https://www.mbr.co.uk Mountain Bike Rider Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:48:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/why-mathieu-van-der-poel-will-take-over-from-tom-pidcock-as-the-roadies-mountain-biker-in-2025-445595 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 07:00:53 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445595 Can we expect Mathieu van Der Poel to blow mountain biking away this year, just as Tom Pidcock did in 2024? Here are my thoughts on the Dutchman's World Championships chances

Tom Pidcock won’t win a mountain bike World Cup or even finish on the podium in 2025, largely because he …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/12-most-exciting-new-trail-enduro-and-dh-bikes-for-2025-445575 Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:34:41 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445575 A motor-free zone, these are the hottest MY25 analogue bikes from the likes of Santa Cruz, Atherton Bikes, Pivot, and Calibre.

It’s easy to get blinkered by e-bikes these days, but to do that would be to miss out on a …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/opinion/an-ode-to-the-trail-crews-the-dig-teams-and-the-volunteers-that-keep-us-riding-all-year-round-445083 Thu, 02 Jan 2025 07:00:20 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445083 Rebecca gets emotional about mud, as a thank you to those who put in the hours to keep our trails running in winter

Storms, fallen trees and floods. That’s been the reality for many of us over the past month or so. And …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/2024-a-review-of-the-year-in-mountain-biking-from-gladiators-to-snow-bike-racing-via-eastenders-tenuously-445554 Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:16:01 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445554 I can't remember what happened yesterday, let alone 12 months ago, so if you're anything like me, sit down and enjoy an amble through the highs and lows of MTB in 2024.

2024 has been a tumultuous year, and not only in terms of culture, politics, technology, sport, and climate, but actual …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/opinion/three-products-helped-my-riding-more-than-anything-else-in-2024-heres-why-they-get-my-vote-for-gear-of-the-year-445088 Mon, 30 Dec 2024 07:00:38 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445088 e*thirteen's Sidekick hub, Gore Tex Trail Pants and the RockShox Zeb are the best poducts I've tested in 2024, and they snaffle my Gear of the Year award

Downhill racing drives mountain bike innovation like nothing else, and my Gear of the Year 2024 comes straight off the …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/opinion/my-gear-of-the-year-products-that-helped-me-progress-and-improve-on-the-bike-in-2024-445109 Sat, 28 Dec 2024 15:27:00 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445109 From helmets to power meter pedals, here's the gear that has helped Rebecca's take a step forward with her riding.

2024 has been a pretty epic year of riding for me. There has been a whole host of new, cool …Continue reading »]]> 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/news/the-most-enjoyable-bike-i-rode-this-year-got-slammed-in-our-lightweight-e-bike-test-but-i-dont-care-because-i-love-the-way-it-rides-and-its-my-bike-of-the-year-2024-445225 Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:00:48 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445225 My bike of the year is an odd choice, given how badly it scored in our latest review. The Trek …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/danny-milners-gear-of-the-year-2024-445292 Tue, 24 Dec 2024 07:04:02 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445292 The bikes and products that have most impressed me during 2024 include an exceptionally well-designed e-bike, a clever new motor, dependable new brakes, and a freeride bike to lust after.

2024 has been a weird year for new product. With so many unsold bikes cluttering up the market – a …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/ive-tested-dozens-of-e-bikes-but-none-of-them-will-ever-thrill-me-like-this-regular-pedal-powered-mtb-and-its-my-bike-of-the-year-2024-445022 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 07:00:01 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445022 Yes Merida’s new eOne-Eighty is a masterpiece of science and technology, but it doesn’t make me feel alive like the Yeti SB 165, and that's why it's my Bike of the Year 2024

It’s been coming for a long time, but 2024 was the year e-bikes steamrollered normal, analogue mountain bikes. Leading brands …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/e-biking-is-one-of-the-fastest-growing-sports-in-the-world-according-to-garmin-data-with-e-mtb-rides-surging-18-in-2024-445284 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:00:25 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=445284 Garmin’s annual data dump shows e-bike rides are up on 2023’s figures

E-biking is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the world according to data from Garmin, which reckons the …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/will-brendan-fairclough-ever-ride-red-bull-rampage-again-not-likely-on-the-strength-of-these-comments-442536 Mon, 21 Oct 2024 16:00:14 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=442536 Brendan Fairclough and Ollie Wilkins break silence and talk through their Red Bull Rampage result

Brendan Fairclough won’t be at Red Bull Rampage in 2025, after revealing just how “gutted and butt-hurt” he is about …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/featured/madison-saracens-greg-williamson-and-team-manager-will-longdon-on-the-current-state-of-world-cup-downhill-racing-442367 Fri, 18 Oct 2024 06:01:56 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=442367 We sat down with Greg Williamson and Will Longden of the Madison Saracen team to find out their views on TV coverage, race tracks, qualifying formats and the rising costs of elite downhill racing.

For the best part of 30 years, Will Longden has been involved in downhill racing. Starting as top rider himself, …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/santa-cruz-vala-the-biggest-u-turn-in-mountain-biking-442233 Tue, 15 Oct 2024 09:33:30 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=442233 Stepping away from its signature VPP suspension design would never have been an option a few years ago, but while it contradicts decades of marketing, I actually think it's a great move by Santa Cruz. Find out why in the latest MBR Show.

The recently released Santa Cruz Vala broke new ground for the boutique California brand in a couple of ways. For …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/red-bull-rampage-is-the-scariest-bike-race-on-the-planet-442204 Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:30:25 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=442204 We attended the 18th edition of Red Bull Rampage in person and watched with bated breath as men and, for the first time, women took mountain biking to its wildest extremes.

Watching Red Bull Rampage is a visceral experience—a fear that grips your throat and sends a nauseating knot of anxiety …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/technology-like-abs-braking-automatic-shifting-and-reactive-suspension-is-on-the-rise-but-are-modern-electronics-making-mountain-biking-too-easy-441531 Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:28:43 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=441531 The latest MBR Show has just gone live, and in this episode Danny and Jamie discuss the rise of the robots in mountain biking – are electronics a good thing, or are they dumbing down the sport and eroding hard-worn skills?

In episode 12 of the MBR Show we take a look at the increasing use of electronics and algorithms to …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/mountain-bikes-are-more-expensive-than-ever-but-if-youre-buying-your-first-mtb-i-reckon-youve-never-had-it-so-good-440746 Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:40:52 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=440746 Bikes have doubled in price in the last few decades, but is that the scourge of inflation or greedy corporations?

Bikes are really bloomin’ expensive now: Google knows it, your local bike shop knows it, and your significant other knows …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/featured/i-packed-in-15000m-of-vertical-descent-at-enduro2-but-thats-not-why-its-top-of-my-bucket-list-440330 Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:00:36 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=440330 Enduro2 takes place on some of the best trails in the French alps, and being a two-person team event, means I got to enjoy it with a friend!

There aren’t many mountain bike events around where you can clock up over 15,000m of timed vertical descending in a …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/i-love-watching-downhill-mountain-biking-but-id-hate-to-see-it-at-the-olympics-440208 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 12:06:45 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=440208 Everything from the course location to the extra IOC Olympic rules makes me shudder

Why not downhill? It’s a question I ask myself every four years in the run up to the Olympics – …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/when-e-bikes-first-came-out-i-hated-them-now-i-hardly-ride-anything-else-439149 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:30:37 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=439149 The early e-bikes were heavy, cumbersome, and ugly, but that wasn't why I hated them...

When the first full-suspension e-bike turned up at the MBR office it was certainly a novelty. It couldn’t be further …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/featured/are-we-all-being-ripped-off-by-mountain-bike-brands-439045 Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:07 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=439045 Bikes are more expensive than they used to be, but is that inflation and economics, or evil corporations gouging us for cash? Let’s crunch the numbers and find out…

Are we all being ripped off? Do mountain bikes cost too much money? Are big brands creaming high profits off …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/red-bull-hardline-has-it-gone-too-far-438550 Tue, 28 May 2024 10:49:41 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=438550 Viral footage from the new Red Bull Hardline canyon gap: has the new course substituted skill and technicality for unnecessary risk?

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of mountain bike fans that watched footage of Bernard Kerr, Matt Jones, …Continue reading »]]> https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/wiggle-chain-reaction-will-relaunch-its-websites-next-week-but-will-there-be-any-nukeproofs-or-vitus-bikes-left-in-stock-437009 Fri, 22 Mar 2024 13:37:43 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=437009 Details emerge about the future of Wiggle Chain Reaction after months of speculation

The Wiggle Chain Reaction websites will relaunch as early as next week according to a statement from Frasers Group, which …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/news/what-the-governments-proposed-changes-to-e-bike-laws-mean-for-mountain-bikers-and-why-its-missing-the-most-important-point-436597 Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:37:09 +0000 https://www.mbr.co.uk/?p=436597 With great power comes great responsibility

UK riders could get access to double the average power output from e-bikes, with throttle controlled motors also on the …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 »]]>