The Merida One-Sixty FR was launched at September’s EX Enduro in Devon, so our first ride testing and evaluation was carried out on terrain in and around the event with…
Bikes
Atherton AM.170 M1 first ride review
We’ve seen it the Atherton AM.170 perform at the highest level in Gee’s latest Ridgeline IV video where he ventures high into the Dolomite mountains on an epic trip, but…
Specialized Epic Hardtail Comp review
Who is the Epic hardtail for? That’s the question I posed to the product manager responsible for Specialized’s XC race bikes. His response was both honest and telling. “It’s for…
The Cannondale Moterra Neo Carbon 2 first ride review
Cannondale claims that the Moterra Neo Carbon 2 is “agile, quick, stable and composed.” And there might be a kernel of truth in this boast, because the bike is Proportional…
Pivot Shuttle LT 29 Team XTR first ride review
I find it ironic that my news feed is constantly presenting me with horror-stories about the potential dangers of AI. Yet, the feed itself is driven by AI. Maybe it’s…
Vitus E-Mythique LT VRX e-bike first ride review
With e-bike prices fast approaching £15k, it really seems like the sky’s the limit in terms of pricing. And while those super-bikes are super-cool, Vitus has taken a very different…
Transition Relay Carbon GX AXS first ride review
Transition has made a bike to tempt the e-bike naysayers, a lightweight raver of a bike driven by Fazua’s Ride 60 motor. We rode it until they demanded it back,…
Pivot Shuttle AM Pro SRAM X0 first ride review
Finale Ligure, Italy, the outdoor region famed for its 1000km trail network all within riding distance of the picturesque coastal town. The ideal place to launch an uplift dodging e-bike?…
Cotic FlareMAX Gold XT first ride review
The first generation FlareMAX 29er was a down-country blueprint before the genre really became a thing. We ride the latest evolution, in Gold XT spec, to check out how Cotic…
Ragley Big Wig Race first ride review
For 2023, Ragley has made some minor modifications to the Big Wig platform. It’s still a hard-hitting 29er trail bike with a robust 4130 steel frame, but the angles and…
Mondraker Neat RR electric bike first ride review
Mondraker enters the mid-power, diet e-bike category with the Neat; a trail/enduro bike with a TQ motor and battery. I travelled to the Pyrenees to give it ride and find…
Haibike Lyke CF 11 electric bike first ride review
The Lyke is a bold departure for e-bike specialists Haibike, with toned down styling, reduced power, and less weight. So, is it a case of less is more? And how…
GT Sensor Carbon Pro LE first ride review
So it’s been three decades since GT Bicycles was THE mountain bike suspension brand of choice, with its RTS, LTS and STS designs ridden to countless race and championship wins…
Canyon Neuron:ON CF 8 eMTB first ride review
Canyon has another new e-bike; the redesigned Neuron:ON. But does it complement the recently released Strive:ON, Torque:ON, and award-winning Spectral:ON, or does it just muddy the waters? We take it…
Greyp G6.6 eMTB review
If you are a modern e-bike brand that was originally part of Rimac Automobili, the high-end electric sports car company, and then you are bought by Porsche, chances are you’re…
Pivot Mach 4 SL Team XX SL first ride review
‘Challenge the threshold’ is the concept under which Pivot’s new Mach 4 SL has been designed. It’s unashamedly an XC and marathon race platform, but to call it just a…
Forbidden Druid V2 X0 first ride review
One look at Forbidden’s currently unnamed downhill bike tells you everything you need to know about the direction the second generation Druid would take. Well, not quite everything, as not…
Canyon Torque:ON electric mountain bike review
If you’ve ever braaped an imaginary throttle as you’ve powered out of a tight switchback, or stuck an inside foot out as you’ve landed a jump into a berm, then…
Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo SL Gen 2 e-bike first ride review
If ever there was a bike that I totally misjudged, it was the original Specialized Levo SL. Launched in Feb 2020, it instantly had what appeared to be outdated geometry…
Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite e-bike first ride review
The new Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ is a new take on the lightweight emtb, weighing in at a claimed 18.8kg. But the twist is that it gets a full-fat…