Do bike radar release the worst performing thing in a group tests review last?

My mate is in the market for a £1000 to £1500 trail bike and I sent him a bunch of reviews from bike Radar for the bossnut a Vitus and something else a while back.

Today there is a 3 out of 5 review for a norco from the same magazine grouptest.

I bought some forks, couldn’t find many uk reviews of that specific fork. There was a fork grouptest in bike radar. Months later the damming review of my forks came out.

So that’s twice I’ve noticed.

Do they do it with other things as well?

3/5 on 5th July
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/norco-fluid-fs-3-review/

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/vitus-mythique-29-vrs-review/4.5/5 on 31 may

4/5 in July
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/marin-hawk-hill-1-review/

Well that test isn’t as far apart as the forks.

My question is still the same

Don’t know, but it seems pretty natural to upload test winners first, if there’s delays

How are you finding the forks?

Do bike radar release the worst performing thing in a group tests review last?

That you’ve bought two products and then MBR have released poor reviews of that same products later suggests one of either two things:

1. They’re secretly watching you to see what you’ve bought, and then reviewing it to give it v poor marks as either a piece of performance art, or a really long wind up

2. You’re a bad person and you deserve it.

Open your curtains, if there’s a Transit with the words Acme Telephone printed on it’s side sitting across the road, it’s 1. If there isn’t it’s 2.

I think there is a weird psychology to reviews. I think often we rely on them for reassurance as frankly we can’t tell whether something is any good.

You see it on camera forums all the time. People fretting months after a camera is released that dpreview hasn’t published yet. But these days the specs are accurate and the sensor are known quantities and users have said how they are getting on with the camera. But people wait to see it get a good review. Not because they’ll learn anything new but just so they can reassure themselves its good

So the real question is are the forks working for you?

I think there is a weird psychology to reviews. I think often we rely on them for reassurance as frankly we can’t tell whether something is any good.

Shockwiz is a great example of this in my opinion. An emperors new clothes device if ever I saw one.

Theres also hand wringing conspiracy theorists that go looking for patterns of behaviour that aren’t real.

So am I right in thinking that the reviews are taken from a mag group test first?

Makes sense to publish best first, might even be an SEO thing perhaps?

And maybe a delay publishing something with a lower score is to allow for correspondence with the brand/right to reply opportunity?

And maybe a delay publishing something with a lower score is to allow for correspondence with the brand/right to reply opportunity?

Yeah that was my first thoughts too

As stated above, its all about clicks. Who is going to casually read a review of a 3/5 bike? High scoring bikes are more likely to elicit interest in a Facebook user scrolling through their feed. Same reading the mag I presume? You read the test winner review first, right?

I like the forks- mrp ribbon.

I liked them much less after reading the review and had to spend quite a while convincing myself they were just as good as they were before I read the review. Absolutely daft I knew and know.

I suspect I spend more time faffing about with a shock pump and dials than the reviewer. Or I’m not as fast as the reviewer. Or both : )

Oh and there is a transit almost permanently parked across the road…..

Theres also hand wringing conspiracy theorists that go looking for patterns of behaviour that aren’t real.

Not me! Honest, since I bought my tinfoil baseball cap the 5g rays haven’t controlled my mind at all : )

And maybe a delay publishing something with a lower score is to allow for correspondence with the brand/right to reply opportunity?

This seems quite likely. Along with the internet search reasons.

Do bike radar release the worst performing thing in a group tests review last?

Yes they do. I don’t think its a conspiracy or anything to do with marketing/budgets/etc. They just decided to release reviews in that order as far as I know. they had to do it one way or the other.

I think it makes sense. If you’re a reader after an ‘X category’ bike and you see a a 3/5 review you might think “well, it’ll do” only a week later to find a 5/5 option. Better to see the 3/5 and be able to compare to a better score from a prior review. Perhaps.