You can get a proper trail-ready mountain bike for £700 or under these days, and there's plenty of choice out there. Here's our simple guide to what to look for, and some suggestions for where to spend your hard-earned cash.

New to the market from Rose is the Pikes Peak, a bike Rose says can be two bikes in one!  

ROSE Bikes say this bike is a 'true quick-change artist '', equipped with technology that enables the rider to change the travel and geometry of the bike. The basis of the new 27,5” carbon full-susser can be equipped to either form an all-mountain bike with 150 mm of travel or a 165 mm enduro racer.

Sussex based bike brand, Orro have just announced the release of their new full carbon gravel bike, the Terra C. Following on from their alloy Terra Gravel, the Terra C has brand new geometry and features a special carbon layup involving Innegra^TM carbon.

Unless you prefer to travel light, a riding pack is an essential bit of kit for carting around all the kit, food and water you need for a ride. Our buyer's guide delves deep into the features of what constitutes a good bag, the considerations you’ll need to make prior to your purchase and the factors that could affect your ride.

Northern Grip starts tomorrow so we thought we'd remind you - and ourselves - what the heck is going on!
 

Yesterday saw the release of the newest incarnation of the Santa Cruz Hightower, the Hightower LT. It's been a bike that has been on the horizon for release for quite some time, Santa Cruz pro riders have been spotted riding and racing their Hightower's with altered linkages, it didn't take long for media bods and Santa Cruz fans to realise something new was in the pipeline. We've checked out the new Hightower LT and had a look at the differences in this new model.

It's no secret that finding the right saddle for you is akin to the search for a soulmate, once you find that ‘special one’ it’s a decision you often stand by for life. This is Fabric’s first foray into a women’s saddle we were keen to find out if they have the winning recipe and if the Women's Scoop Gel could be 'the one'.

It's the place you'll spend the most of your time when mountain biking, so getting yourself a comfortable saddle is one of the most important things you can do to give yourself an easy life when riding. Our buyer's guide gives you the low-down on saddle choice - whatever your shape, size or sex - and will hopefully lead you to the right life-changing (or at least saddle changing) decisions.

If you like to push your limits on the mountain bike - or even if you're just a bit accident prone - then a set of kneepads is an excellent investment. However, there are loads of different styles out there, so which kind of kneepad is best for you? Read on to find out.

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