£2k trail bike 29ers, high top Five Tens, classic Konas, sneaky pics of a new Nukeproof enduro bikes, trail dogs and plenty more to see Friday off into the weekend.

>>> Dirty Deals: bum bags, disc pads, waterproof shorts and more!

New Boardman MTR full sus 29er trail bike

Boardman MTR full suspension bikes have always been good performers but this 2021 version takes things to another level. 29in wheels, good paintjobs, nice spec, keen price tags (£1600 or £2000). It also takes Halfords mountain bikes offering to a decent level of variation and performance when taken in conjunction with the Halfords-only Voodoo brand. Anyways, this new MTR 29er then… 66° head angle, 75.5° seat angle, 475mm reach on Large, 33mm BB drop, short 42mm fork offset. All pretty good. Short head tubes and lengthy seat tubes may concern a few punters but all in all, good work Boardman Bikes.

2021 Polygon Siskiu

When we reviewed the older Polygon Siskiu back in 2018, it’s fair to say we weren’t overly impressed. To be fair though, our disappointment was aimed squarely at the build kit chosen for the £1000 model. The frame itself we actually realy liked. Anyways, long story short… here’s the new Siskiu. 135/140mm travel full susser, depending on wheel size; the S-M sizes get 27.5in wheels, the L-XL get 29in. Headline stats: 65/65.5° head angle, 76.5° seat angle, 480mm reach on L, $1,699-$2,299 (UK price TBC).

adidas 5.10 Trail Cross XT

Five Ten is dead. Long live ‘adidas 5.10’. We think. Regardless of what they’re going ot call the brand from on, the new Trail Cross XT is a very interesting shoe. A totally new model from Five Ten – sorry, adidas 5.10. They explain: “Trailcross XT, as with the [Five Ten Trail Cross LT] and Mid Pro, was built from the ground up, starting with the Five Ten dotted outsole for flat pedal performance on the bike. This was then refined with hiking in mind, bringing the additional ridged grip to the toe and heel. In addition to the Trailcross LT, the XT has a closed off mesh cuff design allowing for use in more extreme conditions. With the need for the shoe to provide all day comfort but also deliver across the contact points on and off the bike, the mid-sole EVA technology from the TERREX range was slimmed down, providing the necessary comfort without losing the all-important pedal stability. Similar to the Trailcross Mid Pro, the XT utilises a foam backer in the upper construction for added stability. Additionally, the drain ports found in the Trailcross LT model have been closed on the XT to keep debris out.”

2021 Canyon Lux models

Whilst there’s nothing truly ‘woah!’ about 2021 Canyon Lux models, they are one of the most popular mountain bikes out there in Europe for the marathon-XC brigade. 100-110mm travel, 29in wheel only, full carbon frame inc. rocker, super light short travel DT Swiss dropper post and typically well-specced from Canyon. Geometry charts are rather conservative with the rarely-seen-these-days head angle number in the 70°s being a real eyebrow raiser. Still, the mid-European fireroad mashers will love it.

Conor Fearon’s majestically retro Kona Stab

Compare the 2021 Canyon Lux above to this Kona Stab Deluxe from the 2000s. Overbuilt alloy tubing, the biggest rocker in the world, the best-looking Boxxers of all time, 40a compound Slow Reezay Maxxis High Roller tyres, I-Beam seatpost… love it. Because he isn’t suicidal, Conor decked it out with modern disc brakes, drivetrain and flat pedals and raced it to 2nd place(!) recently at a DH race Down Under.

Rejigged Forest Of Dean GBU trail

The good ol’ Deakinator’s POV from the rejigged and reopened Good Bad Ugly track in the Forest Of Dean. Ben D explains: “The Dean Trail volunteers have really worked hard during lockdown making this trail have a lot More flow and have rebuilt some of the classic features along with adding a lot more jumps that flow really well in the top half of the track and towards the bottom.”

New Nukeproof Reactor enduro bike?

Spotted on various Instagram feeds beaming hot fresh content from the Zermatt EWS. Elliott Heaps looks like he’s riding a brand new Nukeproof bike model. The back end looks like a Nukeproof Mega, the front end looks like a Nukeproof Reactor. It appears to have big wheels at both ends. We’ve no more official info about it as Nukeproof remain tight-lipped.

Becky Gardner is a Golden Girl

No, not the venerable American sitcom of the 80s and 90s. This Golden Girl is Kona rider Becky Gardner (and her dog) ripping around during golden hour daylight. Why? To promote the new Kona Process 153 DL 29.

Ace on a Capra

Ace hayden. What a name. What a rider. The new spec alloy YT Capra AL underneath (and osmetimes beside) him looks alright too. For those who like to note the credits of these things, you can pretty much tell that this video is from filmmaker Rupert Walker of RAW fame. No music. Just the (admittedly augmented) sound of shredding.

Jackson Goldstone still isn’t old

The youth prodigy may not be in primary school anymore (he’s actually been on the scene since 2010, amazingly enough) but he’s still a prodigious talent that is always worth watching. Shimano: “Talent has played a large part in Jackson’s extraordinary riding ability, but so has his hometown of Squamish. With one of the most densely packed trail networks on the planet right outside his door, Jackson can challenge himself in any mountain biking discipline he chooses, every day of the year.”

#26aintdead with the relaunced DMR Rhythm

Obviously, to all intents and purposes 26 is very much dead when it comes to trail riding but the small wheel size still has a place. And that place is on dirt jumps and pump tracks. As ably demonstrated by DMR riders Jono Jones, Kyle Lane and Chubbie (possibly not his real first name) Hammond.