Merida’s new eOne-Sixty SL is exactly the kind of machine that would have made our massive Superlight E-Bike of the Year shootout had it come out in 2024’s sunny season,…
Mountain Bike Rider
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 damage to our beloved trails…
Meet the team behind BikePark Wales that repaired 32 trails in three days in the aftermath of Storm Darragh
With the weather being the way it has over the past few weeks, it’s hard not to think about how it’s impacting our trail network. From fallen trees in Dalby…
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. So to remind us of…
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. I’m talking about e*thirteen’s revolutionary…
I love the support on Fox’s new 36 with Grip X damper, but RockShox’ Charger 3.1 eats it for breakfast
Boasting class-leading performance and that highly-desirable Kashima gold finish, the Fox 36 Float Factory fork with Grip 2 damper has been the benchmark suspension fork for many years now. So…
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 and of course, plenty of…
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 no-frills trail bikes can still…
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 get just 6/10 in the…
“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 for tonight’s show in Aberdeen,…
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 – it’s obvious that many…
The Mondraker Dune RR has brilliant suspension and a light frame, compromised by a saddle that constantly gets in the way
Mondraker bills its Dune e-bike as the natural evolution of enduro. And the Spanish brand has a point. With many enduro race bikes tipping the scales at around 16kg, who…
YT has nailed the sizing, geometry, and handling of the Decoy SN, but the suspension could be better and the motor reliability is questionable
The new Decoy SN is YT’s first foray into the diet e-bike segment. It’s also only the brand’s second e-bike, because although YT is extremely trendy when it comes to…
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 electrified sector than ever before,…
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 its roster, and multiple EDR…
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. Called the Continental Series, 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 rides off-road was up a…
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 Pon Holdings, with no new…
Best dropper seatposts: reliable game-changers
More than any other product, the best dropper posts change the way we ride and are essential to the modern mountain biking experience.
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 of supply to UK customers.…