Table of contents for July 2025 in Mountain Biking UK

I once hiked up an active volcano, and can still vividly remember the mind-blowing view into the steaming crater, and also the frustrating slog to get there – a case of two steps forward, one step back, in the slippery, ash-infused soil. I’ve never ridden down one though, so I’ll admit to being pretty envious of Tom, who got the chance to do just that on Sicily’s infamous Mount Etna. In my mind, the deep volcanic dust that was so annoying on foot must surely transform into incredible ‘black pow’ when gravity’s on your side! Turn to p28 to read all about Tom’s adventure and find out. Thankfully, my jealousy didn’t last long, because trail conditions have been all-time here in the UK in recent months, and I’ve been enjoying…

We thought that Shimano finally updating their XTR Di2 groupset after seven years was big news (see p56 for our verdict on the new flagship drivetrain). But then, barely a fortnight later, the Japanese componentry giants revealed they’d already trickled their latest wireless tech down to both Deore XT and plain old Deore level. ‘What about SLX?’ we hear you ask. Well, there’s no new electronic version of the popular mid-range groupset, and no plans to replace current, mechanical SLX M7100 once current stocks run out. We’ll bring you more details on Deore XT M8200 Di2 and Deore M6200 Di2 next issue, but in brief, both are fully wireless, with the same chain-stabilising Shadow ES rear derailleur tech and twin-paddle shifting as XTR. There’s also a (wired) e-MTB derailleur option…

Fox have gone with an inverted design for their new Podium fork and have also upgraded the bushings, spring and damper, to create a single-crown big-hitter that’s said to rival the stiffness of their 40 downhill fork. All this new tech comes with a high price tag though – $1,999.99, with the UK RRP still to be confirmed. The upside-down (USD) layout – with lower stanchions sliding into fixed upper legs – is said to boost steering precision, and also plushness, thanks to increased bushing overlap. However, USD forks have a chequered history. Big-hitters RockShox (with the 2015 RS-1) and Marzocchi (Shiver DC and SC, RAC) experimented with them, along with DVO (Emerald), Halson (Inversion), Maverick (DUC32, SC32), Risse (The Champ, Trixxxy) and others. However, only Manitou (Dorado), Cannondale (Lefty),…

Mountain bikes are oozing with the coolest tech going. Just think about your suspension fork – it’s got a hydraulic system that controls its low- and high-speed compression and rebound damping, and there are even special stanchion coatings to help reduce friction. Or look at your tyres – you’ve got multiple compounds, radial casings, different constructions, puncture protection and loads of different tread patterns too. These are complicated things, but we’re all used to seeing them. However, we’ve uncovered six high-tech bits of kit you may not have heard of, which could soon be coming to a mountain bike near you… STEERING CONTROL Commonplace on motorbikes, steering dampers and stabilisers help prevent your front wheel from getting knocked off-line over rough terrain or wandering on climbs The idea of a…

MEET THE TESTER ALEX EVANS SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR With an unquenchable appetite for riding, Alex will head out in the worst conditions. Add his painstaking approach to testing, and he’s well-placed to find out which bikes shred and which should be consigned to the history books. It seems that bike design progresses in leaps and bounds every year, helping unlock new levels of potential out on the trails. Whether that’s through geometry and suspension tweaks or entire redesigns, frame-material refinement or a culmination of several of these things, it’s hard to find a bad bike in 2025. But all this extra performance can come at the cost of simplicity. Head angles, bottom bracket (BB) heights, chainstay lengths, reach figures, suspension leverage rates and travel, wheel sizes and more are all being…

Just when you thought Geometron’s G1 ‘superenduro’ bike was already unique enough, with its mega-long chassis and modular frame blocks, they’ve only gone and added a gearbox and belt drive. The original G1, launched six years ago, took the extreme geometry Geometron had introduced in 2017 even further, with a reach figure of up to 515mm (‘longest’ size), a head angle as slack as 61° and a super-steep seat tube angle. You could also tweak everything from suspension travel to wheel size, head angle to chain- and seatstay length, using angled headset cups, different-length shocks and bolt-in ‘Mutator’ chips. “Our goal was to have the ‘one-bike stable’,” explains Geometron engineer Sam Robson. “Our clients, often they’ve got their holiday setup, where they’ll do uplift days or trips to the Alps,…

ONE DESIGN BRIEF The first step is working out what type of bike is needed. At Whyte, this falls to their product manager, Ben. It requires continual monitoring of the mountain bike market, an in-depth knowledge of consumer trends and a thorough understanding of – and access to – the latest tech to ensure the bike created is a success, commercially. The answer could be to update an existing model, evolve it into a new platform – as with Whyte’s Kado e-bike, which replaces the E-160 – or create a brand new bike. Ben is heavily involved throughout, and once the bike is almost ready for production, he’ll then pick the components, order parts and work with the factories and logistics teams to ensure that the finished product hits the shops…

Sunglasses aren’t only useful to protect your eyes from bright light, but also to shield them from bugs, and trail debris. While you want your sunnies to look good, there are other features to consider too. Lens type is key. While mirrored tints can look cool, they’re designed for very sunny days. Switchable lenses add versatility, while photochromic options – which automatically darken when it’s sunny – can be useful for changeable weather or when riding in and out of woods. Lens tints are categorised from 0 to 4, with Cat 0 allowing 80% to 100% of visible light through (best for when it’s overcast) and Cat 4 blocking all but 3% to 8% (only for super-bright conditions, and not for driving). As for style, modern bigger lenses offer more…

The UCI, international cycling’s governing body, currently states that the bikes pro riders race on need to be commercially available 12 months after their first use in competition, but I don’t think that’s right. I appreciate that brands want to sell the same bikes that pro riders compete on – it’s a neat USP. Winning on Sunday and selling on Monday, it makes a lot of sense. But in a sport as niche as downhill racing, does commercial availability really matter? And could that rule mean we’re missing out on big brands that sit outside of cycling getting involved in our little sport, simply because they don’t intend to create sellable bikes off the back of it? Honda dabbled in downhill racing for a few years with their truly iconic…

£1,399.94 www.freewheel.co.uk Shimano’s new, wireless XTR Di2 electronic drivetrain hasn’t redefined how derailleurs work or look, and neither has it vastly improved shift performance. But it appears to make up for this in reliability and familiarity. Recognisably ‘Shimano’, the all-new shifter still feels like its much-loved mechanical counterparts, despite its under-the-hood electronic tech. The rear derailleur retains a slim ‘Shadow’ outline and – maybe to the disappointment of some – the standard B-bolt mounting system. This means XTR Di2 can be fitted to bikes with or without SRAM UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) dropouts, allowing for wider compatibility than SRAM’s Transmission drivetrains. There’s a crispness to a well-timed shift that’ll also be familiar to anyone who’s used Shimano’s XTR M9100 mechanical drivetrain. Press the lever when the chain’s near a shift…

EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE SRAM were once strong advocates of double cranksets, but for the past decade-plus, their success has been with dedicated singlechainring drivetrains. Their line-up is somewhat confusing, with some groupsets also available in electronic AXS and/or the latest, derailleur-hanger-free AXS Transmission form, and others not. Here’s how the various options stack up and where they sit in the hierarchy. Note that while a groupset traditionally includes brakes, here we’re focusing on drivetrain components, which you’re more likely to find specced as a full group. 10-& 11-SPEED DRIVETRAINS SRAM NX Launched: 2016 Options: 1x11 SRAM’s older X-series drivetrains (X1/X3/X4/X5/X7) have been phased out, leaving NX as the cheapest non-1x12 option. That said, rear derailleurs for the aforementioned groups are still listed on their website. NX has the same chain-retaining…