Are you a saddle dropper? If not, why not? The usual reply is “I can’t ride with my saddle down”. This confuses me greatly. What advantage to bike handling can there possibly be in having a saddle wedged up your crotch?
Review
Cane Creek Double Barrel Shock
This shock comes out of a collaboration between Cane Creek and Ohlins Racing, the Swedish suspension gurus who have cut their teeth on the likes of Supercross and GP bikes to produce a handmade (every single one is made by just one man, called Paul,…
Hope 1.5in Stepdown Headset
Those of us with fat head tubes have traditionally only had two choices when it came to 1.5-into-1 1/8th headsets: cheap and nasty ball-bearing ones that weigh a ton and go rusty after about three rides, or very expensive ones that are okay.
Singular Swift
Yes, it’s another 29in wheel bike. But for a change, it wasn’t sent from a manufacturer eager to get themselves into this subset of a niche before the boat left, but a bike we wanted to look at because it actually looked ‘right’.
Shed Shackle
The Shed Shackle is a security device that you fit to your shed, providing a fixed er, shackle to lock your bike to. It’s not going to stop anyone breaking into your shed but it might stop them making off with your bike, which has…
661 Veggie Wrap Shin Pads
For SPD users the journey into flat pedal riding can be a perilous one. Sure, you’re going to improve your technique and learn to bunnyhop properly, but you’re also liable to landing a set of pins into your leg. The problem is that a lot…
Alpkit Fat Airic
My body is definitely getting old. If it’s not, then I’m getting a lot weaker. There was a time when I’d sleep straight on the ground or with a thin Karrimat. There was a time where dossing in a phone box would do as well…
Shimano M300 shoes
These are Shimano’s top of the range, none-higher, all-singing and quite a bit of dancing, race shoes.
Felt Breed
Steve Makin reviews a big lad's bike with shonky brakes, skinny tyres, dodgy bars, a very racy saddle and no gears. Possibly the most fun bike he's ridden in years.
Lizard Skinz Blizzard Gloves
Lizard Skinz Blizzard Gloves Price: £28.00 From: www.2pure.co.uk A winter glove with neoprene trimmings over the knuckles and round the cuff but despite the neoprene this glove is water resistant rather than waterproof. The lining is thick and instantly warm and the Velcro cuff strap…
Lifesystems Mountain Thermal Bag
Lifesystems Mountain Thermal Bag Price: £9.99 From: www.lifesystems.co.uk It may not be sexy and you’ll probably never have to use it but this metalised polyester based survival bag should be on your list of things to carry on a ride. Weighing a mere 85 grammes,…
Ortlieb Medium First Aid Kit
Ortlieb Medium First Aid Kit Price: £13.69 From: Lyon Equipment www.ortlieb.com Having a First Aid kit and the knowledge to use it should be something that every mountain biker has. The Ortlieb First Aid pack is a basic but effective piece of kit, small and…
Sealskinz Technical Mountain Biking Glove
Sealskinz Technical Mountain Biking Glove Price: £37.50 From: Sealskinz 01553 817990 www.sealskinz.com These winter gloves are the highest spec mountain biking glove in the Sealskinz range, they are waterproof, breathable and have specific gel padding on the palm to help absorb the shock from mountain…
Jimi Wallet
Jimi Wallet Price: £12.00 From : 2pure www.2pure.co.uk The Jimi Wallet so the marketing goes is the wallet for people that don’t do wallets. It’s a classic I-generation product. (How much of the last 8 years designs have been influenced by the I-pod?) the Jimi…
Orange P7 Belt Drive Prototype
Orange P7 belt drive prototype Price: N/A From: Orange www.orangebikes.co.uk One of Orange’s advantages in the market is that they’re small enough to play with different ideas. With only 15 members of staff and all their suspension bikes made in a little factory in Halifax,…
Foes FXR 2:1
Foes FXR 2:1 Price: £1,849 frame only From: Balfa.co.uk The Bike The 6in travel ‘aggressive trail’ FXR has been part of the Foes line-up for the past few years. This latest incarnation introduces their 2:1 Curnutt shock ratio into the mix (where an inch of…
Grouptest: Big and Bald Tyres
Benji and his crack squad of sad rubber sniffing tyre obsessives try to convince you of the myriad splendours of a bunch of funny looking fat tyres with bugger-all knobs on them. What’s all that about eh? They claim there’s a brave new world of…
Scott Spark 10
Scott Spark 10 Price: £3799 or £1949 frame only From: Scott 01670 712129 There’s no doubting that this is a machine made for going a long way fast. The cockpit is long and rangey and it’s equipped with the latest go-faster bits like DT 240…
Group Test: Boots
We’ve rounded up an even ten boots – from rugged summer numbers to depth of winter monsters and given them a thrashing.
Genesis iO
Fully rigid steel singlespeeds, eh? Nice looking and everything but a complete nightmare to write a review about. Well, a review that isn’t full of quasi-mystical gibberish about ‘purity’ and ‘soul’ blah-blah nonsense.
