Named after a venomous North American spider, the Intense Recluse is a 140mm travel trail bike rolling on, what we now consider, ‘traditional’ 27.5in wheels.
Mountain Bike Rider
Transition Patrol Carbon 1 review
Don’t let Transition’s joker attitude fool you; the new Patrol Carbon is a serious bit of kit.
Evil Insurgent XO1 LTD Edition review
A fun, playful bike that rewards a dynamic riding style, can be ridden off the brakes in the roughest terrain thanks to the excellent rear suspension.
Dan Atherton’s Not-quite-as-Hard Line
Watch Dan Atherton styling it up on his new trail creation in North Wales' Dyfi forest.
Santa Cruz Bronson CC (2016) review
The Santa Cruz Bronson CC is quite possibly the best 150mm travel trail bike we’ve ever tested.
Wingnut MPS hydration pack review
The weight is down on the hips, keeping the centre of gravity low and it all felt very secure on the move.
Osprey Syncro 20 hydration pack review
With a large main compartment, with spot-on tool organiser pockets, Osprey has got the storage just right.
Ortlieb Packman Pro2 25L hydration pack review
The Ortlieb Packman Pro2 25L is a pure bike-packing option, rather than an all-round trail performer.
Mavic Crossmax Hydropack 25L review
A small feature that tickled us is the inclusion of a foil blanket pre-packed in the tool compartment — a nod to the Crossmax’s big-mountain aspirations.
EVOC FR Trail hydration pack review
It does come with quite a weight penalty, but if you are riding hard and taking risks, the Evoc could be the pack for you.
Endura MT500 hydration pack review
Punted at the Enduro market, the MT500 stows enough gear for a long day on the hill.
Camelbak Hawg LR 20 hydration pack review
One of the most expensive packs out there, but it’s easily the best for big days out
Trek Remedy WSD 8 (2016) first ride
Trek’s WSD Remedy 8 uses the exact same geometry as the unisex Remedy — so no messing around with a shape that works to make it ‘suitable’ for the female
MTB instructor sued for £4million by paralysed client
Solicitor Asif Ahmed was left paralysed after going over the bars on the Barry Knows Best trail in the Surrey Hills. Mr Ahmed is suing his instructor for £4million.
Pretend you’re a sponsored rider for four minutes
It follows happy-go-lucky Santa Cruz-sponsored mountain bike racer Mitch Ropelato around during his weekend of riding and racing at the 2016 Crankworx in Whistler, Canada.
B’Twin Rockrider 740S (2016) first ride
B’Twin is Decathlon’s bike brand and the Rockrider 740S is its latest 27.5in full-suspension trail bike. It sports NEUF anti-bob suspension design delivering 120mm travel.
What’s the music that gets you riding?
Whether we want it in our head or not, having a song playing on loop in your head during a ride is a familiar experience for all cyclists.
Someone’s made a real-life Tron video
This is what happens when you glue hundreds of LED bulbs to the rear rims of a couple of bicycles and have someone who's really, really good at visual effects…
Is this the most bizarre mountain bike film ever made?
The sequel to the (in)famous Regis film from 2013 has just landed. It's weird, pretentious, very, very French and has some great riding in it.
Dirty Deals: Endura, Evoc, Shimano XT and much more
Time once more for our weekly trawler catch of the big online retailing fish. Or something like that. Basically, here's what's caught our eye during our sifting of the cycling…