Santa Cruz has just unveiled the Vala – a brand new all-mountain e-bike that replaces the similarly intentioned Heckler. Instead of a Shimano EP801 motor like its predecessor though, the…
Mountain Bike Rider
Trek’s new Rail+ starts at £6,000, gets a full-size 800Wh battery and a travel boost to 160mm
The Trek Rail is one of the best e-bikes of all time, it’s been consistently great since its 2020 debut, won our e-bike of the year test back in 2021…
Bosch’s new CX motor is smarter and quieter than ever – here are 5 new e-bikes powered by this hot new drive unit
The floodgates have opened at Bosch’s e-bike development campus near Stuttgart, releasing a tsunami of new e-bikes with the latest gen 5 Performance CX motor that we recently spotted at…
Bosch’s Performance CX gen 5 motor doesn’t get any extra power, but I don’t care because it’s so much smarter and quieter than the old one
It’s been three years since the last big update to Bosch’s benchmark Perfomance CX motor. And with significant improvements to legacy rivals like Shimano’s EP801, innovative new options such as…
Hope’s handmade HB.916 is dull and dead to ride… but in a really (really) good way
High pivot bikes with idlers have been trending recently, but are they all hype like the Emperor’s New Clothes or do they offer genuine ride advantages? Multiple brands including Forbidden,…
£50 Specialized Tactic named safest helmet by Imperial College research
The Specialized Tactic MIPS is the most protective helmet according to research from Imperial College London, which used new oblique impact tests to rank 30 of the most popular models…
Go Outdoors names pan-flat Cambridge as the UK’s best mountain bike destination, thanks to its “moderately difficult” trails
Which UK city has the best mountain bike trails on its doorstep? Cardiff, Sheffield or maybe Edinburgh would be near the top of our list, but according to the latest…
“Just about perfect” PNW’s Range Stem is stiff, well made and looks great
PNW says its Range stem is CNCd from a block of 6061 aluminium, but judging by the shape it’s been cold-forged first, a process all the best mountain bike stems…
How to watch Red Bull Rampage 2024 – mountain biking’s equivalent of the Superbowl – live and for free, from anywhere in the world
It’s Red Bull Rampage time again and the big news this year is the iconic freeride event now spans two days, not one, after the addition of a women’s event…
Fox carves out free speed on the descents with its new Live Valve Neo active suspension system
Fox has a new suspension system out called Live Valve Neo that will open and close your shock faster than the blink of an eye and make your bike quicker…
Mondraker’s new SLY is a mid-power e-bike with an alloy frame and Bosch SX motor that weighs under 21kg – and no headset-routed cables!
Last year Mondraker launched the stealthy Neat with its barely perceptible TQ HPR 50 motor and 150mm travel. Then came the enduro-ready Dune with Bosch SX motor and 165mm of…
“The Merida EX Enduro turned me into an addict” – Mick Kirkman tells us why the wettest EX on record still kills it
The Merida EX Enduro presented by Shimano is one of Britain’s most notorious three-day events. And as if the total of 24 stages and 4,600 metres of descending wasn’t enough,…
E*thirteen launches new Sidekick hubs designed to reduce pedal kickback and improve grip – “it feels like cheating” says World Cup downhill racer
It’s not a new idea, nor is it without potential side effects, but if just a fraction of the claimed benefits from E*Thirteen’s new Sidekick hub are accurate, then this…
Technology like ABS braking, automatic shifting, and reactive suspension is on the rise, but are modern electronics making mountain biking too easy?
In episode 12 of the MBR Show we take a look at the increasing use of electronics and algorithms to improve our ride. Are they the very antithesis of a…
Why Halfords could sell you your next high-end mountain bike, after boosting its premium offering by up to 300%
Halfords is set to become more than just your go-to for entry level bikes and wiper blades after increasing its premium range of bikes by 60%, and its e-bike offering…
Specialized’s iconic Stumpjumper EVO might be dead, but its spirit lives on in the new Stumpjumper 15 Fox Coil Alloy
Specialized has launched aluminium framed versions of its Stumpjumper 15 – the 15th iteration of this iconic full-suspension trail bike. This follows the launch of the carbon Stumpjumper 15 just…
Gen 4 Santa Cruz Hightower gets 150mm travel, plusher suspension and enduro geometry
Hot on the heels of the latest Bronson update, Santa Cruz has worked over the Hightower with a more gravity-focus that includes extra travel, a slacker head angle, and better…
The new Santa Cruz Hightower is an enduro weapon… and plenty of riders will hate it for that
The Hightower was designed as the Santa Cruz for everyone. Everyone with deep enough pockets, anyway. It’s got 145mm travel, 29er wheels and relaxed but not silly-slack geometry, and the…
Wiltshire might seem like an unlikely place for a bike park, but it has two, and one of them – Tidworth – has just reopened after an exciting rebuild
Tidworth bike park, one of the B1KE venues that includes Wind Hill, Rogate, and S4P in Milford, has re-opened after closing for the summer to upgrade several of the park’s…
Where long, low and slack began: Mondraker’s 20th anniversary Foxy Carbon Unlimited bike pays homage to Forward Geometry
Spanish bike brand Mondraker has launched a special 20th anniversary edition of its enduro bike, the Foxy. There will only be 20 Foxy Carbon Unlimited 20th Anniversary bikes manufactured and…