The 7Mesh Roam SS shirt has already been tested and highly rated, making it onto our rundown of best mountain bike jerseys. The LS version extends sun and scratch protection…
Products
I’ve tested stacks of long-travel enduro forks, and I think RockShox’s latest Zeb Ultimate Charger 3.1 is as close to suspension perfection as you can get
What RockShox used to call the Totem many moons ago became the Zeb when this 38mm stanchioned fork launched a few years back and inherited the brand’s leading longest-travel single…
I’ve used Stan’s Original Tubeless Sealant for nearly 20 years, here’s why it’s still my go-to choice for puncture prevention
Stan’s No Tubes Race Sealant is expensive, but contains twice as many sealing crystals and uses bigger particles that can make larger holes air tight.
The Fizik Terra Ergolace GTX MTB shoe is perfect in every way, except where it really counts
The Fizik Terra Ergolace GTX is not your usual flat pedal shoe. There’s no hint of the skate-inspired look most flat shoes lean into, instead the exquisite build quality and…
The PNW Loam handlebar took the sting out of Alpine descents, and its light flex feel is ideal for heavier riders
The PNW Loam Carbon Handlebar is designed explicitly to offer more comfort and vertical compliance than an alloy bar, to take the sting out of bumpy trails and introduce an…
Spare lenses cost just £12 on the affordable 100% Accuri 2 goggles, but they steam up like a kettle
100% is a big player in the cycling eyewear and protection game and a frequent fixture over the eyeballs of top professional riders. In terms of MTB goggles, loads of…
The Smith Rhythm goggles are lightweight, breezy and brilliant… but beware of flying insects
Mountain bike goggles goggles are prone to steaming up when you heat up, especially on cold and damp days, and Smith’s Rhythm uses the same open lattice frame idea as…
Michelin’s Wild Enduro is the privateer’s choice, but will the new V2 roll any quicker?
The new Michelin Wild Enduro tyre is completely new for 2024, it’s lighter than the generation is replaces and there are also claims it rolls faster too. And with two…
I love the subtle styling and conscientious manufacturing of Rab’s Cinder Crimp T Shirt, but there are better jerseys for a really hot ride
In case you didn’t notice, leading UK outdoor brand Rab started a new cycling range last year offering pieces for MTB, gravel and bike-packing. The firm is already well established…
I’ve tested dozens of full-face helmets, and POC’s Otocon Race is the best lightweight model I’ve ever used
Around five or six years ago, a slew of lightweight full-face helmets hit the market. They aimed to address the (at the time) new demands of enduro racing, and how…
The Castelli Core Mesh looks like a string vest, but it’s the best base layer I’ve tested for keeping cool in hot weather
The best base layers are designed for the solemn business of road cycling, but don’t let that put you off because the roadies know their stuff when it comes to…
The Calvin Klein of mtb liner shorts: Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer
Helmet aside, there’s no item of mountain bike clothing more important to me than a decent chamois, buy one of the best mtb liner shorts out there and your unmentionables…
The Zefal Mt. Mini is the fastest mini pump in the west – but there’s a catch
Zefal has been making pumps for over 100 years, and its fluoro frame pumps were de rigueur on mountain bikes in the nineties. This latest mountain bike-specific model stands among…
A mud tyre that works in the dry? That’ll be the e*thirteen Grappler Mid Spike, my new fave for mixed conditions
The latest tyre from e*thirteen is called the Grappler Mid-Spike, with sticky rubber and big aggressive lugs it’s already one of the best mountain bike tyres out there for muddy…
Mavic’s added extra protection, venting and quirkiness to its new Deemax helmet
The name Deemax reminds me of those legendary yellow wheels from the noughties, but we should really think of it as the Mavic’s gravity division. This new open face helmet…
The Race Face Chester is one of the softest mountain bike grips I’ve ever tested
Enter Race Face’s new Chester grip, which the brand reckons is its most advanced grip ever. In part that’s down to an all-new tread design, but perhaps more importantly an…
I’ve been a flat pedal convert for over a decade, but the Scott Shr-alp has lured me back to clipless riding
Scott’s Shr-alp shoe is big. I don’t mean ponderously long like a clown’s, I’m talking about the space inside, the actual box where your foot sits, which in this case…
I love the Fox Union Clipless shoes’ wipe-clean upper, but they aren’t as comfortable as Crankbrothers
Fox hit a home run with its latest Union flat pedal shoes, going straight into the shortlist of best mountain bike shoes. Can it do the same with the clip-in…
7Mesh is going backwards with its Airmap technology, the Cache Anorak jacket is an expensive disappointment
If you haven’t come across 7Mesh, the brand was formed by ex-Arcteryx employees looking to take cycling clothing to the next level. Based out of the mountain bike mecca that…
I tested SRAM’s XX Eagle AXS T-Type transmission for 16 months and loved the sweet shifting and impressive durability, but discovered it’s far from indestructible
SRAM revolutionised MTB drivetrains over ten years ago with the launch of the single-ring XX1. Now, its new XX and X0 Eagle AXS transmissions promise equally significant gains in strength,…