BIKING

With a minimalist swingarm design and high-pivot idler, Tora’s mullet gravity bike is ready. Nobody does steel singlespeed mountain bikes, with quite the same style, as British brands. But within that niche, there is a new sub-set: the singlespeed gravity bike. The concept isn’t all-new, but a resurgence in pivot-idler design has enabled more riders

With more than twenty models the range of Five Ten mountain bike shoes is baffling. Don’t worry, we’ve sorted them all out into this easy-to-follow guide. Adidas Five Ten regularly features in our list of the best mountain bike shoes, but the footwear king has an extensive and sometimes confusing range of options. Such that

Want 35mm wide enduro rims, in aluminium? Blackbird’s Send range should do you nicely. Ibis was an early proponent of ultra-wide rims. When most mountain bikes were being built with rims just shy of 30mm in width, Ibis equipped its range with 35mm internal diameter carbon rims. The wider-is-better theme remains strong with Ibis, which

If you tower over other riders at the trailhead, OneUp now has a dropper just for you. Riders can argue wheel size, axle standards and trick suspension bits, but the longer dropper post has arguably been mountain biking’s most influential component of the last decade. Getting your centre of gravity lower on those steep and

Commonplace on high end performance cars and banned from F1 back in the 80’s, electronically controlled damping is one of the hottest developing areas in mountain bike suspension. But is it worth the extra cost, and who makes the best system? YT Jeffsy Unchanged 6 with RockShox Flight Attendant Credit: Roo Fowler Electronics are ubiquitous.

Specialized now offering online purchasing with bikes shipped direct to your door – but don’t expect any savings. Specialized has become the first of cycling’s ‘big four’ to offer online mountain bike purchasing. Choose one of the best mountain bikes on the market, like the MBR Trail Bike of the Year winning Stumpjumper Evo, and

Prefer analogue to digital suspension and dropper post control? DT Swiss has you covered. RockShox and Fox might be investing in electronic suspension and wireless dropper posts, but DT Swiss still has faith in the good old cable. With the company’s recent shock and suspension tech upgrades, there is also a new lockout and dropper

Forest camo pattern for your flat pedals? Deity delivers, with its Recon range. The concept of ‘Canadian camo’ isn’t unusual in mountain biking. It relates to flannel outdoor and riding gear, perfect for those late afternoon autumn rides that inevitably loop around the pub or microbrewery. But what if you want some real camouflage patterning

Standard grips too small for you? Upsize with these new 34mm PNW Loams. Mountain bike contact points are a deeply personal preference, and with the variety of rider sizes, a single standard doesn’t work for all. Grips are a particularly personal issue, especially when considering the diversity of hand sizes throughout the mountain biking rider

Swappable shock mounts allow the Sqweeb to be a trail, enduro or mullet bike. American boutique mountain bike brand, Reeb, has revealed a V4 version of its Sqweeb dual-suspension platform. Designed as a confident descender, the Sqweeb is available in three configurations. There are 130- and 150mm travel 29ers, and a 160mm mullet version. Read

A downcountry friendly fork offset and better shock eyelets, from the Swiss. Better shock mount durability and progressive geometry appropriate forks offsets, are the latest product updates from DT Swiss. The company’s suspension offering sees improvements to its R 232 One and R 535 One shocks, while the F 232 One fork also gains an

Gone with the plastic and foam. And in with the recyclable materials. Including some clever rice and potato bits. Spanish mountain bike brand, Mondraker, is going recyclable. Following the trend towards greater sustainability and environmental awareness in mountain biking, Mondraker has focussed on its packaging. And how to make it more efficient and recyclable. Read

You don’t need to remortgage your house to spruce up your pride and joy. These ten best mountain bike upgrades are guaranteed to be good for your bike and your bank balance. Here are ten upgrades that will transform your ride and protect your purse: tyres, cockpit, saddle, brake pads, cleats, pedal pins, gear cabling,

Bigger battery, slicker integration and an alloy frame for Giant’s latest trail e-bike. If the idea of a Trance X E+ appeals, but your budget isn’t quite in carbon e-bike territory, Giant now has some more affordable options. The Taiwanese brand has revealed three new aluminium frame versions of its Trance X E+, using the

A significant investment in the mountain bike industry sees Lapierre, Ghost and Haibike under new ownership. Although pro rider contracts usually dominate industry news at this time of year, company ownerhip has prove a lot more newsworthy of late. Another week and another announcement of new capital flowing into the mountain bike industry. This time

Riding trousers/pants have become more and more popular for mountain biking in recent years, with summer options now lighter, more breathable and less restrictive, while waterproof winter trousers make a lot of sense for keeping you warm and dry in muddy conditions. Testing the best mountain bike trousers If you want to ride throughout the