Everyone seems to be obsessed with motors at the moment. Power and torque numbers have become the new head angle and BB height, with everyone…
Opinion
£30 to watch the downhill?! Why trying to make big money out of mountain bike coverage always fails
We’ve all heard about it, watching the World Cup live this year is going to cost a whole lot more money, as mountain biking gets…
Mountain bike industry on its knees? Forget about it, here are seven reasons it’s boom time if you’re a rider
The bike industry is in pretty bad shape, every week we hear about another brand struggling to sell its bikes or bits. Most recently it…
Why Mathieu van Der Poel will take over from Tom Pidcock as the ‘roadie’s mountain biker’ in 2025
Tom Pidcock won’t win a mountain bike World Cup or even finish on the podium in 2025, largely because he won’t actually be at any…
12 most exciting new trail, enduro, and DH bikes for 2025
It’s easy to get blinkered by e-bikes these days, but to do that would be to miss out on a pot pourri of exciting, innovative,…
An ode to the trail crews, the dig teams and the volunteers that keep us riding all year round
Storms, fallen trees and floods. That’s been the reality for many of us over the past month or so. And with that, comes the inevitable…
From the highs of the Olympics and a newly-formed trail advocacy group, to the lows of an industry in financial woes and storm-damaged trails, 2024 was a roller-coaster ride
2024 has been a tumultuous year, and not only in terms of culture, politics, technology, sport, and climate, but actual interesting stuff like riding bikes.…
Three products helped my riding more than anything else in 2024, here’s why they get my vote for Gear of the Year
Downhill racing drives mountain bike innovation like nothing else, and my Gear of the Year 2024 comes straight off the gnarliest tracks on the circuit.…
My Gear of the Year: products that helped me progress and improve on the bike in 2024
2024 has been a pretty epic year of riding for me. There has been a whole host of new, cool stuff from suspension to cameras…
In a year of endless tech developments and electronic gizmos, my 2024 MTB Gear of the Year goes back-to-basics with not a battery in sight
Considering how many thousands of bikes I’ve ridden since my first bike test in MBR issue #3 in 1997, the fact that a pair of…
The most enjoyable bike I rode this year got slammed in our lightweight e-bike test, but I don’t care because I love the way it rides, and it’s my Bike of the Year 2024
My bike of the year is an odd choice, given how badly it scored in our latest review. The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 managed to…
Everyone’s in a frenzy about powerful new motors, but my gear of the year proves that it’s the ride and handling of the bike that matters most
2024 has been a weird year for new product. With so many unsold bikes cluttering up the market – a result of over-zealous ordering post-Covid…
I’ve tested dozens of e-bikes but none of them will ever thrill me like this regular pedal-powered MTB, and it’s my Bike of the Year 2024
It’s been coming for a long time, but 2024 was the year e-bikes steamrollered normal, analogue mountain bikes. Leading brands pumped more energy into the…
E-biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world according to Garmin data, with e-MTB rides surging 18% in 2024
E-biking is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the world according to data from Garmin, which reckons the number of completed mountain bike…
Will Brendan Fairclough ever ride Red Bull Rampage again? Not likely, on the strength of these comments
Brendan Fairclough won’t be at Red Bull Rampage in 2025, after revealing just how “gutted and butt-hurt” he is about finishing in 11th place at…
Downhill racing shows “brilliance, and moments when I’m bored watching,” says World Cup’s Greg Williamson
For the best part of 30 years, Will Longden has been involved in downhill racing. Starting as top rider himself, he progressed on to managing…
The Santa Cruz Vala has to be the biggest u-turn in mountain biking. Well, since the Heckler…
The recently released Santa Cruz Vala broke new ground for the boutique California brand in a couple of ways. For starters it’s the first design…
Being there in person made me understand why Red Bull Rampage is the most terrifying yet awe-inspiring bike event on the planet
Watching Red Bull Rampage is a visceral experience—a fear that grips your throat and sends a nauseating knot of anxiety into your stomach as you…
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…
Mountain bikes are more expensive than ever, but if you’re buying your first MTB, I reckon you’ve never had it so good
Bikes are really bloomin’ expensive now: Google knows it, your local bike shop knows it, and your significant other knows it too when you come…