I’ve a confession to make. Testing hardtails is more often than not a part of this bike reviewer’s job that doesn’t exactly fill me with joy. Most hardtails beat the…
Mick Kirkman
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Best mountain bike forks: XC, trail and enduro forks reviewed and rated
With fork technology evolving, the singletrack is getting faster and faster - our pick of the best mountain bike forks will help you run smoother.
Rapha’s Trail Gore Tex Pants are the best waterproof trousers I’ve tried in twenty years of testing
If it’s not currently raining, it will be quite soon. This is the reality of winter mountain biking, but get the right kit, including some of the best waterproof mountain…
I didn’t gel with SRAM’s old AXS shifters, but the new Pod Controller is totally intuitive
Ever since SRAM first launched its electronic AXS drivetrains for MTB about five years ago, it’s offered a wireless gear shifter. The brand has been through various shapes and designs…
Endura’s MT500 Polartec jacket is cheaper than my favourite cold-weather top, and more practical too
Endura’s MT500 fleece is a new hooded mountain biking jacket designed to offer ‘incredible temperature regulation’. It uses multiple textures and panels in different zones, along with a swathe of…
Merida’s new ‘lightweight’ eOne-Sixty SL is a gorgeous-looking e-bike, but I think it’s powered by the wrong Bosch motor
Merida’s new eOne-Sixty SL is exactly the kind of machine that would have made our massive Superlight E-Bike of the Year shootout had it come out in 2024’s sunny season,…
Three products helped my riding more than anything else in 2024, here’s why they get my vote for Gear of the Year
Downhill racing drives mountain bike innovation like nothing else, and my Gear of the Year 2024 comes straight off the gnarliest tracks on the circuit. I’m talking about e*thirteen’s revolutionary…
I’ve tested dozens of e-bikes but none of them will ever thrill me like this regular pedal-powered MTB, and it’s my Bike of the Year 2024
It’s been coming for a long time, but 2024 was the year e-bikes steamrollered normal, analogue mountain bikes. Leading brands pumped more energy into the electrified sector than ever before,…
Best mountain bike wheels: aluminium, carbon, and budget options
Getting the best mountain bike wheels can totally transform your ride. Upgrading your bike's existing wheelset will add speed and improve the feel.
Propain’s new Spindrift is a shapeshifter: fun and fast on the descents with 180mm travel, but efficient enough to work on mellower singletrack too
In a world where excess is increasingly frowned upon, it’s easy to find reasons to be more conservative and play things safe. Propain’s Spindrift takes that ethos and throws it…
Near DH protection, without the stuffiness: the Bluegrass Jetro helmet is my favourite 3/4 helmet
Three-quarter helmets like this new Bluegrass Jetro have forged a bit of a category of their own, sitting between regular half shell lids and the best lightweight full-face enduro helmets. The…
“Like riding chainless” – e*thirteen’s Sidekick decoupling hub irons out the trails, but XC riders will probably hate it
e*thirteen has something special inside the rear hub on these Sidekick wheels. Seven years in the making, the brand’s innovative new design claims to end pedal kickback on a full…
The Atherton S170 is like nothing else when it comes to how it looks, the way it’s made, and the range of sizes, but at 17.5kg it’s one of the heaviest enduro bikes I’ve ridden
Atherton Bikes moves so fast that loads has happened since the brand’s first aluminium bike – the S170 – first appeared in the spring. One of the biggest changes being…
My last SDG Tellis dropper post did 5,000km without a service, and this V2 version is even better
The original SDG Tellis dropper came out in 2018 and made a bit of a name for itself as one of the cheaper options on the market that was still…
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…
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…
Best mountain bike tyres: e-bikes, trail riding, XC racing, gravity, and everything inbetween
Ultimate grip? Fastest rolling speed? Ride in sand? Rocks? Or loam? Here are the eight best mountain bike tyres for you and your trails.
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…
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…
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.…