Browsing category
Photos by Traece Craig We have been longtime fans of the incredibly capable and versatile Kona Honzo line, so when the slacker and more aggressive Honzo ESD was released, we just had to test it. ESD stands for “Extra Slack, Dude,” and it is very slack indeed, especially for a hardtail. There are plenty of […]
Most gear bag brands offer something in their product lineup that claims to be ultra-lightweight and as small and slim as possible. While it is smart to travel light, many brands have also seen the wisdom in developing a more robust backpack system with integrated protection for riders. Each design addresses storage for the basic […]
While up for a visit at one of our favorite bike parks, Brian Parker—owner, rider and guru behind Mynesweepers—got our crew set up with his tire inserts for some testing. The idea came to Parker just a few years back when he kept breaking sets of carbon fiber rims. Parker was determined to develop a […]
The 2021 Proving Grounds kicked off again this year at the Oregon Dirt Park just outside of Bend, Oregon. Flash back to 2019 when Proving Grounds was born. The concept was to blur the lines between big mountain and slopestyle, and in this year’s event, athletes were able to choose their own lines. The course […]
David Turner has spent four decades designing, building and racing mountain bikes. Now, it’s his turn to spill the beans
How susceptible are we to the silly names for how we ride?
The first production mountain bike
Photos by Traece Craig
Nothing makes you feel like a real-life superhero more than an e-mountain bike. And, as a great superhero once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This statement applies here and now with us as well. As an e-mountain bike rider, you can be the segment’s greatest advocate or worst enemy. As the saying goes, […]
Back in 2016, we compared regular 27.5-inch wheels with 27.5+ wheels, which back then ranged from around 2.75 to 3 inches in width. Nowadays, the differences are not as great as they were before, since the regular 27.5-inch wheels now often come with 27.5 x 2.6-inch tires, offering a compromise between the two choices. Still, for those riders wondering what the best wheel size and tire width might be for them, this is worth reading.
Changing the components that serve as your main contact points on the bike can dramatically change its ride characteristics. Things such as a modern dropper post, a tubeless tires/wheel system and a 1x crankset can be essential for the type of terrain you ride. Of course, this range of components is seen on a variety […]
Hunter Allen is one of the original coaches to adopt using a power meter and coaching mountain bikers with it. He has spent much time working towards the development of power meter data and analysis and has even written a book called Training and Racing With a Power Meter. Allen has about 200 different plans […]
Beyond having a racing career, Amy Morrison is a teacher, a coach and an advocate for being immersed in a healthy lifestyle. Morrison took this a step further by starting a mountain bike club at the school where she teaches. Although she has more than held her own in enduro mountain bike events, she has […]
Photos by Traece Craig
By @dialedhealth with photos by @bradynationsphoto
Click the link below to read the full story: One of the Biggest Mistakes in Mountain Bike History
Suspension setups vary from brand to brand. At the end of the day, performance geared towards a rider’s particular style is always the main objective, and preferences can be very subjective. If the latest climate for cycling components has taught us anything, it is to be open to other brands and what is being produced […]
Rapha may be a new apparel brand for mountain bikers, but it has been a mainstay for roadies since 2004. Wrecking crew members who crossed over to the road side of things and were familiar with the brand at its start thought it took a few years for the quality and fit to catch up […]
The Canadian brand Norco brought the heat for 2022 with its updated VLT line of e-mountain bikes. Norco will offer a shorter-travel, trail-style Fluid VLT; an enduro, heavy-hitting Range VLT; and the Sight VLT. Norco offered Mountain Bike Action a ride on its latest Sight VLT, which will fit somewhere between the Fluid and the […]
By Ron Koch // Photos by Ryan Cleek
Handmade versatility
Already well known for its line of big-hit-loving Process pedal bikes, legacy Canadian brand Kona continues to bring its off-road R&D smarts to its e-bike line. For 2021 Kona has produced two versions of its Remote 160, with the major update being the move from 27.5-inch wheels to a pair of 29-inch hoops. With 160mm […]
Written and Photographed by Traece Craig Tucked away in my small hometown of Grass Valley, California, there is a unique event that is more of an experience than it is a race. To some, TDS Enduro is an invite-only event where top pros gather to compete on the Sanchez family’s private land (known as “The […]
Founded in 1981, Ibis Cycles has an ongoing history of crafting high-performance frames. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Ibis continues to push the development process of its mountain bikes from its headquarters in Santa Cruz, California. Stirring up quite the buzz in the cycling community, the Ibis team has stuck with its push to evolve with […]
By: Nick Claire Over a span of three decades, the GT Zaskar has seen a progression in its design and application. Early on in its development, this bike became “the ultimate all-around bike,” as Hans Rey described it. It’s the only bike to have won a World Cup in the trials, XC, downhill and slalom […]
Bontrager’s Foray shoes focus on performance while providing comfort for off-the-bike situations. The Mountain Bike Action crew spun the BOA dial on these hybrid SPD-compatible shoes to see how they would perform out on our local trails. Let’s jump right into the highlights of these shoes before we provide you with our on-trail opinion. Tech […]
It’s no mystery why the majority of carbon bike frames are constructed in Asia. While designs may be developed in-house, a majority of the big-name bicycle brands manufacture their frames and components overseas for good reasons—number one being that Asia is the main supplier of carbon fiber. Second, the cost of labor keeps prices (and […]
While a lot of attention was focused on the quest for Olympic gold this past year, something happened in the younger ranks that we don’t think we have ever seen before: an American, Riley Amos, won a U23 Men’s World Cup race. It’s not easy to win a U23 World Cup race. Those riders will […]
G-Form revolutionized the way we think about protection products with its innovative materials that harden on impact. These soft-shell pads can comfortably be ridden in all day while matching the protection capabilities of old-school hard-plastic pads. G-Form’s X3 pads continue to offer science-based protection along with an updated fit and styling. This month the wrecking […]
Outbound Lighting started in 2017 with a small but passionate Chicago, Illinois-based team focused on bringing the next generation of bike lighting systems to riders. Its founder, Matthew Conte, has a diverse background that spreads into the rally car world, fighter jets and even designing roller coasters. Co-owner Tom “Danger” Place is a former R&D […]