Tess Agnew

The aim of enduro racing is simple: get you and your bike to the top of a mountain or trail, and ride back down as fast as you can. Downhill stages are timed, uphill transfers between them are untimed, and the rider with the shortest cumulative downhill stage time wins. In this guide, we delve into more detail on enduro mountain biking including how it started, how races work and which major global enduro events to follow, with training tips for riders.

Active Sussex case study: Brighton and Hove Girls Mountain Bike Network is our free and inclusive female-focused youth project, targeting teens aged 12-17. I'm one of five founding volunteer leaders of this project, affiliated with Active4MooD and LifeCycle Brighton.

The decision between a coil vs air shock mountain bike suspension is not necessarily about which is faster – but more about how it feels. While both coil and air shock systems do the same job of supporting you and the bike through rough terrain, there are key differences in ride feel, tuneability, performance and maintenance – as well as actual compatibility with your bike – that will be the deciding factor.

Whether you power your ride for commuting, adventure, leisure or e-cargo, your electric bike battery is the beating heart of your trusty steed. So knowing how to look after it is crucial to keeping your e-bike riding smoothly (and safely) for longer.

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of geometry numbers when choosing between a downhill vs enduro bike, but it really boils down to one question: do you want to pedal or push up the climbs? If it’s the former, only one will do.

In this guide we explain the differences between enduro vs downhill bike geometry, and what the numbers mean for how they’ll ride, to help you beat decision fatigue.

The trail bike is the broadest of mountain bike categories and more versatile than enduro across a wider range of terrain. It’s this versatility that can sometimes cause confusion over which bike is best, when subtle changes in geometry can make such a huge impact on how the bike rides. Both mountain bike types can climb, both can descend, both love a bit of flow, so how do you choose between enduro vs trail?
Let’s dive into the detail to help you decide…

High winds forced the cancellation of Red Bull Hardline 2023. But though the winners’ podium stood empty, there were plenty of personal triumphs for women riders sessioning the course at the Hardline Progression Camp.

ADVERTORIAL The Strive:ON is the eMTB version of Canyon’s race-winning Strive enduro bike. E-Enduro burst onto the world stage in 2020 with a thrilling new format specifically designed for e-bikes. In the electrified version, Liaison Stages play a pivotal role with tighter than ever timings and a ton more singletrack.
If you’re venturing into this exciting new world, you’ll want a bomb-proof bike with race-proven handling; a bike with updated geometry that can munch up the monster eMTB climbs and go all-out on the descents.

ADVERTORIAL Troy Lee Designs launches its first e-bike certified helmet with the Flowline and Flowline SE. It’s eight years since Troy Lee Designs’ game-changing A1 half shell trail helmet took the market by storm, and in true TLD style, the Flowline is set to be the best e-bike helmet available. It’s certainly the safest and most stylish e-bike helmet you can buy at this price point right now.

Working with Sustrans and the Bikeability Trust to lead girls' bike club sessions and support delivery of Bikeability training at a secondary school in Sussex. Teenage girls are less likely to participate in Bikeability training or cycling than boys. This pilot project tested a model to deliver training and increasing participation.

If smashing the most demanding technical descents and sending it down bike park jump lines is your kind of riding, you’re probably wondering which downhill bike to buy.
In this guide we go over the need-to-knows for buying your first downhill mountain bike, answering what a downhill bike actually is, how much they cost, are they worth it, what size downhill bike you need and all the gear to go with it.

Singletrack flow, XC adventure, rocky bike park trails – if a bit of everything is your type of mtb, let’s talk about the trail mountain bike. A jack of all trades and master of many, the trail bike is the ultimate do-it-all machine, with enough travel to tackle technical trails and geometry built for comfort and confidence. But straddling so many different types of riding style is bound to bring up questions when deciding which trail bike to buy. Can a trail bike do XC? Is 100mm travel enough for trail riding? How much does a trail bike cost? All of this and more is answered in our guide.

Want a bike that can handle full gravity downhill but still power up the climbs? You probably want an enduro mountain bike. Whether you’re getting into mtb enduro racing, or just want to be sufficiently biked for the big stuff with enough pedal power to get you to the top so you can throw yourself down again, our Enduro Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide explains all so you can pick the right bike for your budget.

Strength training is one of the most important things to incorporate into your weekly routine. Traditionally the weights areas in gyms have been very male-dominated, which can be intimidating for women to get started with strength training, especially if you’re not sure what you should be doing and don’t have a plan to follow.

The first line of defence against the nightmare of bike theft is a solid and dependable D lock for your bike. The second line of defence is knowing how to lock your bike (properly), so thieves can’t make away with your frame and leave you with a sorry-looking wheel.
D locks (also known as U locks), come in many different sizes, materials, Sold Secure ratings, and price ranges. So, choosing the best D lock for your bike can be confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for.