What attracted you to the Canyon Spectral:ON CFR? Given that the Spectral:ON CF 9 was mbr’s e-bike of the Year in 2023, I figured the CFR would be the perfect…
Bikes
The Orbea Wild M-Team crushes the toughest tracks, but the battery is a pig to remove
In 2020, the organisers of the Enduro World Series (as it was then, now called EDR – as in EnDuRo) introduced an e-bike category. At first it was dismissed as…
The Canyon Strive:ON CFR is a big-hit e-bike with the precision of a scalpel
For a brand so focused on racing (and so proficient at building one of the best e-bikes on the market in the shape of the Spectral:ON), it was only a…
Riding the Intense Tracer 279 Pro made me feel 20 years younger
First, I want to get some facts on the ground. At 16.33kg the Intense Tracer 279 Pro is a ballpark weight for one of the best modern enduro bikes with…
I tested the Pivot Firebird Pro for 12-months and loved it so much I bought one
Most riders like to begin a relationship with a new bike on local trails, taking the time to ease into things while feeling out the lay of the land. Not…
Transition’s new Smuggler will steal your heart, but the Santa Cruz 5010 is better value
Transition has a new version of the Smuggler out, a bike that really should have been called the Spur LT. Or perhaps the Spur Lunch Ride. Transition reckons it’s made…
I tested Cannondale’s Habit 4, a do-it-all trail bike that costs less that £2k… and it blew me away
When looking for one of the best full-suspension trail bikes around two grand, the ride quality, geometry and suspension ought to be at a level where an advanced rider can…
Specialized S-Works Epic World Cup – Review
Specialized teased the new Epic World Cup on the race circuit for several months, and SRAM even revealed it before the official launch, but Specialized still had a surprise up…
The Whyte E-Lyte 150 Works is a big-battery, full-power e-bike… so how on earth does it weigh under 20kg?!
Just as you thought the lightweight mid-power e-bike category couldn’t get more complicated, along comes the Bosch Performance Line SX motor boasting 600 watts peak power and 55Nm torque. All…
Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Elite Alloy (2023) review
Specialized’s Stumpjumper Evo has been a hit here at MBR since it was first introduced over ten years ago. And the last time we tested it, it walked away with…
Trek Fuel EX 9.7 XT Gen 6 review
Hot on the heels of the Trek Fuel EXe, the new Fuel EX shares a similar silhouette, albeit without the compact TQ motor and 360Wh battery. And just like the…
YT Jeffsy Core 5 (2024) first ride review
Need to know Latest Jeffsy Core 5 has 145mm travel and a 150mm fork, with Fox Factory suspension Core 5 model is top of the range, comes with SRAM XO…
Cotic Jeht 2 Gold XT first ride review
The Cotic Jeht trail bike propelled itself straight into a position as the UK brand’s most popular model, with sweet spot mid-travel suspension and sorted geometry. Although only lightly evolved,…
Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.9 XX AXS Gen 2 review
Trek’s new Supercaliber is very much an evolution of the original ‘revolutionary’ design. As a result, it feels like a very sorted, balanced and predictable XC bike, its eagerness for…
Ducati Powerstage RR first ride review
I have an admission to make. I don’t follow motorsports; never have done. But when someone says Ducati, I instantly think ‘red’ or ‘yellow’, quickly followed by ‘916’ or ‘Monster’.…
Privateer E161 e-bike first ride review
This bike is heavy on the scales but rides light on the trails. How often have you heard that said about an e-bike? I’ve certainly written something like that on…
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon RS 297 e-bike first ride review
When I tested the alloy Megawatt Factory 297 in our 2023 best E-bikes of the Year test, I loved the handling, fit, suspension performance and top-end specification. The stumbling block…
Merida One-Twenty 700 first ride review
First ride review As a trail all-rounder that targets simplicity and affordability, Merida’s latest One-Twenty model isn’t directly competing with the best downcountry bikes that we’ve tested, like the Scott…
Merida One-Sixty FR 600 first ride review
The Merida One-Sixty FR was launched at September’s EX Enduro in Devon, so our first ride testing and evaluation was carried out on terrain in and around the event with…
Atherton AM.170 M1 first ride review
We’ve seen it the Atherton AM.170 perform at the highest level in Gee’s latest Ridgeline IV video where he ventures high into the Dolomite mountains on an epic trip, but…