At this price point, most SL e-bikes use carbon fibre frames to save weight, or at least that’s what the marketing gurus tell us. Not at Orange, though. In fact,…
£7,999.00
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Reviews
Best hardtail mountain bike: classic trail shredding machines
These handful of rad machines are the absolute best hardtail mountain bike options out there right now. We've been thrashing hardtails for nearly three decades to build this definitive shortlist.
The Orbea Rise was one of the original SL e-bikes, and I think new LT version is better than ever. More travel, more power and more options make it more e-bike, not less
Foresight or good fortune? It’s hard to say which it was, but Orbea’s decision to use a detuned full power Shimano EP8 motor on the original Rise has clearly paid…
£7,842.00
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Whyte switches to the new Bosch CX motor for the ELyte Evo. And in doing so it’s made the best SL e-bike even better. More torque, more muscle, more e-bike
Is it groundhog day? It sure feels that way to me. Because exactly one year and three days ago, I was typing up a review on the (then) new Whyte…
£9,999.00
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I was totally won over by the Cannondale Moterra SL’s raw power and range, but it doesn’t have the suspension response to capitalise on its extreme geometry and relatively lightweight build
The Cannondale Moterra SL truly is a hybrid bike. It shares its name, travel and Shimano EP801 motor with the full-power Moterra, but the sleek full-carbon frame has more in…
£8,550.00
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Coil or air? Cane Creek’s unique Tigon shock gets both, but it’s not enough to lure me away from Fox
Cane Creek has made twin tube coil and air shocks for decades now, including the Kitsuma Coil shock I’ve previously raved about. This new Tigon design represents something entirely new…
£750.99
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There’s no such thing as a perfect bike, but the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX comes very close, and is my SL E-Bike of the Year winner
It’s no secret that Whyte’s full power e-bikes are built solid, and as a result, they typically weigh over 25kg. So when the ELyte 150 launched a year ago, the…
£7,999.00
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Peaty’s Monarch Grips offer pinpoint control and build quality, but there are squishier options out there
Peaty’s all-new Monarch grips come in two different designs and five different colours with both tread patterns selling for under £25. There’s both a knurled option with diamond shaped file-like…
£24.99
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The new Voodoo Canzo is a budget full-sus bargain, and I think it has better suspension than the Bossnut
Voodoo’s all new Canzo full-suspension trail bike isn’t perfect, but it’s a brilliant example of an affordable have-a-go-hero with future-proof upgrade features you won’t normally find at this price. Voodoo…
£1,400.00
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Trek’s Blaze WaveCel with removable side protection is a triumph of design and technology, I only wish my ears were smaller
The Blaze is Trek’s newest mountain bike helmet, it is packed out with features and technology that go some way to explaining, or perhaps excusing, its high price. Most obviously,…
£199.99
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Burgtec’s Josh Bryceland Bartender Pro Super Soft grips provide most of the comfort of a push-on design, with none of the hassle
As one of just two bike contact points when you’re stood up taming the most technical trails, grips better be pretty darn, err, grippy in your hands. To deliver this…
£23.99
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Cotic’s new Rocket e-bike made me swipe left when I first saw it, but the beautiful details and stunning ride quality turned me on
Cotic’s new e-bike stays true to its signature steel frame style of 21 years, and uses a wholly UK-built frame to minimise ecological impact and maximise build quality. Mounting the…
£8,000.00
I’ve tested hundreds of mountain bike tyres, and the Schwalbe Albert Radial Gravity Pro has the most planted and supremely-damped ride quality I’ve encountered
Schwalbe’s latest gravity tyre range has to be one of the most hyped in recent memory, with its new Radial casing the talk of the World Cup downhill paddock. All…
£81.99
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Castelli’s Prosecco is the most effective base layer I’ve ever tested, it wicks sweat faster than you can make it
Italian brand Castelli has been providing kit for pro road teams for decades and offers various product tiers from amateur or training gear, right up to top-level World Tour outfits.…
£75.00
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Merida’s new eOne-Eighty is the most capable long-travel e-bike I’ve ever tested, at 27kg I’d hate to have to muscle it over a gate though
Merida started down electric avenue early, it developed sweet riding e-bikes before many other brands even got switched on to the concept. This helped the Taiwanese behemoth tie in with…
£7,500.00
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Mondraker’s new Crafty e-bike might not be the most agile descender, but it made me laugh out loud on the climbs
As the most successful bike in Mondraker’s substantial range of e-bikes, the new Crafty has big shoes to fill. ‘Don’t mess it up!’, or slightly stronger words to that effect,…
£7,699.00
All of this for just £1,500? Calibre’s Bossnut is back, with more travel, bigger wheels and a higher quality frame
After a four year hiatus the Calibre Bossnut is back. It’s got bigger 29in wheels, more travel and now comes with a dropper seat post fitted as standard. Yup, the…
£1,499.00
Nukeproof and Ragley are gone: step forward Merida’s new Big Trail, one of the few properly radical hardtails left
The original 2020 Merida Big Trail started as a collaboration between Merida and UK dealers wanting something more rad than the average trail hardtail. Four years later it’s become available…
£1,999.00
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POC’s VPD Air Flow knee guards are supremely comfy and cool… and on sale right now at 63% off!
The POC VPD Air Flow knee pad takes its design cues from roadie bib shorts, it’s the lightest and most minimal knee protection offering from the Swedish brand and targeted…
£130.00
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Shimano’s EP801 firmware update is a must for e-bikers: it’s not always free, doesn’t match DJI’s power, but the overrun is perfect
In the race to build the best e-bike motor, Shimano has been falling behind. Bosch has its new Performance CX motor and it’s smarter than ever. Yamaha, Specialized, and now…