Hope’s been making CNC’d stems from its Lancashire base for years. Its previous generation AM stem felt less solid to me than some competitors when back-to-back testing, but the brand…
Mick Kirkman
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Reynolds Blacklabel wheels are so tough they’ll probably outlive me, which makes them my pick for heavier riders or proper pinners
Reynolds is a carbon wheel specialist offering high-end road and MTB wheels. Part of the cycling group making Manitou suspension, Answer bars and Hayes brakes, I was just about to…
RockShox Flight Attendant figured out my riding with machine learning, it boosted my pedalling performance but the price is sky high
RockShox Flight Attendant is smarter now than ever before. Not content with monitoring the bike’s behaviour, the new update learns how you ride and adjusts the suspension damping automatically. It’s…
Free speed isn’t cheap: I raced Merida’s Flight Attendant bike at the Ex and won! But at £9k it’s definitely a luxury
The Merida One-Sixty 10K is a high-end pedal bike priced close to £10,000. While its premium components really do make it the best of everything, in today’s market it may…
“It’s next level good” – I tested RockShox’ new Super Deluxe Ultimate shock and it transformed the ride quality of my bike
RockShox’s Super Deluxe rear shock has looked pretty much the same since its current form launched in 2023. It’s black, it has a piggyback reservoir, and because it comes as…
I’ve spent over ten years testing flat pedals, and the new Race Face Turbine is the grippiest I’ve ever used. But it’s too much for my tastes
Race Face’s new Turbine flat pedal has one major goal; delivering maximum grip. With an all-new shape and bigger platform, this is a platform pedal for those craving a locked-on…
I’ve been testing e-bikes for over a decade, but “vaping, portable speaker wielding” riders and trail erosion are making me wish they’d never been invented
E-bikes are pretty amazing, aren’t they? Amazing for all those extra descents you can cram into precious ride time and the fact that you can blast up climbs while barely…
Rapha’s Explore Down Jacket is exceptionally snug and warm for riding, and still packs small enough for downtube storage
Part of Rapha’s Adventure line-up, this Explore Down piece targets bikepacking and gravel riding more than the enduro or e-biking I get up to. But don’t let that put you…
The new Maxxis High Roller 3 tyre is consistent, predictable and insanely grippy, but it’s painfully slow rolling if you don’t have the gradient
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…
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…