Photo: Greg Heil Singletracks is stoked to officially announce our new Managing Editor, Greg Heil. Long-time readers will remember Greg as our former editor with a zeal for exploring and sharing the best places to ride while absolutely abusing review bikes and equipment. He’s also known for having an opinion or two about the world of mountain biking, and he’s not afraid to share his honest thoughts with readers. And we’re incredibly stoked to have him back. “It’s wild to think that I’m right back where my career in outdoor media began, and even after 14 years, I find myself more passionate tha ..read more

Pity the poor Presta valve. It seems everyone is trying to kill it. At the Sea Otter Classic last week, we learned about three brands with new takes on the ubiquitous valve standard, which has been little changed since its invention in the 1800s. Two of the brands had their products on display, while the third is still in stealth mode and will be launching later this year. Stans Tubeless Exo-Core valves The new Stans Exo-Core valve is clearly bent on improving how Presta valves work with tubeless tire sealant because, well, Stans is all about sealant. In 2021 ..read more

evo is kicking off the Spring bike season with components, helmets and clothing up to 40% off. Some classics like DHaRCO Gravity shorts and the Fox 34 are on sale. Here are the perfect deals for refreshing your kit and your bike. And evo isn’t the only one with deals, the Planet Cyclery closing sale has up to 30% off sitewide savings and there are plenty of mountain bike deals. Don’t forget to sign up for our email list and get deals like these delivered to your inbox! DHaRCO Gravity Shorts $106.00 | $75.00 sale The DHaRCO Gravity shorts feature DWR-coated, four-way stretch materi ..read more

All photos: Tommy Mulvoy Since I started seriously riding bikes 25 years ago, I have broken my shoulder blade, index finger, numerous ribs, and something called a coracoid process. I have also bruised my lung and tailbone, sprained my shoulder and wrist, and have enough road rash on my hips, elbows, and shoulders to garner looks when I go swimming. My shins look like I kicked a barbed wire fence. With injuries on my mind, I bought my son, Aksel, a bike for his first birthday. I set up his shiny blue Strider Balance Bike on its rocker base and, after eating cake, helped him climb on. Within min ..read more

Planet Cyclery and sister brand Colorado Cyclist are closing up shop, according to messages on their websites, and both are offering up to 30% off items sitewide. The deepest discounts appear to be on past season cycling clothing but prices seem to vary by color and size. We did some digging and found popular products from big brands like Shimano, SRAM, Kuat, and ENVE have been marked down and inventory is already looking limited. Note: Assume these sales are final as there is no word of the actual closing date. Shimano XT M8120 Disc Brake and Lever – Pair $459.99 | $224.96 sale Two brakes f ..read more

Photo: Leah Barber Just to be clear, mountain biking is awesome. It’s hard to think of another activity lifestyle that’s as healthy and as rewarding as mountain biking, not to mention the community of riders around the world. At the same time, there’s always room for improvement, even when you’re #1. We want to know what, if anything, frustrates you about our sport. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. What is your top mountain bike frustration? * Bikes and/or gear are too expensive Not enough trails Bikes require too much maintenance/repair Lack of community Requir ..read more

All photos Jeff Barber unless otherwise noted. Pinarello is an Italian brand known for their world-beating road bikes, and now they’re applying that winning knowledge to the realm of cross-country mountain bike racing. This isn’t the first time Pinarello has marketed a mountain bike; in fact, the Pinarello Dogma XC isn’t even a new model for the brand, having first debuted in 2013 before quietly disappearing. However it’s clear the latest Dogma XC is not messing around, with Olympic gold medals in its sights. I wanted to see what it feels like to ride a $13,000 top-level XC race bike with the ..read more

Building phase 1 of the Baker’s Park trail system. Photo: Jess Didion, courtesy IMBA The iconic mountain bike experience has long been synonymous with epic rides in big mountains, deep forests, and desolate desert landscapes. In fact, the sport was founded on endless backcountry singletrack trails in places like Crested Butte, and as a result, riders have spent decades seeking out epic loop rides like trail Trail 401 or point-to-point shuttles like the Monarch Crest. While those epics still attract throngs of mountain bikers today, as the tireless trail advocates at the International Mountain ..read more

Gear Watch Wednesday is a weekly update on the latest mountain bike gear releases and products that Singletracks has received for test. Have gear news to share, or products you’d like us to check out? Email jeff@singletracks.com. Sea Otter is kicking off tomorrow and ahead of the festival, many mountain bike brands are releasing new and updated products which means this week’s Gear Watch is PACKED. So, we’ve divided the news into two articles, one for bikes (here) and this one for products. All photos provided by the respective brands unless otherwise noted. Digit Ring Digit turned a lot of he ..read more

All photos provided by RockShox. The RockShox Psylo suspension fork is back with new and updated tech and a compelling price tag. Offered in 27.5″ and 29″ versions and with travel amounts ranging from 130-160mm, the Psylo is targeting trail bikes and eMTBs too. RockShox Psylo key specs 130-160mm travel, available in 10mm increments Weight: 2320g (160mm travel, 44mm offset) 27.5″ and 29″ versions available Isolator RC damper and Debonair air spring Fender included Price: $539 Buy from RockShox retailers With the (re)launch of the Psylo, RockShox has a new damper, the Isolator RC. The three-po ..read more