Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Mountain Bike Rider

The winter of 2021/2022 was brutal. Over the course of four months a total of seven huge storms hit mainland Britain, causing widespread destruction, with perhaps nowhere harder hit than Aberdeenshire. Trees were levelled in their thousands and the county lost much of its trail network. That’s bad for riders of course, but the aftermath for the local area and the businesses that rely on a steady flow of mountain bikers was much worse. From the wreckage though, green shoots began to emerge in the shape of the Tarland 2 Trails. The Scottish government committed £350k towards finishing the new project, which in turn encouraged Scottish Cycling’s National Lottery fund to invest a further £300k, adding to existing community funding efforts. Fast-forward a year and those shoots have grown into…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH The target price point for the shop-bought e-bike portion of the test was £8,000 Welcome to our 2023 E-bike of the Year test. Over the next 16 pages we’ll be putting seven of the hottest e-bikes through their paces. And to make the test as fair as possible, all seven bikes are available through bricks-and-mortar shops. And in the interest of completeness, this issue also contains a summary of the direct-sales models we tested in the May issue, and the lightweight mid-powered e-bikes from the February issue. Taken together, the magazine you are holding in your hands represents a one-stop e-bike shop. The target price point for the shop-bought e-bike portion of the test was £8,000. And while that’s a lot of cash, it gave us the…

SPECIFICATION Frame Hollow core carbon, 165mm travel Shock Fox Factory Float X2 Fork Fox Factory 38 Grip 2, 44mm offset, 170mm travel Wheels DT Swiss 350 110/157mm hubs, DT Swiss XM 1700 30mm rims, Maxxis Assegai EXO+, MaxxTerra 29x2.5in tyres Drivetrain Race Face Aeffect R 32t chainset, Shimano XTR M9100 r-mech and XT shifter, Shimano XT M8100 10-51t cassette Brakes Shimano XT M8120 four-piston, 203/203mm Components Pivot Phoenix Team Low Rise Carbon 800mm bar, Pivot Phoenix Team Enduro/Trail 50mm stem, Fox Transfer Factory 170mm post, WTB Volt Pro saddle Sizes S, M, L, XL Weight 15.05kg (33.18lb) Contact saddleback.co.uk GEOMETRY (LOW SETTING) Size tested L Head angle 64.1° Effective SA 77.5° BB height 358mm Chainstay 436mm Front centre 828mm Wheelbase 1,264mm Down tube 766mm Top tube 630mm Reach 493mm £8,200…

DANNY MILNER EDITOR mbr’s longest serving editor, former downhiller Danny’s seen in 29ers, e-bikes and modern geometry. Meticulous tester with an eye for detail. ALAN MULDOON BIKE TEST EDITOR The most respected bike tester in the business, practically discovered 29ers, and always on the lookout for the next big thing. PAUL BURWELL CONTRIBUTOR Elite-level XC racer turned trail schralper, been riding since Gary Fisher was a boy. Tested everything going, from Flexstems to auto shifting. MICK KIRKMAN CONTRIBUTOR Spent years racing BMX, then 4X and DH, and is still ultra-competitive, despite what he says. Has been testing bikes for two decades. mbr ratings explained The scores on the doors 1-4 Something’s wrong. It’s rare, but sometimes a product will have a design flaw or some other weakness that means we…

£27 SPECIFICATION Weight: 100g • Colours: Black, Black/Red, Black/White, Black/Orange, Gum • Contact: extrauk.co.uk These All Mountain Style lock-on grips are designed in Spain by Cero Designs. Cero is a design studio led by top ex-World Cup downhiller Cesar Rojo, who’s responsible for some major MTB innovations including Mondraker’s revolutionary Forward Geometry concept and, more recently, the sculpted carbon Unno superbikes. These grips aren’t quite so revolutionary, but there’s attention to detail in the design, with dual grip zones and dual-density rubber. A knurled pattern offers friction against palms and the ball of the hand, while a ridged waffle pattern underneath helps secure fingers. The section where the thumb and first finger loop around the grip also uses a longer-lasting, tougher rubber with protruding AM graphics. The compound here is…

Those expensive rings of black rubber, fabric and Kevlar that wrap around your wheels and get covered in mud (or loam and dust if you’re lucky) aren’t exactly glamorous. But they are the only things connecting you with the terrain when you’re pushing the limits on a mountain bike. Totally vital for control then, tyres all ride differently and are something of a dark art in terms of construction, compounds and the compromises that can make the difference between speed and staying safely on track, or a sluggish ride and ending up head first in a ditch. Modern tyres cost big bucks and also literally wear out rolling along, but seeing as the best ones can transform a bike’s handling for the better, few other upgrades have as big an…

When I rode my first e-bike, nine years ago now, I hated it. But not because it was rubbish; because of what it represented. At the time it felt like I was some kind of mountain biking heretic for even trying it around the car park, flames licking around my riding credentials in case I gave up on the purity of self-propulsion. I know, I was being dumb. Who would have cared whether I used a motor for assistance? Who, or what, exactly would I have been cheating by not using 100% muscle power? I wasn’t racing. I wasn’t trying to be the toughest or the fastest; I just wanted to hit as many trails as possible and have the most fun on every ride – don’t we all? And…

Specialized has a new Epic out and honestly, we have no idea if we should be calling it a full-suspension bike or a hardtail. That’s because the new shock, integrated into the top tube, will work with zero per cent sag and effectively remain locked out – just like the fixed back end on a hardtail. It certainly blurs the lines between the Specialized XC race bikes, of which there are now four: the Epic Hardtail, Epic (the old bike), Epic Evo (more down-country-focused) and Epic World Cup here. It’s the new bike we’re most interested in, of course, and for starters it looks radically different to the bike that preceded it. The shock is now integrated into the frame and engineered to be a structural part of it, becoming…

NORTH HARRIS 37.4km (23.2 miles) North Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland is a rugged landscape made up of moors and mountains, dotted with freshwater lochs and framed by the Atlantic. Given these raw ingredients, it’s not surprising that it’s home to some of Scotland’s most dramatic and beautiful scenery, and some of its most remote riding. Being an island, you’re going to have to commit to this ride with a ferry trip or a flight, amplifying the feeling of adventure. As this is a remote ride on a remote island, make sure you’re equipped accordingly. GPS download bit.ly/HarrisRide DARTMOOR 32.6km (20.3 miles) Dartmoor National Park is one of the largest and most remote areas of open moorland in the UK. In fact it’s a whole 954 square-kilometres of…

Countless hours on the trails make this the ultimate test of performance as well as reliability £10,999 • 29in • scott-sports.com THE RIDER BEN SMITH Position Art editor Mostly rides Forest of Dean Height 5ft 9in Weight 76kg THE BIKE ■ Scott’s range-topping carbon trail bike with 150mm travel, paired with 160mm-travel Fox 36 Factory fork and no TwinLoc ■ Fox Float X Nude shock is hidden in the frame for low center of gravity and ultra-clean lines ■ 29in Syncros carbon wheels and chunky 2.6in Maxxis tyres ■ High-end spec includes SRAM X01 AXS shifting and Syncros Hixon one-piece bar and stem No sooner had I finished my end-of-term report on the Privateer 141 Öhlins last month than my new longtermer, this super-sleek Scott Genius ST 900 Tuned, arrived.…

£7,400 • 29in • specialized.com SPECIFICATION Frame FACT 11m full carbon, 170mm travel Shock Fox Float X Performance Fork Fox Float 36 Rhythm, GRIP damper, 170mm travel Motor Specialized SL 1.1 Battery Specialized SL1 320Wh Display Specialized MasterMind TCU Wheels Specialized 110/148mm hubs, Specialized hookless alloy 30mm rims, Butcher Grid Trail Gripton T9/T7, 29x2.3in Drivetrain Praxis forged M30 chainset, SRAM GX Eagle r-mech and shifter Brakes SRAM Code R, 220/200mm Components Specialized 6061 alloy 800mm bar, Specialized Trail 50mm stem, X-Fusion Manic 150mm dropper seatpost, Specialized Bridge Comp saddle Sizes S2, S3, S4, S5 Weight 19.4kg (42.8lb) GEOMETRY (LOW SETTING) Size tested S4 Rider height 6ft 1in Head angle 62.7° Seat angle 67.2° Effective SA 75.6° BB height 337mm Chainstay 450mm Front centre 841mm Wheelbase 1,291mm Down tube 757mm Top…

£59.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 33g • Frames: black, grey or white • Contact: freewheel.co.uk It’s fair to say there’s a correlation between how fast you ride and the size of your eyewear. Downhillers go flat-out, so wear full goggles, and since some trail riders are not far behind, the sizes of their glasses have grown. Madison is aware of this trend and has recently launched a few bigger lens models, including the Crypto. Like most modern riding glasses, it’s an interchangeable design, meaning there are three polycarbonate lenses included in the box. Depending on the colour of the frames (black, grey or white) you get either a bronze, smoke or fire lens with a clear and amber alternative. The latter is for low light levels, like riding in the trees. The…

£99.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 365g • Colours: Black, Copper, Green, Grey • Sizes: Small, Medium (tested), Large • Contact: extrauk.co.uk This extended coverage MoDrop helmet is part of Abus’s latest line-up of three open-face lids. The German brand might be better known for protecting bikes from thieves than noggins from knocks, but I really rated its new Moventor lid in our recent helmet group test. This thicker-set MoDrop offers extra protection for enduro riding with more substantial coverage at the temples and behind the ears. It covers down to the nape of the neck with a more deeply dished fit on the head and, just like the Moventor, fit and stability were near perfect for me with nice cushy padding inside and a good range of adjustment too. MoDrop fit is…

£129.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 779g (size 43) • Sizes: 37-47 with half sizes between 41 and 46 • Contact: foxracing.com Fox might be better known for its riding apparel and helmets, but it’s no stranger to footwear. Not only has the brand been making motocross boots for ages, it also dipped its toes in the mountain bike flat pedal market back in the noughties. So it has experience, and knowledge, but does that mean it will succeed with its latest range where so many have failed? The short answer is yes, because this new Union Flat shoe is a kick-ass product that goes toe-to-toe with shoes from Five Ten and Specialized. What’s immediately obvious is the lack of weight. For instance they’re almost 100g a pair lighter than the Specialized 2FO…

We were hoping to finish our post-work ride in daylight, but got carried away playing on High Street and enjoying the sunset over Helvellyn. Before we knew it, we’d found ourselves in a race against the fading light with plenty of trail left to ride, and there was only ever going to be one winner. Turns out it gets pretty dark once the sun has dropped below the horizon. Who knew? James Vincent When ex-DH world champ, ex-EWS winner, prolific bike developer and all-round legend Fabien Barel gets excited about a new bike he’s helped bring to market, you know you need to sit up and take notice. Canyon’s latest e-bike is the enduro-ready Strive:ON, with 160mm of travel, acclaimed Bosch motor, and ultra-competitive price points. Is it the perfect…

MOST WANTED EXT ARIA £1,190 EXT has a new shock out, and for the first time in the Italian brand’s history it isn’t coil-sprung. Called the Aria (air, in Italian), EXT says it’s drawn on the knowledge gleaned developing shocks for the Williams Formula 1 programme back in the day. We’re not sure exactly how useful this really is, as automotive and mountain bike suspension are so different, but we do know EXT has been very successful producing sensitive suspension for the latter. The Aria isn’t simply an air-sprung version of the existing coil shocks though, instead it’s a totally new design. It uses not one but two positive air chambers, a concept it first tried with the Era fork and one that claims both extra sensitivity off the top…

Without getting lost in the weeds of training theory, all you really need to achieve a high degree of fitness for mountain biking is to go really hard fairly regularly, then go relatively easy most of the time. It’s called polarised training and it’s really effective at inducing the physiological adaptations we’re after in order to become much fitter and faster on our bikes. The problem? It’s really hard, if not impossible, to do quality polarised training on an analogue mountain bike as most of your rides, even when actively trying to take it easy, end up being kinda tough. Not tough enough to elicit the peak performance gains we’re after, and not easy enough to promote recovery or aerobic base fitness. The end result is your fitness gets lost…

£7,500 • MX • ridestalbans.com NEED TO KNOW ● E-bike from the same brand now owned by Porsche, with 460W MPF motor with easily removable 700Wh Porsche battery ● Full carbon frameset with single pivot suspension ● Mullet design with 160mm Formula Selva fork and RockShox Monarch RTS shock pumping out 150mm of rear travel ● Front and rear brake lights with built-in twin 1080p@30fps cameras If you are a modern e-bike brand that was originally part of Rimac Automobili, the high-end electric sports car company, and then you are bought by Porsche, chances are you’re not making the e-bike equivalent of a Nissan Qashqai. It’s likely you’re producing a super e-bike, with the latest tech and an impressive trail presence. Greyp is that company, but is its G6.6 a…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Whether you’re new to e-bikes or you’ve been riding them since the year dot, getting the best skills advice on how to handle that extra weight is vital. Sure, there’s plenty of crossover and the bulk of your mountain bike skills will transfer over nicely to the eeb. But this article takes that experience and focuses it on some key differences that will allow you to get the most out of your e-bike. LET THE WEIGHT DO THE WORK E-bikes weigh more, there’s no denying it. But if you know what to do with that extra weight, if you can learn to push it around and not the other way around, then there are actually some advantages to riding a heavier bike. More weight means more grip,…

£2,899 • 29in • alpkit.com THE RIDER SEAN WHITE Position Freelance writer/tester Mostly rides Forest of Dean, Mid Wales Height 6ft 2in Weight 87kg THE BIKE ■ Handmade 4130 steel frame with size-specific chainstays and up-to-date trail geometry ■ Cane Creek Helm air fork upgrade comes with 130mm travel – the sweet spot for a 29er trail hardtail? ■ Full SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with a super-wide 10-52t cassette ■ Hope Fortus wheelset, an upgrade over Sonder’s house-brand hoops and a solid choice for 12 months of heavy use I’ve discovered an additional benefit of riding a hardtail that bike test editor Muldoon missed from his list of pros in last month’s bike test. It’s that they’re the perfect choice for testing the stability and fit of trail helmets. A…

£745 SPECIFICATION Weight: 910g front, 1,060g rear = 1,970g total • Sizes: 29in or 27.5in • Options: Boost, Super Boost + (tested), Six Bolt or Centre Lock rotor mount • Contact: lyon.co.uk This complete enduro wheelset comes from American brand Industry Nine, whose reputation was built making its hubs in-house in North Carolina. The 1/1 model here is the brand’s more affordable option with 90 points of engagement via six pawls arranged in a dual-phase configuration in a 45-tooth steel drive ring. If you’re thinking that still sounds pretty speedy, you’re right – a rapid 40 engagement like this might rank among many brand’s fastest pickups, but because i9’s Hydra hub has a ludicrously fast (0.50) engagement, this is seen as a lower-tier offering. I’ve tested the same (externally-sourced) 30.5mm…

£99.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 437g • Sizes: S-XXL • Black only • Contact: freewheel.co.uk No one likes getting caught short out on the trail, but carrying a load of extra waterproof clobber in a backpack can also be a real drag. Madison’s new Zenith 4-Season Trouser allows you to have your cake and eat it because it features a four-way stretch fabric that feels like a regular riding trouser, but it gets a water-repellent coating and extra waterproof panels and seam taping in the seat. This means if there’s a downpour, you’re not going to get a soggy arse, but you also won’t boil in the bag when the sun comes out. To ensure a good fit, the Zenith comes with articulated legs, which are also loose enough to accommodate kneepads.…

£120 SPECIFICATION Weight: 155g (Large) • Sizes: XS-XXL • Colours: Black, Thyme, Peat, Redwood • Contact: 7mesh.com Canadian outdoor brand 7Mesh has built a reputation for high-end, ethical and functional mountain bike gear and I have recently been raving about its awesome Chilco Thermal Anorak. This minimal Slab short targets warmer temperatures. It’s the brand’s trail/enduro short, with a thin four-way stretch material that’s a slinky nylon with 15% elastane for extra give and a DWR coating to fend off splashes. There’s some thin stitching at the waistband and hem, but the majority of the articulated panels are ultrasonically bonded together with minimal flat seams that look like tiny rubber strips. These help deliver a barely-there feel with no flapping around, excess bulk or stiffness. 7Mesh’s cut is dialled, so…