Shimano Deore M6250 Di2 Upgrade Kit
Overall Review
Shimano dropped its latest rendition of Di2 drivetrains last year. Available in Deore, XT , and XTR , each strikes a different budget range, with variations in features, materials, and bling factor. We have covered and ridden the XTR and XT tiers, both of which are competitive options in the world of wireless shifting. What remained was the bottom of the totem pole. You don’t have to splurge on an entire groupset to ride Di2. Shimano conveniently sells upgrade kits to convert to wireless. The
Shimano Deore M6250 Di2 Upgrade Kit
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Öhlins TTX1Air m.2 Rear Shock Mountain Bike Rear Shock
Vital Review
Tested: Öhlins TTX1Air m.2 Shock
Overall Review
Öhlins has been going from strength to strength over the recent years, making incremental changes to many of their MTB products in the name of improving performance and reliability – each time accompanied by an unassuming iteration in the model number. The TTX air shocks were updated in 2025, gaining the “m.2” moniker but more importantly benefiting from a host of actual updates. We were keen to see how this latest evolution would perform on the trail, and after several months of testing we can
Öhlins TTX1Air m.2 Rear Shock Mountain Bike Rear Shock
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2026 Cannondale Bad Habit 1 Bike
Overall Review
Cannondale’s Bad Habit is one of those bikes that sells the do-everything experience. It’s an enduro race bike. It’s an all-mountain adventure vessel. It's playful enough to rip a bike park. It’s ready to go for an all-day pedal. I generally appreciate bikes like this because if you can afford only one bike to serve most use cases, it’s often money well spent. However, striving to maximize versatility can lead to mediocrity. That’s the line bikes like the Bad Habit walk. When the bike launched
2026 Cannondale Bad Habit 1 Bike
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OneUp Components Aluminum Wheelset
Overall Review
The budget alloy wheel segment is a pretty competitive space at the moment. With plenty of wheels to choose from, like Tenent’s Coven or Reserve’s 30/HD , you’d better have your ducks in a row introducing a new wheelset. OneUp Components has a good track record of offering smart solutions to problems. Today they enter the wheel segment, and we spent the past few months finding out how good they are at organizing ducks. Highlights Intended use: Aggressive trail and enduro riding | eMTB tested
OneUp Components Aluminum Wheelset
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2027 Orbea Wild LT Carbon M-LTD RS E-Bike
Overall Review
Orbea’s Wild has long been a benchmark in the long travel eMTB category. We’ve spent ample time on many of the Wild models throughout the past few years. In 2022, we were along for the ride when Wild relaunched as an enduro race eMTB. In 2025, we spent a season aboard the Bosch Generation 5-equipped model . Each version set a new standard—a stiff frame, potent power, and uncompromising geometry capable of technical climbs and descents. The Wild’s reputation has been solidified with numerous
2027 Orbea Wild LT Carbon M-LTD RS E-Bike
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Crankbrothers Mallet Trail Speed Lace Vent Clipless Shoe
Overall Review
As temperatures rise and summer riding gets underway in North America, riders looking to stay cool on long trail rides have a growing list of warm-weather gear options. The newest additions to this list are Crankbrothers Mallet and Stamp Speed Lace Vent shoes. With generous venting throughout and a sleek profile, we spent the past month logging hours to see how well they perform. Highlights Mesh upper for maximum airflow Also offered as a flat shoe (Stamp Vent) Match Outsole and Compound Low
Crankbrothers Mallet Trail Speed Lace Vent Clipless Shoe
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Lazer A-Line KinetiCore Full Face Helmet
Vital Review
First Ride: Lazer A-Line KinetiCore
Overall Review
Lazer has been re-designing their helmet range over the past couple of years, in particular since the introduction of their “KinetiCore” technology , which can now be found across all their mountain bike helmets. KinetiCore is Lazer’s take on a dual-density impact foam layer that is also said to be able to deal with rotational impact forces without the need for an additional slip-plane of any kind. The current Lazer range does not include a high-end, carbon DH helmet, but as of today, that gap
Lazer A-Line KinetiCore Full Face Helmet
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2026 Polygon Collosus T6 Alloy Bike
Overall Review
Finding a mountain bike that balances performance and price is a game of compromise. However, after spending some time on the Polygon Collosus T6, it’s clear that for $2,500, this aluminum trail machine offers a surprisingly high fun factor with plenty of options for fine-tuning geometry right out of the box. Highlights ALX aluminum frame 140mm rear travel, IFS 6-bar suspension platform 160mm fork travel 29-inch wheels, MX compatible Oversized hardware, wide pivot bearings PolyPocket internal
2026 Polygon Collosus T6 Alloy Bike
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Fox Racing Airframe Chest Guard
Overall Review
For the past few years, clothing and protection companies have pushed aggressively towards comfier products, lighter fabrics, better breathability and an emphasis on range of motion. In one phrase we could describe this line of thinking as “wear it without it being noticed.” Fox sent us a new protection product aiming to add options to the menu and score high marks in this category, but did they get the recipe right? Fighting out of the green corner, this is the Airframe Chest Guard. Strengths
Fox Racing Airframe Chest Guard
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Peaty's Monarch PRO Knurl Grip
Vital Review
First Ride: Peaty’s Monarch PRO Grip
Overall Review
Peaty’s launched their first grip, the Monarch, almost two years ago now . We were well impressed with it at the time , to the point that one of our testers has been running it on his trail bike ever since. Not ones to rest on their laurels however, Peaty’s thought they could make some further improvements, and the result is before you here today. Meet the all-new Monarch PRO. Peaty’s Monarch PRO Highlights 130mm grip body length Made from two different compounds: Upper half and inner flange
Peaty's Monarch PRO Knurl Grip
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