Can I just start by apologising for the long-winded letter but it’s worth reading to the end. Trust me! Just been reading the second installment of your E-Bike of the Year test [February 2021] with interest. Speaking from personal experience and know

The next time you ride, set yourself some goals. This is often easier on familiar terrain because you’ve ridden it before and know what to expect. You can spend a little more time pre-planning on your way into sections and executing your plan. You ma

Power hungry PB’s been reliving his youth, dropping us on the climbs with his new Yamaha-driven Haibike. Been trying out some risible new waterproofs that let water in but not out. Next month: string vests and lensless glasses. Put eight sets of cr

There have been lofty claims and gushing reviews for the new EXT ERA fork. But is it all hype to justify the equally lofty asking price, or is the ERA really so disruptive that we need to recalibrate our expectations? Before we can answer that, let’s

Frame 6061 aluminium Fork RockShox Pike Select RC, 140mm travel Wheels Shimano MT400 hubs, Alex DP30 rims, Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf 29x2.35in tyres Drivetrain SRAM Descendant 6k chainset, SRAM NX r-mech and 11-speed shifter, SRAM NX 11-50t c

Editor Danny Milner Bike test editor Alan Muldoon Front section editor Jamie Darlow Deputy digital editor Benji Haworth Contributors Laura Bailey, Andy Barlow, Alice Burwell, Paul Burwell, Ben Day, Roo Fowler, Dan Gould, Mick Kirkman, Sim Mainey,

1-4 Something’s wrong. It’s rare, but sometimes a product will have a design flaw or some other weakness that means we can’t recommend it. Steer clear. 5-6 OK – one or two faults but it has potential. 7 Good – worth considering. 8 Very good – f

Brand new carbon-framed 140mm trail bike available in both 27.5in and 29in wheels sizes Revised suspension layout with increased progression and control Rejigged geometry and a new XL frame size, that’s genuinely large The Escarpe 29 CRS is the mid-p

Frame Aluxx-SL aluminium, 135mm travel Shock Fox Float DPS Performance Fork Fox 36 Float Rhythm, 150mm travel Wheels Shimano Sealed 110/148mm hubs, Giant AM29 rims, Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector29x2.5/2.4in tyres Drivetrain Shimano MT501 30t chains

130mm-travel trail bike with 29in wheels, carbon frame and progressive geometry Size-specific suspension kinematics mean the bike should be optimal for any size Fox Float Performance-level suspension, with 140mm-travel fork SRAM GX and NX drivetrain,

Frame T700 Carbon/ 6061 T6 aluminium, 140mm travel Shock RockShox Deluxe Select+ Forks RockShox Pike Select RC, 150mm travel Wheels DT Swiss M1900 wheels, Maxxis Assegai/ Dissector 29x2.5/ 2.4in tyres Drivetrain Shimano SLX M7100 30t 170mm chains

● UK-designed Reynolds heat-treated chromoly steel hardtail featuring slack and long geometry ● Built around a 150mm-travel RockShox Revelation suspension fork ● Customisable spec and colour accents via Ribble’s direct-sales BikeBuilder ● Three model

Frame Alloy, 150mm travel (148mm measured) Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ RT Fork RockShox Lyrik Select + RC, 160mm travel Wheels Alloy double sealed hubs, Race Face AR-30 rims, Maxxis High Roller II/Dissector29x2.5/2.4in tyres Drivetrain SR

Size ridden L Rider height 5ft 11in Head angle 63.9° Seat angle 68.5° Effective SA 75.4° BB height 333mm Chainstay 440mm Front centre 822mm Wheelbase 1,262mm Down tube 755mm Top tube 627mm Reach 480mm ■

Loss of consciousness/deteriorating conscious state Lying motionless on the ground Confusion/unusual behaviour change Increasing confusion or irritability Severe or increasing headache Severe neck pain/tenderness* Repeated vomiting Double-vision Seiz

● Alloy hardcore hardtail, with a 140mm fork and 29er wheels on the biggest sizes, 27.5in on the smallest ● Keen geometry for descending, with a slack head angle and long wheelbase ● Aggressive components: super-tacky tyres, powerful brakes, RockShox