Scapin have been hard at work on their 29er race hardtail, and Oraklo 148 is ready for delivery. Born for maximum stability and precision steering, and designed for competition and ideal for marathons, the Oraklo 148 takes its name from the rear boost standard and its monocoque frame is made from Toray T800 carbon fibre. Aesthetically, […]
Curve 29er Race 30×30 MTB wheels – just landed
There are no shortage of carbon mountain bike wheels on the market at the moment. But understanding what is a good wheel and what isn’t might not be as easy. We’ve just had a set of Curve Cycling’s 29er Race 30×30 XC Race wheels land at the MarathonMTB.com service course, and we’re about to get them […]
Perskindol Swiss Epic Rider Diary – the bike
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
The Perskindol Swiss Epic Official Race Book recommends that each competitor ride a full-suspension mountain bike with at least 120mm of front and rear travel and a dropper seatpost. I did an extra check and can confirm that this is not just for the Flow category (which is the ‘enduro’-style side of the race). Nope, […]
REVIEWED: Chinese carbon mountain bike frame
I’ll never forget the day I was left most perplexed by our team manager Mike Blewitt after his seemingly bipolar reaction to my newest bicycle purchase. We were setting up our steeds in the basement of our apartment in preparation for the Dolomiti Superbike, a fantastically tough one day marathon race in the heart of […]
How to climb steep hills
Sometimes the most technically difficult challenge on a trail can be maintaining traction on a steep climb. But with the right approach and technique, you will be amazed at what you can climb up.
Reviewed: Gerber MP 400 Compact Sport Multi-Tool
As a mountain biker, I love getting into the outdoors. I love camping, hiking and any opportunity to escape the city and explore remote natural environments. For that reason, I really love outdoors gear too. Especially cool lightweight techy-stuff like tents, sleeping bags and compact cook stoves. And no, you probably don’t want to end […]
BMC release new Teamelite 01 – a Racing Evolution
The Swiss don’t do things by halves, and BMC haven’t been known to take bike design lightly. The Impec Lab has teamed up with the BMC Mountainbike Racing Team to create the new BMC Teamelite 01 – the world’s most technically advanced hardtail mountain bike. Cross-country racing, and marathon racing, demands absolute perfection from your […]
Whyte 29-C: The Mongolia Bike Challenge Bike Build
Related Event: Mongolia Bike Challenge
At 856km, the Mongolia Bike Challenge covers some serious mileage. Sitting down to consider the nature of the course, which includes vast tracts of double track trails as well as some 13,400m of climbing, Mike and I had forever enjoyable task of putting together a bike for me to take on the Challenge. Enter the […]
Swiss Epic Pro Bike: Robert Mennen’s Canyon Lux CF 29
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
The Swiss Epic attracted some of the very best MTB racers in the World, from XC, to Marathon and Enduro in the first edition in 2014. While there were lots of very special bikes within the field, I caught up with the Topeak-Ergon team to capture Robert Mennen’s Lux CF 29. Robert was racing with Alban Lakata and […]
REVIEWED: Stages XTR Power Meter
It’s leg day again. Another bike ride, more efforts, all to get those pistons pumping out more horses than a Ferrari. But what is your effort session really accomplishing? An ego trip powered by a Strava flavoured energy drink or a quantifiable training session, directly increasing your performance? Don’t get me wrong; a ‘Trophy’ filled […]