This week, we're bringing you a double dose of Race Face goodness with two sets of wheels along with a mega-affordable dropper post, two sets of 100% goggles, and the all-new Trailcat mountain bike from Pivot. But first, let's dive into this week's top stories.

• Trail Essentials - Kit to take on a mountain bike ride from the bare minimum to safety essentials​
• Should I turn my 29er into a mullet bike?
• Bare bar riding: Ditch the devices and start riding free

In the news, there's been a fair bit going on with Privateer dropping the price of its 161 and 141 by £800 and then introducing a voucher that grants another £200 off of that. Trickstuff then unveiled its limited edition Arctic Blue coloured Direttissima brakeset, and Bernard Kerr and Gee Atherton announced their return to Hardline in Tasmania. Wrapping things up is Pivot's all-new trail bike - the Trailcat, a two-in-one shredder. 

Features include how tyre sealant works and how to find the perfect bike size for you. Steve also recapped the 2025 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships action.

As for reviews, there's been a good mix from tools to clothing. We looked at POC's Coalesce jacket and Albion's Traverse jersey. We wrapped the week off with Prestacycle's Torqratchet GO torq wrench.

Pivot Trailcat LT Pro X0

£9,000

2025 pivot trailcat lt hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Up first is Pivot's new trail bike, the Trailcat. Designed to take up trail and lightweight trail duties, it takes the place of the outgoing Trail 429 and provides customers with the choice of a 120mm SL build or a slightly heavier hitting 135mm LT build. However, Trailcat owners can switch between the two thanks to a flippable lower shock mount, which, paired with the appropriate upper link, can accommodate two different shock stroke lengths. Of course, you'll also need a new fork to suit.

The Trailcat brings in a few new features for Pivot, including a new Toolshed downtube storage system and refreshed internal cable routing. The most obvious new feature are the fresh colourways. Rather than the single base colour that Pivot known for, the designers have pushed the boat out with great results.

There are a bunch of classic Pivot hallmarks, such as the dw link suspension platform and the fact the bike can house a 29-inch or 650b wheel at the rear.

Although the geometries change slightly from the SL and LT bikes, the LT bike pictured here rocks a 475mm reach, a 65.3-degree head tube angle and a 431mm chainstay. Those angles can be steepened by half a degree thanks to a flip-chip. 

We've already spent some time with the Trailcat: read the Pivot Trailcat LT Pro X0 first ride review for our early impressions.

• www.pivotcycles.com

Race Face ERA wheelset

£1,649

2025 race face era wheels.jpg, by Liam Mercer

With the ERA lineup, compliance is the name of the game. Built to cope with the rigours of trail and enduro riding, the ERA wheels benefit from a deeper rim profile to up strength without adding too much weight. 

Although the brand has been pushing compliance, riding on a pair of spaghetti hoops is far from ideal, so Race Face has built these wheels with plenty of lateral stiffness. That said, there's still a hint of lateral compliance within the wheelset, but that's to allow the rim to deflect from its neutral position to retain grip and keep the rider on line.

Rolling on the brand's Vault hubs and using 30mm internal widths, the ERA wheelset is available in 29-inch and 650b sizes, Boost and Super Boost hub widths and with XD or Microspline freehubs.

• www.raceface.com

Race Face Turbine wheelset

£868

2025 race face turbine wheels.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Costing only a little more than half the price of the ERA wheelset, the Race Face Turbine wheels are set to bring the brand's performance in an alloy package. Again, compliance is a headline feature of the Turbine wheelset, and this will boost comfort.

The rims are built with 'Anvil Edges' that disperse energy under impact to avoid pinch flats. The rim beads are shaped with rounded edges that also fend off sidewall tears.

Like the ERA wheels, these run Race Face's Vault hubs, taking advantage of the three-degree engagement and large 6902 bearings. These wheels are available in 29-inch and 650b sizes, with Microspline and XD hubs and Boost and Super Boost spacing.

• www.raceface.com

100% ARmatic and ARmatic Forecast goggles

£85 and £130

100% ar goggles.jpg, by Liam Mercer

From 100%, we've got not one, but two sets of goggles, the ARmatic and the ARmatic Forecast. The ARmatic uses 3D-moulded lens technology and a quick-release lens-changing system. It's available with a gold mirrored or clear lens, the latter of which should be ideal for the UK's forested and ever-changing conditions.

Dialling protection up a notch is the ARmatic Forecast, and it uses the same base as the ARmatic, but boasts a Forecast mud film system. The benefit here is the advantages of tear-offs but in an easier-to-use system that doesn't leave the forest littered with discarded plastic. 

• www.100percent.com

ExaForm 900i dropper post

£130

2025 exa form dropper.jpg, by Liam Mercer

If you're in the market for a dropper post but don't want to spend a lot of money, the budget dropper market is a good place and getting better with ExaForm's 900i dropper post. Granted, the brand may not be the most recognisable, but we reckon that's set to change as the 900i brings 150mm of travel with a relatively little £130 asking price.

Although friendlier on the wallet than a bunch of competitors, the post brings high-end features such as an aluminium construction and a sealed cartridge. It uses forged head components, and its mast is made from a single piece.

• www.ison-distribution.com

You might also like:

• Opinion: You don't need a dropper post on your gravel bike
• Gravel bike suspension and dropper posts - do you need them?
• Are gravel bikes old-school mountain bikes?