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…
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I tested the latest Specialized Epic 8 Evo, and couldn’t believe the transformation from XC racer to down-country ripper
The new Epic 8 Evo isn’t the pumped up race machine it once was, weight and stiffness are no longer the driving forces any more and really it’s impossible to…
I hate to admit it, but the AI suspension control on the new Specialized S-Works Epic 8 works better than a brain ever could
Specialized’s new S-Works Epic 8 is possibly the fastest XC MTB ever made and definitely the most high tech. It’s not just the latest RockShox Flight Attendant Ai suspension that…
I’ve witnessed e-bikes dying all winter – these are my top tips to keep your motor running when it’s muddy and raining
Up until now, most of my e-bike riding mates see winter as a time for smugness. Showering me with roost as they spin sticky rear tyres past me on climbs…
Forbidden’s high-pivot Druid V2 cast a spell on me, and after six months testing I’m still bewitched by it
“Pedals like an XC bike, descends like a DH bike” is a cliche as badly worn as the back tyre on a bike park rental in September. It’s a promise…
SRAM’s auto shifting Powertrain is pointless for riders like you and me, but it’s still my product of the year 2023: here’s why…
1. Forbidden Druid V2 X0 If I’m wondering how to hang onto a test bike, and not return it, that’s a very good sign. Even better if that happens within…
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…
Trek Supercaliber SLR Vs Specialized Epic World Cup: Which is the ultimate cross-country speed machine?
Trek and Specialized are giants in the mountain bike world, and both of these new XC bikes weigh in under 10kg and have five figure price tags. And that’s not…
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…
Was the first combined Cycling/MTB World Championships a success? – MBR Opinion
UK riders put in fantastic performance to come away with Gold and Bronze medals in the DH and XC events at the MTB World Championships in Scotland this summer. Guy…
Cotic FlareMAX Gold XT first ride review
The first generation FlareMAX 29er was a down-country blueprint before the genre really became a thing. We ride the latest evolution, in Gold XT spec, to check out how Cotic…
GT Sensor Carbon Pro LE first ride review
So it’s been three decades since GT Bicycles was THE mountain bike suspension brand of choice, with its RTS, LTS and STS designs ridden to countless race and championship wins…
Off-piste trails: reckless vandalism, or the future of MTB?
Cheeky. Secret. Natural. Unsanctioned… Illegal? Whatever you want to call them, we nearly all ride these trails. They’re more prolific than ever and frankly, from a pure riding point of…
Have trail centres had their day?
Twenty years ago, purpose built trail centres were the bright new future of mountain biking. But how are they doing today, and are they still relevant when so many of…
What makes a bike fun?
Why is one bike ‘funner’ than any other? Fun is a massively overused word in bike testing because it’s an easy, throwaway comment about any bike that puts a grin…
Santa Cruz Tallboy CC X01 AXS RSV review
The Santa Cruz Tallboy is the short 120mm travel 29er but don’t let the travel numbers decieve you – this is a bike that’s designed to be aggressively fast, full-send…
Yeti SB120 T-Series T1 review
The top-line Yeti SB120 T-Series T1 is now longer, slacker and has more travel – as the name suggests. And it’s comfortably one of the best down-country bikes on the…
Pivot Trail 429 Pro XT/XTR review
Boasting low weight and impressive climbing efficiency, the Pivot Trail 429 Pro XT/XTR is a 110/130mm 29er built for trail riding. This is the top-spec model, which features Fox Live…
Is new always better when it comes to bikes?
Is new stuff all it’s cracked up to be? Veteran mountain bike journalist Guy Kesteven wonders whether bikes are good enough now to stop the constant churn. It’s not a…