Building an electric mountain bike that rides and feels like a regular mountain bike is usually the result of one attribute – weight reduction. And Cannondale, with its all-new Moterra SL, has joined the weight-saving rat race claiming its new e-mountain bike weighs just 19.5kg. 

The POC Mantle Thermal Hoodie is an excellent addition to any rider’s kit wardrobe. It’s both warm and breathable while being slim in its fit. Its £150 sticker price may be a rather tall outlay but this hoodie will pay back with its all-out versatility. In fact, it’s a top winter jersey that I keep reaching for ahead of anything else. 

Like orange is to Fox and red is to RockShox, purple is now the official colour of Hayes and its Dominion brakes. Not only does the colour have a connection with royalty but the announcement celebrates 25 years since the first purple Hayes were launched.

Renthal is best known for its Fatbar and range of MTB grips but has now stepped into the flat pedal game, with the Revo-F. It's designed to be super strong and is built around patent-pending internals that allow for easy at-home maintenance using readily available tools.

Vittoria has filled a gap in its well-established tyre insert range, now offering vital protection to enduro and downhill riders. Complete with lightweight claims and a proprietary shape, Vittoria's Air-Liner Protect looks ideal for keeping heavy-hitting rims in one piece.

Fresh for 2024, Red Bull Hardline is shaking up its format a little by introducing a second leg of the toughest downhill mountain biking event in the world. With the first event of the small series being held in Tasmania just next week, Red Bull has divulged some extra details on what to expect.

Mudguards are essential for winter riding, regardless of the bike and discipline. At the very least, they keep the muck out of your face and your vision clear while descending. If you up the coverage to something more extreme, they can provide full body protection against the wet filth that's flung by your wheels. Even though the best mudguards are pretty simple in design, there's a load of stuff to look out for when buying your next one – and not every mudguard is as effective as the next. 

The Gravita Versor Flat is Fizik’s lightweight trail MTB shoe that’s designed to suit all kinds of riding from enduro-style loops through to uplifted gravity-fed riding. Thanks to its supreme levels of comfort, sorted grip, relatively low weight and impressive weather protection, they’re certainly among the best MTB shoes on the market but the Vibram sole limits grip over high-frequency bumps.

The GDH Team grips are the latest offering from ergonomics maestros, Ergon. It’s a grip with a design that revolves around one thing – improving ergonomics for speed. It’s built up with a range of zones that, the brand claims, are 100% purpose-built for the demands of downhill riding. In theory, this is one fantastic set of grips and they will be loved by many, however, they’re tailored towards a certain hand position on the bar, which we will get into later.

SRAM's new Maven disc brake is built to achieve even greater braking power than ever before to boost confidence when riding sketchy tracks and to reduce fatigue, all while retaining plenty of modulation. And with that, SRAM throws out some pretty wild numbers, claiming the new brake produces nearly 50 per cent more power than the Code but importantly with 32 per cent less effort at the brake lever. The latter puts all of that power on tap but it's key in reducing fatigue over long race stages.​