This week has been a big one on the release front with some serious names bringing new products to the market. And we've been right on top of it as in this week's Five Cool Things – we check out Whyte's latest e-mountain bike, the updated DMR Deathgrip2 as well as the new Mint Sauce anthology. Coffee table literature is the theme of the week as 2024's Hurly Burly and The World Stage from Misspent Summers also make the cut. 

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After a bit of a drought, brands have started unveiling new wares as Mondraker broke the news of its Arid, Mondraker's first non-assisted gravel bike. Although it drops the Mahle motor of its Dusty stablemate, it draws heavy inspiration from the e-gravel bike to balance compliance with stiffness. Whyte also brought a new bike to the market, the E-Lyte Evo and it claim to have the lowest centre of gravity of any e-mountain bike, which has been achieved by equipping it with the latest Bosch motor. DMR has also updated the Deathgrip with the Deathgrip2 getting new rubber and features.

As we run up to Black Friday, big sales have already been popping up with the Calibre Bossnut now available for £999, only a month after its release. The Rider Firm has joined the party as it offers huge savings off bikes and wheels. That sale includes free carbon wheel upgrades for its Privateer mountain bikes and up to 30% off the Hunt wheel range.

It's been a strong week for reviews, too, as Ty delivered his verdict on the Voodoo Canzo Pro while Matt gave the USE Components Vybe stem 4.5 stars. PNW Components' budget friendly Range dropper post also got a glowing review.

Finally, we showed off some clever component upgrades for kids bikes, and dived into the subject of UDH and why it matters.

Whyte E-Lyte Evo RS

£7,250

2024 whyte e lyte evo RS hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer

This week, Whyte unveiled its latest e-mountain bike, the E-Lyte Evo and yep, you've guessed it, it borrows an awful lot from the regular E-Lyte. That means it uses the same frame, and gets the same geometry and the same suspension travel, so there's 150mm up front and 142mm at the rear. 

Where things change is that it's equipped with the Bosch Performance Line CX motor and has the lowest centre of gravity of any e-MTB. This provides the bike with improved handling and stability, with all the weight of the motor and battery positioned as low as possible. The kicker is that it comes with a 400Wh battery and, recognising that many riders will want to boost that, Whyte includes the 250Wh PowerMore range extender in the price.

We've been all over this bike and already got a Whyte E-Lyte Evo RS review live. We don't give out five stars often.

• whytebikes.com

Lost Summers and Half-Forgotten Afternoons - A Mint Sauce collection by Jo Burt

£35

2024 lsfa mint sauce.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Found within the pages of MBUK in 1987, Mint Sauce quickly became a permanent fixture in one of the UK's top mountain bike mags. In celebration of the iconic comic strip's legacy, Jo Burt brought the collection to a beautifully produced coffee table book.

Inside, you'll find plenty of strips taken from Mint Sauce's 1987 to 2023 span, as well as a six-page story and commentary from Jo himself. There are also selections from some of Mint Sauce's calendars.

• isolapress.com

DMR Deathgrip2 grips

£24 - £27

2024 dmr deathgrip2.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The DMR Deathgrip is one of the best-known mountain bike products on the market and often, they're the first upgrade many will make to their bikes. After being a staple grip for so long, the brand has brought long-awaited updates to Brendan Fairclough's signature grip.

DMR has kept the important bits the same though, so there's the mushroom/knurl/waffle pattern and texture that the Deathgrip is known for but the team has added an exposed end cap to boost durability. Additionally, there's a slimmer locking collar. So there's a choice of rubber compound from hard, mid to soft and grips with or without flanges. There are a bunch of colours to pick from, too.

• dmrbikes.com

Silt Enduro Alloy wheelset

£380

2024 silt enduro wheels.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Here, we've got Silt's Enduro Alloy wheelset which balances value with high performance. They're built with welded and hardened 6069 alloy rims laced to the brand's own hubs. The rear wheel then uses Silt's single-disc ratchet hub system and utilises TPI bearings. The bearings use a single contact seal to resist water ingress – it's also non-contact in operation to keep friction minimal.

Each wheel uses J-bend, Sapim D-Light spokes and Sapim secure lock brass nipples. These wheels can be picked up with Microspline, XD or HG freehub bodies, in Boost or standard spacing and 29-inch, mullet or 650b sizes.

• siltmtb.com

2024 Hurly Burly and The World Stage

£46 (£24 each)

2024 hurly burly.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Next up is more coffee table goodness from the guys at Misspent Summers and the annual downhill and enduro yearbooks. Hurly Burly is the 2024 downhill yearbook that contains work from the top photographers in the biz, with reporting and analysis of each race of the season. 

The World Stage is the 2024 enduro yearbook which looks back at an action-packed season.

Available as single purchase or bundle of two, we reckon that Hurly Burly and The World Stage would make an excellent gift for any mountain biker

• misspentsummers.com

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