Transition Repeater PT GX AXS Carbon £10,499

Only four brands get to use the SRAM Powertrain motor and 720Wh battery, and with Nukeproof’s future hanging in the balance that we might soon be down to three… and that makes the new Transition Repeater PT a rare beast.

The Repeater is an enduro sled of an e-bike: 170mm travel, with the latest SRAM Powertrain motor

Powertrain dishes out a huge 680 watts of power and 90Nm torque, making it one of the pokiest units around… and potentially makes the Repeater one of the best electric mountain bikes. It also has Shift Assist, which will change gear for you even when you’re not pedalling. The stats on the bike are just as big – 170mm of travel front and rear, with 29in wheels or an option to go mullet with the bike’s flip chip. 

One of three new Michelin Wild Enduro tyres, this is the Medium Soft for loose conditions

Michelin Wild Enduro tyres

Move over Maxxis, Michelin is coming for your top tyre dog position with three new versions of its Wild Enduro. Launched a few years back, the Michelin Wild Enduro impressed us with its amazing grip, but rolled too slow to work for anything other than proper enduro racing and didn’t quite cut it as one of our best mountain bike tyres.

Now it’s back with two new front tyres and one new rear tyre that save a claimed 20 and 30 watts respectively over the original Wild Enduro Racing Line tyre.

The Michelin Wild Enduro Medium Soft is aimed at loose, muddy or soft conditions, it’s 2.4in and gets a new Gum X compound. The Michelin Wild Enduro Medium Hard front tyre is for firmer conditions, it’s 2.5in and loosely based on the DH22 downhill tyre. It gets the same tacky rubber too. Finally there’s a Michelin Wild Enduro Rear, which is of course for the back end, it’s quicker rolling and works better in the cold.

Check out the Super Tacky rubber pads on the sides, which RRP says grip the fork and stop any wobble

RapidRacerProducts ProGuard Front – BOLT ON V2

RRP has a new version of its excellent ProGuard Bolt On, most obviously it’s now super long at 600mm in the Maxi length, and that’s been made possible thanks to changes in the plastic that allow for greater stability.

RRP has also recessed the centre of the guard to give more fork clearance and stop you whacking it into the crown, and there are now dozens of rubbery mount options to allow for the bewildering array of different fork braces. Head to the RRP website, tap in the fork you’re fitting it to and the model year and you’ll get the right mount for it.

There are Super Tacky rubber pads to grip the fork stanchions too and lend it all greater poise, and you can get the ProGuard Bolt On V2 in three lengths including Mini at 389mm and Standard at 503mm.

The 5DEV Ti cranks here are milled to reduce weight while keeping strength and stiffness

5DEV R-SPEC Trail Enduro Cranks £550

Cranks are everywhere in 2024, Hope has a new carbon option, Cane Creek has an e-bike version of its eeWings titanium crankset, but most interesting of all is the 5DEV R-Spec. It’s made using what’s called a five axis CNC machine, which can turn the metal billet and mill away material that could otherwise never have been reached. It results in a lighter component that isn’t compromised on strength, as well as some pretty creative looking cranks, including the R-Spec here made from alloy, and a titanium version that costs three times the price. 

The cranks are e-bike compatible with Bosch, Shimano and Specialized, and come in lengths from 135m up to 175mm. There’s a range of chainrings to go along with it too, aluminium for £100 or titanium for £200, and there’s a 5dev stem too. Milled from a single piece of titanium, there’s no faceplate to it and it sells for an amazing £400.

Granite Rocknroll TQ Torque Ratchet Tool Kit £54.99

Every bolt on your bike has a recommended torque setting, but few of us pay it much attention. There’s no excuse now though, because Granite has a dinky little tool that’ll fit everything going, with 10 driver bits: 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8 / T20 / T25 / PH2 / and an extension for hard to reach bolts. It’s a super simple design, the flex in the lever indicates how much force you’re putting through it, although Granite does say it could be out by 10% either way.

Crank up the tool and a series of lights flash up to tell you how much torque you are putting in

Topeak E-TorqBar Torque Wrench 1-10Nm £134.99

If you’re after a more precise (and slicker) tool to measure bolt tightness then the Topeak E-TORQBAR is your pick. It uses an LED display to show how much force you’re cranking on, from 1-10Nm. It comes with 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 allen bits, and Torx T10 / T15 / T20 / T25, and a #2 Phillips driver bit.

The new Smith Payroll uses Koroyd and MIPS for protection, as well as EPS foam

Smith Payroll MIPS helmet

Smith makes some of the best mountain bike helmets around, the latest offering is for e-bikes and it’s called the Payroll. As per usual with Smith it gets KOROYD coverage around the sides and top of your head, a honeycomb material that absorbs energy on impact but also channels air through to keep you cool. There’s also a Mips liner to help the helmet move if you have a crash, and the helmet passes the latest NTA8776 e-bike regulations that demand greater rear protection at speed and more rear coverage.  

The Tow Rope, ideal for kids, adults and taking your plants for a walk

Kids Ride Shotgun MTB TOW ROPE 

I love this idea, perhaps because it might be me getting towed up the hill one day. Kids Ride Shotgun has a new MTB Tow Rope out with a load rating of 225kg. That means you can tow kids up the hill and adults too, while the whole thing can be worn round where waist when not in use. It’s stretchy to prevent either rider being snatched from the bike, and it’s designed to loop round your saddle and the bars of the rider behind.

The Topeak Feza Cage is flexy to the hand, but still robust enough to hold a full size bottle on a mountain bike

Topeak Feza Cage V1 £24.99

One for the weight weenies, Topeak’s new Feza Cage V1 weighs a scant 18g but costs only £25. Now if only the kilo of water you’ll slide into it could be made to weigh less.

How good does the Women’s MT500 look in this 90s tie-dye effect?

Endura MT500 Waterproof Jacket £249.99

Speaking of water, Endura has two interesting new MT500 products out for the weather we’re having right now. The Endura MT500 is one of the best waterproof jackets and it gets an update to include a little popper on the front to hold it together when the zip is open, and an internal pocket too. There are huge pit zips, and the hood now features three more poppers to snug it down.

Endura’s also gone in for some MT500 Waterproof Bib Pants to keep you dry in monsoon conditions. There’s a huge zipper on the side of the women’s one for loo breaks, and the cuffs are zipped up too to get boots on and off more easily.

7mesh reckons its Airmap fabric is the future for minimising our impact on the environment

7Mesh Cache Anorak with Airmap 

While Endura is still pursuing the idea water can be kept out, 7Mesh has gone with the idea of making you comfy when wet and accepting the inevitable. Made from three different laminate fabrics, the Airmap material is designed to keep air and moisture moving when it’s inside your jacket, while still being windproof. It won’t bead like a Gore-Tex jacket either, because it doesn’t use any Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) or PFAS, aka ‘forever chemicals’. The Cache Anorak is the first time we’ve seen it in the flesh, we’ll let you know if it works or not in due course.

The Revoloop is perfect for a ride-saving fix because its small and lightweight

Revoloop MTB Ultra Tube

Revoloop is a mountain bike tube that weighs just 45g even in 29er guise, which is really impressive when most tubes weigh at least five times that. The secret sauce is it’s made from polyurethane rather than rubber, so it almost certainly won’t feel the same, but it will get you out of a fix if you flat. It’s less than half the size of a normal tube too, so perfect for slinging into your internal storage / pack / enduro strap.

The Singularis M30 wheel is designed for XC or light trailm, with 28 spokes and a 30mm internal

P1 Race Technologies Singularis M30 

Tom Pidcock rides these wheels, they’re designed for XC but the people at P1 reckon you could use them for trail riding just fine. The funky wavy pattern makes your eyes go funny when you spin them, but they’re not just for show because the design makes the spokes shorter and the wheel stronger and more balanced. There are 28 spokes front and rear, the rim weighs a claimed 419g and internally it’s 30mm with a hookless rim.

The HT Supreme C is a plastic pedal with the same bearing system as its pricier cousin, the Supreme AMS10

HT Supreme-C pedal

The HT Supreme C is a composite version of the brand’s AMS 10 Supreme aluminium pedal, meaning it’s cheaper and lighter. There are tapered sides to the body to help fend off rocks or roots, and the short axle allows for less material and weight. Inside is the same bearing system as the Supreme AMS 10.

Hope PF41 BB bottom bracket £90

Hope’s new bottom bracket looks like a step forward for reliability because it uses better bearings, more seals and it can go into an unfaced or misaligned BB shell without going wrong. That’s the claim anyway, thanks to new Swiss-made bearings and a host of cool new changes including a double row of seals.