Short on travel but big on geometry, we review the best down country mountain bike rigs that are at the forefront of the next wave of mountain bike.
Mountain Bike Rider
Nukeproof’s award-winning Reactor trail bike seems to have come back from the dead as the On-One Atomic
Nukeproof enjoyed a legion of fans before owners Wiggle/CRC were sold to Frasers Group last year, and the core team behind the brand lost their jobs. It was also a…
Best mountain bike goggles: gravity optimised eyewear
Eye protection is essential for mountain biking; the best mountain bike goggles reduce the chances of injury from low hanging branches and flying debris, stops dust and mud getting in…
Propain’s new Spindrift is a shapeshifter: fun and fast on the descents with 180mm travel, but efficient enough to work on mellower singletrack too
In a world where excess is increasingly frowned upon, it’s easy to find reasons to be more conservative and play things safe. Propain’s Spindrift takes that ethos and throws it…
Near DH protection, without the stuffiness: the Bluegrass Jetro helmet is my favourite 3/4 helmet
Three-quarter helmets like this new Bluegrass Jetro have forged a bit of a category of their own, sitting between regular half shell lids and the best lightweight full-face enduro helmets. The…
Best mountain bike: the ultimate trail, XC and enduro bikes at all budgets
Choosing the best mountain bike is hard. There's loads of them. They all look similar yet different. Our expert panel of reviewers narrow things down.
Discover the secret new Specialized singletrack ripper that you can’t buy in the UK
At the more realistically-priced end of the Specialized mountain bike range sits the Chisel. A short travel down-country/XC ripper that goes back to basics but doesn’t skimp on the ride.…
Why we won’t be seeing Tom Pidcock on a Scott Spark at a mountain bike World Cup next year despite move away from from Ineos Grenadiers
Current XC Olympic champion and former world champion Tom Pidcock has announced he will be leaving Ineos Grenadiers at the end of this year. He has signed a three year…
Best mountain bike handlebars: steer with confidence and precision
The best mountain bike handlebars are a relatively cheap upgrade that will last you for ages. We’ve compiled the very, very best: carbon, alloy, 31.8, 35mm.
It’s been a momentous year for e-bikes with DJI and Bosch launching new motors, and a flurry of fresh models from the likes of Trek and Whyte – so here’s our pick of the 8 hottest emtbs for 2025
2024 has been chock with new e-bike launches, fresh motors released, and household names like DJI and ZF entering the game. All of which is giving riders greater performance and…
Boardman’s new MTR 8.9 is a fast and light hustler of a down-country bike, for less than £2,000
Boardman’s MTR range has been one of our top bargain trail bike recommendations for years. The older model had 150/140mm travel but this latest version drops that to 130mm both…
“Like riding chainless” – e*thirteen’s Sidekick decoupling hub irons out the trails, but XC riders will probably hate it
e*thirteen has something special inside the rear hub on these Sidekick wheels. Seven years in the making, the brand’s innovative new design claims to end pedal kickback on a full…
New Scott Patron e-bike uses ABS brakes, Bosch CX, an 800Wh removable battery and starts from £5,499
When Scott first launched its Patron eRide with concealed shock it looked like something from the future. And a pretty weird future too. Roll on four years though and the…
Spoil the mountain biker in your life with our Christmas gift guide 2024
Christmas is just around the corner, and yes, we’re allowed to say the ‘C’ word now because it’s officially December. From new winter riding kit to …., we’ve put together…
Commencal’s new Meta Power SX 400 e-bike could be the true heir to Spesh’s Kenevo SL: lightweight power in a gravity build
Commencal’s latest e-bike is called the Meta Power SX 400 and it’s designed for just one thing – going downhill, fast. The Andorran brand has given the bike 170mm travel…
How training with a power meter has helped my riding this year
Whether you’re a die-hard XC or CX racer, or looking to improve your performance on local climbs and Strava segments, riding with a power meter can be one of the…
The addictive Santa Cruz Heckler SL came within a whisker of winning my SL E-Bike of the Year award, but one serious concern held it back
Everyone says that SL e-bikes are supposed to offer a more analogue-like ride experience. So what better way to make a great SL e-bike than taking a great analogue bike…
Want an outrageously-powerful and hi-tech DJI motor, but don’t fancy an Amflow bike? Could this potential new DJI-powered e-bike be the answer to your prayers?
The word on the street is that DJI never intended to start the Amflow bike brand. Seems crazy, right? But when all of the established mountain bike brands refused to…
The Atherton S170 is like nothing else when it comes to how it looks, the way it’s made, and the range of sizes, but at 17.5kg it’s one of the heaviest enduro bikes I’ve ridden
Atherton Bikes moves so fast that loads has happened since the brand’s first aluminium bike – the S170 – first appeared in the spring. One of the biggest changes being…
E-bikes are more popular than ever, and 5% cheaper than they were in 2022, according to the latest research
E-bikes now account for almost 10% of bicycle sales in the UK, with 180,830 of the things sold by bike shops and online retailers. That’s according to the latest data…