In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen news that Britain’s biggest and most popular bike park is set to double in size, the first round of the DH World Cup has taken place in Fort William, YT has launched a new Tues downhill bike to replace the one we tested recently, and Orbea has unveiled it’s update to the popular Rise lightweight e-bike.

BikePark Wales has plans for an extra 30km of trails, and more besides. 

First to BikePark Wales, where a planning application has shed light on the next phase of development for Britain’s flagship bike park. Over 30km of new trails are planned, along with two skills zones, and a second uplift drop-off point that will allow riders to access underused trails such as Terry’s Belly and Popty Ping.

Laurie Greenland racing at Fort William in the Fox Speed Suit RS Credit: Red Bull Media House

World Cup DH racing is back, and there has already been controversy at the first round in Fort William thanks to Fox Racing’s new Speed Suit RS. But why has it taken this long for racing kit to evolve to this point, and why were skinsuits so inflammatory in the first place? We come up with a couple of theories why a sport obsessed with speed has taken to long to embrace aero clothing.

The latest YT Tues MK4 Core 4 29

We’ve also been to Scotland to ride the new YT Tues DH bike, which was ridden to victory by Vali Holl at Fort William in its debut race. An evolutionary design, YT has fixed all the problems with what was already an accomplished bike, and World Cup winner last year thanks to Oisin O’Callaghan.

Staying with racing, we discuss the importance of Shimano’s first E-EDR race win (that’s World Cup enduro e-bike racing to you and I). For such a major motor brand, it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for Shimano to achieve success against the clock, but lots of hard work at the races by the Japanese giant’s engineers has earned it victory and taken it from being the racer’s last choice of motor, to a serious contender.

Orbea’s new Rise comes in LT (shown) and SL flavours depending on your tastes.

And Shimano’s motor can also be found in the latest version of the Orbea Rise e-bike – a model that’s surely one of the most popular lightweight e-bikes on the market. While Orbea has stuck with the Shimano motor, it has turned up the Boost, unleashed all of the EP801’s power and torque, and improved multiple aspects of the chassis, including geometry, suspension, and stiffness. Incorporating the latest battery tech, this new Rise is a big step-up from the old model on paper, and we can’t wait to see if it realises that potential in the dirt.

And if you want to listen to the MBR Show in your car or on the train on the commute home, it’s now available as a podcast via YouTube Music. Check it out here.