New stars of 2013 revisited: Manon Carpenter Words and photos: Sim Mainey “You know who that is, don’t you? That’s Manon Carpenter!” The three riders look over in our direction.…
Mountain Bike Rider
Polygon Xtrada 5 review
Xtrada literally translates to crossroads. And that can be interpreted a couple of different ways. Did Polygon intend the Xtrada 5 to meet at the intersection between on and off…
Northwave Tailwhip flat shoe review
The skate-inspired Northwave Tailwhip uses a canvas upper with Michelin rubber sole. Considering the materials and simplicity it’s relatively heavy for a flat shoe at 829g a pair. There’s a…
Crankbrothers Stamp Street Fabio shoe review
Fabio Wibmer needs no introduction. Along with a full-time job designing signature shoes and pedals for Crankbrothers, bikes for Canyon, brakes for Magura, and goggles for POC, he still finds…
On One Scandal SX review
Right now, On One offers several complete hardtail options at under £1,000, including the steel-framed Big Dog and Huntsman, but this is On One’s only offering made from aluminium. Before…
HT Supreme pedal review
The HT Supreme starts life as a basic aluminium extrusion, which is then heavily CNC-machined. This trims meat from the leading edges and corners to boost clearance when leant over,…
A decade of thrills: celebrating ten years of BikePark Wales
Before the gates to BikePark Wales were flung open in August 2013, the idea of a pay-per-thrill bike park – the first of its kind in the UK – in…
Carrera Fury review
When unboxing the Carrera Fury our first thought was that Halfords must have made a blunder. How could the Fury possibly have an air-sprung fork, wide-range Shimano Deore 1×10 drivetrain,…
Hope Dropper Lever review
One look at this new dropper lever and you’ll see there’s everything you’d expect from a Hope component. It’s a shiny, feature-packed, CNC aluminium product that’s made in the UK…
Fox adds the Union Canvas flat pedal shoe to its range
When Fox moved into the MTB footwear and launched the original Union flat pedal shoe – with its robust, easy-care and water-resistant upper – earlier this year, we were keen…
Rapha MTB Trail Hip Pack review
When Rapha branched out into mountain biking a couple of years ago, it was tempting to think a brand whose image revolved around stylised monochrome images of noble suffering on…
AL-aboard: four new alloy e-bikes at down-to-earth prices
All four of these new e-bikes reject the complexity and labour-intensive manufacturing of carbon in favour of a frame material that has been serving mountain bikers humbly for the last…
Jamis Highpoint A2 review
Jamis bills the Highpoint A2 as a true all rounder and it’s easy to see why. With big 29in wheels to roll over bumps better and a 120mm travel coil-sprung…
Sweat and Slate: Riding the multi-day Traws Eryri route
Words: Claire Frecknall Photos: Sam Dugon North Wales is the birthplace of UK trail centres. It’s where Coed Y Brenin first introduced us all to a purpose built and waymarked…
Leatt Shoe 2.0 Flat shoe review
This is the updated version of a shoe we tested previously, rating it a 7/10 and complaining that the sole was – guess what – not grippy enough. This new…
Reserve 30 HD Wheelset review
There are loads of fancy carbon wheelsets on the market, some are lightweight, some are comfortable and some are just bombproof. Reserve says the 30 HD is designed for trail and…
Vitus Nucleus 29 VR review
Head over to the Vitus website and you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re seeing double. You’re not, it’s simply that Vitus offers the Nucleus VR with either 27.5in…
The Cannondale Moterra Neo Carbon 2 first ride review
Cannondale claims that the Moterra Neo Carbon 2 is “agile, quick, stable and composed.” And there might be a kernel of truth in this boast, because the bike is Proportional…
2024 RockShox Vivid rear shock: big, bold and built for downhill performance
NEW VIVID – GRAVITY EVOLVED Big, bold, and built to maximize downhill capability and performance, the legendary RockShox Vivid shock has evolved to match everything from downhill to E-MTB to…
YT Mill: The bike shop uncaged
The people at YT Industries live by a simple mantra: “Live Uncaged”. What does that mean? YT say they’re looking to remove boundaries, challenge conventions and simply do things better.…