David Golay
We’ve been big fans of Öhlins’ RXF 36 and RXF 38, but what about their little sibling — the RXF 34 m.2? We’ve had two reviewers spending time on the short-travel Trail fork and the results are interesting — check out our full review for more, including direct comparisons to the Fox 34 and RockShox Pike.
Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro Wheels
The Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro wheels are very light and notably wide for an all-around Trail bike option, and we think that makes them an especially compelling option for the right riders. Check out our full review to see how they stack up and who they’ll work best for.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2022 — In The Garage
Next up in our 2022 Gift Guide series are those bigger items that you might need to hide in the garage — you can now check out Part Two of our reviewers' recommendations, with additions from Jonathan Ellsworth and Kristin Sinnott.
Ellie Smith on Racing all the Disciplines, Bike Setup, Welding, & More (Ep.148)
Ellie Smith entered the 2022 race season with few expectations and little more of a plan than to do her best and see where things went from there. Then she won the Australian National DH Championships (on an Enduro bike) — and that was just the start.
Yeti SB120
Yeti’s been busy, launching three new bikes in just the last few weeks. Next up we’re taking a closer look at the shortest-travel one, the SB120.
Chromag Darco and Lowdown
There might not be another brand on earth as well-known for aggressive hardtails as Chromag, but today they’ve launched their first (adult) full suspension bikes — the Darco and Lowdown — and they look to keep a lot of Chromag’s identity intact, just in a squishier package.
Canyon Spectral 125, Trek Fuel EX, Santa Cruz Nomad, & More (Ep.147)
We’re still hard at work testing bikes and have updates on a lot of the new ones we’ve been spending time on, including the new Trek Fuel EX, the mulleted Santa Cruz Nomad, and much more.
Vitus Mythique
Vitus has just launched US-based distribution for their consumer direct bike sales, and along with it they’ve got a new version of the Mythique Trail bike — and it’s an outstanding value for money. Check out our First Look for all the info.
Revel Rail 29
The Revel Rail 29 is a well-rounded bike that blurs the line between longer-travel Trail bikes and full-on Enduro sleds — and one that multiple reviewers really got along with. Check out our full review to see how the Rail 29 performs on the trail.
Flash Review — 2023 Trek Fuel EX
We've started spending time on the radically-updated (and wildly adjustable) Trek Fuel EX — check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.
Manitou Jack Dropper Post
Manitou’s latest iteration of their Jack dropper post takes one of the best options out there — the Bike Yoke Revive — and keeps the core of what makes it great, but tries to refine a few of the details. So have they succeeded?
A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 2 (Ep. 146)
EXT founder Franco Fratton is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to continue our deep dive on suspension design and technology, and he’s got a ton to teach all of us about damper design, performance, and some of the common misconceptions about them in the mountain bike world.
Starling Cycles Murmur, Swoop, and Twist V3
Starling has given their “Core” bikes (the Murmur, Twist, and Swoop) a major update, and while the new frames don’t look too different from the prior generation ones — and continue their steel single-pivot lineage — there’s a lot that has changed. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
Cascade Components North Fork Brake Calipers & Cams
We've been logging more time on the Cascade Components North Fork brake calipers — and have now tried their North Fork Cams to go with them — and the big brakes have continued to impress.
Machina Bikes on Building a Dream Bike (Ep.145)
Lots of people have dreamed of building their ideal bike; few have actually done it, and fewer have made something as impressive as the Machina Bikes prototypes. So we sat down with founders Tom and Sion to get the whole story.
Flash Review — Hope Evo 155 mm Cranks
Mountain bike crank length hasn’t been widely examined in a long time. That seems to be changing, with a number of brands touting the benefits of shorter options, and we’ve started spending time on Hope’s 155 mm option — one of the shortest on the market. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.
Trinity MTB’s Gearbox & V3 Prototype (Ep.144)
The development of the Trinity MTB has been one of the coolest ongoing projects in the bike world, and Mic Williams is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about the latest — including their exciting and now-operational gearbox, which is poised to pick up where Honda left off with their famous RN-01.
2022 Fezzari La Sal Peak
The Fezzari La Sal Peak is billed as a “versatile” Enduro bike and is a great deal in terms of the parts spec. But are there tradeoffs? We’ve spent a lot of time on the La Sal in a ton of different terrain and are ready to weigh in.
2023 Marin Rift Zone
Marin’s new Rift Zone is proof that good geometry doesn’t have to be expensive, and looks like an extremely promising option for an affordable mid-travel Trail bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
2022 Pivot Shadowcat
We’ve had three reviewers spending time on the Pivot Shadowcat, and while it’s a bit of an unusual offering in 2022 — a very light, efficient 27.5’’ Trail bike — it’s proven to be a ton of fun, and a great example of why 27.5’’ wheels should stick around.