https://www.mbr.co.uk Mountain Bike Rider Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:47:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/opinion/guy-kesteven-2024-gear-of-the-year-445538 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:00:52 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445538 Our die-hard, try-hard tester Guy Kesteven has picked Trek’s latest Top Fuel ‘Hunter Killer’ as the ideal, highly versatile, high velocity weapon for his ongoing E-bike scalping agenda.

Considering how many thousands of bikes I’ve ridden since my first bike test in MBR issue #3 in 1997, the …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/boardmans-new-mtr-8-9-is-a-fast-and-light-hustler-of-a-down-country-bike-for-less-than-2000 Sun, 08 Dec 2024 17:00:56 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=444564 The Boardman MTR 8.9 is light and fast, with tight suspension to suit singletrack riders

Boardman’s MTR range has been one of our top bargain trail bike recommendations for years. The older model had 150/140mm …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/disc-brakes-products/hope-xcr-pro-e4-brake-review Mon, 25 Nov 2024 07:01:35 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=442968 Light on the bars, heavy on the stopping, Hope’s latest mix-and-match XCR E4 disc brake makes an excellent lightweight trail / XC set-up.

Hope’s minimalist XCR carbon lever started out mated to an X2 twin pot brake caliper, making it ideal for proper …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/voodoo-canzo-2024-review Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:24:48 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=442966 Things are hotting up in the budget full-suspension category. First came the relaunched Calibre Bossnut, and now there's the updated Voodoo Canzo. And it's an impressive package.

Voodoo’s all new Canzo full-suspension trail bike isn’t perfect, but it’s a brilliant example of an affordable have-a-go-hero with future-proof …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electric-bikes/cotic-rocket-e-bike-review Wed, 06 Nov 2024 07:01:09 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=442983 Distinctively different, Cotic's steel-tubed, externally-powered, premium-priced e-bike looks retro, but rides all the better for it.

Cotic’s new e-bike stays true to its signature steel frame style of 21 years, and uses a wholly UK-built frame …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/merida-big-trail-600-first-ride-review Sun, 20 Oct 2024 16:02:45 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=442464 Merida’s Big Trail 600 is one of the best aggro hardtails around, fun, forgiving and downright fast

The original 2020 Merida Big Trail started as a collaboration between Merida and UK dealers wanting something more rad than …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/forks/rockshox-pike-ultimate-charger-3-1-damper-rc2-2025-review Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:00:05 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=441466 More flow means more grip and control but also more tuning time on RockShox Welterweight champion

The latest RockShox Pike Ultimate literally reams out the QC problems of the old fork, which was beset by problems …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/trek-top-fuel-9-gen-4-review Fri, 06 Sep 2024 06:01:39 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=441149 The latest V4 Trek Top Fuel aims to find the sweet spot between cross-country pace and trail riding confidence by saving weight and adding adjustability. The result is a whisker away from perfection.

I was a big fan of the previous alloy Top Fuel from Trek, as were Danny and Alan when they …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/grips/lizard-skins-gradient-grips Sun, 01 Sep 2024 06:16:21 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=440653 Lizard Skins Gradient mini flange grips are designed to be ergonomic without needing eye bleach, but do they deliver comfort and control on the bike?

Before you even start counting colours, Lizard Skins have 23 different grip designs to try, and I’ve been working my …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/eyewear/viris-raptor-glasses-kit-review Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:11:21 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=440649 Speculating in the biking spectacle space means going up against big, established global brands. Are Viris good enough to go viral? 

Speculating in the biking spectacle space means going up against big, established global brands with massive marketing and ambassador budgets, …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/mullet-mx/santa-cruz-bronson-gen-5-xo-axs-rsv-first-ride-review Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:59 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=440743 The Gen 5 Bronson is hugely capable descending and it grips like a leech, but Santa Cruz has sucked the poppy life out of it

Santa Cruz says it’s learnt a lot about mixed wheel bikes since launching the Bronson 4 as its first MX …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/jerseys/7mesh-roam-ls-jersey-review Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:42:27 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=440651 Longer sleeves add shoulder season warmth and scratch protection to the excellent Roam SS without cooking you on the climbs.

The 7Mesh Roam SS shirt has already been tested and highly rated, making it onto our rundown of best mountain …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/specialized-chisel-fs-review Tue, 18 Jun 2024 16:23:27 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=439246 Specialized goes back to basics with a sharp handling down-country/XC ripper at a price that's impressively down to earth.

Specialized has taken its latest carbon Epic XC/DC range and translated it into aluminium to create the new Chisel FS. …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/pinarello-dogma-xc-first-ride-review Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:00:30 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=437641 Pinarello's new XC race bike has already achieved incredible success before even being launched. But while it's a rocketship on the climbs, it descends back to earth erratically, unless your skills are out of this world.

Designed with the help of Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock, and ridden to victory in last summer’s World Championship XCO event …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/120mm-140mm-full-sus/specialized-epic-8-evo-pro-first-ride-review Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:00:01 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=436736 Specialized gives its new Epic the Evo treatment: 120mm travel, sticky tyres, aggro geometry and flexstay suspension

The new Epic 8 Evo isn’t the pumped up race machine it once was, weight and stiffness are no longer …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/120mm-140mm-full-sus/rockshox-flight-attendant-ai-makes-the-new-specialized-s-works-epic-8-a-computer-on-wheels-but-it-sure-is-fast Tue, 12 Mar 2024 13:59:15 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=436842 Inspired by the ever-changing XC landscape, the S-Works Epic 8 uses the latest in suspension tech and an updated frame geometry to be a racer's number 1 choice, and it works better than any human or mechanical brain.

Specialized’s new S-Works Epic 8 is possibly the fastest XC MTB ever made and definitely the most high tech. It’s …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/opinion/your-e-bike-hates-winter-as-much-as-you-do-guy-kesteven-offers-some-tips-on-keeping-motoring-through-the-mire-436438 Mon, 04 Mar 2024 16:08:29 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=436438 Should we be surprised e-bike deaths are up in the dark months, or amazed any motors survive at all? And what can you do to nurse your Eeb through to Easter? Guy Kesteven gives his advice.

Up until now, most of my e-bike riding mates see winter as a time for smugness. Showering me with roost …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/mullet-mx/forbidden-druid-v2-gx-fx-review Sun, 28 Jan 2024 11:00:19 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=434844 With revised suspension and geometry, the next-gen Forbidden Druid is truly next level.

“Pedals like an XC bike, descends like a DH bike” is a cliche as badly worn as the back tyre …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/srams-auto-shifting-powertrain-is-pointless-for-riders-like-you-and-me-but-its-still-my-product-of-the-year-2023-heres-why-434664 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 07:00:50 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=434664 Things changed in 2023, gear shifting became automatic, 90s fleeces returned and my fave ride wasn’t an e-bike (who’da thunk it?!)

1. Forbidden Druid V2 X0 If I’m wondering how to hang onto a test bike, and not return it, that’s …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/specialized-s-works-epic-world-cup-first-ride-review Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:30:03 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=428777 With the appearance and stiffness of a hardtail, can Specialized's new S-Works Epic WC square the circle between reduced weight and increased control?

Specialized teased the new Epic World Cup on the race circuit for several months, and SRAM even revealed it before …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/trek-supercaliber-slr-vs-specialized-epic-world-cup-which-is-the-ultimate-cross-country-speed-machine-433466 Mon, 27 Nov 2023 07:00:19 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=433466 Specialized and Trek have both debuted new short travel suspension XC race rigs this year. And given that the Trek Supercaliber and Specialized Epic World Cup look extremely similar in design, we figured they would make the perfect XC head-to-head test.

Trek and Specialized are giants in the mountain bike world, and both of these new XC bikes weigh in under …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/cotic-jeht-2-review Wed, 25 Oct 2023 06:00:55 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=432604 Cotic’s steel sweet spot trail bike gets tougher, lower, more dynamic, and more Scottish.

The Cotic Jeht trail bike propelled itself straight into a position as the UK brand’s most popular model, with sweet …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/trek-supercaliber-slr-9-9-xx-axs-gen-2-review Mon, 23 Oct 2023 08:27:50 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=432425 Trek has struck gold with it's latest flagship XC race bike, the Supercaliber gen 2.

Trek’s new Supercaliber is very much an evolution of the original ‘revolutionary’ design. As a result, it feels like a …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/mbr-opinion-who-won-the-world-championships-432236 Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:30:30 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=432236 August's rainbow festival of racing in Scotland brought more cycling fans under one flag than ever before. But what worked and what didn't. Guy Kesteven opines from the comfort of his armchair.

UK riders put in fantastic performance to come away with Gold and Bronze medals in the DH and XC events …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/29er-full-suspension-bikes/cotic-flaremax-gold-xt-first-ride-review Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:00:10 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=428717 Cotic’s charismatic steel framed FlareMAX is back for round five, and it’s embracing the down-country theme it stumbled across back in 2018. 

The first generation FlareMAX 29er was a down-country blueprint before the genre really became a thing. We ride the latest …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/gt-sensor-carbon-pro-le-review Thu, 13 Jul 2023 08:14:03 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=427861 GT has refreshed its Sensor trail bike with two platforms. We swing a leg over the burlier LE model.

So it’s been three decades since GT Bicycles was THE mountain bike suspension brand of choice, with its RTS, LTS …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/mountain-bike-routes/off-piste-trails-reckless-vandalism-or-the-future-of-mtb-427736 Wed, 05 Jul 2023 13:36:09 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=427736 Guy Kesteven weighs up the wild trial situation. With more and more unsanctioned trails being built, are they at risk of damaging landscapes, or is there a way forward that conserves the environment and the thrill they bring?

Cheeky. Secret. Natural. Unsanctioned… Illegal? Whatever you want to call them, we nearly all ride these trails. They’re more prolific …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/featured/have-trail-centres-had-their-day-426971 Tue, 06 Jun 2023 09:30:47 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=426971 Scattered up and down the British Isles are purpose built trail centres. Their colour-coded trails, graded by difficulty based on technicality and length, welcome thousands of riders every week - but is their day done, ponders Guy Kesteven.

Twenty years ago, purpose built trail centres were the bright new future of mountain biking. But how are they doing …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/featured/what-makes-a-bike-fun-425820 Mon, 17 Apr 2023 08:15:08 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=425820 Guy Kesteven tries to pin down the ethereal element of mountain biking - what is it exactly about biking that makes it such a hoot?

Why is one bike ‘funner’ than any other? Fun is a massively overused word in bike testing because it’s an …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/santa-cruz-tallboy-cc-x01-axs-rsv-review Fri, 10 Mar 2023 12:46:11 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?post_type=review&p=425146 Fast, furious and full-send - the Santa Cruz Tallboy may be a short travel bike but it's one that's designed for full-on aggressive fun.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy is the short 120mm travel 29er but don’t let the travel numbers decieve you – this …Continue reading »]]>