While part of my job is to test and review mountain bike gear, I'm also a mountain bike buyer just like everyone else. In fact, I decided to purchase both of my current mountain…
photo: Bombtrack.com In conjunction with the bikepacking craze of 2016, several bike companies are offering drop bar mountain bikes. Not to be confused with gravel grinders or…
Plus bikes have been all the rage at Sea Otter and Interbike over the past two cycles, and at this point, pretty much every bike brand has at least one 27.5 plus…
The new Ritchey WCS Trail dropper post Ritchey is an interesting company. On the one hand, Ritchey has frames made from steel with classic profiles. But…
The new Rocky Mountain Slayer equipped with 26x2.8" Maxxis Minions Maxxis didn't have too much in the way of new mountain bike tread patterns at Interbike…
Interbike tends to be dominated by some of the largest brands, but if you look closely, there are many small companies doing interesting and oftentimes weird things. Here are just a few examples from this year's…
The Voytek is a versatile carbon fiber mountain bike from Otso, a new bike brand founded by the crew from Wolf Tooth Components. I took the Voytek on a quick test spin at Interbike, and…
After a very favorable reception for the Torrent 27.5+ hardtail, Norco has tripled down on 27.5+ mountain bikes, releasing 3 all-new models for 2017! Torrent 7 FS+ The most notable of the new additions…
The $13,000 BMC fourstroke team BMC is a large brand, but they are known predominantly for their road bikes. While they have a full line of…
9point8 is a small Canadian company with a unique take on the dropper. The post is entirely mechanical, which they say makes it more durable and reliable when compared to the…
Spotted at a trailhead for the Mount Massive Wilderness. Photo: Greg Heil The US Forest Service has proposed a "cultural shift" with the intent of promoting recreation…
I was cruising around the Interbike showroom floor, late for yet another appointment, but the Wilier Triestina Jaroon+ stopped me in my tracks. This mountain bike, while of questionable real…
The Ventana Wolfram 27.5 with Gates Carbon Drive and Rohloff hub. At Interbike last week I got a chance to try the Rohloff internally geared hub,…
Bikepacking. It's so hot right now. Seriously though, bikepacking seems to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise down industry. Bikepacking is nothing new, but until recently…
The DBX 5.0 hardshell jacket Leatt is known for their neck braces and pads, but for 2017 the company is making a big push into the…
Photo: Nicholas Carman The Baja Divide is a newly-published off-road bikepacking route that spans the 1700-mile-length of the Baja Peninsula from San Diego, CA to San…
You may have heard of Cycliq after their wildly-successful kickstarter for their original model, the Fly6, and Jim Hodgson's subsequent review, here. After widespread demand by their loyal customers, they released…
When I used to think of Ergon, my mind would automatically jump to grips. But more recently, they've jumped into the saddle game, and they've also started making hydration packs, gloves, and…
Feedback Sports Team Edition tool kit Feedback has a reputation for building some of the best portable workstands around. In fact, we've had their Pro-Elite stand…
The all new Razik Epitome is a carbon hardtail mountain bike that utilizes a unique carbon Isotruss framework in place of traditional top, down, and seat tubes. The company claims this not…
Two years ago I rode the Salsa Bucksaw full suspension (FS) fat bike, and at the time I said it was the best bike, fat or not, that I had ridden all…
Having earned a coveted spot on our list of the 5 Most Innovative Mountain Bikes of 2016, I knew that I had to get on the Pivot Switchblade to see if the bike…
Interceptor Most of us have heard that mountain bike helmets need to be replaced after a serious crash, but the thing is, few riders actually follow through. Often…
The GT Sensor has been around for several years, though it's a bike I've never personally ridden. So I jumped at the chance to saddle up on the 2017 Sensor Carbon Pro…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I reflect on this year's tradeshow and discuss some of the most interesting products we found.
Photo by Sergio Barboni. Taken in Italy. Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief…
To be completely honest, I wasn't really familiar with KHS bikes until I checked them out at the Outdoor Demo at Interbike. Part of my plan for the event was…
Cannondale showed the Bad Habit at Interbike back in 2015, and this year the bike is offered in both aluminum and carbon frames. I got a chance to test the top-shelf, Bad Habit…
When I first grabbed the Devinci Marshall to take it for a test ride, there was a little bit of confusion amongst the Singletracks staff about whether or not we'd…
The last bike I rode at Outdoor Demo this year was Transition's Patrol Carbon. With 155mm of rear travel, a 160mm fork, and long, low, and slack geometry, the Patrol…
A couple months ago at Saddle Drive, I got the opportunity to check out some of Surly's recent redesigns for some of their classic bikes, including the Karate Monkey, which…
The DrTray hitch rack, an all-new offering from Yakima, is designed to eliminate bike-on-bike banging and damage during transport by allowing both of the trays on the hitch rack to…
The Turner Flux v4.0 To be perfectly honest, I had no prior intention of testing the Turner Flux. It just so happened that they had a…
Every time we turn around another high-dollar, boutique full suspension mountain bike is being announced by a major bike brand. So when a reputable brand announces an all-new full suspension trail…
REI is retiring the 34-year-old Novara cycling brand next year and replacing it with a new line of bikes called simply, Co-op. This spring the company plans to release its…
Mountain bike suspension keeps getting better and better while options for wheel sizes continue to expand. We asked Singletracks members about their favorite mountain bike fork, and based on the 2,200+ responses…
Interbike just announced the 2016 Interbike Awards, including the following noteworthy MTB categories. Best Mountain Bike Specialized Stumpjumper sixFATTIE (also a Singletracks "Most Innovative Bike" winner). Best in Show - Mountain Scott Spark RC (read…
8 LEDs are crammed into this behemoth. Remote pictured on left, rear light on right. The latest mountain bike lights in the 90X series from MagicShine feature…
Bikepacking seems to be becoming more and more popular, especially considering the number of bikepacking products we saw at Interbike this year. One of the most interesting products that caught my eye, the Topeak Bikamper,…
Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Zach White. With every piece of gear that I carry with me on the mountain bike, my first question is: “how packable…
I've been watching the Hayduke from afar for the better part of this year, as a couple of my good friends and riding buddies have jumped on the Advocate Cycles…
GoPro cameras changed the face of action sports and even more broadly, gave filmmakers the ability to put cameras in places cameras had never gone before. Just one little problem for mountain bikers: the POV video almost…
In Oakridge, OR there's one place to get a drink, one place to get a burger, a Best Western, and thousands of feet of descending through lush, Cascadian forest on…
Niner's RLT 9 (AKA Road Less Traveled) is an absolute rocket of a gravel grinder. If you are looking for a training bike, dedicated gravel race bike, or simply a fun…
A test ride review of the 2017 Marin Rift Zone.
Aaron, Greg, and I talk about the most interesting products we saw at Interbike on Wednesday while also lamenting our overall lack of stoke for new MTB products.
In this better-late-than-never episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, Helena, and I talk about the bikes we tested at Outdoor Demo on Tuesday.
The Transition Smuggler (photo: Aaron Chamberlain) With the Smuggler, Transition shows that geometry plays just as big a role as travel when it comes to capability.…
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