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. Naturally, we put it in the hands of our local lover of all things German…
Review
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 is, we got our local rim-dinger, David Hayward, to put them through the grinder as…
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 the bigger and brawnier brother to the Genius. Equipped with no less than 170mm of…
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 newest on the market, so we got our local rim-dinger, David Hayward, to put them…
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 the unisex version? We got one in for our speedy tester Rachel Sokal to find…
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 claim it as my own. Would the Foxy 29er offer the same agility and stability…
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 skull. They're designed to be goggle friendly, but neither offers a convertible chinbar, so they're…
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 prevalent in the past 12 months, and has been designed to take on the big…
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 protector’ written down on that post-it note. (If you’re the one person who did have that written…
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 get, with most models following a well tried and tested formula of frame, wheels of…
Review: Curtis AM7 – Not just a pretty face, pretty fast too.
There’s no actual reason to buy a Curtis, other than the fact that you want one. And that’s a perfectly good reason. The bikes are hand made in the UK, in a shed, by a two-man operation, they use materials and techniques that many other…
Don’t Bonk! 5 Nutrition Products For Your Next Riding Trip
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been travelling around parts of Europe on a road trip to check out some absolutely mint riding destinations, such as Punta Ala, Finale Ligure and Molini in Italy, and Alicante, Sierra Nevada and Malaga in Spain (sorry). My wife…
Singletrack Issue 121: XXC: Cross Country Extra
Three bikes that take the short travel full suspension bike to another world.
UK-Made Full Suspension Group Test – Robot R130 Review
Robot Bike Co. first shot to fame at the 2016 Fort William World Cup when it debuted a stunning full suspension mountain bike called the R160. Made from carbon fibre tubes and titanium lugs, the unique R160 had a curious mixture of retro aesthetics and…
UK-Made Full Suspension Group Test – Swarf Contour Review
In comparison to the other two on test, our third bike comes from a much smaller outfit. Founded in Dorchester in 2011, Swarf Cycles is currently a one-man show that is owned and operated by a chap called Adrian Bedford – a man who, prior…
UK-Made Full Suspension Group Test – Orange Stage 4 RS Review
When it comes to UK-made full suspension bikes, there was one brand that was always going to be in this grouptest. Put simply, few manufacturers can rival Orange Bikes’ rich 30-year history within the UK mountain biking scene. And unlike the recent flurry of newcomers,…
Review: Crank Brothers reinvents the wheelset with Synthesis
Oh look, another expensive carbon fibre wheel review! But before you roll your eyes and click the ‘back’ button, allow me the opportunity to wow you a little. If I said that this is one of the most interesting wheelsets to launch in the past…
Review: Commencal Meta Trail V4.2 Race 650B: Fun and confidence inspiring
When the bike first arrived, aside from being blown away with just how damn good the bare aluminium with orange and black graphics looked, I was puzzled; Commencal Meta TR 4.2 Race. Race. What sort of race? XC race? Nah, can’t be – it’s got…
Review: Cotic FlareMAX. Is Longshot Geometry a step too far or a step in the right direction?
The Cotic FlareMAX 29in/27.5+ was first introduced by the Peak-district based purveyors of made out of metal bicycles, in 2016. This bike here is the second iteration of Cotic’s 120mm travel, do-it-all, up-for-most-things, full suspension trail bike. While at first glance it looks familiar to…
Review: Want to run non-Boost wheels in your Boost frame/fork? VeloSolo has you covered
Remember when you could walk into a bike shop and buy a mountain bike wheel, any wheel, and then put it on your bike and it would fit? No, me neither. In fact I can barely remember going into a real bike shop unless it…
Review: Stan’s Podium SRD Wheelset Weighs Less Than 1300g
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read somewhere or been told by fellow bike riders that the best place to save weight on a bike is on the wheels. Personally I’ve always thought the best place to do that was somewhere in…
Review: Met Roam Helmet – Keep cool and look cool
Described as ‘an all-mountain enduro helmet’, the MET Roam is designed to combine streamlined enduro styling and goggle compatibility with hours-in-the-saddle trail-riding wearability. Straight out of the box, and it’s a thumbs up for the colour combo (one of several available) which will appeal to…
Syntace C33i Carbon Wheelset Review. Are These Lightweight German Wheels Worth Buying?
Syntace is a German-based manufacturer of high-end alloy and carbon fibre components. It’s the same company as Liteville; a brand well known for full suspension alloy frames with a suspension linkage lovingly referred to as the “sausage chopper” around the office. Over the years, Syntace…
Review: Bontrager Flatline Flat Pedal Shoes
Ask any mountain biker what flat pedal shoes they’d recommend, and there’s one brand that inevitably comes up in conversation: Five Ten. With its gooey Stealth rubber-soled shoes, Five Ten has long been without peers when it comes to producing a reliably grippy connection with…
Review: Simplon Cirex 120 – Slammed and svelte, but not just for suffering
As I’m sure everyone has noticed, there’s been something of a change in mountain bike geometry in the last few years. The longer-lower-slacker trend has become de rigueur, and aside from the fact that some bikes these days resemble a devil’s cross between a farm…
Review: Don’t like wearing bulky, uncomfortable knee pads? Leatt’s Airflex Pro is made for you
Most famous for pioneering the modern-day neck brace, South African company Leatt also produces a broad range of protective wear for mountain biking that includes helmets, body armour, spine protectors, elbow pads and knee pads. On test here is the Airflex Pro – one of…
Review: Is Kona Still Ahead Of The Curve? We Get To Grips With The Satori DL
The Satori is a bike that’s returned to Kona’s lineup after a lengthy leave of absence. It was originally released back in 2012 when longer travel 29ers were considered a bit outré, and never really found an audience. Returning for 2018, the bike has been…
Group Test: 6 Tyre Pressure Gauges Tested & Reviewed
Ensuring your tyres are set to the right pressure can feel like a chore, but it's a relatively simple adjustment that can have a huge effect out on the trail. To read about some of the ins and outs of setting the right tyre pressure…
First Look: Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0 Pro Race. The Bike Starsky And Hutch Would Ride
Here’s one for you XC racers, or for anyone with a soft spot for lightweight and racy full-suspension bikes. This all-new Canyon Lux arrived in the office last week and ever since it was unboxed we’ve been waiting for David Soul or Paul Glaser to…
Review: Bluegrass Skinny D30 – Your Knees Are Worth It!
Bluegrass offers two versions of the Skinny kneepad, one is the regular Skinny, and the other is a premium kneepad called the Skinny D30. We’ve been sent the upmarket version of the pad to test, which along with D30 protection also features a reinforced Kevlar…
Review: The 661 Reset Helmet Is A Totally Tropical Full Face At A Great Price
After a bit of a hiatus 661 is back and with an all-new full face helmet named the Reset. As the name suggests, this updated lid shows a new direction in helmet style and design for the widely known brand. Not only is the Reset…
Review: Spank Spike 35 Vibrocore Bar – Big, Burly, Comfy – And 820mm Wide!
Back in January, I tested a set of Spank bars with the company’s Vibrocore foam filling. Those were standard 31.8mm diameter bars, and I found that the foam insert did, in fact, make them more comfortable over rough terrain than a standard bar. Now a…
Review: The 2019 Scott Ransom 900 Tuned Is A 170mm Travel All Rounder
The big news from Scott Sports for 2019? The return of the Ransom – a model that first appeared in 2005 as a genre-bending All Mountain bike with a high-tech carbon fibre frame, 165mm of rear travel, and Scott’s own Equalizer shock. With its impressively…
Review: The Topeak Smart Gauge D2 has been around for yonks, but is it still the best?
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: Oxford Products makes a killer digital tyre pressure gauge for under £30
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: The Schwalbe Airmax Pro may be the cheapest pressure gauge on test, but its damn useful
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: Lezyne’s Digital Check Drive is a new standalone tyre pressure gauge
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: The Fabric Accubar is very close to being our favourite tyre pressure gauge
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: The EVT Bleedin’ Gauge is the most expensive tyre pressure gauge we’ve ever tested
Just how important is it to set your tyres to the right pressure? According to Wil, it is VERY important, and it can make a huge difference to how your bike rides on the trail. In a quest to find the best tool for the…
Review: Julbo Renegade and Resist Glasses – ‘They’re Better Than My Eyes!’
Julbo designs its glasses high in the Jura mountains of France, gets its frames made in Poland, and then makes all its lenses and assembles them with frames in its Jura factory. It’s one of very few glasses brands that are still independent, and personally…
Review: SRAM Guide T Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Announced earlier this year as a brand new entry-level hydraulic disc brake from SRAM, the Guide T slots into the current line as the cheapest option to wear the popular Guide label. Whereas the Level brake series is targeted towards XC riding and racing, and…
Singletrack Recommended: We review the superb Enduro Backpack from Henty Designs
Bum bags (or Fanny Packs, as they’re also affectionately known) have evolved to become one of the hottest trends in mountain biking of the past few years. Though fashion surely has had a lot to do with it, bum bags and fanny packs aren’t just…
Review: Is The Hunt Trail Wide The Best Wheelset You Can Buy Under £400?
Hunt is a wheel and components manufacturer started by a bunch of industry vets who weren’t able to find the products they wanted readily available on the market. This team of buyers, designers and marketers decided that the only way they could get the wheels…
Review: At nearly a thousand pounds, the new Lyrik had better be good.
The Lyrik sits at the top of the RockShox single crown tree and is its top flight, big-hitting enduro fork. For 2019 there’s an addition to the line-up that features a brand new damper – the Charger RC2 – that provides different damping adjustment options…
Beyonduro – Three big bikes that don’t fit under any label. So we made one up: Singletrack issue 120
Three big bikes that don’t fit under any label. So we made one up.
Review: Bell’s brilliant Super DH MIPS convertible helmet really is 2-in-1
Stemming from a long lineage of mountain biking lids from the 64-year old helmet brand, Bell’s flagship Super DH helmet represents the 4th generation of the popular Super model. The first generation Super debuted back in 2013, with its classic moto helmet-inspired looks and generous…
Review: There’s no need for disco slippers when the Giro Chamber II shoes are so good
James Vincent gives up his usual toe-tappers to test out the burly Chamber II shoes from Giro. The original Giro Chamber was launched back in 2014 as a casual, skate-inspired shoe that would look as good off the bike as it would on, while still…
Review: The Nukeproof Horizon Wheelset Costs Less Than £350 And Is Barney-Proof
Barney does his level best to destroy Nukeproof’s Horizon wheelset. And, as in so many other things he tries in life, he fails. Nukeproof is a brand with a long and storied history, the most recent successful iteration of which has to be a certain…
Review: Dakine Hot Laps 5L Waist Pack
There are a few things I swore I wouldn’t do when I got at job at Singletrack. Wear a gilet, ride clipped in, and use a hip pack. So of course, I’m working my way through this list to become more open minded, and hopefully…
Review: Chicken Line Cargo Shorts and Solid Jersey
I’d first come across the Italian women’s MTB clothing company Chicken Line on the MTB Chix and Trails Facebook group where there was a debate about whether the tongue-in-cheek name amused or angered riders. If the replies were anything to go by, it’s not been…
Review: The huge Shimano Deore XT PD-M8040 flat pedals come with vicious pins, but not all of them made it
First announced over a year ago at the Fort William World Cup alongside the new Saint flat and Saint SPD pedals, the PD-M8040 is the first ever flat pedal from Shimano to wear the Deore XT name. Joining the Deore XT SPD pedals, the XT…