New in this week are two bikes, one budget hardtail and a Merida that houses the all new Shimano STEP EP8 e-bike motor. Aside from the bikes there's new tyre inserts from Tannus, now made for tubeless setups plus a range of Ortlieb bikepacking bags and a saddle from Spank.

• The best mountain bikes for under £600 - our top picks
• The best trail and enduro mountain bike wheelsets, tried and tested
• Everything you need to know about the Carrera 2020 mountain bike range

Carrera Fury
£600

If you're looking to get into mountain biking or just need a new bike without spending a fortune, then things have never looked so bright when it comes to the quality of budget bikes on offer. Even by these already high standards, Carrera's new Fury trail hardtail looks to be a serious bargain, offering a dropper post and air fork for just £600. Watch as Jon gives is a once over in the video below, or click here for a first look in words.

• First Look: 2021 Carrera Fury
• Everything you need to know about the Carrera 2020 mountain bike range
• www.halfords.com

Shimano STEPS EP8 motor
£included in bike 

We got our hands on Shimano's all-new STEPS EP8 drive system nice and early. It's fitted to a newly released Merida eOne-Sixty 8000 e-MTB and we've been riding it for a couple of weeks now. The unit promises more torque, less weight, lower drag and more responsive and totally customisable assistance settings, but how does it perform in the real world?

Our five first impressions are here, plus we have all the news and tech details here.

• Shimano launches all-new STEPS EP8 e-bike drive system

Tannus Tubeless Armour
£45 each

Tannus has just launched new tyre inserts for tubeless setups. Previously the brand made inserts designed to give rim and tyre protection to those using a tubed setup, essentially a tube with extra protection between the tube and the tyre. The new Tubeless Armour is a foam-like strip with wings that hook into the rim and push the bead of the tyre against the inner edge of said rim. The insert sits inside the tyre where smaller holes in the foam allow air and sealant to circulate. As with Cushcore the Tannus Armour is said to prevent tyre burp and roll and provide more traction, stability and protection whilst allowing the rider to run lower tyre pressures. 

• www.tannus.co.uk

Ortlieb bikepacking bags
£100-135

Ortlieb has updated its bikepacking bag range for 2021 with some changes and new bags. A new Fork Pack can fit directly to forks with the 3-bolt "anything" style mounts with a neat quick release system, but the bag also has adapters to fit other fork styles, including some suspension forks. Updates to other bags include non-slip buckles on key points, the addition of the clever air release valve to the handlebar roll bag to ease compression and new colours. We have a range of new bags and will have full reviews soon.

• www.ortlieb.com
   

Spank Oozy 220 saddle
£65

Made for trail riding the Spank Oozy 220 saddle is a reasonable priced and minimalist saddle. It gets 'Tuned Flex Points' and 'Adaptive Contact Edges' which we take to mean that it flexes at the outer edge to prevent pressure build-up. There's a small central relief channel and it kicks up at the back which the brand says supports the lower back. 

• www.spank-ind.com

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