Rich Owen
Rich Owen has led the Bikeperfect.com team since he joined in 2021. He's worked as a journalist and editor for over 24 years, with 12 years specializing in cycling media. Rich has previously been the editor of What Mountain Bike magazine, and has written for many cycling magazines and websites, including – Bikeradar.com, Mountain Biking UK, MBUK.com, Off-Road.cc, and Cycling Plus. Rich bought his first mountain bike (a Scott Tampico) in 1995 and has been riding MTB for almost 30 years. He likes hitting flowy yet technical trails and is a jack of many MTB trades, competing in cross-country, enduro and long-distance races over the years. A resident of North Devon, he can mostly be found pedaling furiously around his local trails, or slightly further afield on Exmoor and elsewhere in Britain's southwest.
Current rides: Merida One-Forty 6000, Banshee Paradox, YT Jeffsy Core 3, Saracen Ariel 30 Pro
Height: 175cm
Weight: 69kg
Latest articles by Rich Owen
Best budget full-suspension mountain bikes 2024 – full-sus MTB performance has never been so affordable
By Guy Kesteven last updated
Buyer's Guide Our expert picks of cheap full-suspension MTBs that will boost your control and confidence on any trail
Don't buy a budget hardtail! The full-sus Calibre Bossnut is the best-value MTB right now with a massive £500 price cut in this Black Friday MTB deal
By Rich Owen last updated
Get the brand new version of this brilliant full-suspension mountain bike for just £999
Best mountain biking flat shoes 2024 – top-rated trail and gravity riding shoes tested by our experts
By Rich Owen last updated
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 MTB flat pedals 2024 – 9 top options for trail and gravity riding
By Rich Owen last updated
Buyer's Guide Our expert testers' pick of the grippiest and toughest mountain bike flat pedals you can buy
Best mountain bike lights 2024 – top MTB lights reviewed and rated by our test team
By Rich Owen last updated
Buyer's Guide Ride your favorite trail at night with the best mountain bike lights
Best full-suspension mountain bikes 2024 – we put the top XC, downcountry, and trail MTBs to the test
By Guy Kesteven last updated
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
Best Garmin watch for MTB 2024 – we test smartwatches tough enough to handle all-condition riding on mountain bike trails
By Rich Owen last updated
Buyer's Guide We've picked out the best Garmin smartwatches for MTB and cycling off-road, recording your rides and following routes
Santa Cruz's brand-new Vala e-MTB gets Bosch's latest full-power motor but ditches VPP. I've ridden it and it's one hell of a bike
By Rich Owen published
First ride The full-power Heckler is no more, but here comes the Vala to fill Santa Cruz's mid-travel e-MTB void
Best bike torque wrenches 2024 – tighten your bike bolts to perfection
By Paul Norman last updated
Buyer's Guide Never overtighten a bolt again with our pick of the best torque wrenches and torque keys
Topeak D-Torque Wrench review – super precise digital tool
By Rich Owen published
Review A good torque wrench is a workshop essential, we test a digital model to see if its worth the extra investment
Santa Cruz pitches its new Hightower 4 as the mythical MTB that can truly ride everything
By Rich Owen published
News The Californian brand reveals the latest generation of its massively popular Hightower, but it's tweaks, nips and tucks rather than radical changes
Best waterproof MTB pants 2024 – riding trousers to keep you dry on the trails
By Jim Bland last updated
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
Fox Union BOA Flat review – high-performance flat pedal shoes with a high price tag
By Rich Owen published
review Fox ditch the laces on the original Union Flat shoes for a wired fastening
After three days of wild riding and partying, the EX Enduro proves why it's the UK's number one 'must ride' MTB race weekender
By Rich Owen published
News While heavy weather meant some tricky riding conditions, it didn't dampen the good vibes emanating from Exmoor
Best trail mountain bikes 2024 – the top-rated trail MTBs you can buy right now
By Rich Owen last updated
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
Best GPS computers for mountain biking 2024 – the top-rated MTB GPS computers ranked by our testers
By Paul Brett last updated
Buyer's Guide Fed up with getting lost on the trails, or are you looking for a way to record your rides? Here's our round-up of the best GPS computers for mountain biking
Best mountain bike jerseys 2024 – our highest-rated cycling tops
By Rich Owen last updated
Buyer's Guide MTB jerseys need to fit well, be tough enough to ride in, and keep you looking and feeling fresh in all riding conditions. Here's our test team's pick of the best
YT Jeffsy Core 4 review – MK3 version of the excellent all-mountain bike
By Rich Owen published
Review Rich Owen was a big fan of the previous Jeffsy, so what does he think of the latest Core 4 version after months of using it as his daily driver?
Crankbrothers Stamp Trail Lace review – lighter weight flat pedal shoes ideal for summer riding
By Rich Owen published
Review The Stamp Lace flat shoe is reinvented as the Stamp Trail Lace with a host of changes and updates
Best MTB bottle cages 2024 – top-rated, secure and easy-to-use cages for off-road riding
By Rich Owen last updated
Buyer's Guide Our test team's pick of the best MTB bottle cages to keep your water bottle secure out on the trails
Endura MT500 Burner Lite Pant review – lightweight MTB trousers
By Rich Owen published
Review Lighter-weight pants designed for trail bombing in warmer weather
So what if Prime Day has finished? Here are 10 top deals on excellent MTB products I use all the time that aren't from Amazon
By Rich Owen published
Deal I've picked out the best US and UK deals on genuinely useful mountain bike products from across the internet – but none of them are from Amazon
These tubeless valves look seriously trick and cost just $12. I've just bought a set in this Amazon Prime Day cycling deal
By Rich Owen published
Deal The alloy valves come in 12 colors, four lengths and have core tools included, so why pay more?