With Canyon unveiling its drop bar Exceed just an hour or two ago, today is a huge day for mountain bikes with curly bars… which won’t exactly go down well with many. General distaste for new things aside, US brand Obed has thrown its hat into the drop-bar ring with its TTR, a bike that … Read more
Designed for adventurous riders, the Quoc Gran Tourer III straddles the line between performance-oriented fit and style, and the practicalities of bikepacking and gravel riding. While its dial isn’t the best, and the design might not suit everyone, it’s a distinctive shoe that remains comfortable on longer, warmer rides.DesignThe Gran Tourer IIIs boast a design … Read more
Since the drama of the Leadville 100 last year, which saw the use of drop bar mountain bikes only to be banned by the event organisers shortly after, drop bar mountain bikes have been something of a curiosity which, let’s be honest, weren’t terribly well accepted. However, Canyon believes that there’s method behind the madness … Read more
Downhill racing has progressed to such a point where riders are really pushing the limits of modern mountain biking. It’s faster, gnarlier, and more dangerous than ever before, so they need to kit themselves with the best protection available. POC’s new Barocon Carbon helmet claims to be just the ticket as it’s tested to motorcycle … Read more
With a comfort-enhancing core cutout, soft rubber and well-considered textures, the SDG Open Core Thrice Grips deliver great comfort and awesome traction, with or without gloves. For less than £20, they seriously punch above their weight.SDG Open Core Thrice Grips – Technical detailsDespite their relatively meagre asking price, there’s a whole bunch of design goodness … Read more
Claiming to draw from the brands experience in road and off-road racing, Reserve’s new 48/53 GR wheelset isn’t only its first pair of wheels built for aerodynamic gains on gravel, but the brand reckons its the fastest off-road wheels its ever made. There’s a bunch of tech behind them too, and you bet they’re crafted … Read more
Although gravel is getting very racy thanks to the UCI finally recognising the sport and holding the Gravel World Series, the genre is still drawing from its mountain bike side. Suspension forks and dropper posts are finding their way onto OEM gravel builds, but for a genre with such deep roadie roots, do these bouncy … Read more
Over the past year, we’ve seen teams on the enduro circuit dip out, and less coverage being broadcast, so it seemed that, at the face of it, top-level enduro may seem like it’s on the way out. However, at La Thuile’s night stage, we saw downhill-sized crowds, plenty of heckling and rider-produced videos. Surely that’s … Read more
The Schwalbe Romy Trail Pro Soft Radial Folding TLR steps into the shoes of the old Hans Dampf as a versatile trail tyre. It hits most of the right notes, delivering dependable traction over hard surfaces and holding its own elsewhere, and it rolls rather quickly, too. However, more demanding trails highlight the tyre’s limits, … Read more
When I got the opportunity to design a completely custom gravel frame, I jumped at the chance. But all of a sudden the possibilities were well and truly endless, so here is the design I settled on and we’ll get into the what, why and how that surrounds my TiRf gravel bike. The frame is … Read more
