
Guy Kesteven
Guy Kesteven is Bike Perfect's technical editor-at-large. Hatched in Yorkshire, he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He started writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and he reviews MTBs over on YouTube.
Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem
Height: 180cm
Weight: 69kg
Latest articles by Guy Kesteven

MTB legend Gary Fisher gives us the lowdown on Morelle – his radical new e-bike venture
By Guy Kesteven Last updated
News We chat to the original mountain bike hype beast, who says his Morelle e-bikes will be lighter, faster to charge and easier to own

I’ve been wearing Leatt’s HydraDri 4.0 MTB jacket through the worst winter and spring weather and this is what I learned
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review Can clever features create outstanding performance from an OK fabric in Leatt’s mid-level, weather beating jacket?

Best bike chain lubes – our top-rated options for a better running drivetrain
By Guy Kesteven Last updated
Buyer's Guide Keeping your chain properly lubricated is a vital step in maintaining a happy drivetrain. We pick the best lubes for use on any kind of bike

Best gravel bike tires – our test team's top-rated rubber for drop-bar dirt road rides
By Graham Cottingham Last updated
Buyer's Guide Combining road and mountain biking tire technology, these are the fastest and grippiest gravel bike tires available

Leatt HydraDri 5.0 Mountain Bike Pants review – tough South African weather protection for your southern regions
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review It’s been a grim winter for riding in the UK, but a great winter for testing tough, waterproof gear like Leatt’s latest full feature, tailored fit trousers

Crankbrothers Candy Lace XC/gravel shoes review – are these retro-looking Candy shoes the sweet spot of comfort and performance?
By Guy Kesteven Published
review I’ve been putting ride time into Crankbrothers Candy Lace shoes months before their release, so why have they become firm favorites and will they work for you too?

How to defend against ticks while mountain biking and what to do if you find a tick on your body
By Guy Kesteven Published
Opinion Riding down the woods with your mates is ace, but it's time to start watching out for vampire hitchhikers and the infections they can carry says Guy Kesteven in this week's Bespoken Word column

Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but mountain bike pronouns just confuse me
By Guy Kesteven Published
Opinion Mountain biking has been surrounded by naming controversy literally since it started, But as we head into another season of working out what different race and bike categories actually mean. In this week's Bespoken Word column, Guy Kesteven reckons it’s time to get the Harry Potter Sorting Hat out again

6 crucial signs you definitely need a new mountain bike
By Guy Kesteven Published
Features Expert bike tester and tech editor, Guy Kesteven, reveals his 6 big ‘cease and desist’ bike check indicators that confirm it’s time to stop riding and start shopping

Bespoken Word – surely this sodden winter of MTB discontent can’t last much longer?
By Guy Kesteven Published
Opinion Guy Kesteven has had enough of the endless filthy trails and cleaning aftermath of the last few months in the UK. But surely it’ll get better soon?

Best electric mountain bikes – the top-rated e-MTBs we've tested
By Rich Owen Last updated
Buyer's Guide With a motor between the cranks, the best e-MTBs unlock huge potential for increasing your riding range and powering up the climbs. Here's our expert pick...

Could the fall and rise of vinyl and record shops show us the future for bikes and bike shops?
By Guy Kesteven Published
Opinion In this week's Bespoken Word column, Guy Kesteven looks sideways into the music industry to see if there are some interesting parallels for where bike shops might be heading

Troy Lee Designs Grail review – the brand's first ‘any bike’ helmet for riders who want MTB-style protection without a peak
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review Troy Lee are impact protection icons in mountain bike and motocross and now they've pulled the peak off their popular Flowline MTB helmet to make a multipurpose lifestyle lid

Yeti ASR T3 XO review – is this the ultimate deep pocket downcountry race bike for technical trail and heritage brand fans?
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review Yeti are charging back into the XC race/trail scene after almost a decade away. Guy Kesteven has been getting his teeth into their radical slack steering and deep sag design to see how it compares with the best of the rest

Bespoken Word – How you can genuinely change the future of mountain biking in the UK
By Guy Kesteven Published
opinion Have your voice heard and help shape the future of mountain biking by filling in the SRAM DMBinS UK Trails Project survey today

Specialized Epic 8 vs Epic 8 Evo – two brilliant new bikes, but which short travel ripper is the right one for you?
By Guy Kesteven Published
Features Specialized’s new Epic 8 and Epic 8 Evo share the same frame but ride very differently. Guy Kesteven has tested both and is perfectly placed to explain which is the best lightweight trail weapon for you

Best XC mountain bikes 2026 – the fastest bikes we’ve tested for cross-country, downcountry and trail
By Guy Kesteven Last updated
Buyer's Guide We select the best XC mountain bikes for flat-out cross country and marathon racing, as well as fast, efficient recreational riding

Specialized S-Works Epic 8 review – ultra high-tech, superlight but trail-tough XC race superbike
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review With an Olympics to win 2024 is going to be a big year for XC bikes. Specialized has thrown down a serious challenge to the rest of the pack with its ultra-tech, ultra-fast, and freaky fun S-Works Epic 8

Specialized Epic 8 Evo Pro review – "the mixture of lightweight speed and middleweight control blew me away"
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review Specialized’s cult favorite rowdy XC winner jumps up a whole weight category to burly downcountry. Our expert tester, Guy Kesteven, still absolutely loved it though

RockShox SID Flight Attendant review – the smartest and fastest XC MTB suspension ever?
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review RockShox's latest 'Ride Adaptive' Flight Attendant has already won several XCO and XCC World Cups, but what’s it actually like to ride and do you really need it? Guy Kesteven has his expert opinion dialed in already

Best mountain bike pedals – our favorite clipless and flat mountain bike pedals
By Guy Kesteven Last updated
Buyer's Guide Check out our pick of the best mountain bike pedals, covering all the options from trail and cross-country to enduro and downhill mountain biking

Trek is slashing the number of bikes it offers by 40%. This is what that means for your favorite brands in the future
By Guy Kesteven Published
Opinion In part one of a new ‘What Happens Next?’ series, Guy Kesteven has some dark warnings about what’s going to happen to a lot of bike brands in the next few years

Endura MT500 Thermal L/S II – this MTB and gravel top has been our go-to choice for riding this winter
By Guy Kesteven Published
Review It’d be easy to pass over the MT500 Thermal Long Sleeve II top in Endura’s vast clothing range, but you’d be missing a top performing multi-purpose winner

Best budget MTB wheels – performance boosting bargain upgrades
By Jim Bland Last updated
Buyer's Guide These bargain MTB wheelsets will make your bike faster and more responsive – whatever your style of riding

Best tubeless tire sealant for bikes – expert choice for MTB, gravel and road tires
By Guy Kesteven Last updated
Buyer's Guide Buying the best tubeless tire sealant means less time fixing flat tires and more time riding your bike. Find out everything you need to know to pick the right sealant for your riding needs