Polygon builds on the success of the popular Siskiu T series analogue trail/enduro bikes, by going all in on a sleek new e-bike version with the same progressive geometry and…
Reviews
The Specialized Chisel FS is a cut-price Epic with the pace to go racing on a budget
Specialized has taken its latest carbon Epic XC/DC range and translated it into aluminium to create the new Chisel FS. The result is an affordable, but still seriously rapid, impressively…
I’ve tested hundreds of e-bikes, but I was blown away by how much fun I had on the Decathlon Rockrider E-EXPL 520S given the amazing price
Decathlon’s entry-level Rockrider E-EXPL 520s proves that e-bikes don’t have to be expensive to be fun. Outdoor specialist, Decathlon offers a massive range for full-suspension e-bikes and the Rockrider E-EXPL…
The Smith Rhythm goggles are lightweight, breezy and brilliant… but beware of flying insects
Mountain bike goggles goggles are prone to steaming up when you heat up, especially on cold and damp days, and Smith’s Rhythm uses the same open lattice frame idea as…
Michelin’s Wild Enduro is the privateer’s choice, but will the new V2 roll any quicker?
The new Michelin Wild Enduro tyre is completely new for 2024, it’s lighter than the generation is replaces and there are also claims it rolls faster too. And with two…
I love the subtle styling and conscientious manufacturing of Rab’s Cinder Crimp T Shirt, but there are better jerseys for a really hot ride
In case you didn’t notice, leading UK outdoor brand Rab started a new cycling range last year offering pieces for MTB, gravel and bike-packing. The firm is already well established…
I’ve tested dozens of full-face helmets, and POC’s Otocon Race is the best lightweight model I’ve ever used
Around five or six years ago, a slew of lightweight full-face helmets hit the market. They aimed to address the (at the time) new demands of enduro racing, and how…
The Castelli Core Mesh looks like a string vest, but it’s the best base layer I’ve tested for keeping cool in hot weather
The best base layers are designed for the solemn business of road cycling, but don’t let that put you off because the roadies know their stuff when it comes to…
The Calvin Klein of mtb liner shorts: Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer
Helmet aside, there’s no item of mountain bike clothing more important to me than a decent chamois, buy one of the best mtb liner shorts out there and your unmentionables…
The Zefal Mt. Mini is the fastest mini pump in the west – but there’s a catch
Zefal has been making pumps for over 100 years, and its fluoro frame pumps were de rigueur on mountain bikes in the nineties. This latest mountain bike-specific model stands among…
The Marin San Quentin 1 is the most progressive hardtail I’ve ever tested, but a few compromises stop it reaching full potential
If you’re looking for a radical hardtail, at a down-to-earth price, one bike stands head and shoulders above the rest. That bike is the Marin San Quentin. Clearly inspired by…
A mud tyre that works in the dry? That’ll be the e*thirteen Grappler Mid Spike, my new fave for mixed conditions
The latest tyre from e*thirteen is called the Grappler Mid-Spike, with sticky rubber and big aggressive lugs it’s already one of the best mountain bike tyres out there for muddy…
The Neuron:ON fly CF9 is Canyon’s first sub-20kg e-bike, and it kills it on flowy singletrack
Canyon is far from a newbie when it comes to building e-bikes, the direct sales brand has arguably the best electric mountain bike out there, in the Spectral:ON CF9. What…
I tested World Champion Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello Dogma XC and now I’ve got even more respect for his skills
Designed with the help of Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock, and ridden to victory in last summer’s World Championship XCO event in Glentress, you can’t deny the new Pinarello Dogma XC…
Mavic’s added extra protection, venting and quirkiness to its new Deemax helmet
The name Deemax reminds me of those legendary yellow wheels from the noughties, but we should really think of it as the Mavic’s gravity division. This new open face helmet…
Forbidden’s Dreadnought V2 has even longer chainstays than the original high-pivot enduro sled. And after two days riding it I think it’s the right move
Given the updates to the Druid V2 trail bike and the recently launched Supernought DH bike, it should come as no surprise that version two of Forbidden’s enduro platform –…
The Mondraker Dune XR forced me to work harder on the climbs, but paid back with interest on the descents with more agility and wider grins!
Mondraker has already thrown its hat in the best lightweight e-bike ring with the talented Neat. Now the Spanish brand is bringing in the big guns, with the 165mm travel…
The Race Face Chester is one of the softest mountain bike grips I’ve ever tested
Enter Race Face’s new Chester grip, which the brand reckons is its most advanced grip ever. In part that’s down to an all-new tread design, but perhaps more importantly an…
I’ve been a flat pedal convert for over a decade, but the Scott Shr-alp has lured me back to clipless riding
Scott’s Shr-alp shoe is big. I don’t mean ponderously long like a clown’s, I’m talking about the space inside, the actual box where your foot sits, which in this case…
Looking for the fastest direct-sales downhill bike? The Canyon Sender CFR 29 would be my first choice if I was going racing again
With the CLLCTV Factory race team, CLLCTV FMD and CLLCTV Pirelli teams all racing the Sender, Canyon’s commitment to DH racing at the very highest level is second to none.…