The Rise Of Full Suspension It’s the age-old question; “Should I get a hardtail or a dually?” Having worked in many bike shops over the years, this is without doubt one of the most common questions I’ve heard from mountain bikers who are in the market for a new XC bike. And it’s likely a […]
Merida Ninety Six Team 2016: Ride impressions
With offices in Germany, and an uber-strong mountain bike race team starring riders like Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå and José Hermida, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Merida was as Euro as Nutella and headbands. Not so. Merida was founded in the early 70s by Taiwanese engineer Ike Tseng who, it is rumoured, was so incensed […]
Riding the Norco Threshold Cyclocross bike
If you like riding and racing long distances, there’s a very good chance you’ve got a keen eye for cyclocross too. While a ‘cross race bike is a race tuned machine, other ‘cross bikes can also be great for long road miles on beaten up roads and forest trails. They are a brilliant tool for adventure […]
Whyte 29-C: Long-term Review
Related Event: Mongolia Bike Challenge
I’m getting on a plane to Mongolia next month and I’m taking Whyte’s 29-C with me. I’m approaching the Mongolia Bike Challenge with a heady mix of apprehension and excitement. The race is 856km. Based on some (rough) guess work, I’ll spend upwards of 40 hours of my time in Mongolia on board the 29-C. […]
Shimano XTR M9000: Long Term Test
Shimano’s XTR has had a big 12 months. The introduction of the Di2 version of the group amid (justified) fanfare last year came just after the introduction of the M9000 groupset – Shimano’s first 11-speed mountain bike group. I’ve had the pleasure of living with the latter addition for five of those months. Specifically a 1×11 (32T/11-40T) […]
Marco Fontana unveils new Northwave Extreme XC shoe
Northwave aren’t a new name in cycling shoes. They have earned the confidence of the big names in mountain biking and won plenty of World and European titles. In a partnership with Michelin, they have released the Michelin Extreme XC – raising the bar again with a brand-new outsole, designed by Northwave in cooperation with Michelin Technical Soles. Among […]
GoPro launch HERO4 Session
Never one to sit back and look at their market domination, GoPro have released their Session range of POV cameras. It’s their smallest and lightest camera yet, but still boasts 1080p60 video capability and 8MP photos, all in a strong and waterproof (to 10m) design that negates the need for a housing. While the recent […]
Reviewed: C-Bear Press Fit 30 Ceramic Bottom Bracket
Back in the day, bottom-brackets would screw into frames, and there were only two standards – English or Italian (referring to the thread of the BB). However, screw in (BSA) BB shells are fewer and fewer with all sorts of new standards and types. A bewildering amount. I can count 10 distinct types without thinking […]
Bulls show new Black Adder at XCM Worlds
While the Expo at the Sellaronda Hero was fun, the real interest was catching up with two of the most approachable guys on the marathon scene, Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm of Team Bulls. These guys have won more races together than just about any other racing duo. We had the opportunity to find out what’s […]
The Sellaronda Hero Tech Expo
A nice addition to the World Marathon Championships was a tech show laid on by the organisers in the centre of town. Quite a few big brands made the effort to represent, bringing with them a decent selection of tech old and new. Obviously, being Italy, the big Italian brands were there in force, notably […]