Episodes
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The question we’re posing on this month’s MBR Show is whether expensive analogue bikes are dead? This comes in the wake, if you’ll excuse the pun, of the Trek Slash+ launch. Effectively a Slash high-pivot enduro bike with a TQ motor and upgraded 580Wh battery, this new e-bike actually undercuts its analogue stablemate by a massive £750. So who on earth is going to buy the version without the motor and battery? While the Slash situation may be caused by over-optimistic pricing at its launch, and reflect the state of the market currently, other brands have been pondering this question for some years. When we attended the launch of the new Enduro in 2019, Specialized was wondering who would be buying these premium unassisted bikes in five years time. Fast forward to the present day and the Enduro is conspicuous by its absence on the Specialized UK website, with only a couple of old and discounted models listed in the US. As much as the big mainstream brands may be considering streamlining their analogue offerings, there will always be companies stepping into the breach. Brands like Arc8, Acto5, and Raaw to name but a few. Specialist models designed for racing will always have a place too, whether XC, DH, or Enduro, where chasing marginal gains means placing budgetary constraints to one side. So maybe the expensive analogue bike is not dead, but we’ll see the range of options shrink over the next few years. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/trek-launches-new-electric-slash-enduro-bike-440148Also on the show we have a look at Schwalbe’s new radial tyre technology. Or is it? Maybe not as radial as the marketing headlines make out, nevertheless, the claims surrounding this new construction are impressive. And the fact that Amaury Pierron has ridden the tyres to a couple of dominant wins has helped build the hype. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/why-schwalbes-new-albert-and-shredda-radial-tyres-could-change-everything-440607Finally we discuss the new Santa Cruz Bronson. A tweak here, a nip and tuck there, the new bike slides closer to the Nomad in character, while sacrificing some of its peppy, responsive nature. Guy Kesteven has been riding it for us, and we run through some of his feedback on the bike. But the real story here perhaps underlines our original argument – that high-end analogue bikes are on borrowed time, with innovation stalling and brands finding it harder and harder to persuade riders to upgrade to the latest model. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/mullet-mx/santa-cruz-bronson-gen-5-xo-axs-rsv-first-ride-review
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Bike prices have gone through the roof recently, with the most expensive models blowing a hole in the £10k ceiling, and accelerating towards the £15k mark in some cases. But is that really the case? Or are a few ultra high-end models grabbing the headlines and skewing the market? We trawled through nearly 30 years of archive magazines, fed the numbers through an inflation calculator, with the aim of introducing some objectivity in to what is an emotive subject. We look at a broad range of bikes, from e-bikes to analogue bikes, both high-end and entry-level. Discuss the impact of direct-sales disruptors on the market, and the arrival of the one percenters – a new breed of super consumer that many brands are now chasing.It's also impossible to ignore the development of bike technology, and how the bikes available now are leagues ahead of their predecessors. As well as external factors such as Brexit, and huge fluctuations in currency, raw material prices, and shipping. Even the scale of brands needs to be taken into account, with multiple models covering a wide remit of intended uses, along with parallel ranges of analogue and electric bikes. What do you think? Are bike brands ripping us off? Let us know in the comments.
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Missing episodes?
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The big news this month is the arrival of drone giant DJI, and automotive behemoth ZF, into the e-bike market. DJI was the biggest surprise for most people, with not only a motor that (on paper) wipes the floor with most of the competition, but a whole new bike to mount it on. Yes, Amflow is effectively a DJI start-up brand solely created to bring this high-end motor to life. We discuss the potential of this system, ponder some of the possible weaknesses, and try to answer whether it's worth all the hype. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/new-amflow-pl-carbon-electric-mountain-bike-with-dji-motor-439521ZF is a huge automotive brand supplying gearboxes, electronics and even complete electric drivetrains. And it has entered the e-bike market with an impressive looking motor, boasting lightweight, compact dimensions, and plenty of power. Will it be enough to put the frighteners on some more established motor brands? And will we see it appear on e-bikes from mainstream brands soon?https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/zfs-is-bringing-automotive-technology-to-the-e-bike-market-with-an-exciting-new-can-sized-motor-boasting-big-power-with-less-weight-439732We also speculate about what's new with Bosch's unreleased Gen 5 CX motor, spotted on numerous bikes at the recent Eurobike show. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/spotted-boschs-new-performance-cx-motor-was-hiding-in-plain-sight-at-eurobike-439833We also take a look at the latest Specialized Stumpjumper 15. Alan has been to the launch of this significant new bike and dug deep into the details with the product manager and suspension engineer. We find out about the new Genie shock, and why it's such a clever bit of kit, as well as discover Alan's first ride impressions. For Alan's full first ride review, packed with insight, click the link below.https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/29er-full-suspension-bikes/specialized-stumpjumper-15-pro-carbon-trail-bike-reviewFinally, we find out more about YT's latest e-bike, the Decoy SN. Danny went to the launch for this, and goes through all the details, as well as revealing his pick of the new range, and why. To read more about his first ride impressions, click the link below.https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electric-bikes/yt-decoy-sn-mx-core-4-cf-reviewTime stamps:0:30 DJI motor/Amflow bike5:50 ZF motor9:09 Secret new Bosch motor12:36 Specialized Stumpjumper 1517:11 YT Decoy SN
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With a crazy looking integrated handlebar display, rhino-neck head tube, and massive power, the new McLaren e-bike is a wild machine! But the British supercar manufacturer and F1 team is not the only car brand to produce a weird and wonderful MTB over the years. We run through some of the most interesting models, from a Lamborghini e-bike with single-sided chainstay, to a carbon Lotus with links to a cold war missile manufacturer, via models from Porsche and Polestar. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/mclaren-mi...RockShox has just released it's new Charger 3.1 damper for Zeb, Lyrik, and Pike forks, so we take a look under the hood to see what's changed, and how to get your fork up to 2025 spec. We also look at RockShox's new shocks, a clever new air can, and the updated Trailhead suspension tuning app. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/rockshox-l...Tweakers everywhere will love the new Geometron G1. With a gazillion different geometry, travel, and wheel-size settings to choose from, this radical new enduro bike takes adjustability to the next level. We run through how it lets you achieve all the permutations, and why this keeps the brand firmly at the cutting edge. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/geometron-...Finally we take a look at the surprising entry of Lidl into the e-bike market. And yes, we completely screwed up by saying it was Aldi all the way through, when it is, in fact Lidl. Anyway, this bargain e-bike costs under £2,500, yet comes with a Brose motor, internal battery, RockShox suspension, and a SRAM drivetrain. Check it out, along with all the other bits, in the latest MBR Show. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/bread-milk...Time stamps:0:32 Car brands that have made mountain bikes7:16 New RockShox suspension12:08 Geometron G117:33 Lidl e-bike
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In the run up to Sea Otter we've seen a glut of new kit hit the market, from Fox's glittering new gold lowers, updated dampers, and reverse arch XC forks, to Rocky Mountain's new Altitude enduro bike and Norco's new high-pivot e-bikes. But lots of these 'new' products take ideas and inspiration from old kit. Yep, gold forks, reverse arches, BB-centric virtual pivot suspension designs and high-pivot e-bikes have all been done before. Many protected by patents that have expired recently. We dig into a few of these retro-tech designs in our latest show, along with first ride impressions on the new Mondraker Dune XR mid-power e-bike and Forbidden Dreadnought V2 enduro bike. For more info on the content covered, check out the following links:Mondraker Dune https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electric-bikes/mondraker-dune-xr-e-bike-first-ride-reviewForbidden Druid https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/29er-full-sus/first-ride-review-forbidden-dreadnought-v2Fox forks: https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/special-podium-gold-fork-finish-celebrates-50-years-of-fox-suspension-437280https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/product_news/rearward-arch-saves-weight-adds-stiffness-and-gives-the-latest-fox-32-step-cast-xc-fork-a-retro-look-437282https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/fox-launches-new-generation-of-grip-dampers-boasting-more-support-without-the-harshness-437278Rocky Mountain Altitude: https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/rocky-mountains-latest-altitude-enduro-bike-gets-a-virtual-pivot-makeover-and-ends-up-looking-a-lot-like-an-intense-tracer-437407Norco Range and Sight VLT: https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/norcos-new-range-vlt-and-sight-vlt-e-bikes-use-a-high-pivot-idler-design-powered-by-the-bosch-cx-motor-437285
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Welcome to the MBR show, where we scrutinise the latest bikes, critique the newest hardware and discuss the hottest topics in mountain biking. This month we’re going to look at the influx of motorcycle brands into the e-bike market. We’ll discuss the news that Orange Bikes has gone into administration.And Jamie is going to give us a run down of the latest Production Privee Shan. We've also got an important update on the SRAM T-Type review video we published a couple of weeks ago. And further news on the cutting out issue we experienced on our Canyon Strive:ON test bike with the Bosch Performance CX motor. SRAM got in touch with us to say that, after watching our video, it is going to make available a T-Type replacement cage assembly, without clutch, to fit XX1, XX, X0, and GX, for just £28 (€31/$29USD), instead of the current cost of over £120 for GX and over £180 for XX. 00:00 - Intro00:26 - SRAM T-Type cage repair update03:06 - Motorcycle brands making e-mtbs11:16 - Production Privee Shan16:17 - Orange Bikes in administration18:33 - Bosch battery/Canyon Strive:ON update21:54 - Outro
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This time on the MBR Show we've been riding the latest new bikes from Merida and Norco, as well as revealing what caught our eyes at the UK's Core Bike Show. 00:00 - Intro00:18 - Norco Optic and Sight08:24 - Core Bike Show highlights – Michelin and RRP11:25 - Merida eOne-Sixty @MERIDABIKES-INT has just launched the new eOne-Sixty e-bike range, with a split down the middle that aims to appeal to two different customers. Somewhere along the line the message has got lost in translation however, with the heavier, long-range platform being given the name 'Lite', and the slimmed-down, agile carbon bike being called the CF. And that's not the only head scratcher. Despite being called eOne-Sixty, the bikes have 174mm of travel. Danny and Alan unravel the confusion and give their early ride impressions, which, once you get passed the muddled names, are really positive. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electric-bikes/merida-eone-sixty-875-2024-e-bike-reviewIn the other big launch news, @NorcoBicyclesOfficial has released new high-pivot versions of the Sight and Optic trail bikes. With the Optic being the shortest travel high-pivot idler bike so far. Or is it? Jamie has been riding the Optic and trying to work out whether there's sufficient pay-off in suspension performance and ride quality to offset the extra weight, drag, and complication. All big potential drawbacks for a bike in a category that's all about minimalism and efficiency. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/120mm-140mm-full-sus/norcos-new-optic-gets-a-high-pivot-idler-125mm-travel-and-some-of-the-biggest-sizing-weve-seenWe've also been to the UK's Core Bike Show, where most of the major brands and distributors show up to talk to media and dealers and display their latest tech kit. Some new bits that stood out to us were the new, reduced-drag @MichelinGlobal tyres, and RRP's new bolt-on mudguard. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/the-16-most-important-new-products-ive-seen-this-week-from-next-gen-michelin-wild-enduro-tyres-to-mtbs-longest-mudguard-436285
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In this episode we take a closer look at the new Scott Ransom and the new Pivot Switchblade. The Pivot is a mild tweak of the old Switchblade trail bike, with a subtly slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, and smidge longer reach. And Pivot has shunned internal storage to keep the weight down and the proportions in tact. So has it done enough or played it too safe?By contrast, Scott has pushed the boat out with the new Ransom enduro bike. There's an internal shock hidden in the frame, internal tool storage, and a six-bar linkage. Concealed cables, geometry adjust headset cups and a remote progression and travel switch makes this one complex enduro bike. Find out if all these features make it a winner on the trails. We also take a quick look at some of the other stories that have got our attention recently, including Focus's lightweight Vam2 e-bike and Formula's 10-year spares pledge on forks, brakes, and shocks. 00:00 - Intro00:23 - Focus Vam201:49 - Trail centre under threat03:10 - Formula 10-year parts pledge04:18 - New Pivot Switchblade10:08 - New Scott Ransom
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In this episode of the MBR Show we cover Canyon’s updated Spectral, SRAM’s latest Maven brakes, and Scott’s resurrected Voltage. Canyon has thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at the new Spectral trail bike. It now comes with internal storage, the controversial KIS steering stabiliser as standard, and comprehensive geometry adjustment similar to what Specialized introduced on the new Turbo Levo SL. There's also some cool tool holders you can 3D print yourself at home. Scott's Voltage used to be a freeride bike, then a dirt jump hardtail, and now it's found its true calling – a mid-power e-bike with a TQ motor and 155mm of travel. Of course it gets Scott's hidden shock frame design, and TracLoc remote travel and geometry adjust. Lots of bells and whistles then, but does it perform on the trails? Best-known for using DOT fluid in its brakes, SRAM's latest Maven follows the entry-level DB8 by making the switch to mineral oil in search of better long-term consistency and longer service intervals. It's also the most powerful brake SRAM has built, with a claimed 50% more power than Code, and 30% less effort needed to access that power. So do those impressive numbers stack up in the real world?Danny and Alan also reveal their thoughts on these new bikes and products, as well looking at the news in brief, including an innovative new hub from KOM Bikes, and a hybrid tubeless valve from E*Thirteen. 00:00 - Intro00:24 - News in brief00:30 - KOM hub02:36 - E*Thirteen tubeless valves03:44 - New Scott Voltage14:08 - New Canyon Spectral22:41 - New SRAM Maven brakes
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