Latest articles by Guy Kesteven
Chain Reaction has finally run out of Wiggle room, but will we learn any lessons from the death of the 'world's biggest bike shop'?
Opinion What impact will the collapse of Wiggle and Chain Reaction really have? In this week's Bespoken Word column, Guy Kesteven sifts through the wreckage of cycling’s biggest retailer collapse disaster
Does the power, versatility and real life practicality of Lezyne’s Macro Drive 1400+ make it the new after dark mountain biking benchmark?
Review Lezyne’s new bike light range majors on practical performance and the Macro Drive 1400+ seems like the absolute sweet spot
Rab Vapour Rise Cinder review – does fluffy teddy bear tech make Rab’s softshell jacket the ultimate lightweight all-rounder?
Review Rab’s Vapour Rise Cinder softshell adds a biking cut and features to one of their most popular fast moving mountain designs
Lewis LV2 Brake Set review – are these new stoppers the most powerful lightweight XC/trail/enduro bargain brakes you can buy?
Review If you want a lot of power for not much money or weight there’s a lot to like about Lewis's look–a–like LV2 brakes
Bespoken Word – maybe we should stop taking mountain biking so seriously and remember that riding is supposed to be fun
Opinion Guy Kesteven has a lot on his mind when it comes to mountain biking, but are we all taking things too seriously and losing sight of why we started mucking about on bikes in the first place?
SRAM’s new Maven brakes are the most powerful mountain bike stoppers we’ve ever tested. What are the secrets behind these ultimate anchors?
First ride SRAM’s new Maven brake is a totally new design, created to deliver ultimate stopping power for the most demanding riders. There’s a big change to their usual approach too, so what are the details that make this the most powerful one finger chaos controller we’ve ever used?
Canyon Spectral CF 7 KIS 2024 review – the best affordable trail MTB I’ve ever ridden
Review This entry-level model of Canyon’s evolved all-rounder is a brilliant value, full feature trail MTB with pop and play for endless days. Guy Kesteven has been testing the Spectral CF 7 and is several weeks deep into a love affair with it, so what makes this bike so good?
Specialized's new spring 2024 MTB clothing just went on sale. I've been testing it and here are my first impressions…
News Specialized have been producing excellent clothing for a while and the latest drop for SS24 turns performance up another click. Guy Kesteven has been riding in it for the past couple of months
All the best new MTB tech coming your way this year – we report from the first major bike show of 2024
News Guy Kesteven spent two days prowling the labyrinth of rooms at the Core Bike Show to ferret out the latest bike and equipment news he can tell you about and line up a lot more to get a jump on when it’s released later in the year
Bespoken Word – Is the bike industry basically toxic? The damaging effects of new product hype, personal hypocrisy and lessons in sustainable behaviour
Opinion Mountain biking certainly isn’t alone in having a dreadful track record of hyping new things and herding people forward with rapidly obsolete ‘must have’ tech. Guy Kesteven reckons we could and should do much better to be a more sustainable sport
Best mountain bike saddles 2024 – the top 6 most highly rated MTB seats we've tested
Buyer's Guide Whether pounding out the miles or winching back to the top of the trail is your thing, here is our round-up of the best mountain bike saddles
Truvativ Atmos Carbon flat bar and Atmos 7K stem review – Truvativ’s lightest conventional cockpit combo is XC light but trail tough
Review Truvativ have slipped off the radar of a lot of riders but this really well thought out XC/Trail cockpit combo shows they still produce great components at a decent price
Leatt HydraDri 7.0 Clip shoe review – sweet spot control, comfort, performance and protection for wet trail/enduro days
Review Leatt have added a clipless compatible version of their HydraDri 7.0 Flat shoe and several months of soggy riding rotation has left Guy Kesteven seriously impressed
Bespoken Word – was I mad choosing a dirt cheap wolf fleece over a pricey cycling jacket on a freezing night ride? Here's how it went
Opinion Is expensive bike clothing actually worth paying for? Wolf fleeces versus $330 jackets in part one of Guy Kesteven's winter of exposure experiments
Best mountain bike wheels 2024 – the lightest cross-country options to the strongest downhill MTB wheels
Buyer's Guide Upgrading to the best mountain bike wheels is one of the most significant modifications you can make to your bike, resulting in better overall control and more speed on the trail
Best chains for mountain bikes, gravel and road
Buyer's Guide Boost your performance with Bike Perfect's roundup of the best chains for mountain bikes, gravel and road
Best gravel bike wheels – top-rated wheels rated by our experts
Buyer's Guide The best gravel bike wheels borrow tech and ideas from both MTB and road, but which are the best for you?
Best mountain bike lights 2024 – 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
Bespoken Word – Are lightweight e–MTBs the future of mountain biking, or the very worst fusion of price, power and practicality?
Opinion Many brands are hoping that lightweight e–MTBs will power them clear of stagnant, overstocked conventional mountain bike market. Guy Kesteven has been spending a lot of time on the latest options, so what’s his hot take on lower powered, smaller battery, sub 20kg electric mountain bikes? Are they really the future, or are they just futile in terms of what performance boost they give compared to the extra cost, complexity, and reliability issues any e–MTB brings?
Whyte E-Lyte 140 Works review – Whyte’s lightest e-MTB is an outstanding further and faster flyer
Review Whyte’s new E–Lyte 140 Works gives outstanding fast and far performance, but can this Bosch SX powered superbike still play the trails or is it too cross country for comfort?
Bespoken Word – With funding issues really starting to bite, is mountain biking in real danger of not being able to see the wood for the trees?
Opinion Guy Kesteven was going to make this a simple and easy ‘moral panic’ piece about a couple of pieces of mountain biking (bad) news. But as usual, when he started thinking, things got complicated...
Gravel riding is going to be bigger than ever this year, so here are the top five bikes I can’t wait to ride in 2024
Feature Guy Kesteven has been getting dirty on drop bar bikes for nearly forty years. So what probable gravel bike launches is he most looking forward to in 2024 and what fantasy ‘all terrain’ machines would he like to appear on the mixed surface menu?
