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.…
News
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…
“Rampage is awesome but it needs to go more ungroomed, big mountain lines” – I chat to Gee Atherton about fainting audiences, Ridgeline and doing the ironing
Gee Atherton sits in his dressing room eating a carrot and listening to Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Rival. In his hand is the script…
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…
The Mondraker Dune RR and YT Decoy SN Core 4 both have their strengths and weaknesses, but which one is the best lightweight e-enduro bike?
YT claims its Decoy SN is the “best enduro bike it’s ever made”, which is saying something coming from a brand with the Capra on…
New World Cup feeder series launched, as the UCI looks to ease entry for up-and-coming riders and grow the sport globally
The UCI has launched a new 28-strong global race series for 2025, with race winners eligible to compete in the World Cup the following year.…
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…
GT Bicycles to pause new bike development, with staff layoffs imminent
GT Bicycles, one of the biggest names in mountain biking throughout the 90s and 00s, will be put on pause in 2025 by parent company…
The UK will get Specialized’s down-country Chisel Comp Evo, and it’s better value than expected
Last week I flagged up Specialized’s latest launch – a Chisel trail bike that had been given the Evo treatment – but lamented the lack…
“The storms are wreaking havoc and putting undue pressure on already stretched resources.” We speak to trail groups across the UK about how recent weather is impacting their mountain bike trails
Storms and bad weather are just part and parcel of living in the UK, particularly at this time of year. But, we are seeing more…
I love filming my mountain bike adventures, and the DJI Osmo 4 is one of the best POV cameras around – it’s currently at its lowest-ever price in this Amazon Christmas deal
The festive season is upon us, and if you have a mountain bike rider in your life, finding the perfect Christmas gift can sometimes feel…
I made 17 new bike predications last January – I got some wrong, some right, and a few came as a complete shock!
Last January I recorded a video making some safe, and some not-so-safe, predictions about which bikes would be relaunched in 2024. Much as it’s tempting…
Fort William to host 2025 DH National Champs, while Revolution Bike Park is back on the downhill series calendar
Fort William will host the National Downhill Championships in July 2025, with Revolution Bike Park back in the fold too after missing last year through…
E-bike batteries must now be fitted with car-like ECUs to minimise fire risk, according to new guidance from the UK government, but will it actually change anything?
The UK government has announced new statutory guidelines on lithium-ion battery safety for e-bikes for manufacturers and distributors. The new guidelines aim to set out…
Grab a festive MTB-themed Christmas jersey for the mountain biker in your life – approved by Santa Claus himself
Christmas is here, and if you’re looking to spoil the mountain biker in your life, our Christmas gift guide has tried-and-tested gifts we’d be thrilled…
Specialized’s Georgia Leslie named one of the most influential women in cycling, as mountain bikers edge into Cycling UK’s Top 100 list
Georgia Leslie from Specialized is one of the most influential women in cycling, according to Cycling UK, and responsible for inspiring other women to get…
Canyon offering partial refunds on Spectral:ON and Torque:ON e-bikes affected by battery stop ride notice, with solution on track for February
In November Canyon issued a stop ride notice on all of its Spectral:ON CF and Torque:ON CF models after a potential fire-risk was identified with…