Some bikes just seem to stand out like a sore thumb. And it would appear that Whyte has developed itself a nasty habit for producing sore thumbs. As the latest full suspension bike from the UK brand, the S-120 is propped up with 29in wheels…
Review | The POC Ora Goggles surprised us with both their price and performance
What are the best goggles for mountain biking? We brought together five pairs from 100%, Dragon Alliance, Julbo POC, Scott, and put them in the hands of our goggle aficionado and all-round jumpy rider, Rob Mitchell, to see which ones we’d recommend for UK mountain…
Video| Fire up this miserable Monday with a second Slice Of Ariegeoise Pie
The Commencal crew follow up their Slice of Ariegeoise Pie edit with a second helping featuring World Champ Amaury Pierron, and Commencal riders Thomas Estaque, Hugo Frixtalon, Paul Couderc, Pierrick Lannes and Leon Perrin. Us Brits might be the ones who popularised short video edits…
Review | With photochromic lenses, the Julbo Bang NXT Goggles automatically adjust to the light – at a price
What are the best goggles for mountain biking? We brought together five pairs from 100%, Dragon Alliance, Julbo POC, Scott, and put them in the hands of our goggle aficionado and all-round jumpy rider, Rob Mitchell, to see which ones we’d recommend for UK mountain…
Review | The Dragon Alliance MXV Max Goggles come with two lenses and very good ventilation
What are the best goggles for mountain biking? We brought together five pairs from 100%, Dragon Alliance, Julbo POC, Scott, and put them in the hands of our goggle aficionado and all-round jumpy rider, Rob Mitchell, to see which ones we’d recommend for UK mountain…
Review | The 100% Racecraft Goggles have literally 20 options for you to choose from
What are the best goggles for mountain biking? We brought together five pairs from 100%, Dragon Alliance, Julbo POC, Scott, and put them in the hands of our goggle aficionado and all-round jumpy rider, Rob Mitchell, to see which ones we’d recommend for UK mountain…
Forget Trump and Brexit: Niner Has Made A 27.5in Bike! Proof We’re Living In Different Times…
It seemed a normal day at Bike Connection Winter 2019. A day like any other, until we met with Niner. The boys at Niner started showing us the new RIP 9 RDO, covering the benefits of 140mm travel of Niner’s CVA suspension on its flagship…
International Women’s Day | A year of Inspiring Women
On International Women’s day last year we didn’t want to just do a one-day thing to say how awesome women riders are so instead we launched a year’s worth of interviews with inspiring women within mountain biking or people who have done lots to promote…
2019 Sonder Transmitter updated with new geometry, colours and more
Sonder’s highly popular Transmitter alloy frame has undergone a refresh for 2019 with new geometry, a longer reach, new colours and more. The Sonder Transmitter is one of those bikes that spans genres, it’s a bike that appeals to mile munchers, bike packers, park riders…
FGF 438: The Elbows Out And Lean In Edition of Fresh Goods Friday
What a week. Totally Mega. Chipps was away at something secret. At least he says he was. Being at something secret would be good cover for just lounging around in a hot tub. The rest of us have been beavering away at our computers, and…
International Women’s Day: Why We’re Launching Singletrack Women
Singletrack women – A new channel Here at Singletrack we’ve always had women writing about bikes. All bikes – not just ones with women’s specific geometry. We’ve had women working as part of the editorial team for many years, contributing to the daily news, industry…
Singletrack 124 | Subscribe Now And Get A Potato Through Your Letterbox!
We’ve been so distracted with extreme weather changes, new bikes and Chipps’ holiday photos that this issue really has crept up on us. That’s not to say we aren’t prepared though – quite the opposite. This one is a belter! And we’re rather excited to…
Review | The 2019 Focus SAM 9.9 delivers a few surprises for a 170mm travel enduro bike
Focus launched its new SAM enduro bike in late 2018, so we got one in and put it in the hands of our local Calderdale tester, Rik Legge. Over to Rik for the full review. Focus bikes are a familiar sight to anyone who follows…
Top 5 Lock-On Grips | The Cheapest Upgrade For Your Bike
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil. Just think about this for a moment. Your hands – those fleshy starfishes at the end of…
Leatt’s New Goggles Are Bulletproof, And That’s Not Even The Best Bit!
Today, Leatt has added to its range of protective gear with some new DH/Enduro/Motocross goggles called the Velocity 6.5. They have been designed from the ground-up with several neat features. There are nine lenses available – from 20-83% light transmission (plus clear, which are 100%).…
ST Recommended | The Ergon GE1 EVO Factory lock-on grips go one better than the original
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil! German brand Ergon may be best known for its popular flared grip design, though it also offers…
Review | We Test The Carbon Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Pro 27.5
In case you hadn’t heard already, Specialized has just announced the Carbon Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Pro 27.5. You can get all the details of the bike right here, though read on for our first ride review from local Calder Valley tester, Nick Cummins. Over to…
Specialized Launches The Outrageous Stumpjumper EVO In Carbon Fibre
In a hotly anticipated (though very much expected) move, Specialized is going all carbon fibre with the raucous Stumpjumper EVO platform. Launched about this time last year, the latest Stumpjumper EVO came screeching sideways into the 2019 Spesh lineup as the foul-mouthed, tattoo-toting, bird-flipping half-sibling…
Review | The Renthal Traction lock-on grips are UltraTacky – in a good way
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil! Makers of handlebars, stems, and chainrings for all things moto and MTB, Renthal currently splits its off-road…
Review | Judgement Day For The Trust Message Multi-Link Suspension Fork
The Trust Message is undeniably strange compared to anything we’re used to seeing on the front of a mountain bike. Its originators are three bike industry heavyweights: Dave Weagle, rear suspension designer extraordinaire; Jason Schiers, founder of EDGE (now ENVE) Composites, and Hap Seliga, co-founder…
Marin Mount Vision Returns After Two Years – And What A Difference!
The Marin Mount Vision has been in the range, well, about as long as Marin has been around (and that’s a mighty long time…) But keen eyes will have noticed that the previous Mount Vision had slipped silently from sight in 2017. The return of…
Review | The Specialized SWAT Conceal Carry MTB Multi-Tool Hides Inside Your Fork
According to the photographer Chase Jarvis, the best camera is the one that’s with you. A reference to the proliferation of smartphone camera technology, Jarvis’s famous quote implies that you can own the most technically capable camera in the world, but if it’s too bulky…
Review | The ODI Elite Flow lock-on grips have hidden comforts
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his current favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil! Having invented the concept some 25-years ago, ODI has long been the king of the lock-on,…
Review | The DMR DeathGrip lock-on grips are made for rough ‘n’ rowdy riding
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil! The DMR DeathGrips will be well known to our UK readers, having amassed something of a cult…
Review | The Lizard Skins MacAskill lock-ons are ideal for thin-grip lovers
What are the best mountain bike grips? Wil’s tested a bunch over the years, and here he’s put together five of his favourite lock-on grips. Over to Wil! Makers of grips, bar tape, gloves and body armour, Lizard Skins was an early adopter of lock-on…
Giant Off-Road Factory Race Team to ride $12,000 Anthem 29er, plus no more DVO partnership
Giant Bicycles has just announced the Off-Road Factory Race Team roster for 2019, with some familiar faces joined by fresh youth talent too. In total, there’ll be 15 riders from six different nations competing in everything from DH through to gravel. Kit Changes There have…
Formula Teases Selva Coil Fork And Confirms New UK Distributor
Everyone loves a ‘Proto’ sticker, don’t they? And seeing the rows of bikes at the Formula truck at Bike Connection Winter, there was definitely something up. A quick glance at the bikes show a telltale ‘Spring preload’ knob on the left hand fork leg where…
Breaking: 140mm travel Pole Bushmaster trail bike is the machined baby brother of the Pole Stamina
Pole Bicycles has kicked off the start of the month with the announcement of another of their radical machined full-suspension bikes. Meet the Pole Bushmaster. Considering that Pole now machines their flagship full-suspension frames in-house at their factory in Finland, they’re pretty hot on at…
FGF 437 | Protection, Lubricant, And A Nasty Itch – It’s Fresh Goods Friday
Last week somebody got me some snacks. I don’t really question the ingredients of anything I eat, despite my strict dietary requirements, so I wolfed them down without a care in the world. Over time, my lady parts started to itch and I had a…
Mike Hall: Coroner’s Report Makes Recommendations For Safety Improvements
The Coroner of the ACT Australian Capital Territory) Magistrates Court, Bernadette Boss, has published her report on the inquest into Mike Hall’s death. The endurance cyclist and Singletrack Legend award winner was killed early in the morning of the final stage of the Indian Pacific…
Gallery | Pirelli Launches First MTB Tyres With Calendar Worthy Photos
Pirelli today reveals its first mountain bike tyre, the Scorpion MTB, following a launch event in Sicily that Stu Taylor checked out for us. You can read his first ride review here. The Scorpion MTB is a tyre that Pirelli claims works equally well in…
First Ride Review | Pirelli Scorpion MTB Tyre – ‘Eliminates Climate Variables’
Pirelli entering the mountain bike tyre market? That’s pretty big news if you’re a rubber nerd. Pirelli certainly seemed to be pretty excited about it, since the company did a huge photoshoot in California and followed it up with flying journos from across the world…
Interview: Gowaan Gals – Give It A Go And Remember To Be Silly!
It’s the last month of our Inspiring Women interview series and we’ve saved the most fun for last after I spent a very entertaining evening chatting to Enduro racers Bex Baraona and Martha Gill. Trying to keep track of our conversation at the time was…
Get yourself to the Gowaan Gals MTB Festival and win an Ibis frame for a fiver!
The Gowaan als (that’s Go On! in a northern accent and with lots of feeling, or if you need OED pronunciation it’d be something like ɡəʊ ɑːɑːɑː.n), aka Martha Gill and Bex Baraona have announced details of their first women’s MTB festival at Farmer John’s,…
Hope Launches Redesigned Evo Cranks And New Fortus Wheels
We’re at the Bike Connection 2019 gathering in Italy with a load of top brands who all have something special to shout about. First up is Hope Technology (no, the irony is not lost on us about having to go to Italy to find out…
Revel Bikes launches with 2 new suspension bikes, and we’ve already seen them
Rather than just regurgitating the Revel Bikes press release like everyone else has, we’re actually bringing you our own first look images of both the Revel Rail and Revel Rascal. You would think that with the number of established bike brands already selling well throughout…
Canyon Pure Cycling Weekend coming to the UK. Demo MTB, Road and Gravel bikes.
Canyon UK is to hold the first every UK based Pure Cycling Weekend this year out of the Forest of Dean. The event will be based on what Canyon holds over in Germany and will give UK based riders the chance to demo various mountain…
Review | The SixSixOne Evo AM helmet comes loaded with MIPS, BOA and magnets
First released back in 2015, the Evo AM took the top spot in the SixSixOne (661) helmet range from its now-younger (and cheaper) sibling, the Recon. Since then, this broad-coverage trail helmet has split into two main models; the Evo AM MIPS that we have…
Watch Singletrack Newsdesk | Lyrik Ultimate, Cannondale DH Bike, Good-bye Charge and more
Andi takes us through the latest, most breaking news of the week in our first ever broadcast of Singletrack Newsdesk. Watch the video below, or read the highlights further down the page. Can’t see the video? Click here Cécile Ravanel Crashes During Training …
Video | Watch Brendan Howey freeride Furious on the Sunshine Coast
Watch Commencal freerider, Brendan Howey flow on the Commencal Furious on this home trails. Commencal rider and all-time freeride legend, Brendan Howey hits the trail again with videographer Jean-Baptiste Liautard to bring us this edit from the Sunshine Coast. The trails are actually local to…
Sheffield’s Airdrop Bikes Announces 2019 Airdrop Edit v3 Full-Suspension Frame
Airdrop Bikes has been enjoying a successful teaser campaign on social media drip-feeding fans on its new frame and what it will be made of. Finally, here are the official details. After a few weeks of social media teasers, Airdrop Bikes has finally revealed it’s…
Review | The Panaracer PanDura is a fast-rolling tyre with some surprises on the trail
Though many mountain bikers will know Panaracer for the classic Smoke & Dart tyres (which are still in production!), the Japanese tyre manufacturer has been busy adding a load of newer tread offerings, including the PanDura shown here. To find out how this enduro/all mountain…
LONE Bicycles Parabellum is a fancy French frame with a clever party trick
Fancy a slice of French frame fun but don’t know if you’ll run 29in, 27.5+ or 27.5in wheels? Not to worry LONE Bicycles Parabellum has you covered with its clever party trick. Cast your mind back to Eurobike 2018 and you may recollect French brand…
Chris Porter wants you to race (with) your kids in the new Mojo Racing Series
The new Mojo Racing series set up my suspension supremo, Chris Porter, allows parents and kids to race together. Bike racing can be an antisocial affair if you’ve got a family. Either you leave them at home while you go and do your thing, or…
Review | Forget the bum bag – the Camelbak Chase Bike Vest is a hydration pack for minimalists
Inspired by trail running packs, the Camelbak Chase Vest has been purpose built for the minimalist mountain biker that still needs to carry essential tools and spares, along with a decent amount of water. It’s a little different to your average mountain bike backpack though,…
Longterm Review | 9 Months On SRAM’s Budget NX Eagle 1×12 Groupset
Thanks to SRAM’s Eagle groupset, 1×12 has been around a few years now. What was originally the preserve of those with bulging wallets is now available for a significantly more modest price, thanks to this NX level groupo. One of the criticisms of early 1×10…
Skinny Dipping #002 – Kielder, Courtney and the Cape
It feels like 2019 has got off to a galloping pace. Not only are we already on our second edition of our XC and endurance news, the year’s second 24 hour race has already been and gone. Kielder Chiller, Almost Weather Thriller Only in its…
Review | Leatt DBX 5.0 All Mountain Waterproof Jacket & Waterproof Shorts
It’s been a wet and gritty winter here in Calderdale, which has provided idyllic conditions for testing waterproof riding gear. With jackets and bottoms from Endura, Leatt and Fox, our local two-wheeled adventurer has been putting three waterproof riding combos to the test. Over to…
Review | Fox Attack Waterproof Jacket and Waterproof Pants
It’s been a wet and gritty winter here in Calderdale, which has provided idyllic conditions for testing waterproof riding gear. With jackets and bottoms from Endura, Leatt and Fox, our local two-wheeled adventurer has been putting three waterproof riding combos to the test. Over to…
On Board | Testing Giant’s Speed-Hungry Trance 29er
Loaded into the Singetrack Grinder for a longterm review is this 2019 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29er 1. Yeah I know, catchy name right? Because I can never quite remember what order all of those words are meant to be in, I’ve been calling it…