Jim Bland

Jim Bland is a review and buyer's guide writer based in North Yorkshire, England. Jim’s chosen riding genre is hard to pinpoint and regularly varies from e-bike-assisted shuttle runs one day to cutting downcountry laps the next. Always on the hunt for the perfect setup, he can regularly be found hammering out test runs in odd shoes, playing with volume spacers or switching tires in between laps to see what performs best. His ultimate day out includes an alpine loam trail, blazing sunshine, and some fresh kit to test.

Rides: Santa Cruz Tallboy, Specialized Kenevo

Height: 170cm

Weight: 60kg

Articles by: Jim Bland

Andreane Lanthier racing Vittoria EWS Pietra Ligure 2020

Best enduro helmets 2022 – head protection for enduro bike riding and racing

By Jim Bland published 11 May 22

Buyer's Guide The best enduro helmets offer good ventilation and high levels of protection for riding fast on technical, DH-graded terrain

Best budget MTB wheelsets: Get the biggest bang for your buck with a high-performance upgrade

By Jim Bland published 10 March 22

Buyer's Guide The best budget MTB wheelsets will make your bike faster and more responsive – whatever your style of riding

A flat shoe and pedal near a bramble thicket

Best MTB flat pedal shoes: our expert pick for trail, DH and beyond

By Jim Bland published 16 February 22

Buyer's Guide Choosing the best MTB flat pedal shoes can help you build confidence and develop technique when you’re out on the trails

Hope F20 flat pedal review: pedals from the CNC-machining specialists

By Jim Bland published 15 February 22

Review The Hope F20 flat pedal is exceptionally well made with superb weather sealing but its blunt pins and almost flat profile means outright grip isn’t top level

Specialized 2FO Roost flat shoe review

By Jim Bland published 7 December 21

Review Specialized has reformulated its SlipNot ST rubber, but is it enough for the Roost to stick with the best flat pedal shoes

Race Face Ambush knee pad review

By Jim Bland published 11 November 21

Review The Race Face Ambush knee pad uses a classic design that offers good protection, but the bulky construction and complex strap system won’t be for everyone

Crankbrothers Stamp 3 flat pedal review

By Jim Bland published 5 November 21

Review It’s awesome that Crankbrothers offers the Stamp in two sizes to suit the full shoe size spectrum, but do the grip levels compete with the current class leaders?

Etnies Culvert flat pedal shoe review

By Jim Bland published 1 November 21

Review The Culvert shoe from Etnies looks amazing and the sticky rubber sole means pedal traction is good, but several flaws stop them from being our absolute favorites

Best mountain bikes: The fastest and most fun bikes for mountain biking

By Jim Bland published 15 October 21

Buyer's Guide From cross-country and downhill to electric-assisted e-MTBs, these are the best mountain bikes available

Alpinestars Paragon Plus knee pad review

By Jim Bland published 6 October 21

Review The Paragon Plus knee protectors from Alpinestars have plenty of potential but unwanted movement and slippage while pedaling prevent them from competing with our current favorite knee protectors

Best waterproof MTB trousers: Waterproof riding pants to keep the dirt and grime at bay

By Jim Bland published 1 October 21

Buyer's Guide The best waterproof MTB trousers are packed full of modern weather-resisting technologies so you can focus on riding and the trail ahead

7 Protection Sam Hill Knee Pad review

By Jim Bland published 26 September 21

Review The 7 Protection Sam Hill Knee Pad from 7 Protection is one of our favorite knee protectors, offering a secure fit, generous coverage, and a proven SAS-TEC insert for added safety

IXS Flow Evo+ Knee Guard review

By Jim Bland published 15 September 21

Review The Flow Evo+ from Swiss brand IXS packs an impressive punch into a rather compact design, but a shorter-than-average overall height limits protection and all-important aesthetic appearance

Sweet Protection Knee Pad with a five star review badge

Sweet Protection Knee Pad review

By Jim Bland published 8 September 21

Review With incredible levels of comfort, protection and security, the Sweet Protection Knee Pad has quickly become our go-to option for everything from aggressive trail riding to gravity-fuelled shuttle days

The best trail bike under £500: hit the trails for less than £500

By Jim Bland published 6 January 21

Buyer's Guide Bike Perfect’s guide to the best sub £500 trail bikes that provide tons of confidence-inspiring control at a very affordable price point

Best fat bike tires: a guide to our favorite fat mountain bike tires

By Jim Bland published 22 December 20

Buyer's Guides This year’s best fat bike tires that’ll boost your fat bike's performance on the trails

Best 24-inch mountain bikes: Top bikes for young shredders looking to hit the trails

By Jim Bland published 21 December 20

Buyer's Guide What are the best 24-inch mountain bikes for today’s youth riders? Bike Perfect lists the hottest 24-inch wheeled trail-ready rigs

Best helmets for BMX: how to choose the best BMX helmet for you

By Jim Bland published 19 October 20

Buyer's Guide Bike Perfect's roundup of the best BMX helmets you can buy

Best BMX shoes: the best looking and performing BMX shoes

By Jim Bland published 22 September 20

Buyer's Guide The best BMX shoes increase grip and comfort for the most control for skatepark sessions or lapping the pumptrack

WTB Judge 2.4 rear tire review

By Jim Bland published 14 September 20

Review The Judge is WTB’s burly rear-specific tire which targets the rowdiest of riders. Bike Perfect hits an array of trails to see how they fare against a heavy field of aggressive-treaded competition

WTB Vigilante 2.5in tire reviewed

By Jim Bland published 10 September 20

Review The Vigilante is a long-standing and top-performing member of WTB’s tire line-up, but can a new rubber blend and wider width improve its trusty performance even more? Bike Perfect hit the trails to find out

Cane Creek Helm MKII Air fork reviewed

By Jim Bland published 1 September 20

Review Can Cane Creek’s latest Helm fork compete with the current market leaders? Bike Perfect hits the toughest enduro trails in the French Alps to find out

Kenda Pinner Pro tire review

By Jim Bland published 19 June 20

Review How does a tyre designed by one of the world’s best racers perform as a hard-charging aggressive all-rounder?

Kask Defender helmet reviewed

By Jim Bland published 23 April 20

Review Despite its good looks, the Kask Defender is let down by its lack of modern safety technology, budget feel and sky-high price point

Leatt Velocity 6.5 goggles review

By Jim Bland published 20 March 20

Review If out-and-out protection is your main priority the Velocity goggles from Leatt feature a legitimately bulletproof lens and a rock-solid construction with great on-trail performance