Last year the Swedish storage specialists at Thule announced their first ever range of mountain bike hydration backpacks. Three packs were launched in the Vital series, including a compact 3L…
Review
Rubber Round-Up: New Tyres Of Eurobike
‘Are you interested in e-bikes?’. It was hard not to roll your eyes when being asked this again. It’s where the market is at, everyone is trying to cash in,…
First Ride: Renthal replaces the Fatbar Carbon with… the Fatbar Carbon 2
Iconic UK moto and mountain bike brand, Renthal, has got a brand new Fatbar Carbon. And it’s called…err…the Fatbar Carbon V2. Joining the recently released alloy Fatbar 2, the carbon…
Love Mud Distortion pedals – a mid-price pedal that’s not too budget, not too bling
Our resident bargain hunter, Antony, has been testing out a set of flat pedals from UK-brand Love Mud. The Distortion pedals are great value on paper, but are they any…
First Ride Review: The 2019 Marin Alpine Trail is a big travel 29er that is tough & simple, but it’s also really good
Brand new from Marin Bikes for 2019 is this long travel 29er called the Alpine Trail. Replacing the outgoing Attack Trail 27.5, the Alpine Trail is an all-mountain bruiser equipped…
Review: Motion Ride E18 Anti-Dive Linkage Fork First Ride
Motion Ride is a new French suspension fork company that has taken a fresh piece of paper to design a fork from the front hub up. The main design brief?…
Review: Shimano’s Powerful Deore XT M8020 4-Piston Disc Brakes
I’ve been a fan of Shimano brakes for quite a few years now. After trying numerous different brands I always seem to gravitate back to the modern Shimano’s – their…
2-piston or 4-piston? Testing & comparing Shimano’s brand new XTR disc brakes
Last week I was lucky to find myself in the wonderfully atmospheric Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. A location unfamiliar to this antipodean, Kranjska Gora is squeezed into the north western…
Review: Brake Force One’s 2nd generation H20 disc brakes are filled with…water?
This isn’t the first time we’ve tested the H2O from Brake Force One. We first reviewed them in our disc brake group test last year, but they weren’t exactly quirk-free.…
First Ride Review | 2019 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Pro Race
In June 2018, the German direct-to-consumer giant, Canyon Bicycles, invited me out to Girona in Spain to test out the all-new Lux full suspension race bike. Featuring a full carbon…
First Ride Review: 2019 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Pro Race
Earlier this month, the German direct-to-consumer giant, Canyon Bicycles, invited me out to Girona in Spain to test out the all-new Lux full suspension race bike. Featuring a full carbon…
First Ride Review: Pivot Firebird 29 Pro X01
After the first day of riding at the Pivot Cycles launch in Moab last month, we gathered inside the living room of one of the apartments Pivot had taken over,…
Review: SRAM NX Eagle 1×12 Drivetrain
Following the release of the XX1 and X01 Eagle groupsets two years ago, then GX Eagle last year, the latest NX Eagle groupset slots into the lineup as the fourth,…
Review: Endura SingleTrack II Helmet
A few months ago I reviewed Endura’s MT500 helmet, and quite liked its fit and broad coverage design. So when the more affordable and similar-looking SingleTrack II helmet arrived at…
Review: Shimano GR7 vs GR9 Flat Pedal Shoes
Shimano unveiled a brand new line of gravity-oriented flat and SPD shoes last year, and since then we’ve been testing a whole swag of them. Two such shoes are the…
Review: You want aggressive plus tyres? We test the Minion DHR II & High Roller II 27.5×2.8in tyres from Maxxis
Up until recently, the options for plus tyres have generally left a lot to be desired for riding anything beyond hardpack and dry, rocky trails. Thankfully for us British folk,…
Review: The SUNringlé Düroc 40 wheels are designed for chubby tyres from 2.5-2.8in wide
To go plus, or not to plus? Is that even a question? If it is, Tom Nash has been trying to answer it after receiving a set of SUNringlé Düroc 40…
Review: Auxtail Cycle Carrier. A bike carrier that’s even better if you have a Nissan.
For those of us that don’t own vans and have families that probably don’t want to share their personal space with a muddy, awkwardly-shaped bike while on a car journey,…
Review: Specialized goes #fullenduro for 2018 with the longer, lower, 170mm travel Enduro Elite 650B
 Specialized had already redesigned its popular Enduro platform for 2017, but the big-S (well, one of the Big-S’s anyway) decided it could go one better for 2018. With a new…
Review: Hutchinson Taipan Hardskin 29×2.25in Tyres
Hutchinson is a well-known brand in the mountain bike tyre world, but in recent years the French rubber manufacturer hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of the scene. After nabbing…
Review: This 185mm long Revive dropper post from BikeYoke is better than the original
Shortly after the original BikeYoke Revive dropper post was introduced, we tested and reviewed one. Full of promise with its super-slick action and clever IFP-free hydraulic internals, it wasn’t without…
Rachel wrecked two helmets to bring you this review of the sub-£100 Lazer Roller MIPS
When we sent out a Lazer Roller helmet to our resident pedal-head, Rachel Sokal, we didn’t quite expect her to ‘test’ it so comprehensively. Over to Rachel to explain further……
Review: G-Form’s Elite knee pads are burly and flexible, but they’ll make you like ‘The Thing’
I used to detest wearing knee pads, or any other kind of body armour for that matter. Living in a warm climate was part of it, and up until a…
Longterm Review Part One: 2018 Scott Genius 900 Tuned
Scott’s popular Genius has been in the lineup for no fewer than 14 years now, occupying a position smack-bang in the middle of the range between the XC-oriented Spark, and…
Longterm Review: Shimano XC7 vs XC9 SPD Mountain Bike Shoes
At the risk of RUINING EVERYTHING, consider this a somewhat cautious announcement that summer is now finally upon us. The weather is (steadily) improving, the trails are (sort of) drying…
SDG Tellis Dropper Post First Look Review
We’re told it’s taken two years of development, and 120 test units out in the field, but SDG is now ready to release its first ever dropper seatpost. The SDG…
Review: Convert Your RockShox Reverb With The Wolf Tooth ReMote Sustain
We’ve already become fans of Wolf Tooth Components’ brilliant ReMote dropper post lever, though it’s now available in a kit to convert a RockShox Reverb dropper post too. To test…
Review: Magura’s updated Vyron is the easiest dropper post in the world to install, and it’s better than the original too
Magura first announced the Vyron wireless dropper post in 2015 at Eurobike, and it’s been on the market for a couple of years now. We’d already tested the original, though…
First Ride: The All-New Trail 429 From Pivot Cycles
Setting out to redesign your most popular full suspension bike must be an incredibly daunting task. Get it right, and you can potentially turn a great bike into an even…
Smores and brews? The Solo Stove does both!
Truth be told, one of the best aspects of bikepacking or long days out on the bike in the hills is the point at which you decide to stop and…
2.6in Tyre Grouptest – Schwalbe Nobby Nic APEX Addix Speedgrip Tyre Review
The Nobby Nic is a well-loved tyre from Schwalbe, which has recently been bolstered with the new Addix rubber compound and a ‘plus-minus’ 2.6in width option. To put these new…
2.6in Tyre Grouptest – Bontrager XR4 Team Issue Tyre Review
As Bontrager has developed wider rims for use on Trek’s hardtail and full suspension mountain bikes, its range of tyres has gotten wider too. Case in point, the versatile XR4…
2.6in Tyre Grouptest – Maxxis Minion DHF EXO 3C Tyre Review
The venerable Maxxis Minion DHF tyre has been shaped and moulded into a wealth of different sizes over the past decade, though more recently the blocky tread pattern has been…
2.6in Tyre Grouptest – Specialized Hillbilly GRID Tyre Review
Designed as an intermediate mountain bike tyre suitable for winter slop and loose, technical trails, the Specialized Hillbilly tyre is distinguished by its sticky rubber and mud-cutting tread pattern. More…
Review: Schwalbe Rocket Ron Addix Speed. Fast XC tyres that last.
Claiming to offer more grip, faster rolling and improved durability, Schwalbe’s new Addix rubber compound has been implemented throughout its entire mountain bike tyre range, replacing the previous PaceStar, TrailStar…
After 8 months of foul-weather testing, here’s our review of the OneUp Components Aluminum Flat Pedals
Having tested no fewer than 17 flat pedals in last year’s epic group test, David Hayward has developed a keen eye (or is that foot?) for detail when it comes…
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…
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…
Review: BLS wants to get your kit organised with the VeloRacing Bag
As many who know me will testify, advance preparation and organisation have never been my strong points. Packing for a race usually involves running around the house shouting at my long suffering partner about how…
Black Beauty Hits Warp 8! Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 Review
Canyon’s mid-travel bike has undergone a complete redesign for 2018, and the result is a bike that looks a lot less like the original Spectral, and a whole lot more…
Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 Review | Black Beauty Hits Warp 8!
The Canyon Spectral gets a redesign for 2018 with input from the Dudes Of Hazard.
Review: The superb Flow Snap Enduro Core tyre breaks new ground for VEE Tire Co.
Having tested about a kerbillion tyres on his unforgiving home trails in the Lake District as part of last year’s High Tech Trail Tyre Group Testr, James Vincent has become…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Review: The Fox 36 Factory Series fork gets the new FIT GRIP 2 damper for 2019
I’m losing likes. My followers are dropping like flies. And my stats? Well, don’t even talk to me about my stats! You see, like many of you reading this review,…
6 Carbon Wheels Under £1500 Abused & Reviewed
Carbon wheels are creeping down in price, but are they worth the outlay? David Hayward and the team have been testing six sets under £1500 to see how they compare.…