We were treated to an electric weekend of racing for the first round of the XC World Series in Brazil. On the Saturday, Evie Richards won the short-track (XCC) Elite…
Rebecca Bland
Freelance writer

Pivot’s new Firebird looks more composed than ever, but I’m just as interested in why Bernard Kerr’s wearing a suit and slippers for the press shots
Pivot has redesigned its premium enduro bike, the Firebird, for 2025. The new model features a 170mm Fox 38 fork, 165mm of DW-linkage rear travel, and uses the Swinger dropout…
The XC World Cup season is about to start in Brazil… here’s where, when, and how to watch, and who’s in the running
The 2025 cross-country season is underway, and now it’s time for the UCI MTB World Series 2025 to start. The first round takes place in Araxá, Brazil on 3-6 April.…
Top XC racers protest Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to reduce podium size from 5 to 3
Over 120 cross-country racers and 10 teams from the World Series have signed a letter addressed to Warner Bros. Discovery asking for them to consider reinstating the traditional 5-rider podiums.…
SRAM ditches Code brakes, swaps DOT for mineral oil, adds a new stopper called the Motive, and a cheaper Maven too
SRAM has been busy sorting out its 2025 brake lineup, and there have been some interesting new additions – particularly at the XCO end of things. First up is the…
SRAM Eagle Transmission goes mechanical with Eagle 90 and 70 groupsets, but you can only buy the £655 Eagle 90 off-the-shelf
SRAM has launched two new Eagle Transmission drivetrains: the Eagle 90 Transmission and the Eagle 70 Transmission. They are slated to be the first mechanical groupsets to use a Full…
Scotland’s planned multi-million pound bike park and resort will feature elite-level DH, enduro and XC trails, and a gondola uplift… but it’s not at Innerleithen, Fort William or any of the usual destinations
New elite-level downhill, enduro and XC trails, a gondola uplift to take riders to the top, and millions of pounds of investment. That’s the future for Dunoon, a small…
From A-Line to Dirt Merchant, discover Whistler Mountain Bike Park and why it’s a mountain biking Mecca
As a mountain biker, Whistler Mountain Bike Park is one of those iconic destinations. It’s a bucket list location that you can spend hour upon hour watching POV videos of…
Watch: Greg Callaghan has built his dream trail at Ticknock, Dublin, and you can ride it too now
Irish enduro racer Greg Callaghan has built his own “dream trail” at Ticknock Mountain Bike Trails in Dublin. And, of course, filmed the progress and a full run of it…
The next generation of women shredders are here, and they’re already setting the MTB world alight – Vali Höll, Vero Sandler and Vaea Veerback reveal their ones to watch
It’s International Women’s Day – and yes, we are going to shout about it. Over the last few years women’s riding and racing has gotten way more coverage, and deservedly…
New Specialized XC wheelset weighs less than a kilo, uses carbon spokes with Ti nipples, and costs more than some complete bikes
Specialized has a completely new XC wheelset that it says weighs less than a kilo, making it lighter than most road hoops I can find. Yes you read that right,…
Whyte’s new Bosch CX-powered Kado starts at £4,500, gets 150mm travel and a ’tilted motor’ for lower centre of gravity
British brand Whyte has launched a new full-powered eMTB range called Kado. The bikes incorporate Bosch’s latest Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor and batteries, a choice of alloy or…
Race Face’s new Turbine flat pedal comes in seven colours and boasts the “most concave platform on the market”
Race Face has launched its most concave flat pedal yet – the Turbine. It has 3mm of concavity and is designed for riders who want better grip but without having…
Heli-rides, boat cruise shuttles and 20,000m of descending: last remaining tickets on sale for the NZ MTB Rally
The NZ MTB Rally is returning for a second year, taking place from 22 to 29 March 2025. It’s set in the Nelson area in New Zealand, and this enduro…
Canyon adds bricks and motor demo options, letting you try before you buy on demand in London and Sheffield
Famously a direct to consumer brand, you’ll now be able to view, bounce on or even demo a Canyon in the UK, after a new partnership with two UK stores,…
Reframing MTB Conference moves to Bristol for 2025, but the aims remain the same – forging a positive, sustainable future for mountain biking
The Reframing MTB Conference is returning for 2025, but this time it’s headed south to Bristol on 7-9 March. The conference will be co-hosted by Ride Bristol, a local trail…
Whyte’s new T-140 RS trail bike is a cool £1k cheaper than its predecessor, with the same “brilliant, benchmark” frame
Whyte has long been at the forefront of trail bike design with its T-series models, and now there’s a relaunched T-140 RS trail bike with a sub-£3k price tag and…
“I am so sad that something so positive is being destroyed” – Much-loved Dorset jump trail bulldozed by Forestry England for being “inherently dangerous”
Trails built in Puddletown Forest, near Dorchester, have begun to be taken down by Forestry England as they were built without permission. Forestry England said some of the “big features”…
Five things we learned from watching a brutal Red Bull Hardline Tasmania
Red Bull Hardline Tasmania was back for its second edition this weekend, with over 20 male and female riders hitting the 2.9km track in dusty Australia. From bikes with belt…
How to watch the Red Bull Hardline in Tasmania this week (for free), who’s riding, and live timings
Rónán Dunne did something incredible in 2024, when he became the first rider to win both Red Bull Hardline events, first in Tasmania then at Dyfi. Roll on one year…