With progressive geometry and MX wheels, the latest Saracen Mantra Trail LSL takes us one step closer to the perfect hardtail mountain bike. But has Saracen gone far enough? In…
£1,499.99
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Reviews
The Alpinestars Sierra Waterproof Jacket is a proper storm shield, but you’ll need plenty of reproofer to keep it that way
The Sierra is a 2.5 layer jacket, which sounds odd but means it has a Nylon face fabric bonded to a waterproof/breathable membrane with a printed inner surface. The latter…
£210.52
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The new Pivot Switchblade doesn’t get trendy internal storage or a steep seat angle, but there are good reasons for not following the crowd
Squint, and you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference between the brand new Pivot Switchblade V6 and the one that was released in 2020. It doesn’t help that both…
£9,000.00
The Scott Ransom 900 RC hides its shock inside the frame, but boasts a ride that makes mincemeat of climbs and descents
Scott’s brand new Ransom conceals the shock within the frame to create one of the most streamlined enduro bikes on the market. But that’s not the only thing that makes…
£9,799.00
The Crankbrothers Klic HV Mini Floor Pump has a clever magnetic hose attachment, but it delivers a breeze rather than a blast
Crankbrothers latest inflator is longer than most of the best mini-pumps, but comes with a fold out stirrup and magnetic hose attachment that makes it a breeze to use. However,…
£69.99
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Scott’s Trail Storm Insuloft AL is the warmest jacket I’ve tried this winter, just be careful you don’t cook in it
Scott’s Trail Storm Insuloft AL jacket is absolutely roasting inside. I don’t mean this is a bad way, cuffs aside there’s no hint of clamminess about this insulated top and…
£134.99
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Forbidden’s high-pivot Druid V2 cast a spell on me, and after six months testing I’m still bewitched by it
“Pedals like an XC bike, descends like a DH bike” is a cliche as badly worn as the back tyre on a bike park rental in September. It’s a promise…
£7,299.00
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Best hardtail mountain bike: classic trail shredding machines
These handful of rad machines are the absolute best hardtail mountain bike options out there right now. We've been thrashing hardtails for nearly three decades to build this definitive shortlist.
Scott’s packable ExplorAir Light Dryo 3 Layer Jacket lets you batten down the hatches when the weather turns
The Explorair Light Dryo 3 is a proper three-layer waterproof jacket. It has an outer Polyester skin, which is made from recycled material, and has a rip-stop style construction so…
£199.00
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After 12 month’s testing the Sonder Signal, and 35 years riding MTBs, it’s earned a spot as one of my all-time favourite hardtails
Sonder Signal need to know Handmade 4130 steel frame with size-specific chainstays and up-to-date trail geometry Cane Creek Helm air fork upgrade comes with a 35mm chassis and 130mm travel…
£2,899.00
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3 helmets in 1 makes the Leatt MTB Helmet 3.0 the ultimate convertible lid
Convertible helmets are nothing new, with the original Giro Switchblade being introduced over 30 years ago. Since then, the likes of Met and Bell, have joined the fray, introducing open-face…
£249.00
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No need to pedal: Canyon’s Spectral:ON CFR will change gear while coasting… but is it a gimmick or a genuine performance boost?
What attracted you to the Canyon Spectral:ON CFR? Given that the Spectral:ON CF 9 was mbr’s e-bike of the Year in 2023, I figured the CFR would be the perfect…
£9,349.00
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The Shimano GF8 winter boots kept me glued to the pedals, but here’s why I won’t be recommending them…
Shimano’s GF8 is a flat pedal shoe with a difference, it’s a pumped-up shoe/ankle boot hybrid with extra insulation and a waterproof/breathable liner to make it winter-ready. With not that…
£219.00
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The Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic HD Workstand is sturdy enough for the heaviest e-bike
Built to survive the apocalypse, Feedback’s latest and greatest maintenance workstand is geared towards porky e-bikes, with a focus on stability and durability. Given the price tag, which is more…
£549.00
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I’ve tested eight waterproof trousers this winter, and Rab’s Cinder Kinetic is the only pair that can keep me dry
Rab’s new Cinder Kinetic Waterproof trousers are made from, hands down, the best waterproof material I’ve ever tried. That is one hell of a bold statement given I’ve been striving…
£210.00
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The Orbea Wild M-Team crushes the toughest tracks, but the battery is a pig to remove
In 2020, the organisers of the Enduro World Series (as it was then, now called EDR – as in EnDuRo) introduced an e-bike category. At first it was dismissed as…
£8,999.00
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The Canyon Strive:ON CFR is a big-hit e-bike with the precision of a scalpel
For a brand so focused on racing (and so proficient at building one of the best e-bikes on the market in the shape of the Spectral:ON), it was only a…
£6,699.00
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The Exposure Six Pack SYNC Mk 13 light is sunshine in a can
Every year Exposure updates its lights with more power or more features, and the latest Six Pack SYNC Mk 13 now comes with a slightly wider beam and more Lumens…
£560.00
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Riding the Intense Tracer 279 Pro made me feel 20 years younger
First, I want to get some facts on the ground. At 16.33kg the Intense Tracer 279 Pro is a ballpark weight for one of the best modern enduro bikes with…
£5,799.00
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RaveMen’s XR6000 light is great value but needs a longer run-time
We’ve tested Ravemen’s PR1600 several times here at mbr and, while this all-in-one design was great value and functional, it always felt a little under-juiced in terms of power and…
£389.99
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