To round off the week, we’ve got another fresh batch of cool things to show off. Crankbrothers is reviving silver wheels with its latest enduro wheelset, and we’ve got fresh rubber from Pirelli and Michelin’s latest range of enduro and e-MTB tyres. On top of that, we’ll take a glance at a neat front rack from Topeak and some bar tape from Fizik. As always, let’s take a look at what happened over the past week.
- Jon’s enduro blog pt3: Race day, crunch time?
- How many spacers should I install on my bottom bracket?
- Best way to transport mountain bikes
To kick things off with our features, we started the week with an interview with Ronan Dunne, downhill’s hottest prospect, on the thrills and spills of downhill racing, and his road to recovery after a rough 2025 season. Speaking of downhill, with Red Bull Hardline Tasmania taking place this weekend, Steve highlights everything you need to know about the first elite DH race of the season. Although Hardline Tasmania will surely take the limelight, the UCI Snow Bike World Championships are also happening this weekend, so here’s everything you need to know about that, and its controversy.
In news, I reckon it’s a bit of a ‘calm before the storm’ scenario. That’s not to say that cool things haven’t been released, as Pivot unveiled the new Shuttle LT, featuring a ‘world’s first’ adjustable seat tube angle and an interesting floating battery design. OneUp Components has teamed up with downhill phenomenon Jackson Goldstone to produce a pair of signature grips, and Rimpact has updated its vibration damping TMD, or Tuned Mass Damper, to make it simpler and more effective.
As always, reviews have been coming thick and fast. We checked out Rat Bikes’ Dad Rat, a mountain/gravel bike hybrid that does things its own way, and it’s really left its impression on me. We had a look at Leatt’s mega techy MTB HydraDri 6.0 waterproof jacket that boasts an impressive 70k breathability rating, too. Now, onto the cool things.
Crankbrothers Synthesis Alloy 2.0 Enduro wheelset
£800
Silver wheels are back! Although a couple of brands have already dipped their toes into the shiny retromod style, Crankbrothers is the latest with its updated Synthesis Enduro Alloy wheelset. The brand says that the materials, finish, and rim profiles have been tweaked to be more reliable all-round. As expected of a Crankbrothers wheelset, this one features specific front and rear wheel tunes with the front built to be compliant for better handling and traction, as well as wider for a larger tyre profile and contact patch, thus it should rustle up a touch more traction. The rear is then tuned to be stiffer for greater stability at speed. This wheel is also narrower to achieve a rounder tyre profile for faster rolling and sharper tyre edges for better rear wheel bite.
Each rim features a 6069 aluminium construction and a shot-peened finish, which apparently boosts impact resistance and fatigue strength. The updated wheelset then comes with Industry Nine’s 1/1 hubs with the freehub offering four degrees of engagement. There are two colours on offer, too, so if the silver is a bit much for you, there’s also a black option.
- crankbrothers.com
- Buy the Crankbrothers Synthesis Alloy 2.0 Enduro rear wheel from Edinburgh Bike Coop for £369
Michelin Wild Enduro Performance Line range
£50
Earlier this week, Michelin brought its much-loved and recently updated Wild Enduro Racing Line range to a friendlier price point with its new Performance Line versions of those very tyres. Available in the Rear, MH, MS tread patterns, the range spans regular mountain bike and e-MTB use, all of which use slightly different constructions from the Racing Line tyres to make them more durable and more price-accessible.
The Wild Enduro Performance Line range features a double ply 33 TPI casing that Michelin says delivers “a more gradual rebound” for a more composed ride feel. Additionally, there’s a bead-to-bead shield to protect the sidewalls and Pinch Protection technology for great resistance against pinch punctures and sidewall damage. As for the rubber, these new tyres use the brand’s Magi-X and Gum-X compounds in unison to reduce rolling resistance and provide solid cornering grip, all while being longer lasting than the super soft Racing Line tyres. These tyres are available in 29in and 650b sizes.
Then there’s the E-Wild Performance Line tyres, which, as you might expect, are built to cope with the rigours of e-MTB riding. These get all of the features found in the Wild Enduro range, but there’s a little extra reinforcement to help keep the tyre performing properly with the added weight of an e-MTB at lower tyre pressures.
- www.michelin.co.uk
- Buy the Micheline Wild Enduro Performance Line tyres from Winstanleys Bikes for £49.99
Topeak Handlebar Rack
£50
There are a multitude of ways to carry kit on your bike, but few come as stable (albeit with a weight penalty) as a proper rack. This is Topeak’s take on a handlebar rack, and it’s pretty well sorted, especially for the money. It clamps onto your handlebar and uses an anti-droop support design to help hold the whole thing in place. Able to carry up to 4.5kg, Topeak says that it can work with carbon handlebars and stem widths up to 52mm. It also comes with a bungee cord in the box, so it’s ready to be loaded for your next bikepacking adventure right out of the box.
Pirelli Scorpion XC M ProWALL
£70
From budget-friendly trail and enduro rubber to a cross-country race-focused tyre, Pirelli’s Scorpion XC M is built for mixed terrain racing by balancing fast rolling speeds and plenty of grip, whether you’re smashing XCOs or taking on big marathon events. This tyre uses Pirelli’s Race XC rubber compound that we’re told delivers top-notch chemical grip in the wet. That compound then allows for a lower profile tread pattern, says Pirelli, with a tight-knit centre tread and wider spaced cornering knobs.
Compared to the older version of this tyre, Pirelli claims that this one is 9% faster and 12% lighter.
£45
Last but certainly not least, we’ve got Fizik’s premium Terra Solocush 3.5mm Tacky bar tape. It’s designed especially for gravel riding, so it should do a solid job of damping vibrations and boosting comfort. For traction, it employs Fizik’s tacky, non-slip surface and an embossed texture. It’s built of an elastic material, too, so wrapping a fresh drop bar should be pretty straightforward.
It’s 3.5mm thick, but Fizik says that despite its thickness, it’s still a lightweight bar tape with a claimed weight of 37g.
