It's been a big week for us here at BikeRadar, but not for the usual reasons.
Yes, we've still covered plenty of interesting new tech (more on this shortly), but the most astute of our readers will notice we've updated our look.
It's been a long time in the making, but we've now got a new logo, using the same blue, white and orange colour palette.
We may have tweaked our appearance, but it's been business as usual as far as site content is concerned.
Tech gurus Rob Weaver and Tom Marvin went head to head on two thoroughbred new-school XC race bikes, the Specialized S-Works Epic World Cup and Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.9 XX AXS Gen 2, in a bid to pick a winner.
Want to find out which bike won? Read their World Cup XC bikes head to head.
In more XC content, Tom rode one of Europe's toughest and roughest multi-day XC marathon races on that same Epic World Cup bike.
The race, held on one of Spain's Balearic islands, covers 180km and 4,000m of ascent. How did Tom (and the bike) fare? Read all about it to find out.
It would feel remiss of me not to mention, at least in passing, the Christmas and new year period. Each of BikeRadar's team members has listed their gear of the year, starting with yours truly, and my brother from another mother Jack Evans' picks. Keep tuned for more over the coming days and weeks.
Finally, we've checked out Propain's first carbon eMTB, the Ekano 2 CF. Announced when SRAM launched Powertrain, the Ekano 2 CF is destined for our 2024 Bike of the Year test. Keep your eyes peeled for more on that in the new year.
Misspent Summers Hurly Burly 2023 and The World Stage 2023
Misspent Summers is in the business of recording the thrilling happenings in the downhill and enduro world cups.
Hurly Burly and The World Stage take a beautiful-looking and insightful deep dive into each discipline’s 2023 race season.
Detailing the intense drama, and highs and lows, spread over nearly 300 pages in each book, both titles will get your heart pounding for 2024’s racing action.
With photography from some of mountain biking's best snappers (Sven Martin, Boris Beyer and Sebastian Schieck) and features written by highly respected industry insiders (Wyn Masters, Chris Kilmurray, Alan Milway, Mike Rose, Ric McLaughlin, among plenty of others), the pages are bursting with insight and intrigue.
They’re the perfect coffee table companion for the discerning fan.
- Buy Hurly Burly for £22 direct from Misspent Summers
- Buy The World Stage for £22 direct from Misspent Summers
POC winter riding kit
Heading into the depths of winter needn’t stop you from riding. POC’s latest wet and cold weather riding kit will help facilitate more miles in the saddle even if the weather is diabolical.
POC Motion Rain Jacket
This three-layer construction, PFC-free DWR-coated jacket is made from ripstop nylon, intended to provide dependable and durable waterproof protection.
The under-helmet hood is elasticated to keep it in place, but stretches enough so it can slip over most open-face lids.
It’s got three external zipped pockets; one breast, two side. There are perforated sections under the arms to help with airflow.
It’s lightweight too, my large sample tipping the scales at 406g.
- £220
POC Motion Rain Pants
Using the same nylon ripstop PFC-free DWR-coated three-layer material as the counterpart jacket, the Motion waterproof trousers have Velcro-adjustable waist tabs to cinch in the elasticated opening.
Two zipped pockets will be great for storing essentials, and zipper leg hems should make removal easy, even if you’ve got your shoes on.
The weighty-feeling material seems durable and the medium-sized bottoms weigh 369g.
- £160
POC Reform Enduro Jersey
With POC touting an environmentally friendly construction, the recycled polyester construction feels as weighty as the brand's 220g/m2 fabric claims, weighing 281g for a size large.
It has a relaxed fit designed to slip over body armour, with space for elbow pads and a back protector, while the material is claimed to be sweat-wicking and fast-drying.
Along with the simple styling, there’s a small zipped card pocket on the rear-left hem.
- £75
100% Brisker Xtreme Gloves
Famed for their cold-weather performance and affordable price tag, the 100% Brisker gloves have featured on BikeRadar multiple times.
There’s now an amped-up version designed to provide even more protection.
A longer cuff, increased insulation on the back of the hand and fleece-backed linings are intended to take the Brisker to the next level.
There’s a goggle, glasses and snot wipe on the thumb, and two fingers have a capacitive thread enabling touchscreen operation.
Although the palm’s material has changed from Clarino to Axe Suede on the Xtreme version of the Brisker, fans needn’t worry; they feel virtually identical.
A pair of large gloves weighs 86g.
- £39.99
PNW Components The Loam Carbon Handlebar
PNW Components' The Loam Carbon Handlebar is the brand's first carbon bar, and first carbon product altogether.
Engineered using the brand’s patent-pending CBD layup, which uses a unidirectional carbon, they’re claimed to take the sting out of trail chatter, offering comfort while retaining that all-important horizontal stiffness for predictable handling in techy terrain.
The bar’s geometry – which uses a 5-degree upsweep and 10-degree backsweep, along with 25mm and 38mm rises and an 800mm width – is claimed to reduce fatigue, too.
With a minimum width of 740mm, the ends of the bar use a different carbon weave to reduce fraying once it has been cut.
They’re EFBE Tri-Test category-five rated, which means they’re suitable for electric mountain bikes and downhill riding.
My 25mm-rise, uncut bar weighs 232g, 1g less than PNW’s claims.
Although the bar is black, coloured decals can be added (costing $5), with no fewer than 10 different colours.
- £150
Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Pants
Rapha’s latest addition to its foul-weather range – these Trail Gore-Tex Pants – caused quite a stir at BikeRadar Towers, with three of our tech editors each requesting samples.
While that’s indicative of the inclement weather we frequently endure when riding bikes in the UK, it’s also a sign a brand has got a product right, in theory at least.
Made using a Gore-Tex fabric, Rapha promises the taped seams are as waterproof and durable as the rest of the pants.
There’s enough space for knee pads, while the waistband’s fit can be adjusted using cam locks and an in-built belt.
Two hand pockets sit on the hips, but neither can be closed securely.
My pair of medium pants weigh 377g.
Rapha recommends pairing the trousers with its trail liner or bib liner for comfort, the Trail Infinium Jacket I’ve also tested and the Trail Insulated Jacket, depending on weather conditions.
- £250
