When is it not a jam-packed week of great content on BikeRadar? We're working our socks off to bring you the biggest reviews, news and opinion pieces every day of the week.
It's been no exception over the last seven days, with highlights including our debut episode of this season's Hill Climb Diaries (video below), news of new bikes from several of the industry's leading manufacturers, and details on Max Stedman's Canyon Aeroad aero Everesting attempt bike.
In the muddy world of fat tyres, we've seen (and ridden) Canyon's latest mullet-wheeled Spectral CF8 CLLCTV, and so far think it's a "blast to ride." We'll have a more in-depth review soon, so stay tuned.
There's also been news of a brand-new 2022 Mondraker Raze trail bike, which the Spanish brand claims combines XC speed and enduro bike capability.
Rocky Mountain announced its newest 2022 Altitude and Instinct Powerplay, which could be its best electric mountain bike yet.
The new bikes, like the outgoing ones, use Rocky's own motor system which boasts 108Nm of torque – the highest of any current mainstream ebike out there – and is quite possibly the industry's first high-pivot ebike. Wow.
Giant bikes has raked out the Giant Trance X for 2022, taking the model to the next extreme with a 27.5in-wheeled version, 63.8-degree head tube angle and 145mm of rear-wheel travel.
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Specialized announced a new range of Riprock kid's mountain bikes, which all look fab for the next crop of off-road riders.
And, finally, my super in-depth Santa Cruz Bronson CC MX mullet bike review saw the light of day, getting published this week. I proclaimed the Bronson to be a super-versatile bike that takes some taming to get the most from it. If you're in the market for a super-expensive Santa Cruz, be sure to check this one out.
Roval Traverse Alloy 29 mountain bike wheels
Roval's Traverse is an aluminium – and therefore more affordable – version of its much costlier Traverse SL and Carbon wheels.
The 30mm internal width rim is made from the brand's E5 aluminium alloy, which, Roval says, means it's tough enough to handle backcountry rock gardens, questionable line choices and days in the bike park.
The width means it's compatible with modern, wider tyre sizes.
The Roval rim is built onto Roval-branded hubs, but these shells are decked out with DT's latest 370 LN hub internals with sealed bearings and a ratchet freehub system that's similar to DT's more expensive 350 and 240 hubs, rather than relying on springs and pawls for engagement.
Those hubs are laced to the rims using DT Swiss's J-bend spokes and nipples, too. The wheels have 28 spokes per side and all the spokes for the driveside and non-driveside and front and rear are the same length, so replacements should be easy to come by.
To top it off, the Roval Traverse Alloy 29 wheels are hand-built, and supplied with the spoke tension spec sheet.
Our set of 29in wheels with SRAM's XD driver and valve stems weighed 924g for the front wheel and 1,015g for the rear wheel.
- £650 / $650
Muc-Off Ludicrous AF Lube
The price tag of this brand-new lubricant from bike cleaning gurus Muc-Off certainly lives up to its ludicrous moniker.
Costing £49.99 / $64.99 / €60.95 for 50ml, we hope it can match its claims of being "the world's fastest race lube," and even if it doesn't, it's up there as being one of the world's most expensive, along with Silca's Super Secret Chain Lube.
Muc-Off says it's spent three years formulating this lubricant that is free from added colours, fragrances and corrosion inhibitors.
The recipe was refined during the 2020 Grand Tour race season by multiple race teams Muc-Off partners with.
The resulting formula has an ultra-low friction coefficient, is suitable for riding in temperatures down to -20ºC and is biodegradable.
The jury's out on whether it performs as well as Muc-Off claims, or better than senior tech writer Simon Bromley's slow cooker chain waxing as seen on his Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc long-term test bike.
- £49.99 / $64.99 / €60.95
Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage track pump
Topeak's latest JoeBlow pump looks to make inflating tubeless tyres easier, thanks to its TubiHead design that has an in-built Presta valve core remover, to enable increased airflow during tyre inflation.
The TubiHead has a sealed, sliding valve core key that once the pump is connected to the valve slides over the core holding it in place so that it can be removed. Once removed, more air can pass through the valve, aiding tubeless inflation.
The pump has two inflation modes: a low pressure, high volume mode for seating tyres onto rims up to 30psi of pressure and a high pressure, lower volume setting that's used to inflate tyres from 30psi to 160psi.
The modes are selected using a lever on the side of the pump.
It's also fitted with a large analogue pressure gauge at the pump's base.
- £109.99
POC Women's Ardour All-Weather Pants
These simple-looking riding trousers from Swedish brand POC are packed with handy features and plenty of technology to keep you warm, dry and comfortable during long days on the saddle in changing autumn/winter weather conditions.
The calves, knees, seat and rear are built from a durable three-layer waterproof material (rated to 15,000mm) and reinforced with Cordura around the seat and below the knee. This, POC claims, should help keep the rider's legs dry when riding wet trails.
To help bolster their waterproof nature, they've been coated with a fluorocarbon-free DWR treatment.
The thigh panels, and around the rear of the knees, are built from a lightweight stretch material to improve comfort and flexibility. They're also highly breathable, with a 30,000gsm/24hr rating.
There are also Velcro waist adjusters, elasticated ankle openings and three pockets – two on each thigh and one on the rear.
- £230 / $250 / €250
Endura MT500 Burner Jersey II, MT500 Burner Pant and MT500 D30 gloves
Although Power Ranger style outfits (think bright, blocky colours and bold logos) have wained in popularity, the cut, fit and comfort of Endura's MT500 have improved over the years.
The latest MT500 Burner Jersey II, Burner Pant, and MT500 D30 gloves are a perfect case in point – although they are available in a stealthy black colour, should the blue, tangerine, or green colour options not be to your tastes.
Endura MT00 Burner Jersey II
The Burner Jersey II has been constructed from two types of fabric.
The sleeves and shoulders are made from a durable, hard-wearing material designed to withstand hard usage, while the main body uses a sweat- and moisture-wicking material to help keep you dry and cool, and has strategically-placed stretch panels.
It has a relaxed fit and is compatible with elbow and body protection.
Finally, there's a small zipped pocket on the rear left hip.
- £49.99
Endura MT500 Burner Pant
Endura's Burner Pant was developed with input from the Athertons and uses super-durable, four-way stretch fabric with a slim fit to be super comfortable to ride in but also remain flap-free in the wind.
There's plenty of space in the knees for kneepads and they're compatible with Endura's Clickfast liner shorts. They've also been coated in a PFC-free DWR finish to help repel mud and splashes.
- £89.99
Endura MT500 D30 gloves
The MT500 D30 gloves feature D30 knuckle protection that's designed to help protect your hands from impacts.
The gloves themselves are made from a four-way stretch and breathable ripstop material, and have a synthetic leather palm with no padding to improve bar feel.
The palms are printed with silicone for extra grip, too.
- £42.99
