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    Opinion

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    Mathieu van Der Poel (right) and Tom Pidcock (left)

    Why Mathieu van Der Poel will take over from Tom Pidcock as the ‘roadie’s mountain biker’ in 2025

    • January 7, 2025

    Tom Pidcock won’t win a mountain bike World Cup or even finish on the podium in 2025, largely because he won’t actually be at any…

    Hottest trail, enduro, and DH bikes for 2025

    12 most exciting new trail, enduro, and DH bikes for 2025

    • January 6, 2025

    It’s easy to get blinkered by e-bikes these days, but to do that would be to miss out on a pot pourri of exciting, innovative,…

    Coed y Brenin

    An ode to the trail crews, the dig teams and the volunteers that keep us riding all year round

    • January 2, 2025

    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…

    2024 a year in review

    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

    • December 30, 2024

    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.…

    Gear of the Year 2024 Mick Kirkman - RockShox Zeb fork, Rapha Gore Tex Trail Pants, e*thirteen Sidekick hub

    Three products helped my riding more than anything else in 2024, here’s why they get my vote for Gear of the Year

    • December 30, 2024

    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.…

    Rebecca Bland Gear of the Year 2024

    My Gear of the Year: products that helped me progress and improve on the bike in 2024

    • December 28, 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…

    Guy Kesteven gear of the year 2024

    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

    • December 27, 2024

    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…

    2024 Trek Fuel EXe 9.7

    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

    • December 26, 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…

    Danny Milner Gear of the Year 2024

    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

    • December 24, 2024

    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…

    Yeti SB165

    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

    • December 23, 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…

    YT Decoy SN

    E-biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world according to Garmin data, with e-MTB rides surging 18% in 2024

    • December 19, 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…

    Brendan Fairclough rampage 2024

    Will Brendan Fairclough ever ride Red Bull Rampage again? Not likely, on the strength of these comments

    • October 21, 2024

    Brendan Fairclough won’t be at Red Bull Rampage in 2025, after revealing just how “gutted and butt-hurt” he is about finishing in 11th place at…

    Madison Saracen Team

    Downhill racing shows “brilliance, and moments when I’m bored watching,” says World Cup’s Greg Williamson

    • October 18, 2024

    For the best part of 30 years, Will Longden has been involved in downhill racing. Starting as top rider himself, he progressed on to managing…

    santa cruz vala MBR show thumbnail

    The Santa Cruz Vala has to be the biggest u-turn in mountain biking. Well, since the Heckler…

    • October 15, 2024

    The recently released Santa Cruz Vala broke new ground for the boutique California brand in a couple of ways. For starters it’s the first design…

    Being there in person made me understand why Red Bull Rampage is the most terrifying yet awe-inspiring bike event on the planet

    • October 14, 2024

    Watching Red Bull Rampage is a visceral experience—a fear that grips your throat and sends a nauseating knot of anxiety into your stomach as you…

    MBR Show episode 12

    Technology like ABS braking, automatic shifting, and reactive suspension is on the rise, but are modern electronics making mountain biking too easy?

    • September 23, 2024

    In episode 12 of the MBR Show we take a look at the increasing use of electronics and algorithms to improve our ride. Are they…

    Mountain biker wheelies off into the starlit night, dollars spilling from his swag sack and a maniacal grin on his face

    Mountain bikes are more expensive than ever, but if you’re buying your first MTB, I reckon you’ve never had it so good

    • August 19, 2024

    Bikes are really bloomin’ expensive now: Google knows it, your local bike shop knows it, and your significant other knows it too when you come…

    I love enduro racing, but competing with a mate at Enduro2 in the alps made for double the fun!

    • August 17, 2024

    There aren’t many mountain bike events around where you can clock up over 15,000m of timed vertical descending in a three-day weekend and make it…

    I love watching downhill mountain biking, but I’d hate to see it at the Olympics

    • July 25, 2024

    Why not downhill? It’s a question I ask myself every four years in the run up to the Olympics – why is XC racing alone…

    Jumping an e-bike in the woods

    When e-bikes first came out I hated them. Now I hardly ride anything else

    • June 20, 2024

    When the first full-suspension e-bike turned up at the MBR office it was certainly a novelty. It couldn’t be further away from the best electric…

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    Buyer's guides

    MBR glove group test

    Best mountain bike gloves: options for all weathers

    Transition Relay e-bike

    Best mountain bike trousers/pants: regular and waterproof

    How we tested the best mountain bike stems

    Best mountain bike stems: improve your fit and steering

    storage bib shorts

    Buyer’s guide to storage bib shorts

    best mountain bike locks

    Best bike locks, and top tips for avoiding bike theft

    Read more

    Reviews

    Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Pants

    Rapha’s Trail Gore Tex Pants are the best waterproof trousers I’ve tried in twenty years of testing

    SRAM AXS Pod controller

    I didn’t gel with SRAM’s old AXS shifters, but the new Pod Controller is totally intuitive

    Endura MT500 jacket

    Endura’s MT500 Polartec jacket is cheaper than my favourite cold-weather top, and more practical too

    Merida eOne-Sixty SL

    Merida’s new ‘lightweight’ eOne-Sixty SL is a gorgeous-looking e-bike, but I think it’s powered by the wrong Bosch motor

    Fox 36 Grip X

    I love the support on Fox’s new 36 with Grip X damper, but RockShox’ Charger 3.1 eats it for breakfast

    MBR merch

    mbr lines sweatshirt black

    Hardtail of the Year

    hardtail of the year test 2023

    Best hardtail mountain bike: classic trail shredding machines

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