Opinion

The mountain bike is dead. Long live the MTB!

e-mountain bikes are becoming the standard but it’ll be a long time before Liam makes the permanent switch
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The mountain bike is dead. Long live the MTB!

e-mountain bikes are becoming the standard but it’ll be a long time before Liam makes the permanent switch
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Hybrids are the ultimate do-it-all bikes for MTB and gravel… but the name was just never quite sexy enough

Hybrid bikes capable of going off-road have been around for years, and could perhaps be considered the original gravel bikes, or even the first of the big wheel mountain bikes. So, why did they never really take off among serious riders?
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Hybrids are the ultimate do-it-all bikes for MTB and gravel… but the name was just never quite sexy enough

Hybrid bikes capable of going off-road have been around for years, and could perhaps be considered the original gravel bikes, or even the first of the big wheel mountain bikes. So, why did they never really take off among serious riders?
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Electric pumps have taken the cycling world by storm… but I’m not convinced

Arguably 2025’s biggest bike tech trend, electric pumps take the effort out of tyre inflation. That’s all well and good, but I still reckon regular pumps are better
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Electric pumps have taken the cycling world by storm… but I’m not convinced

Arguably 2025’s biggest bike tech trend, electric pumps take the effort out of tyre inflation. That’s all well and good, but I still reckon regular pumps are better
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Off-road bikes are going back to the future, and I’m here for it

Michael might not be buying into all of the latest trends, so it’s a good job that some older tech is making a comeback. Just with newer names…
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Off-road bikes are going back to the future, and I’m here for it

Michael might not be buying into all of the latest trends, so it’s a good job that some older tech is making a comeback. Just with newer names…
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Despite being around for more than 30 years, cleats for mountain bikers are far from perfect

They’re small and have hardly changed in 35 years… but are two-bolt cleats as we know them really the best way of engaging with a pedal?
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Despite being around for more than 30 years, cleats for mountain bikers are far from perfect

They’re small and have hardly changed in 35 years… but are two-bolt cleats as we know them really the best way of engaging with a pedal?
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As British Cycling ditches original founders of the British Gravel Championships, what’s going on with gravel racing?

Organisational ruffles within the British Gravel Championships, The Rift splitting from the Gravel Earth Series… there seems to be something of a spat going on with gravel racing right now, but were the clashes inevitable?
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As British Cycling ditches original founders of the British Gravel Championships, what’s going on with gravel racing?

Organisational ruffles within the British Gravel Championships, The Rift splitting from the Gravel Earth Series… there seems to be something of a spat going on with gravel racing right now, but were the clashes inevitable?
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Adolf Silva’s Rampage crash was one of the most horrifying things I’ve seen live. Red Bull needs to take more responsibility

Has the world’s wildest mountain biking event still got a place, or does it just need a few tweaks to stay relevant? Is it really worth riders potentially risking their lives for? Rebecca reflects one month on from the 2025 edition of the Red Bull Rampage
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Adolf Silva’s Rampage crash was one of the most horrifying things I’ve seen live. Red Bull needs to take more responsibility

Has the world’s wildest mountain biking event still got a place, or does it just need a few tweaks to stay relevant? Is it really worth riders potentially risking their lives for? Rebecca reflects one month on from the 2025 edition of the Red Bull Rampage
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The UCI needs to steer clear of ‘true’ gravel races

Almost a month on from the UCI Gravel World Championships, and with other races on the gravel circuit attracting serious names and fierce competition, Steve is left questioning if the ‘official’ way is the best way to go for the burgeoning discipline
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The UCI needs to steer clear of ‘true’ gravel races

Almost a month on from the UCI Gravel World Championships, and with other races on the gravel circuit attracting serious names and fierce competition, Steve is left questioning if the ‘official’ way is the best way to go for the burgeoning discipline
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Do mountain bikes really need flip chips?

Almost every MTB has one, but is the flip chip really a good thing, or a sign of lazy design?
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Do mountain bikes really need flip chips?

Almost every MTB has one, but is the flip chip really a good thing, or a sign of lazy design?
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e-Bike motors have become more important than the bikes they’re bolted to and that’s not a good thing

Motor choice is a big decision to make when buying a new bike, but I reckon that motors have become a bigger draw than the bikes themselves, and that’s not good
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e-Bike motors have become more important than the bikes they’re bolted to and that’s not a good thing

Motor choice is a big decision to make when buying a new bike, but I reckon that motors have become a bigger draw than the bikes themselves, and that’s not good
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If I could get rid of one type of e-bike it would be the electric hardtail

They’re heavy, cumbersome and don’t offer the same amount of fun as a full-suspension e-bike. So why are e-hardtails even a thing?
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If I could get rid of one type of e-bike it would be the electric hardtail

They’re heavy, cumbersome and don’t offer the same amount of fun as a full-suspension e-bike. So why are e-hardtails even a thing?
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The bike industry is shooting itself in the foot with ever-changing standards and incompatible niche products

The cycling industry is dragging us willingly into a never ending downwards financial spiral through its obsession with new and incompatible niche products, says Steve Thomas
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The bike industry is shooting itself in the foot with ever-changing standards and incompatible niche products

The cycling industry is dragging us willingly into a never ending downwards financial spiral through its obsession with new and incompatible niche products, says Steve Thomas
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A mountain biker’s ode to the North Yorkshire Moors

Rebecca’s been falling back in love with her local, and thinks we should all appreciate the changing landscape of where we ride
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A mountain biker’s ode to the North Yorkshire Moors

Rebecca’s been falling back in love with her local, and thinks we should all appreciate the changing landscape of where we ride
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Electronic shifting is great… until it isn’t

Most of you who have used it will probably agree that electronic shifting is incredible stuff… but our Michael has also experienced his fair share of battery-powered horror stories
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Electronic shifting is great… until it isn’t

Most of you who have used it will probably agree that electronic shifting is incredible stuff… but our Michael has also experienced his fair share of battery-powered horror stories
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Why does the cycling media rely on clickbait?

The term ‘clickbait’ is bandied about often when it comes to cycling media – some of it fair, some a tad naive… and yet ultimately, what you’re served is in your hands. Literally
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Why does the cycling media rely on clickbait?

The term ‘clickbait’ is bandied about often when it comes to cycling media – some of it fair, some a tad naive… and yet ultimately, what you’re served is in your hands. Literally
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Dwindling competitor numbers, huge gulfs in ability, and scant media coverage: is it time that elite XC electric mountain bike racing was axed?

After watching the recent XC e-MTB World Championship races, I can’t help but wonder if it’s really worthy of official title status. Is it time to pull the plug?
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Dwindling competitor numbers, huge gulfs in ability, and scant media coverage: is it time that elite XC electric mountain bike racing was axed?

After watching the recent XC e-MTB World Championship races, I can’t help but wonder if it’s really worthy of official title status. Is it time to pull the plug?
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Are we slaved to marketing?

The latest & greatest, the fastest & the brassiest bling – we all need it to be real cyclists, and to be just like those shiny happy, perfect people in the ads – right?
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Are we slaved to marketing?

The latest & greatest, the fastest & the brassiest bling – we all need it to be real cyclists, and to be just like those shiny happy, perfect people in the ads – right?
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An ode to internal cable routing…

Our Liam loves internal cable routing so much, he’s written a little love letter
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An ode to internal cable routing…

Our Liam loves internal cable routing so much, he’s written a little love letter
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After 20+ years of riding, I just did my first mountain bike coaching session. Here’s what I learned about riding (and myself)

Fed up of not being able to find the flow, Rebecca gets a masterclass in the fundamentals of riding a mountain bike
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After 20+ years of riding, I just did my first mountain bike coaching session. Here’s what I learned about riding (and myself)

Fed up of not being able to find the flow, Rebecca gets a masterclass in the fundamentals of riding a mountain bike
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Regardless of your skill, I reckon everyone should have a go at racing, here’s why

Racing is a lot more than medals and pushing yourself, they’re also a great time out on the bike and they’re an experience everyone should get a taste of
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Regardless of your skill, I reckon everyone should have a go at racing, here’s why

Racing is a lot more than medals and pushing yourself, they’re also a great time out on the bike and they’re an experience everyone should get a taste of
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Mountain biking may still seem very divided — but there are signs the sport’s identity crisis is easing

Why does it often seem that there are such great identity divisions between the various genres within cycling? How did it happen, and does the most recent case study from Leadville suggest the situation is improving? Steve Thomas cuts through the aggro
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Mountain biking may still seem very divided — but there are signs the sport’s identity crisis is easing

Why does it often seem that there are such great identity divisions between the various genres within cycling? How did it happen, and does the most recent case study from Leadville suggest the situation is improving? Steve Thomas cuts through the aggro
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Stop focusing on gnar… just enjoy riding your damn bike

When the simple pleasure of riding a bike is what started most of our journeys into off-road cycling, why do we feel pressured to continuously progress and ride difficult features? Rebecca recommends taking a chill pill
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Stop focusing on gnar… just enjoy riding your damn bike

When the simple pleasure of riding a bike is what started most of our journeys into off-road cycling, why do we feel pressured to continuously progress and ride difficult features? Rebecca recommends taking a chill pill
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Forget gravel bikes, cross-country mountain bikes are better, and nearly as fast

Gravel is experiencing a bit of a genre crisis and the current crop of XC bikes certainly isn’t helping
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Forget gravel bikes, cross-country mountain bikes are better, and nearly as fast

Gravel is experiencing a bit of a genre crisis and the current crop of XC bikes certainly isn’t helping
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