Page 3 - Blog

Tyre choice can be a complete minefield. Which tread pattern, what compound, what size, what width? Here we lay out the best Maxxis tyres combo. The list is endless! Maxxis make a huge range of tyres and are by far our most popular MTB tyre brand, but we still get asked what is the best tyre combo from their huge range? Well, it depends on what bike you ride and where you ride! We’ve compiled a recommended list to help you find the best tyres for your riding. For the full low-down on the Maxxis range, check out our video with Bike Expert Tom to learn all you need to know!

The world of mountain bike suspension can all feel a bit mind-boggling sometimes. You might have all the dials and adjustments in the world but if you don't know what they are and how to get the best from them... well, you can quickly turn your very expensive suspension into something resembling a pogo stick or worse, an office chair! To help, we've put together this guide to decipher what-is-what on your suspension and how it affects your bike and the ride.

Depending on your bike and suspension, you may have none or all of these adjustments available! Take note of what you need to know about your bike and dig in to get the most out of your suspension.

Single/Double/Triple crown

The arch that connects the two legs of a fork. This is usually a single connection but on downhill mountain bikes it is 2 connections (double) or even three (triple) for extra strength and stability.

Stanchion(s)

These are the smooth and visible tubes on a fork that

A huge brown box on your doorstep can mean only one thing: NEW BIKE DAY! But how do you turn the contents of that box into a rideable bike? All of the bikes we sell are given a Pre-delivery Inspection (PDI) by our workshop team, so all you need to do is follow a few quick steps and you're good to go. With the help of our Bike Expert Tom, here's our quick setup guide for how to build a bike and get it ready to ride!

What you'll need:

• Multitool / Torque wrench
• Pedal Spanner

Step 1: Remove packaging

To ensure your new ride arrives to you in

Going tubeless is one of the biggest upgrades you can make to your bike. You'll have better puncture protection, more grip, more comfort and improved rolling resistance - that's a whole lot of wins for a minimal amount of fuss! It can still be intimidating however the first time you go to do a 'DIY tubeless' setup, so with the help of our Bike Expert Tom, here's our guide to setting up your tyres tubeless!

Step 1: Make sure you have everything you need

Before you get started, you need to ensure you have suitable wheels

We all know we should wear a helmet whenever we go for a ride, even if it's just a gentle spin around the block. What's just as important as wearing any old helmet though, is making sure you have the right one for you; it needs to fit properly and offer the right amount of protection for your needs. No point wearing a full-face helmet on the road for example, and you don't see the folks dropping in at Red Bull Rampage with roadie lids either! Here's the definitive cycling helmet guide to help you get the right helmet for your riding!

Road & Urban

For the road, there are a couple of styles of helmet out, ranging from your traditional road-style lids through to more urban focussed styles that are toned-down to look a bit more casual. If you're a pure roadie,

Mountain bike upgrades or road bike upgrades can feel a constant itch that needs to be scratched. Splashing the cash on changes can feel great but are you getting your money's worth from your spending?

There are certain areas on your bike where it's more prudent to spend your money than others, so while it might be tempting to drop your coin on a fancy drivetrain or carbon accessories, spending it elsewhere on the bike will net you a bigger performance gain and help you have more fun on the trail, even if that means you have less blingy-gear bragging rights on the road or trail!

Using our vastly experienced team of upgrade fanatics and addicts, we've picked out the best places to upgrade your bike, so you can feel the biggest benefit on your next ride!

Wheels

The first place you should upgrade on any bike if you have the means to do it is the wheels. As the key rotating part of your bike, going for a better set of wheels can transform your bike more than

As simple a creation, the bicycle is, modern bikes can be packed with incredible, cutting-edge technology. One such example is wireless electronic drivetrains. SRAM introduced their first eTap wireless road bike groupset back in 2015 and since then they've expanded it to their MTB line with Eagle AXS and even down to midrange GX Eagle MTB and Rival road options.

Do those extra units of currency add tangible performance benefits? Is it just another gimmick to make us part with our cash? Seven years since its inception the technology still costs a pretty penny and there are many who argue that it just isn't worth the extra outlay for just decluttering the front of your bike.

Let's take a dive in and find out if wireless really is worth

Keeping your chain clean and well lubed is key to a happy bike; there's nothing more shameful than a rusty and squeaky chain! It's something so simple but is often the most neglected part of bikes we see pass through our workshop, even on our own bikes sometimes! But take of your chain and it'll perform better and last longer, improving your whole riding experience, with smoother shifting and quieter running. Not only that, it'll help your cassette and chainring last longer, saving you money there too, which is no bad thing when a cassette can run as much £300 or more these days! Here we, with the help of Muc-Off, break down what lube is best for certain conditions and how to keep your chain looking and running like new.

Keeping it clean

Just throwing more and more lube on your chain is not the right approach, contrary to what many believe. Too much lube will attract

We're going to skip right to the point here. SRAM's eagle AXS drivetrain is nuts. It's brilliant. It's expensive. Very expensive. But my word is it cool! Review done. Well, not quite. Since it was launched around 18 months ago, SRAM's Eagle AXS drivetrains have been on everyone's must try list. For many the cost is an issue, the latest kit is never cheap. Is it truly a gamechanger, or is it a solution to problem that doesn't really exist? We went through the tech details in our preview post last year, so if you want the full low-down on the specs, give it a read. Here we're focussed on what it's like to live with and how it performs out on the trail. We've had an X01 Eagle AXS upgrade kit for a few months and put it to the test to find out.

Installation

First things first, we had to fit the upgrade

It's that time of year when we need to ruin the lovely clean look of our bikes and clutter them with mudguards in order to keep ourselves looking slightly more human and much less bog monster! Thankfully, mudguards these days are far superior to what has gone before and some even look kinda cool on the right bike. Whether you rule the road or rip the trails, mudguards will help keep you dry and stop you ruining your fancy winter clothing. Here's out top picks for road bikes, commuters and mountain bikers.

Road & commuting mudguards

The big downside to riding on the road, whether that be for fun, training or commuting is spray from the road. Mud is not much too much of an issue, unless you ride rural country roads for example, but for most water spray from wet road surfaces can get you drenched in no time. And if you ride in a group, you'll drenching whichever poor soul is behind you too! Getting a quality set of mudguards then can make a world of difference to your