Singletrack Editors’ Choice 2025: Top Gear Highlights

Benji – Singletrack Tech Editor

Carbon Wasp Compound-150

• Price: £2,600.00 frame only
• From: Carbon Wasp

I didn’t really like anything about the way this bike looked – the red decals are rather naff – but I absolutely loved everything about the way it rode. It’s one of the very few carbon-framed mountain bikes that has a pleasant ride feel. This bike rides how the marketing departments for mainstream carbon brands claim their bikes do (but generally don’t). Aside from this, the overall geometry is exceptional (and genuinely rider height proportional), and the suspension action of the back end was truly excellent. In conjunction with the still-fabulous Cane Creek DB Air, the Compound-150 totally outperformed many a four-bar or dual-link virtual pivot design out there. A linkage-driven single pivot? How very noughties. How very completely brilliant. And although not exactly cheap by anyone’s standards, £2,600 for a made in the UK carbon fibre frame is actually pretty good value in my opinion. OK, so some of the finishing is a bit rough around the edges, but it’s the ride that counts. And this rides magnificently. – Benji

Lauf Elja

• Price: Complete bikes from $4,990.00
• From: Lauf Cycles

While I perhaps would not have one as my only bike, I very much liked the cut of the Elja’s jib. If you’re on the lookout for an all-day endurance or marathon-type mountain bike, I can’t think of a better bike than this. Yes, it’s light, but that is not the be-all and end-all of what makes a good endurance cross-country bike. A lot of cross-country bikes are exhausting because they can’t descend or ride any sort of technical terrain due to scary geometry or ‘brittle’ feeling suspension and, as such, they are just a constant white-knuckle wrestling match of (wo)man vs machine. A whole lorra rider energy going to waste. The Elja doesn’t feel like it’s fighting you and just waiting for the next fire road climb; it’s still a mountain bike and can mix it with the trail bike crowd if it needs to. – Benji

Deviate Highlander II

• Price: £2,999.00 frame only
• From: Deviate Cycles

OK, so technically I should have put this in last year’s Editors’ Choice. But I didn’t. Sorry about that. I think it was a victim of being too near the initial shortlisting for that year’s selection. Anyway, the fact that this was one of the very first bikes I considered when it came to 2025’s choices says a lot. In many ways, it’s a highly surprising bike. I assumed the Highlander II would be a descent-centric enduro curio with not quite enough travel, but I was very wrong. It’s an exceptional… mountain bike. Or ‘trail bike’, if you need to pigeonhole it. Loads of standover, loads of fun, loads of traction, loads of efficiency. Yes, efficiency on a high pivot idler design. This thing flies along. And the combo of decent length chainstays (especially when sagged) and genuinely steep seat angle simply puts you in a divine sigh-of-relief stance for ascending. Just a lovely, lovely bike. – Benji

Merida eOneSixty SL 6000

• Price: £5,500.00
• From: Merida Bikes

As I’ll discuss elsewhere in this Editors’ Choice, I do fear that the ‘SL ebike’ is dead. And like everything to do with the troubled ebike market, it’s probably the fault of the Amflow effect. The DJI Avinox bikes have all of the market’s attention. Mainly because of its big-brand-worrying power numbers. While power is not unimportant, it is not everything. Bikes are bikes. And bikes are about handling. The Merida eOneSixty SL runs rings around the Amflow in terms of all-around trail capability. Sure, it ain’t going to be the first to the top of boring, wide climbs, but when it comes to descents – or indeed technical traverses – the Merida rides like John Tomac. And if you like technical climbing, the geometry and suspension action of the Merida will make you very, very happy indeed. – Benji

Cotic Rocket

• Price: from £8,799.00
• From: Cotic

Another bike that came a bit too late to make it into last year’s Editors’ Choice, but better late than never. An ebike made out of steel with an externally mounted battery makes the Rocket something of a one-off. It looks odd. In the sense of ‘odd one out’. But what if the odd one out has a point? This bike has typically excellent geometry, suspension action and frame feel of all Cotics but adds in a motor. And a battery. And despite what naysayers may carp, the external battery is a brilliant move. Like cable routing, there’s nothing functionally or practically better about internal batteries. Externally mounted batteries are/were one of the (only) things I miss about early eMTBs. External battery = easy to recharge, easier to have a spare, affords chassis compliance, and it builds into an impressively light (22kg) full-power eMTB. The Rocket is a bold move from Cotic and one that makes complete sense. – Benji

Kenda Hellkat Pro

• Price: £62.40
• From: Kenda

Although it may be a different story outside by the time you’re reading this, I feel like 2025 has been one of the drier years in my mountain biking life. Which has been unsurprisingly confusing when it came to tyre choice. Most years, I rarely stray from a sticky compound front tyre all-year-round (Ultra Soft Schwalbe Magic Mary or MaxGrip Maxxis Minion DHR II), but this year I’ve mostly been running with a Kenda Hellkat Pro up front. It is not amazing in slippery wet conditions (the compound doesn’t feel that sticky despite its claims), but in fair weather conditions this tyre is fantastic. Miles better than risking your neck with a low-tread tyre up front. This is a fast rolling tyre that can still carve and brake when called upon. The Hellkat has even made it into my pantheon of tyres that I keep mounted and inflated on a spare wheel, ready to slot into any test bike as and when. Great tyre. Decent price too. – Benji

Schwalbe Magic Mary Radial

• Price: £73.99
• From: Schwalbe

Next year, we expect you will be hearing more about radial tyres on mountain bikes. But Schwalbe is in the here and now, and thank heavens for that. Let’s not get into the construction how-it’s-made blather right now. All you really need to know is that with Schwalbe radial casing tyres, you can run them at higher pressures (mid-to-late 20s psi) and they still get the traction only previously found when running lower pressures (circa 20 psi). This means you’re less tired during rides; rolling resistance is significantly improved, but you are able to ride the same type of challenging, sketchy terrain and not die. Win-win. An enduro or trail bike with a radial Mary up front and a radial Tacky Chan on the rear is one super capable, yet mile-munching machine. – Benji

Crankbrothers Handguards

• Price: £49.99
• From: Extra UK

My name is Benji and I’m a handguard user. No shame here. I’ve had enough of cuts, scrapes, splinters, weird knuckle lumps, etc., that come from riding overgrown trails in summer/autumn. Anyway, previous handguards have suffered from three issues: not big enough, too stiff upon impact, too expensive. Crankbrothers have sorted two of these issues. Clue: fifty quid is a lot for handguards. Aside from the price tag, these handguards are nigh-on perfect. Big enough coverage. Adjustable in all useful planes. They don’t foul brake levers. There’s a useful bit of flex to them on impacts. The QR version is easy to swap over between multiple bikes. If you want handguards, these are by far the best right now. – BH

Ass Saver Win Wing

• Price: £29.99
• From: Ison Distribution

Similar to the handguards mentioned elsewhere, rear mudguards are aesthetically polarising. The Win Wing doesn’t really solve this (non) problem, but it is slightly less awful-looking than other, larger options. Upon first strapping this on, I must admit to not expecting much performance. I was wrong. This thing makes a massive difference to how filthy your back and bum get. It really confirms that most spray that hits you gets flung off the very rear of your back tyre. It may feel a bit flimsy, but on the trail it just works. I suspect its lightness/flexiness actually helps it stay put and not drift off out of alignment. The fact that it fits every full suspension bike I’ve tried it on – and is super easy to install/adjust/remove without tools – is just really, really great. Your washing machine will thank you for running this product. – BH

Offset Bushing

• Price: £17.99
• From: Offset Bushings

I thought we were perhaps past the era of aftermarket widgets like this, but the progression in bike geometry appeared to pretty much cease a couple of years ago. Which is a shame. We were so very close to mid-travel bikes having appropriate head angles (63.5° FWIW) and then everyone got cold feet and the timid hand of The Consensus stopped our fun. So it’s back to offsetbushings.com to put our orders in. I suppose it’s slightly better that we only need to get a single bushing these days (as opposed to a pair). With one of these brassy beauties banged into your rear shock eyelet, you can finally get the capable geometry that only long-travel enduro bikes seem to get. – BH

Aenomaly SwitchGrade 2.0

• Price: £135.00
• From: Windwave

You probably do not need this product, but if you do, it is a game changer. Who needs this product? Anyone riding a bike with an actual seat angle that’s in the low 70°s //DEG//, will instantly feel the difference the SwitchGrade makes. Grab the under-saddle-nose lever, tilt the saddle nose downward, release the lever, and be mind-blown by how much better your bike is at going up steep hills. No more front wheel lifting or wandering, no more saddle wings digging into thighs, no more chickenhead fore-afting as you constantly switch between front tyre traction and rear tyre traction. You just sit there and climb up stuff further and easier than you’ve ever done before. Not cheap. Cheaper than a new bike, though, which is arguably what this product gives you. – Benji

Thule 945 EasyFold

• Price: from £829.00
• From: Freewheel

Is it too dramatic to state that this rack has changed my life? I don’t know. If your life is as bicycle-based as mine, then I think it’s a fair statement. How has it changed my life? Basically, I ride more and I ride in more places than I did before. Before having a car and this rack, I owned a van and I never want to own a van ever again. This rack is so quick to install/remove, simple to attach bikes to, so secure while driving, that it is easily worth the high price tag. Essentially, for me, this rack has been cheaper and easier than living with a van. The icing on the cake is that it’s part of a luggage system from Thule; you can add a +1 rack for a(nother) kid’s bike if required, or even turn the rack into a quasi-roofbox (a bootbox?) for when you’re going somewhere without bikes and want to take loads of stuff with you (e.g. camping, paddleboarding etc.). – Benji

SQlab 50X Flat Pedals

• Price: £79.95
• From: SQlab

I’m not sure what happened to me this year, but I’ve gone even further into the function-over-form camp. Look at these flatties, for example. Deeply, orthopaedically, ugly. But they perform brilliantly. Loads of feel, loads of grip. Excellent at dealing with pedal strikes (unlike nicer-looking, unslanted, modern metal pedals). The best aspect of these is the level of support and all-day comfort they provide. On paper, they aren’t bigger than any other decent rival pedal, but it’s where the contact points (pins and central body) are that makes a huge difference. Essentially, these pedals are duck-foot shape; toes slightly turned outboard. The option of longer axle versions will be a boon for riders whose bodies are not suited to the arguably rather narrow Q-factors of standard pedals. – Benji

DMR Sweeper Twelve Handlebar

• Price: £75.00
• From: Upgrade Bikes

For reference, most mountain bike handlebars have a back sweep angle of 8° or 9°. These, as the name suggests, have 12° of back sweep. What does this mean for the rider? For me, the main thing is that it knocks about 20mm off your effective stem length. So if you have a bike with a healthily long reach, you can run these bars without feeling cramped and have the effect of running a 15–20mm stem. Which, on my bike, puts my grips in a plumb line right through the stem cap bolt. And it feels amazing. Such light, accurate and stable steering with a massive reduction in jack-knife feeling that you weren’t even aware was there (until you ride another bike). And it’s certainly a lot cheaper and easier than getting a boutique stem that sits on top of your fork steerer. I can’t say I really notice the change in grip angle. More accurately, it doesn’t feel odd or wrong. It just feels normal. Going back to 8°/DEG// /9°/DEG//  bars can feel weird, though. – Benji

Manitou Mattoc Pro 29

• Price: £1,149.00
• From: Ison Distribution

This is a superb suspension fork. And it’s fairly unique in that it offers a level of stiffness and sophisticated super capable damping control that you only usually get paired to longer travel forks with bigger (36mm+) stanchions. The Mattoc is a 34mm stanchion fork that comes in a relatively modest travel window (120–150mm). The Mattoc outperforms rival trail forks such as the Fox 34 and 35mm stanchion RockShox Pike. As well as just being stiffer and less prone to binding and attendant notchiness, the Mattoc has a superior air spring. Other air springs are similarly easy-moving off-the-top (i.e. in the car park test) but are rather gutless in the middle when it comes to actually riding trails on them. The Mattoc has buckets of support. This is not code for harshness; it still oscillates up and down at any point in its stroke super freely. It just has way more control, predictability and traction when riding in the mid-part of the travel. All in all, a very welcome return from one of the classic marques in mountain biking. – Benji

Fox Union Canvas Mid Shoes

• Price: £119.99
• From Fox Racing

I don’t get along with a lot of modern, premium flat pedal shoes. Most of them are either too thick in the sole (like ‘brothel creepers’) or have an upper made of material that is far too stiff, which I find uncomfortable and hotspotty across the top of my feet and around the lace-bed, not to mention further contributing to the overall stiff wooden feel on the pedals. To be honest, Fox’s other shoes in the Union range have these issues. Not so these beautiful booties. Without the over-stiffness, the true potential of Fox’s rubber sole is allowed to shine. Great grip, great feel. In general, these Union Canvas Mid shoes have all of the benefits of the more-casual canvas flat pedal shoes (such as the Specialized Method 2FO) but are just that bit more sturdy and protective (the built-up collar and the reinforced toe box are very welcome). – Benji

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Ross – Marketing Manager

Race Face Turbine Pedals

• Price: £169.95
• From: Silverfish UK

The Race Face Turbine pedals have rapidly become my favourite flatties. I’ve had the chance to use a lot of the latest and greatest pedals over the last few years from brands such as DMR, Burgtec, Renthal, Hope, Deity, etc., but the Turbines have gone straight to the top of the pile. The combination of foot feel, comfort from the asymmetric shape and grip has made them my go-tos, and I’d happily run them on every bike I ride. They’re not the overall biggest pedals – 115mm front to back and 110mm wide – but they fit my size 9.5 feet perfectly, and the grip on offer is up there with the best. The combination of ‘both ways’ concavity, combined with the super grippy pins, has meant absolutely zero slipped pedals and my feet staying exactly where they should. I’ve actually added the (supplied) pin spacer washers so I can shuffle my feet around slightly when needed, and after four months’ use, they’re still spinning free and looking good. – RD //Ross//

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James Vincent – Art Director

ProBikeGarage

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m absolutely terrible at keeping track of how long something’s been on my bike, or how much I’ve ridden it. I know I fitted that cassette in June, but was that before or after my long weekend in Scotland? And it’s great saying you ride twice a week, with a short ride mid-week for a couple of hours and a longer one at weekends, but how accurate is that over the lifetime of a chain? Or suspension fork? Or dropper post? You get the idea. 

Enter ProBikeGarage.com, an app that works with your Strava account and links your ride data to your bikes. You can use it to keep track of individual components (which is an absolute godsend if you’re constantly switching parts between bikes) and add service intervals for everything from suspension forks to brake pads. It’s easy to edit parts once installed, or even add part-worn components to an existing build. There’s a premium subscription for an even deeper dive into your gear usage, but for me, the free version of the app is sufficient. I’m just waiting on the update that books the service and takes the bike to the shop for me…

 – James

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Chipps – Editor at Large

Propain Hugene CF 3

Price: From €3,400.00 (as tested nearer €6,000.00)

The 140/130mm Hugene is simultaneously pitched as a fast trail bike, or perhaps a short travel enduro bike, or a downhiller’s cross-country bike. It features a neat, compact carbon frame with a linkage rear suspension. There’s a shock lockout lever that you won’t need, so they put it where you can’t reach it – actually a good shout as the Hugene climbs well fully open, giving great feedback and a good climbing position. On descents, you can see where the ‘downhiller’s cross-country’ bike idea comes from, as the bike is super responsive and immensely planted and well-natured in the rocks and roots. 

As a trail rider, I found it harsh at times but I soon viewed its directness as a boon and just kept it on line and enjoyed the speed (once I’d pulled all the tokens out of the Fox 36). Nevertheless, it’s been the bike I’ve reached for every time I was riding unfamiliar trails due to its sheer capability over anything, up or down. – Chipps

Madison Roam Men’s Windproof Packable Primaloft Gilet

• Price: £69.99
• From: Freewheel

I’m a fan of a multi-purpose garment, and I like Madison’s new Primaloft Gilet as it gives you a genuinely packable wind vest, but also, the Primaloft insulation over the chest allows you to layer it under a jacket for a little emergency warmth without the bulk of a full layer. Gilets are underrated. Gilets are king! – Chipps

Shimano EX9 Boots

Price: £269.00

A serious investment into your winter riding, but have you seen how much ‘real’ walking boots cost? Shimano’s newest winter boot does away with the laces and pretence of leather of the previous version and instead goes hi-tech, with two BOA dials, Shimano’s ULTREAD EX tread, and a bellows tongue to keep lesser puddles out. The cleat slots have moved to a more mid-foot position for comfortable pedalling, and the sole is comfy enough for sustained hikes. There’s even a bolt-on cleat cover if you’re a flattie rider. 

The EX9s are roomy, with plenty of space for a second pair of socks for the same size, but they’re water and chill-resistant. Obviously, there’s a big hole in the top, but even full of water, they’re still warm and comfy. Rocky grip is excellent, and while BOA dials aren’t trad outdoorsy, they offer easy adjustment and entry/exit. My last pair of Shimano winter boots lasted ten years, so I see these as being a good investment for big mountain, bad weather, hikeabike kind of riders. – CC

Knipex Pliers Wrench

• Price: Around £60.00 each
• From: Knipex

You just have to look at any World Cup mechanic’s toolbox and you’ll see several sizes of Knipex Pliers Wrenches (along with Wera Allen key sets). While there aren’t many flat nuts remaining on modern bikes, these adjustable spanners are for those jobs that fall just outside normal operating parameters (perhaps even veering towards The Bodge). I’ve used mine for swapping (and servicing) pedals, straightening disc rotors and bent levers, nipping up bleed nipples, removing cable endcaps, adding torque to Allen keys and just fiddling with bikes. – Chipps

Sumart UBB-20 (or UBB-40)

• Price: £39.00
• From: Sumart UK

This is a neat little tool for gently easing brake pistons back into their homes, or for locking the pistons in place while you do a brake bleed. I’ll confess to having chipped ceramic pistons in the past by not using the correct tools, and this little gadget has both a thumbscrew and an Allen head to let you quickly and easily bleed or adjust your callipers. There are two- and four-piston versions available (in assorted colours), and I use mine regularly. – Chipps