Dropper posts enable us to adjust our saddle height with the push of a lever, enhancing comfort, efficiency, and, most importantly, control while out on the trail. Many people would argue that dropper posts are one of the most important innovations in mountain bike technology, essentially transforming the way we ride. The ability to adjust the height of your saddle on the fly ensures it is always positioned perfectly for the terrain you are riding.
We live in an age of 'content', where everything we see is condensed into short-form quick snippets, with an emphasis on quantity over quality, but the Sleeper Co. is not on board. Sleeper Co. says quality is key, and somehow the team is still able to cook up a large quantity of quality footage, and this new video, in collaboration with Red Bull Media, shows what went down during the 2025 UCI Downhill World Cup in one rowdy edit.
Lems sent me an 11.5 in the Asteroid color way, and it's a handsome shoe. I've been wearing the Trail Thrasher every day for a few weeks now, and it's proven to be a comfortable trail shoe. I've only ridden with the shoe a few times, but I will report back with a full review when I get a good amount of bike time on it.
What was supposed to be a straightforward trip to Prince George lasted about fifteen minutes past the town line for Kona team rider Caleb Holonko. The moment Caleb rolled into Williams Lake and linked up with local legend "Coco," the plans changed. Before the truck had even cooled off, a quick pitstop had become time to unload and post up for the making of his latest project Scratching the Surface II in the supposed Shangri-La of freeride.
Most recently, they teamed up with top-tier mountain biker and team athlete Matt Jones for his attempt to jump through the moving gap between two moving autonomous semi-trucks. It's the kind of idea that starts as a scribble on a napkin at the bar and, thanks to Red Bull, has somehow ended with thousands of simulations, a full production crew, and one rider trusting his life to his bike handling, a pair of driverless machines,
2025 is a year of highs and lows in the bike industry, and Nukeproof has been one of the brands that has seemingly seen more ups than downs. The legendary name has recently been sheltered under a new brand umbrella, and new life has been injected. Today, Nukeproof has unveiled a new trail bike, marking its return to bike development and seemingly picking up right where it left off.
After all, they are the only part of your bike that actually touches the trails you ride, yet most riders treat tires and their setup like an afterthought. Between knob patterns, pressures and casings, it can get confusing quickly for beginners and experienced riders alike, but with the right combination of pressure, casing, and compound, you can completely transform how your bike corners, climbs, and brakes.
Over the last few years, mountain biking has been quietly reshaped by a series of overlapping tariffs-some long-standing, some brand-new, and some so obscure most riders don't even know they exist. These duties hit nearly everything that goes into getting you that new bike, from complete bikes to drivetrains, e-bike motor and battery systems, and frames. Proposed changes could go so far as to evaluating the steel content of a frame or how much metal is in your e-bike battery.
He's been behind the lens for more than 20 years, documenting everything from World Championship wins to late-night garage sessions; Joonas is a creative who's career has been built on caffeine, duct tape, and pure stoke. Before he was Kona's in-house cinematographer, Joonas was a rider himself - a European Kona Clump athlete who lived for the same sketchy lines and photo worthy moments that he now captures on film.
Major companies have bitten the dust, industry-wide layoffs have been ongoing, and massive events like Rampage are being put on the cultural chopping block-asking what exactly we're all doing. But in the wake of hardship and the struggles of the industry at large, there are certainly spaces being left behind as one massive institution after another changes shape. And for those of us who reside at the core of mountain biking, it's providing exciting opportunities.
The new Cane Creek chainrings are direct mount and made specifically to fit the latest eeWings with the 8-bolt interface. They are CNC-machined from 7075 aluminum with a narrow-wide tooth design to work with both SRAM and Shimano's latest mountain and gravel drivetrains. At present, Cane Creek is making two sizes for mountain bikes as well as four sizes for gravel. All of the new chainrings come in black and are intended for use on 1x drivetrains only.
I'm gonna start this off by saying this bike looks freaking awesome. It really stands out from the crowd of similar-looking carbon and aluminum bikes with oversized tubes and familiar suspension designs. I don't want to overstate it, but like many handmade bikes, it's more like a functional piece of art than any mass-produced bike could ever hope to be.
I received the Kryptotal tires during Crankworx Whistler, where Continental whisked us away for a heli drop to try them out! Alongside special guests Gee and Dan Atherton, the media crew got to enjoy a lengthy downhill run featuring rocky alpine terrain, forested areas with loose but grippy dirt, and looser, dustier lower sections. Since then I've been riding them on my home trails in various weather conditions, so read on to find out how they fared through my on-trail testing.
When it comes to mountain biking, a good pair of MTB knee pads is non-negotiable for trail rides. I'm pretty selective about my mountain bike protection, and over the years I've collected a closet full of knee pads that didn't quite make the cut. But every so often, a pair stands out - and the new Troy Lee Designs Stage Pro knee pads are one of those rare finds. Offering comfort, protection, and all-day rideability, these pads have quickly become one of the top picks,
Loam Pass is your ticket (literally) to access over 70 mountain bike destinations across North and Central America. Destinations stretch as far north as Alaska and as far south as Costa Rica. Holders of the pass are granted two free days of riding at participating locations. Additionally, at many locations, a third day of riding is available at a 50% discount.
Founded by then-high school student Rhett Jones, the park was the first of its kind in the region. Launched in late 2023, it quickly became a must-visit destination for jump-hungry riders in the Lone Star State. What began as a $350,000 seed investment from nearly 20 backers was promised to deliver Texas a public mountain bike destination that could overhaul the region's otherwise small scene.
All these new pieces are produced in a Fair Trade Certified factory located in Southeast Asia. This facility is recognized for its strong commitment to sustainability, ethical labor practices, and environmental compliance. Achieving this certification is one of the most challenging in the apparel manufacturing industry, highlighting Curious Creatures' dedication not only to high-quality gear but also to fair working conditions and minimizing environmental impact. There's also a strange stigma that everything made overseas is of lesser quality, and that is simply not the case.
Few riders embody mountain biking's evolving blend of competition, freeride, and style quite like Thomas Genon. From slopestyle podiums to Rampage lines, the Belgian has built a career on doing things his own way-and his new short film, Paradigm, is an exploration of his multidisciplinary approach as he transitions away from the contest spotlight and gets back to his roots of riding.
I recently published an article outlining 10 things that I hate about cycling, and, more specifically, mountain biking. Right after I started writing about things that I hate in a sport that I absolutely love, it made me feel a little gross; I don't hate this sport, but there's always something to dislike about something you love. Life is nothing without balance; such is the dichotomy of our lives.
For many of us who are deeply rooted in the world of mountain biking, there's a certain draw to this kind of activity-one that is lost on much of the, quote unquote, "normal world." The adrenaline-fueled rush of ripping down a trail feels natural, the obsession over our bikes feels logical, and the unending pursuit of the perfect run, perfect trail, and perfect moment is part of what keeps many of us coming back for more
There's a lot to love about mountain biking and cycling in general, but, like with any industry and sport, we deal with constant changes. With all these shifts come new and conflicting opinions, new standards, and technology that just irks us. Some brands latch onto trends despite riders' distaste and pushback, and certain archetypes will always exist in the sport.
The landscape is plentiful in jagged ridges, volcanic deserts, glacial valleys, and panoramic views - it's a land built to humble. But it also has some of the best, most epic, and fun mountain trails that I've ever ridden. That's right, Iceland is a mountain bike destination, and it has its own five-day mountain bike stage race, and it might be the most epic on the calendar.
Paul Couderc's hometown and his spot in Bannes, France, played host to the third of five events this past summer, and the newly revamped course delivered some big hang time on even bigger features. Couderc's vision for 2025 was "chaos by design." And when you invite nearly 40 of the sport's heavy hitters over for a multi-day jam, you can bet that chaos was had.
I've stopped asking myself if a vest is the right choice for me and consider myself converted to the cult of riders who swear by a vest-style backpack for mountain biking. Still, after going through the hassle of trying multiple running vests and a few dedicated mountain biking vests, it's become clear that I can never go back to a traditional backpack or hip pack unless absolutely necessary.
