Fuelled by ever-improving, safer and more stable bikes, we’ve all got faster downhill on trails that now pack in more extreme and challenging features. Thankfully, MTB body armour has also moved…
Mick Kirkman
Contributor/tester
The Race Face Chester is one of the softest mountain bike grips I’ve ever tested
Enter Race Face’s new Chester grip, which the brand reckons is its most advanced grip ever. In part that’s down to an all-new tread design, but perhaps more importantly an…
Atherton Bikes swaps its additive manufacturing for a subtractive one, but has it left anything out? Mick Kirkman gets laps in on the new alloy S170 to find out.
Atherton Bikes still seems relatively new, but the brand is already five years old. And, up until now, it’s been making frames using an additive manufacturing processes, hence the AM…
I tested the super-dynamic Lapierre E-Zesty AM 9.4 and thought I’d found my perfect e-bike – then the motor stopped working
The Lapierre E-Zesty was the original mid-power trail/enduro bike – a pioneering model that saw the potential of a lightweight chassis and minimal assistance. Back then, it was in a…
Handmade in Wales, the CES Sport Copa is a budget carbon wheelset that’s prime for UK riding conditions
Based in Wales, CES Sport has a history making road and triathlon wheels for decent prices with this Copa its first set of 29er wheels built purely for MTB. The…
Ergon’s GDH Team grips are built to reduce hand pain, arm pump and fatigue on downhill tracks, but they’re not for everyone
The Ergon GDH Team is only available in one (mid-fat) diameter, and it isn’t left-right specific like so many of the best mountain bike grips around today… and including the…
The Shimano GF8 winter boots kept me glued to the pedals, but here’s why I won’t be recommending them…
Shimano’s GF8 is a flat pedal shoe with a difference, it’s a pumped-up shoe/ankle boot hybrid with extra insulation and a waterproof/breathable liner to make it winter-ready. With not that…
I’ve tested eight waterproof trousers this winter, and Rab’s Cinder Kinetic is the only pair that can keep me dry
Rab’s new Cinder Kinetic Waterproof trousers are made from, hands down, the best waterproof material I’ve ever tried. That is one hell of a bold statement given I’ve been striving…
I’ve fallen out of love with e-bikes after a decade testing them: but one new motor’s rekindled the old flame and it’s my Gear of the Year 2023
1. Specialized Hillbilly Grid Gravity tyre The latest Specialized Hillbilly has as much (or even more) wet weather and mud grip than any other mountain bike tyre available right now.…
Got a busy bar? Try the Lizard Skins Machine lock-on grip and its super-skinny clamp
As one of the first to sell mountain biking lock-ons, Lizard Skins has some serious pedigree – a quick website visit shows you the brand’s knowhow extends to making handles…
Lazer’s Coyote KinetiCore helmet is great value, but I needed a trailside twig bodge to make it work
Like the best mountain bike helmets on the market, Lazer’s new Coyote helmet uses something more than just EPS to protect your head in the event of a crash. Like…
I’ve been testing winter jerseys for two decades, and the Rapha Explore Zip Neck Pullover is the best I’ve tried
The Rapha Explore Zip Neck Pullover is part of the brand’s bikepacking range, so this zip neck top isn’t strictly in the MTB line-up. Just don’t tell anyone you’re wearing…
I tested Cannondale’s Habit 4, a do-it-all trail bike that costs less that £2k… and it blew me away
When looking for one of the best full-suspension trail bikes around two grand, the ride quality, geometry and suspension ought to be at a level where an advanced rider can…
Cane Creek DB Coil IL (Next Generation) shock review
This is an updated coil sprung DB IL (in line) shock from Cane Creek and it’s had a noticeable makeover. But is it good enough to take a place in…
Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M Race tyre review
This new Pirelli Scorpion M Race model is the result of the brand busily developing new treads, casings and compounds. Also, the much softer rubber blend here stems from testing…
Rapha Lightweight Trail T-Shirt review
Rapha’s combination of fabric and fit is seriously effective at keeping you cool and airy when it’s scorching, yet it doesn’t use such an open mesh that it lets too…
Merida One-Twenty 700 first ride review
First ride review As a trail all-rounder that targets simplicity and affordability, Merida’s latest One-Twenty model isn’t directly competing with the best downcountry bikes that we’ve tested, like the Scott…
Best mountain bike mud tyres: keep in control whatever the weather
Here's our rundown of the best mountain bike mud tyres to help you beat the gloop and keep on rolling until spring comes around.
Merida One-Sixty FR 600 first ride review
The Merida One-Sixty FR was launched at September’s EX Enduro in Devon, so our first ride testing and evaluation was carried out on terrain in and around the event with…
Atherton AM.170 M1 first ride review
We’ve seen it the Atherton AM.170 perform at the highest level in Gee’s latest Ridgeline IV video where he ventures high into the Dolomite mountains on an epic trip, but…