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…
Full-Suspension
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…
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…
The Gen 2 Specialized Levo SL is adaptable, capable, and genuinely lightweight for an e-bike, but it’s lacking two key ingredients…
I think we can all agree that while Specialized’s Turbo Levo SL wasn’t the first lightweight e-mountain bike, it’s definitely the one that kickstarted the whole SL e-bike trend. And…
Norco’s Fluid VLT C2 140 is lumberjack-solid, but this Bosch SX-equipped Canadian shredder needs some urgent upgrades to log a top rating
Most mountain bike brands like to have one suspension design to hang their hat on. Not Norco. Instead, it prefers to switch between different layouts depending on the application and…
Silent, smooth, and streamlined – The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 with TQ motor looks, sounds, and sadly feels, a lot like an analogue bike
Back in 2022, Trek was the launch partner for the ultra-compact TQ-HPR50 motor. The bike in question was the brand new Fuel EXe, and in many ways the TQ eco-system…
The heavy metal Orange Phase Evo LE totally rocked on enduro trails thanks to its great suspension and dialled geometry
At this price point, most SL e-bikes use carbon fibre frames to save weight, or at least that’s what the marketing gurus tell us. Not at Orange, though. In fact,…
The Orbea Rise was one of the original SL e-bikes, and I think new LT version is better than ever. More travel, more power and more options make it more e-bike, not less
Foresight or good fortune? It’s hard to say which it was, but Orbea’s decision to use a detuned full power Shimano EP8 motor on the original Rise has clearly paid…
Whyte switches to the new Bosch CX motor for the ELyte Evo. And in doing so it’s made the best SL e-bike even better. More torque, more muscle, more e-bike
Is it groundhog day? It sure feels that way to me. Because exactly one year and three days ago, I was typing up a review on the (then) new Whyte…
There’s no such thing as a perfect bike, but the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX comes very close, and is my SL E-Bike of the Year winner
It’s no secret that Whyte’s full power e-bikes are built solid, and as a result, they typically weigh over 25kg. So when the ELyte 150 launched a year ago, the…
The new Voodoo Canzo is a budget full-sus bargain, and I think it has better suspension than the Bossnut
Voodoo’s all new Canzo full-suspension trail bike isn’t perfect, but it’s a brilliant example of an affordable have-a-go-hero with future-proof upgrade features you won’t normally find at this price. Voodoo…
All of this for just £1,500? Calibre’s Bossnut is back, with more travel, bigger wheels and a higher quality frame
After a four year hiatus the Calibre Bossnut is back. It’s got bigger 29in wheels, more travel and now comes with a dropper seat post fitted as standard. Yup, the…
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…
I’m a huge fan of Trek’s high-octane Top Fuel 9, and the latest version is the best yet – but it could be even better
I was a big fan of the previous alloy Top Fuel from Trek, as were Danny and Alan when they tested the last Top Fuel 8, and this latest version…
Sonder’s Evol is a good back-to-basics enduro bike, but adding wireless gears puts it in the ring with some heavy hitting competition
Sonder Bikes has grown out of the Alpkit stable, where affordability meets good design and rugged build-quality in outdoor equipment. The comprehensive range now runs to 14 different bikes, from…
The Yeti SB165 is my new American dream bike after it helped me to victory in an epic alpine enduro race
Arguably the most boutique of boutique brands, there can’t be many of us who haven’t fanaticised about owning a Yeti at some point or other. The brand’s been doing things…
I’ve tested every generation of Specialized’s full suspension Stumpjumper, and the latest version with the Genie shock tech is the best yet
Specialized’s Stumpjumper Evo is without doubt, one of the best mountain bikes on the market. And I’m not just throwing that statement out there lightly… the Stumpy Evo has the…
The Specialized Chisel FS is a cut-price Epic with the pace to go racing on a budget
Specialized has taken its latest carbon Epic XC/DC range and translated it into aluminium to create the new Chisel FS. The result is an affordable, but still seriously rapid, impressively…
I tested World Champion Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello Dogma XC and now I’ve got even more respect for his skills
Designed with the help of Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock, and ridden to victory in last summer’s World Championship XCO event in Glentress, you can’t deny the new Pinarello Dogma XC…
Looking for the fastest direct-sales downhill bike? The Canyon Sender CFR 29 would be my first choice if I was going racing again
With the CLLCTV Factory race team, CLLCTV FMD and CLLCTV Pirelli teams all racing the Sender, Canyon’s commitment to DH racing at the very highest level is second to none.…