Latest articles by Guy Kesteven
Best mountain bike gloves – top-rated full-finger gloves for every trail and situation
Buyer's Guide Our expert pick of the top glove options that give ultimate grip and protection all year round
Best MTB grips 2025 – our testers' picks of the models that will improve your mountain bike's comfort and handling
Buyer's Guide Choosing the best MTB grips will give you maximum comfort and control of your bike wherever you ride
Best MTB pants – we test top mountain bike trousers for full-length trail and gravity protection
Buyer's Guide MTB pants have radically improved over the past few years, making full-leg coverage a popular option all year round. Our experts review and rank the best models available
Best MTB trail tires 2025 – we test 12 totally sorted options for hitting the trails
Buyer's Guide Our pick of the best trail-orientated MTB tires for ultimate grip, support and predictability in all conditions
Best budget full-suspension mountain bikes 2024 – full-sus MTB performance has never been so affordable
Buyer's Guide Our expert picks of cheap full-suspension MTBs that will boost your control and confidence on any trail
Best mountain biking flat shoes – top-rated trail and gravity riding shoes tested by our experts
Buyer's Guide The best flat pedal MTB shoes we've tested for maximum grip and confidence when you’re out on the trails
Best XC tires 2024 – our expert pick of the fastest rolling mountain bike tires for maximum speed and control
Buyer's Guide Cross-country tires are the lightest and fastest MTB rubber. You need to be able to finish if you're looking to finish first though and race conditions can really vary too. Our XC experts have tested the latest race tires to find the very best options for how and where you ride
Continental’s Olympic and World Championship XC winning Race King Protection is the fastest rolling MTB tire I’ve ever ridden, but it’s not for the nervous
Review I’ve been riding Continental’s Race King tire to find out what focusing on ultimate rolling speed rather than reassuring grip feels like on the trail
Schwalbe Rocket Ron XC tire review – our favorite all-condition race tire
Review Can Schwalbe’s Rocket Ron Addix Speed Super Race really combine XC speed with trail style grip and is there anyone it won’t work for?
Best MTB flat pedals – 9 top options for trail and gravity riding
Buyer's Guide Our expert testers' pick of the grippiest and toughest mountain bike flat pedals you can buy
Is GT's Sensor ST Carbon Pro full-suspension MTB cheap at half the price?
Review GT's carbon fiber, short-travel trail bike is one of many being sold super cheap right now. Guy Kesteven and his northern test team have been riding it for months to see if it's actually worth buying
The all-new Calibre Bossnut is a fantastic comeback and only a shock tweak away from being a totally awesome budget full-sus MTB
Review The affordable mountain bike market has never had more excellent, new, or 'old stock sold cheap’ options than it does now. So is the all-new Calibre Bossnut a straight to the top comeback? Guy Kesteven has been putting the hours in to tell you exactly what you need to know about this awesome affordable all-rounder
Best mountain bike lights – top MTB lights reviewed and rated by our test team
Buyer's Guide Ride your favorite trail at night with the best mountain bike lights
Where does Vittoria’s new Peyote XC Race Formulation tire rank in the race rubber grid? Veteran velocity tire tester Guy Kesteven has been riding one for months to find out
Review Vittoria’s Peyote XC Race Formulation uses combines their latest rubber compound and carcass with a distinctive new tread pattern, but how does it compare to other high speed tires in a range of conditions?
Best full-suspension mountain bikes – our pick of the top XC, downcountry, and trail MTBs
Buyer's Guide Which full-suspension mountain bikes are the pick of bunch for XC, downcountry, and trail riding? We've tested the best full-suspension machines for whatever you ride
Has Vittoria improved its legendary Mezcal tires with the latest XC Race Formulation version? I’ve been riding them in all conditions to find out
Review Will Mezcal’s fanatically loyal fan base still love the latest version and who else should now consider using the bigger, tougher, more controlled version of this classic speed tire?
Is Manitou’s Mattoc Pro a real lightweight trail fork alternative to RockShox and Fox?
Review Does Manitou’s mid-travel Mattoc Pro perform well enough to tell the suspension sheep to flock off? Guy Kesteven has been riding two sets for several months to find out
I’ve been testing Panaracer’s all-new GravelKing X1 and X1R tires since spring, find out why they’re now my favorite mid-price, mixed-surface all-rounders
Review It’s been ten years since Panaracer became the first brand to release a dedicated gravel tire that became an instant classic. A decade later has its latest design retaken the mixed surface crown and become the true GravelKing again?
Best bike torque wrenches 2025 – tighten your bike bolts to perfection
Buyer's Guide Never overtighten a bolt again with our pick of the best torque wrenches and torque keys
Santa Cruz’s awesome new Hightower is basically an enduro bike that can still do epic day rides
Review More travel, smoother suspension and rowdier angles make Hightower hardcore enduro ready but it’ll still run with the pedal pack all day
The new Schwalbe Racing Ray might just be the best front-specific MTB tire around. I’ve been testing it alongside National Champions to find out just how good it is
Review Racing Ray is one of Schwalbe’s newest tires but it’s a perfect front match for the legendary Racing Ralph when it comes to exceptional speed with more grip than you’d expect
Is the latest version of Schwalbe’s Racing Ralph rear tire still the benchmark blend of straight line speed, sublime feel and surprising grip?
Review Were Schwalbe’s XC speed tire fans right to be worried when Racing Ralph got a complete redesign or is Ralph V2.0 an even better, faster all-rounder?
Best waterproof MTB pants 2025 – riding trousers to keep you dry on the trails
Buyer's Guide The best waterproof MTB pants are packed full of modern weather-resisting technologies so you can focus on riding and the trail ahead
The WTB Macro XC tire – will this race-ready rubber go straight to the front of the pack? I tested them to find out
Review WTB haven’t had new rubber in the XC game for a long time, so how does the new Macro measure up to the other podium contenders in the speed, grip and survival stakes?
Best trail mountain bikes – the top-rated trail MTBs you can buy right now
Buyer's Guide Trail bikes have become the ultimate do-everything MTBs, efficient on the climbs and confident on the descents. Here's our pick of the best bikes available, every one has been fully tested by our expert team
