A redesigned frame with space for 42mm tyres, disc brakes, 1×11 Shimano Di2 gearing, Future Shock suspension and a dropper seatpost signal a lot of changes for Specialized’s Diverge, but they add up to create one of the best adventure bikes I’ve ridden. It’s a sophisticated ride with buckets of capability for going fast and … Read more
The Specialized ClipLite Lace Mountain Bike shoes are the trail/enduro oriented model in the brand’s shoe showcase. A lightweight and stiff offering, they are a reasonable all-rounder if you don’t have flipper feet and don’t mind fiddling with laces. Review – Shimano ME7 SPD shoes – the king of clips? Feature – has Rachael got the purpose … Read more
Freshening up your bike couldn’t be easier with custom decals from Invisiframe, the brand behind the bike frame protection kits. We are feeling pretty lucky at the moment as the guys at Invisiframe designed us our very own ‘off-road.cc’ decals for our forks! They gave us some extra ones to give away too, so now you … Read more
The Giro Montara MIPS Helmet offers deep coverage in a well ventilated and good-looking package. With plenty of features and a comfortable fit, it’s a lid that hits the nail on the head in most trail situations. Keeping it Real – The BTR Fabrications Story Buyer’s Guide to Hydration Packs The Giro Montara is the … Read more
This week has been a week of recovery from a Welsh weekend, full of bikes, mud and a very dirty cleanup! The postman was the bearer of new trail kit from head to toe, from Morvelo and Alpinestars with some warm gravel gear thrown in from Vaude as the season’s change. We talk disc brake tech … Read more
The Troy Lee Designs A1 Drone is back, the non-MIPS version of the popular A1 returns to bring Troy Lee style at a reduced cost. Review – Troy Lee Designs A2 MIPS helmet Buyer’s Guide to Winter Kit The styling and colour choice on the relaunched Drone is a slightly muted down version of the A1 MIPS … Read more
Vittoria has tagged the Mota as a downhill/all mountain mud tyre and, while the reinforced 27.5in version does indeed have a 1400g weight, the all-mountain option (in 27.5 and 29in) only weighs around 1000g, making it worth a punt if you ride hard through the winter months. Buyer’s guide to mountain bike tyres: everything you … Read more
These Dexshell Thermlite socks keep your feet completely dry, and so long as your shoes are roomy, they’re comfy too. Unfortunately, they really only delay the point at which your feet go numb, rather than stop it from happening. More of a problem is that, in some cases, they actually speed the chills up. How … Read more
Cleaning your bike after a wet winter ride is a real chore because chances are you’ll be wet and cold too but if you have a nice car or live in a posh flat and don’t want to get mud everywhere, then it’s essential task. You can do a basic post ride clean with just … Read more
The new Ibis Hakka MX gravel bike, launched this week is a descendant of their past cyclocross bike the Hakkalugi but with this incarnation sporting wider tyre clearance, an ability to run different wheel and tyre sizes and all the added bells and whistles for some serious bike packing. Review – Mondrker Factor RR – … Read more
