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0 Pro Race – Mile-Muncher For Mortals
The Lux isn’t just Canyon’s latest XC ripper – it’s also the lightest and most advanced full suspension race bike that the German brand has ever produced. We put one…
The Polaris Aquanought Hydration backpack is ready to face the filth
Winter in the UK can be a problematic time to ride a bike. The daylight seems to last for an hour or two at most, the temperature has plummeted, and…
2019 Canyon Strive First Ride Impressions with Shapeshifter 2.0
To say I was surprised when I laid eyes on the 2019 Strive is an understatement. Of course, we’d had an inkling that we would be meeting the updated Strive…
Review: The Cane Creek Helm Coil Fork – Is it better than the Helm Air?
Shortly after releasing its very first mountain bike suspension fork, the Helm, US brand Cane Creek brought out a coil-sprung version. And having amassed no fewer than 7 months of…
YT Jeffsy CF 29 Pro Race 2019 – First Ride Review
It’s the first few minutes of a bike launch and I’m having to try quite hard not to weep. The scepticism brought about by predictably dramatic music, followed by an…
Top 10 Most Read Singletrack Reviews Of 2018, And Number 1 Isn’t an eBike
Last year was pretty full-on for reviews. We tested some of the hottest bikes on the market, both standard and e-MTB types (GASP!), we reviewed the latest clothing, accessories, brakes,…
Review: PNW Component’s Loam Lever Upgrades Your ‘Good’ Dropper Post To a ‘Great’ One
We’re a varied bunch here at Singletrack Towers. We have riders who prefer carbon and others who prefer steel. Some of us ride on flat pedals and others ride clipped…
Chrome Barrage Cargo Backpack – For Commuters With a Heavy Load
Well what a deceiving pack this one is. I wasn’t supposed to be testing this Chrome Barrage Cargo backpack, it was sent in for Chipps, but late one day in…
Review: With a 120mm fork, the Santa Cruz Blur is a pocket rocket trail bike
As far as contemporary XC bikes go, the latest generation Blur from Santa Cruz Bicycles ticks a lot of boxes. Plugging an important gap that the Tallboy left behind as…
Review: The Fix It Sticks Mountain Kit brings shop tool functionality to the trail
Having launched a wildly popular Kickstarter campaign way back in 2013, Fix It Sticks went on to successfully bring its clever modular tool system into a market that, up until…
Review: Are the Rotor 2INPower MTB Cranks worth £999?
For many mountain bikers, the mere mention of ‘power meters’ is enough to make our eyes glaze over. As Rachel Sokal discovered though, there’s a bit more to these 2INPower…
Review: 2018 Cube Reaction TM – a ready to roll package
Cube has a reputation for well priced bikes – you get a decent amount of bike for your money. It’s a brand you’ll find in many a local bike shop,…
Review: Hayes’ new Dominion A4 may just be some of the best 4-piston disc brakes we’ve tested
Hayes recently debuted a brand new hydraulic disc brake called the Dominion A4. Designed as a powerful 4-piston disc brake for trail, enduro, downhill and e-MTB use, the Dominion A4…
Review: The All City Electric Queen Puts The ‘Oh!’ In Retro
An exercise in style over substance, or a capable trail bike
Packing Light – 12 Minimalist Packs Tested & Reviewed
Not everyone wants to ride with a big ‘n’ heavy backpack, so we’ve been testing a variety of different options for the minimalist mountain bikers out there, including waist packs, frame…
4 Mini-Backpacks Tested & Reviewed For The Minimalist Mountain Biker
Not everyone wants to ride with a big ‘n’ heavy backpack, so we’ve been testing a variety of different options for the minimalist mountain bikers out there, waist packs, frame bags…
Get that weight off your back and down low on the bike – We test & review 4 frame bags
Not everyone wants to ride with a big ‘n’ heavy backpack, so we’ve been testing a variety of different options for the minimalist mountain bikers out there, including waist packs, frame…
4 Waist Packs Tested & Reviewed
Not everyone wants to ride with a big 'n' heavy backpack, so we've been testing a variety of different options for the minimalist mountain bikers out there, including waist packs, frame…
Unsprung Heroes – 3 Fully Rigid Bikes Tested & Reviewed
Chipps rides three fully rigid bikes from Kona, Pinnacle and Surly. Words Chipps Photography James Vincent I always like to wear a watch. I’m lost without one and don’t like to…
Review: Surly you can’t have fun without suspension? We test the fully rigid ECR
 Surly has always been individual and self-confident in its outlook. From pioneering the first production singlespeed (the 1×1, which pre-dated even Kona’s Unit and the On One Inbred) to…
Review: Blue Flow BF37/31 All Mountain Carbon Wheels
Rachel’s been testing some value-oriented carbon mountain bike wheels from a UK-based company called Blue Flow Wheels. How did they hold up? Over to Rachel for the review! I first…
Review: After a playful bargain? The Pinnacle Ramin 3 Plus might be the bike for you
Pinnacle is the house-brand of retail giant, Evans Cycles, but the range is way more than a selection of rebadged catalogue bikes. The brand’s bike designer James Olsen has a…
Review: Formula’s compressible Neopos spacers change the way your air fork works
Ever since RockShox brought its Bottomless Token system to market in 2014 alongside the re-release of the Pike, more riders have been considering air spring volume as a legitimate way…
Review: Kona’s Unit X is like a singlespeed, but with 10 more gears?
The Kona Unit has a long history, from a Canadian company with an equally deep heritage. While Kona celebrates its 30th birthday in 2018, the Unit name dates back at…
Review: The ODI F-1 Float & Vapor grips might just be the perfect option for British XC riders
Ah, the modest grip. It’s probably one of the cheapest parts on your bike and likely one of the most overlooked. But given a pair are responsible for 40% of…
Review: 45nrth Ragnar̦k Winter Shoe РFor Cosy Toes
Winter’s back! Rejoice! I’m pretty sure everyone, like me, was a bit bored of the ridiculously long and hot summer we were subjected to by the time September hit. Thankfully…
First Ride: We Test The Brand New 2019 Canyon Neuron CF
For those who were taking notice, you’ll remember that a short while ago we reported that German direct sales giant, Canyon, had quietly released an updated 2019 version of the…
Review: The brand new 29×2.6in Maxxis Minion DHF is an absolute monster of a tyre
The Minion DHF may be a classic tyre for Maxxis, but this 29×2.6in size is brand spanking new. In fact it’s so fresh, that it isn’t even on the Maxxis…
Reviewed & Recommended: Push Industries ACS3 Fork Coil Spring Conversion Kit
Push Industries is a US manufacturer that specialises in producing high-end suspension components and upgrades for existing forks and shocks. The ACS3 Fork Coil Conversion kit is one of its…
Reviewed: Endura MT500 Plus Flat Pedal Overshoes – Come with a free yoga workout before every ride.
It is one of the great mysteries of the mountain biking world: why are there no flat pedal deep winter boots? In recent years we have seem some efforts at…
Review: Can DT Swiss unseat Fox & RockShox? The new F 535 ONE fork may do just that
As good as it gets? Not far off – DT Swiss is back and has Fox and Rock Shox in its sights.
Review: The Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29 rides well beyond its spec sheet
Earlier this year Wil had the pleasure of heading out to Spain for the launch of the new Specialized Stumpjumpers. We’ve now had the Stumpjumper ST Comp Carbon 29 (130/120mm)…
Review: The Specialized Stumpjumper ST Comp Carbon 29 may be shorter on travel, but it ain’t short on fun
Earlier this year Wil had the pleasure of heading out to Spain for the launch of the new Specialized Stumpjumpers. We’ve now had the Stumpjumper ST Comp Carbon 29 (130/120mm)…
Review: Ulefone Armor 5, Flagship Features And Rugged Body On A Budget.
In a world of £1000 smartphones, it's nice to sometimes come across a device that doesn't cost a small fortune yet does come with features that those eye-catching flagships shout…
Review: Sixpack Racing goes straight after Shimano with the Vertic Trail SPD pedals
Sixpack Racing is known for its high-quality flat pedals, but earlier this year it released the affordably-priced Vertic Trail pedal to cater for clip-in riders too. We got a set…
Review: Is the Liteville 301 MK14 the most German mountain bike on the market?
German brand Liteville sent us the 14th iteration of its 301 full suspension trail bike, which is quite possibly the most over-engineered mountain bike we’ve ever laid our hands on.…
Love running really low pressures? We review the CushCore Inner-Tyre Suspension System
When it comes to protecting your rim from damage while running low tyre pressures, CushCore is one of the best-known options on the market. To see just how tough it…
Longterm Review: 2019 Scott Ransom 900 Tuned
It’s been three months since we first got our hands on the brand new Scott Ransom. Fully redesigned for 2019 and beyond, the Ransom glides into the Scott lineup as…
Review | Vittoria Air-Liner Tubeless Tyre Inserts provide maximum fit-and-forget protection
Tubeless tyre inserts claim to offer additional protection for your mountain bike rim, so you can run lower tyre pressures for improved traction. The Vittoria Air-Liner is one of the…
Review: Canyon Spectral WMN AL 6.0
Canyon released the new women’s specific Spectral trail bike earlier this year, and it features a unique frame, suspension design and geometry. But how different is the women’s Spectral to…
Mondraker Foxy R 29 Review – Don’t read this review if you don’t like riding fast.
I spent the first part of this year onboard the fantastic Mondraker Foxy, so when the 29er version of the same bike arrived at Singletrack Towers I was quick to…
Helmet Review: Bontrager Rally MIPS vs Specialized Ambush
Both of these are what I'd refer to as 'trail' helmets. They're heavier than a XC race lid, though they do come with more coverage to add protection around your…
Review: X-Fusion Trace 36 Fork – A big fork to take on the big hitters
New for this year, the Trace 36 is X-Fusions’s top end, big wheeled enduro fork, aimed at the influx of long travel, hard hitting big wheeled bikes that have become…
Don’t Skewer Yourself With A GoPro – Camelbak Sternum Protector Review
I’ll make a bet. If you were drawing up a shopping list for new bits of body armour right now, I reckon it’d be highly unlikely that you’d have ‘sternum…
Review: Brother Cycles Big Bro – For long and short adventures
There’s something very exciting about getting a new adventure bike out of the box for the first time. With a trail bike, you kind of know what you’re going to…