This new Specialized Butcher retains the familiar old tread pattern with its tightly-packed complex knobs and siping, but the T9 label on the side describes the new rubber compound and…
Mountain Bike Rider
Pirelli Scorpion Enduro S/R tyre review
Trail and enduro versions are available of the new Pirelli Scorpion; the latter here with a meatier tread and casing suitable for all-mountain riding. Read more: Buyer’s guide to the…
Michelin Wild AM 2 tyre review
This Wild AM2 is another brand-new Michelin for 2021. It’s meatier and knobblier than the Force AM, with a more uniform, square, blocky tread pattern. Central paddles are similar to…
Michelin Force AM 2 tyre review
Available in 2.4in and 2.6in sizes in both 27.5in and 29in diameter, the Michelin Force AM 2 is designed to be lighter and faster-rolling than the popular Wild Enduro with…
Maxxis Rekon 3C Maxx Terra EXO+ tyre review
Maxxis’s Rekon is essentially a beefed-up Ikon XC tyre with broader shoulders. It’s a pure trail tyre and a popular choice on shorter-travel full-suspension and hardtail complete bikes to inject…
Maxxis High Roller II Double Down tyre review
The Maxxis High Roller II has an almost perfect blend of compliance, stiffness and stability, the rubber compound grips like stink.
Nukeproof Nirvana Women’s Short review
These Nirvana shorts are one of our baggier options on test, are packed full of features and boast a gravity bias. Read more: Buyer’s guide to the best women’s mountain…
Nukeproof Blackline Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey review
Blackline is Nukeproof’s premium mountain bike trail collection for men and women and is made in Europe. The crew neck jersey blends two Italian performance fabrics, and the super lightweight,…
Madison Roam Women’s Short Sleeve Performance Tee review
Of all the brands tested, both of us found the Madison garments proved to be the most true to size. A number of brands seem to come up small in…
Madison Roam Women’s Shorts review
Ultra lightweight, they are comparable to the Endura Singletrack Lite in terms of minimalism, and are designed to cater for riders who might dabble in more than one off-road discipline,…
Endura Women’s Singletrack Lite Shorts review
Endura’s trousers performed well in our recent women’s group test in MBR, so there were high hopes for the Singletrack Shorts. Read more: Buyer’s guide to the best women’s mountain…
Endura Singletrack Short Sleeve Jersey review
The Singletrack Short Sleeve jersey has been a longstanding cornerstone of Endura’s women’s range. The Scottish brand is inching towards it’s thirtieth anniversary, and has been turning out a good…
Adidas FiveTen TrailX Long Sleeve Jersey review
It was a decade ago that Adidas acquired the FiveTen brand, but only in the last few years have we seen the two brands becoming more closely aligned and FiveTen…
Adidas Five Ten Brand of the Brave Shorts review
This was the first time either of us had donned any Adidas Five Ten shorts, so we were intrigued to see how they would perform. Read more: Buyer’s guide to…
Tune 2.2 for RAAW Madonna
RAAW is a German brand that does the whole aluminium enduro bike thing, with clever frame details. The RAAW crew has updated its Madonna 160mm 29er, with a new V2.2…
Wahoo Elemnt Rival GPS review
The Wahoo Elemnt Rival is a GPS smartwatch that’ll track your ride, record your heart rate for fitness training (if that’s your thing), and send all the data to an…
Crankbrothers Mallet E Boa shoe review
In my opinion – and judging by the paddock at World Cup DH and EWS enduro events, the opinions of most top racers too – Crankbrothers makes the best clip-in…
Cane Creek Kitsuma Coil shock review
With four easily-accessible tuning dials, Kitsuma is Cane Creek’s latest generation Double Barrel shock, hand built in North Carolina and available in either air or coil sprung guises – and…
Scott Mission Evo Knee pads review
Knee pads are one of those slightly weird products that you carry around with you all the time, hoping you never have to use them. Nor do you want to…
Föhn Polartec Alpha Hybrid jacket review
While the brand Föhn conjures up images of ruggedly handsome Nordic folk running or riding into the sunset above a remote fjord, the reality is actually a clever bit of…