Specialized have been making the Butcher for some time now, my first intimate introduction was back when wheels were of the 26” variety and rims were only little-finger-width wide.

Osprey are a brand name in the bag world, they’ve been a welcome companion for outdoor enthusiasts for years from weekend walkers to week long biking epics. The Osprey Raptor 10 is no freshman to the biking backpack party, with several iterations of this classic already under their belt, how did the newest edition stand up?

The Marin Bobcat Trail 4 is Marin's entry level hardtail offering. Entry level can often mean loud in looks but low in terms of geometry and riding said bike on anything other than a canal toe path. However, Marin has delivered something genuinely fit for purpose in the Bobcat. 

Shimano’s ME7 ‘mountain enduro’ shoe has been schralping the trails for a while now and to say I was excited when I finally got my mitts on a pair, would be a genuine understatement.

Altura are no newbies to the technical garment game, founded in 1997, they’ve been doing the rounds for over 20 years. With winter fast approaching we take a look at the Altura Mayhem 2 waterproof jacket.

Minimalistic, slip-on knee protection is coming thick and fast in the mountain bike world these days, and for good reason. As the capabilities of bikes have increased, so have our requirements for the kit we wear and use. Ion make a full array of protective kit, usually of high quality and durable construction. The K-Sleeve knee pad follows that trend perfectly, despite its very simple appearance.

Not the cheapest or the lightest flat pedal, but the grip and durability on offer make the Specialized Boomslang's well worth the trade-off.

The Mondraker Factor RR is a true all-rounder trail bike and despite some minor niggles and imperfections, it sports trump cards of supportive, progressive suspension and well-balanced, modern geometry that makes it easy to forgive the flaws.

The Ion Raid Amp flat pedal shoes have the characteristic 'surf inspired' feel from Ion whilst proving to be a capable, well priced flat pedal if you like your shoe stiff and your soles sticky. 

BTR Fabrications is a tiny outfit making beautifully crafted steel frames from their small Somerset workshop. The full suspension Pinner is their latest creation and it's about as far as you can get from a product meant to be admired but never ridden - it's built to be thrashed, crashed and generally abused.