5 mountain bike upgrades you don't need… and 5 you do
Upgrading parts on your bike is something many riders love to do. Whether it’s for a performance benefit or just a splash of personalisation and colour, it can be a fun, if expensive pastime. But which upgrades don’t bring the benefits their price tag suggests? In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Tom Marvin sits down with fellow shredders Luke Marshall and Tom Law to discuss five mountain bike upgrades they don’t think you need and five that will make a genuine difference to your riding. If you have any questions you want answering in a future episode, send them in to podcast@bikeradar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13 Maj 202438min
These are our Road Bike of the Year winners!
After months of testing, it's time to announce our Road Bike of the Year winners. We've got categories for race, endurance, gravel and budget road bikes, as well as urban electric bikes. We're also announcing an overall winner across all five categories. In this podcast, our test team of Ashley Quinlan, Simon von Bromley and Warren Rossiter discuss the 2024 Bike of the Year test, their top three bikes in each category and, of course, the winners. Read more on our 2024 Road Bike of the Year test: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-road-bike-of-the-year-winners Check out our 2024 Mountain Bike of the Year winners: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-mountain-bike-of-the-year-winners Listen to our 2024 Mountain Bike of the Year podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oNkfe5x1dzEdov9ajhTUK Here are all 24 bikes featured in our 2024 Road Bike of the Year test: Race Bike of the Year: Focus Izalco Max 9.8 – £6,599 / €6,799 (not available in the US) Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro - SRAM Force eTap AXS – £8,000 / $8,500 / €8,500 Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero – £4,799 / €4,999 / AU$7,649 (model not available in USA) Handsling A1R0evo Classified Powershift – £6,499.99 Endurance Bike of the Year: Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8 Di2 - £4,999 / $5,499 Cinelli Pressure ADR (105 Di2 Ksyrium 30 build) - £3,799 / $4,754 Specialized Roubaix SL8 Comp - £5,000 / $5,000 Lauf Úthald Race Wireless - £4,458.05 ($5,628.00 inc. shipping) / $4,690 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 - £3,499 / $N/A Gravel Bike of the Year: Orbea Terra M41E Team Ix MyO - £4,518 / $4,638 GT Grade Carbon Pro LE - £3,600 / $4,200 Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 - £4,799 / $4,999 Santa Cruz Stigmata Force-1x AXS RSV - £6,999.99 / $7,699 Merida Silex 7000 - £3,000 / $N/A Budget Road Bike of the Year: Specialized Allez E5 - £1,000 / $1,200 Cube Attain Pro - £1,099 / $N/A Trek Domane AL 2 Gen 4 - £1,050 / $1,199.99 Vitus Razor Disc VR - £799.99 Urban Electric Bike of the Year: Cannondale Compact Neo - £2,000 / $1,900 Ridgeback Arcus 3 - £2,999.99 / $N/A Merida eSpresso CC 675 EQ 2024 - £4,000 / $N/A Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ - £3,400 / $4,499 Tern NBD S5i - £4,000 / $4,699 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11 Maj 202455min
Revealing our Mountain Bike of the Year winners!
What are the best mountain bikes on sale in 2024? We have the answers. Bike of the Year has come around again, and Tom, Rob and Al have been hard at work testing some of the best mountain bikes around. In this episode, our tech team discuss the best trail, enduro, full-fat and SL ebikes, following three months of dedicated testing. For full reviews, head over to BikeRadar.com as we reveal the winners, or keep an eye on our YouTube channel as we present our top-3 winners on film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10 Maj 20241h 6min
Testing £500 alloy wheelsets – are they worth the money?
In this edition of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical writer Simon von Bromley and senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan discuss Ash’s recent test of £500 alloy wheelsets. The duo cover off the key winners and losers, deliver some surprising findings and discuss whether a £500 alloy wheelset is worth buying in 2024. Finally, Ash shares some of his key thought-provoking takeaways following the test. Remember, we’d love to hear your opinions about anything discussed in this episode – drop us an email at podcast@bikeradar.com with any questions or comments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 Maj 202443min
Why are pros using such big chainrings and should you be doing the same?
If you’ve been paying attention to the pro road-racing scene recently, you may have noticed many riders are increasingly using oversized chainrings. Are today’s pro riders so fast they simply need bigger gears than before, or could there be more to this tech trend than meets the eye? In today’s episode of the BikeRadar podcast, Simon von Bromley sits down with Liam Cahill to discuss this development and whether there’s anything the rest of us can learn from it. If you have any thoughts, questions or feedback, you can contact the team at podcast@bikeradar.com. https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/why-are-pros-using-such-big-chainrings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
28 Apr 202433min
MTB jargon buster: key terms explained!
Are you confused by the jargon you read in our reviews? Find technical terms all a bit much? In this podcast, our technical writer and all-round tech-head Luke Marshall guides you through some of the terms that pop up frequently in our mountain bike reviews. If there are other terms you’re not sure the meaning of, pop us an email, and we’ll do our best to help. Our email address is podcast@bikeradar.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 Apr 202427min
Sea Otter 2024 mountain bike round-up
Sea Otter 2024, part trade show, part mountain, road and gravel festival, has just wrapped up. The beady eyes of George Scott and Jack Luke have been on the search for the best MTB kit at the show, and they bring you their top picks here. From fancy frames to brand new pedals, via a very fast set of tyres, the 2024 Sea Otter has provided the goods. Our team pushed out a lot of tech content on BikeRadar’s Instagram account, so you can catch up with even more here: https://www.instagram.com/bikeradar/ And, of course, there are a host of articles on the site now, and coming soon, covering all aspects of the show. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/sea-otter-classic-2024-mtb-tech https://www.bikeradar.com/news/maxxis-aspen-st https://www.bikeradar.com/news/neko-mulally-bonded-dh-frame https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-sea-otter-new-gravel-tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Apr 202434min
Sea Otter 2024 road and gravel round-up
Sea Otter 2024 has landed, merging trade-show tech with bike-festival vibes. Our editorial duo of Jack Luke and George Scott are pounding the grounds of Laguna Seca Raceway to bring you the best bits. This podcast focuses on the best of the drop-bar tech seen on day one. Jack Luke almost lost his marbles when he spotted Ritchey’s new Montebello randonneur bike, and was blown away by 5Dev’s scuff-proof cranks. There also were some fancy bikes from the likes of Parlee, while the team got a hands-on look at the new Cane Creek Invert gravel fork that has certainly stirred up plenty of comments. For the most up-to-date news from the show, follow BikeRadar’s Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/bikeradar/ And, of course, there are plenty of in-depth features on BikeRadar.com, including the stories below on Ritchey, Parlee, 5Dev and Cane Creek. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/ritchey-montebello https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-parlee-ouray https://www.bikeradar.com/news/5dev-diamond-coated-cranks https://www.bikeradar.com/news/cane-creek-invert-gravel-suspension-forks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
19 Apr 202425min
