To say the Maxxis High Roller is a classic mountain bike tyre is a bit like saying Coca Cola is a popular soft drink. The High Roller is pretty much…
Mick Kirkman
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Stylish, breezy and well-protected, Smith’s Payroll is now my go-to open face helmet
The Payroll is available with or without a crash sensor called Aleck, which uses bluetooth to connect to an app on your phone and costs £45 more. I’m testing the…
Burgtec’s B-Rage Penthouse Flats are utterly bombproof, and even grippier than the originals, and great for big feet, but I think they’re overkill for most riders
Penthouse Flat pedals were the first product Burgtec ever made. Originally a massive chunk of alloy, designed to be pretty much unbreakable, over the years they became a lot thinner…
I need a good reason not to buy Maxxis: GoodYear has a great one in the new Wrangler, it grips well for less cash
I’m about as into cars as your average Green Party member, but even I’ve heard all about Goodyear tyres. The brand is huge in things four-wheeled and engined, but yet…
With rock-solid lever feel and power, TRP’s Trail Evo brakes are ideal for riders with big enough hands to grab them
A decade ago, Tektro was something of a budget brand. Mostly appearing on cheap bikes, it didn’t quite have the brand image to sell high-end products at more expensive price…
Cotic’s Solaris steel hardtail is for proper singletrack, bike packing adventures, and everything in between
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…
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…