2025 Rocky Mountain Element: First Ride Review

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2025 Rocky Mountain Element: First Ride Review

The Rocky Mountain Element has been updated for 2025 with a new flexstay suspension design, shaving 350 grams from the frame weight while increasing rear-end stiffness. Despite the lighter weight, the Element remains a progressive cross-country platform that balances efficiency and capability. Read on for Morgan’s initial impressions and photos of the new Element.

The Search for the Perfect Noodle: An Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer Review

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The Search for the Perfect Noodle: An Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer Review

For Morgan Taylor, there’s a magical nexus that happens when a bike has a certain amount of frame flex and low-trail randonneuring geometry. In this long-term review of Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer, Morgan recounts how past bikes have contributed to this preferred combination and then offers an in-depth look at why the NFE might just be the perfect noodle.

Stridsland Beachcomber Pre-Orders Open Thursday

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Stridsland Beachcomber Pre-Orders Open Thursday

Following up on the epic Stridsland Beachcomber Origin Story Matias penned for us earlier this month, pre-orders for Beachcomber framesets in both steel and titanium are going live on the Stridsland site Thursday, February 1, at 16:00 CET (07:00 PST).

Matias sent through some fresh photos of his Ti Beachcomber with the custom-sized partial Wit Slingers frame bags he’s offering with the framesets and DANG does it look good.

Hooked on a Feeling: How I Prepped for Atlas Mountain Race

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Hooked on a Feeling: How I Prepped for Atlas Mountain Race

Mel Webb is an ultra-distance bikepack racer and host of Detours: An Ultra Cycling and Adventure Podcast. She’s lined up at the start of events like the Silk Road Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race and the Alberta Rockies 700.

In just over a week she’ll be racing the 2024 Atlas Mountain Race and will be putting her body and setup through their paces in one of the world’s toughest, and most beautiful, ultra-endurance events.

Standing at 5’2, she’s no stranger to the game of tetris that is packing a small bike. Come along as Mel takes us through the evolution of her ultra race kit with photos from Morgan Taylor.

Design Slow, Sell Whenever: The Stridsland Beachcomber Origin Story

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Design Slow, Sell Whenever: The Stridsland Beachcomber Origin Story

Come along as we take a leisurely dive into the origin story of the 26+ Stridsland Beachcomber frame. Matias Stridsland has built a following around reviving old 26″ bikes and not taking things too seriously, but now he’s here to present his own 90s-inspired 26″ MTB.

Matias is self-admittedly addicted to the details and his chronicling of the process behind the Beachcomber gives real insight into the dedication that goes into these short-run projects. As he writes, this exact bike didn’t exist before and now it does—we think that’s pretty rad and if you’re interested in owning one, read to the bottom for pre-order details!

Easy Wins and Marginal Gains: Our Review Fairlight Secan Goes Ultra Distance

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Easy Wins and Marginal Gains: Our Review Fairlight Secan Goes Ultra Distance

While most review bikes go back into a company’s demo fleet pretty quickly, the Fairlight Secan that Morgan Taylor reviewed back in 2022 has gone on to live an illustrious life of ultra-distance riding, mostly of the randonneuring variety, with their friend Andrew. In this re-review, Morgan and Andrew consider the Secan’s updated build and speak to the easy wins and marginal gains of preparing both bike and rider for very long days in the saddle.

Too Good for Its Own Good: A 2023 Rocky Mountain Element C70 Review

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Too Good for Its Own Good: A 2023 Rocky Mountain Element C70 Review

Is it possible for a bike to be too good for its own good? Where it’s so capable that it pulls you into terrain and features beyond the category its predecessors lived in? That’s the question Morgan Taylor poses in this review of the 2023 Rocky Mountain Element. Read on to see if swapping out parts ruins this bike’s character, or if it transcends categorization while Morgan rediscovers backyard singletrack…

Growtac Equal Brakes: A 1000-Mile Long-Term Review

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Growtac Equal Brakes: A 1000-Mile Long-Term Review

There’s been a lot of buzz around Growtac’s Equal mechanical disc brake calipers since they came onto the market last year: they’re lightweight, available in interesting colors and feature a design unlike existing options. In this long-term review, Morgan Taylor uncovers the quirks of a Growtac setup and dives into a comparison with existing options like Klampers, BB7s, and Spyres, while addressing the question: do the Growtacs live up to the hype? 

The Tale of the Humongous Rock Lobster

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The Tale of the Humongous Rock Lobster

This is the story of a perpetually unfinished project, but also of a really cool bike that’s taken me a lot of great places – and how it came to me is its own unlikely story. The fact that a custom Rock Lobster built for someone else has been the best fitting bike I’ve ever owned is pure coincidence, particularly as I would learn that it didn’t quite fit the original owner as they had hoped. Settle in for the Tale of the Humongous Rock Lobster.

Don’t Call it a Throwback: Framework Bicycles is Making Waves in Carbon and Aluminum

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Don’t Call it a Throwback: Framework Bicycles is Making Waves in Carbon and Aluminum

Framework Bicycles presents a clean modern aesthetic while evoking manufacturing techniques reminiscent of the first carbon bikes. This spring we set storytelling reviewer Morgan Taylor loose with Framework to design and review a custom bike to their specifications. In the first of a two-part series chronicling what they’ve come to call the “black rainbow” project, Morgan digs in to the beginnings of Framework and how they intend to shake things up in the custom bike world.

The LeMond Prolog E-Bike Review: There’s Lots to Talk About

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The LeMond Prolog E-Bike Review: There’s Lots to Talk About

Sometimes a product has stories to tell which go beyond simply comparing the function and aesthetic of objects. These stories can be controversial, and they can be intriguing. Simply mention the name LeMond and anyone who’s been around bikes will have something to say – and now that conversation includes lightweight carbon e-bikes.

The LeMond Prolog, and its step-through stablemate the Dutch, have lots to talk about. Greg LeMond’s Tour de France wins and the history of the LeMond Racing Cycles brand. LeMond’s anti-doping stance and conflicts with Lance Armstrong and Trek. The LeMond Carbon Company’s US-based carbon manufacturing that’s suited to much more than just a couple of urban e-bikes. The seamless integration in those e-bikes of essential components often written off as accessories. And, the potential bikes like this have to disrupt transportation paradigms.

Sure. These bikes are relatively expensive, mostly recreational machines – but just as ideas tested and experience gained in Formula 1 racing cars and World Cup mountain bikes eventually trickle down into more accessible consumer products, LeMond’s cutting-edge products offer a glimpse into what might be around the corner in our own apartments, office building bike rooms, and much, much more.