Mountain Bike Blog - General

The blogs featured on this page offer a more generalised approach, although each piece remains relevant to the mountain biking and E-Mountain biking communities. This section serves as a treasure trove of information, catering to the full spectrum of enthusiasts, from those just starting to dip their toes into the world of mountain biking, to the seasoned experts who have traversed countless trails. Here, readers can find an array of advice and guides created from our own riding experience.

Best UK Mountain Bike Apps

Mountain biking is a popular and thrilling activity for the adventure enthusiasts amongst us. It’s a sport that requires a lot of dedication and planning to make the

The World's Hardest Mountain Bike Race

Mountain biking is an exciting and exhilarating sport that pushes riders to their physical and mental limits. But what happens when you take that challenge to the extreme? That's where the world's...

Why Avoid Cheap Mountain Bikes?

At Westbrook Cycles, we have decades of experience in the cycling industry - encompassing masses of experience with stocking, supplying and most importantly - riding Mountain Bikes...

What Is Hike A Bike?

There’s a term which is growing in popularity at the moment, here in the store at Westbrook Cycles in Stokesley, and also within the industry - it’s the point of ridicule when mentioned but sometimes, it’s just what exactly has to be done. Now and again when riding, especially off road - we encounter terrain that we cannot simply tame, whether it’s a horrendous ascent up the side of a mountain, or a downhill trail which terrifies us - when this happens, there’s usually only one option - and that’s to Hike-a-Bike.

What Are Hardtail Mountain Bikes Good At?

Hardtail mountain bikes are often overlooked in favour of more expensive, more impressive full suspension mountain bikes which do a better job of crashing down, downhill trails...

Reasons To Mountain Bike In The Dark

During the winter months here in the UK, as long as the autumn and spring months - it can get pretty dark, pretty early in the evening. This can mean that mountain biking is the reserve of either...

Why Choose A Full Suspension Mountain Bike?

Full Suspension Mountain bikes are the ultimate mountain bike to own - they are crammed with components, and rear and front suspension makes soaks up the uneven terrain found...

When To Replace Mountain Bike Helmet

Regardless of the type of bike you ride, whether it’s a mountain bike, a gravel bike or a road bike - a bike helmet is one of the most important pieces of kit you can buy. As well as protecting your head

Mountain Bike Types And Disciplines

Mountain Biking is one of the most diverse sports in the world, you can classify yourself as a mountain biker and ride a completely different discipline to another rider - using a bike which is

Does Mountain Biking Help With Motocross And Dirt Bikes?

There are often parallels drawn between riding motocross/enduro motorbikes and most who ride either mountain bikes or dirt bikes, or both - will agree. The brands...

Mons Royale

Mons Royale began in New Zealand, founded by pro freeride skier, Hamish Acland. Hamish wanted to address the issue that many snowsports enthusiasts encounter when packing for trips; having space for ski clothing and casual clothing

Are GT Mountain Bikes Good?

At Westbrook Cycles, we are proud to stock and supply the full collection of GT Mountain Bikes. GT was one of the first brands involved in the world of mountain...

Starting Mountain Biking During Coronavirus

Although Coronavirus is one of the most devastating health pandemics the world has ever seen, it’s had a few strange consequences. There is less traffic on the road than ever before, pollution...

Mountain Bike Rims

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply a massive range of mountain bike rims and wheels. These wheels are purchased by customers who are looking to replace broken wheels and rims, as...

Mountain Bike Cassettes

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply an excellent range of Mountain Bike Cassettes, suitable for all kinds of mountain bikes. A Mountain Bike Cassette is one of the most important parts of the drivetrain of your mountain bike, it’s found on your rear hub and the cassette is made up of a number of sprockets, which are sized from small to large...

MTB Riding In The Autumn Months

Here in the UK, it’s around this time of year when we see the warmer summer months disappearing behind us, with the autumn and winter months heralding new and sometimes more difficult...

Cycle Scheme Mountain Bikes

Although many cyclists do commute on a mountain bike, hybrid bikes and road bikes are more commonly seen - that does not mean though, that you cannot secure yourself an excellent mountain...

What to Wear Winter Mountain Biking

At Westbrook Cycles, we understand that it’s not just the bike itself which makes for an enjoyable day out mountain biking, although it certainly helps! Equally important, is a massive range of...

What is the Best Wheel Size for Mountain Bikes?

Mountain Bike wheels have to perform in some incredibly difficult situations, as well as powering you across rough terrain - they need to be able to soak up damage from impacts with...

Preparing You And Your Mountain Bike for Mud

If you ride your mountain bike in the UK, there’s a few guarantees when it comes to riding conditions - you will have experienced unpleasant weather, and...

Aftermarket And Upgraded Mountain Bike Forks

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock a fantastic range of aftermarket mountain bike forks which we supply to customers looking to upgrade the suspension forks on their mountain bikes...

Mountain Biking And Coronavirus

We think it’s fair to say that nobody has now not heard of Coronavirus - and the effects that it has had on people’s work, shopping habits, hobbies and general behaviour. At the moment, we are...

When To Buy A New Mountain Bike

Mountain Bike enthusiasts will face the question of whether to buy a new mountain bike - throughout their mountain biking career. Usually balancing out the desire for increased performance, as...

Mountain Bike Price Ranges

There are plenty of fantastic mountain bikes available for under £500 - and at Westbrook Cycles, in working with the very best mountain bike manufacturers, we have confidence in each...

Mountain Bike Trail - Colour Grading Explained

In the UK - there are many businesses and trail centres investing masses of time and money in creating a fantastic network of mountain bike trails, at their dedicated trail centres, which...

Are Scott Mountain Bikes Good?

At Westbrook Cycles, we avoid brands which do not reach the high standards of bike and components that we are willing to supply to our customers. In our...

Are Cannondale Mountain Bikes Good?

At Westbrook Cycles, we only ever stock bike brands who we know design and manufacture high quality mountain bikes at a range of different price points and...

Mountain Biking Styles

At Westbrook Cycles, we love the fact that our range of bikes caters for any mountain biker looking for a top quality mountain bike - which has been...

Which Parts Do You Need To Build A Mountain Bike?

Building your own mountain bike can be a daunting task, but with some patience - plenty of Youtube videos and the right components, mountain bikers can design...

Bosch Electric Mountain Bike Guide

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply an excellent selection of Electric Mountain Bikes online. These bikes have been handpicked from the world’s leading manufacturers of mountain bikes...

Best MTB Goggles 2021

It comes with the territory that mountain biking, especially downhill mountain biking comes with risks - the risk of falling/crashing is part of what makes mountain biking so exciting, but it...

Should I Buy Carbon Fibre MTB Wheels

Carbon Fibre Wheels are a mountain bike upgrade which causes some controversy, there are riders who favour, and always will favour aluminium wheels - describing...

What To Wear Downhill Mountain Biking

Downhill Mountain Biking is about as exciting as it gets on two wheels, the clue in what this type of riding involves is in the name - it involves riding down bike trails and tracks, which have been specifically...

Mountain Bike Suspension Types Explained

At Westbrook Cycles, we aim to create a wide range of content around all different cycling disciplines and topics, with mountain bike content being an essential part of it. We have written before about the various types of mountain bikes available on the market, with the likes of hardtail and complete suspension bikes being discussed, alongside the features and benefits of each kind of bike being discussed at length. In this post, we look at full-suspension mountain bikes in greater detail, examining the designs found exclusively on full-suspension mountain bikes.

Spotlight: Kids Mountain Bikes

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply a fantastic range of kids mountain bikes. The fantastic thing about this collection is how this range has been designed and created from adult mountain bikes within the adult ranges of the brands collection

How To Finance A Mountain Bike In The UK

Purchasing a mountain bike can be a significant investment, but with the right financing options, it can become more manageable. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you finance your dream mountain bike in the UK. Mountain bikes, especially high-quality ones, can be quite expensive. Financing spreads the cost over a period, making it easier to afford without a large initial outlay - so you can purchase a mountain bike which suits your exact needs, without having to save up the full amount prior.

Do Mountain Bikes Hold Their Value?

If you're considering investing in a mountain bike, you might be wondering about its long-term value, especially with the price of mountain bikes increasing in recent years. Several factors influence how well a mountain bike retains its value. Understanding these can help you make a more informed purchasing decision - meaning you can maximise either trade in value or second hand value, if you are the type to switch and change your bikes.

Do Electric Mountain Bikes Hold Their Value?

Investing in an electric mountain bike (e-MTB) can be a significant financial decision, the price of electric mountain bikes, with all of their technologies and upgraded frames and components - far surpass what traditional mountain bikes used to cost. One of the questions we get asked by many customers, is how much electric mountain bikes keep their value - when it comes to either trading an e-mtb bike in, or selling it on the used market.

What To Wear At The MTB Bike Park

Whether you're a seasoned rider or completely new to the sport - wearing the right attire can make all the difference in comfort, performance, and most importantly, safety when attending the bike park! In this post, we cover some of the clothing & accessories you should not head to the bike park without.

Can You Keep Electric Mountain Bikes In The Garage?

If you're an avid biker or someone who has recently invested in an electric mountain bike, you might wonder whether storing it in your garage is a good idea. The answer largely depends on the conditions within your garage, particularly when it comes to temperature extremes and fluctuations.

The History Of The Cannondale Habit

The Cannondale Habit is one of the world’s most renowned and loved mountain bikes, available only in full suspension guise - the Habit has always been a bike which a rider has been able to simply jump on and ride. At Westbrook Cycles, the Cannondale Habit has long been one of our best selling and personal favorite mountain bikes - and at the moment we have worked hard to secure some excellent discounts across the range.

The History Of The Giant Reign

The Giant Reign is one of Giant’s most capable full suspension mountain bikes. It’s design has been perfected over the years, and the current models combine innovative technology, long travel suspension, whilst still retaining the long pedigree and history of the Giant Reign.

The History Of The Scott Genius

The Scott Genius, a name synonymous with innovation and performance in the mountain biking world, has a legacy that spans nearly two decades and at Westbrook Cycles, we have been stocking and supplying the Genius to our customers for those two decades. This is one of the all time great full suspension mountain bikes, and in this post - we run through some of its history that we are proud to have played our small part in.

The History Of The Scott Spark

The Scott Spark is one of the best loved full suspension trail bikes on the market. The Spark has long benefited from Scott’s expertise in this sector, and all Spark models benefit from trickle down technology and designs from Scott’s most expensive mountain bikes. The Spark as we know it has been around for almost two decades now, and the Spark has continually set the standard for what an all mountain trail bike can do. In this post, we look at the Scott Spark in greater detail, whilst also looking at the history of the model, and what its riders can expect.

The History Of The Orbea Wild

The story of Orbea begins in the Basque Country, Spain - the home of many fantastic cyclists and many fantastic cycling routes. Orbea was first established in 1840 - but not as a manufacturer of bicycles. Orbea originally started as a rifle and gun manufacturer, with its goods as they are today, known for their high quality engineering and manufacturing processes.

History Of The Cube Stereo

CUBE is one of the strongest and purest brands in the world of mountain biking. Cube was born out of a furniture factory in Germany by a Marcus Purner, and it’s grown from these humble beginnings back in 1993 into one of the world’s leading bike brands.

The History Of The GT BMX

GT has continued to sponsor top BMX athletes, riders and events, across both the freestyle and racing scenes. Today, their range of BMX bikes combines cutting edge designs and performance, alongside models which are inspired by the GT BMX bikes from yesteryear.

The Evolution Of Dirt Jump Bikes

Dirt Jump bikes have come a long way since they were first introduced, unlike other styles of bikes - dirt jump bikes were born out of combining the very best bits of different sports, such as freestyle BMX, BMX racing and also mountain biking - dirt jump bike brings together all of these different elements into a cycling discipline that is high on adrenaline and is undoubtedly, incredibly cool.

How Much Suspension Travel Does My Mountain Bike Need?

There’s no such thing as a typical mountain bike, mountain bikes can be broken down into any number of specific categories and product groups. There are so many different types of mountain bikes, because there are so many different mountain bike disciplines, meaning different bikes are required to ride across different terrains - all fulfilling a specific purpose. This means that you can very much choose the wrong mountain bike for your requirements, the biggest example would be jumping on a low travel hardtail mountain bike, to take on gravity focused trails, complete with obstacles and jumps. Likewise, you would not make great progress on a long travel downhill mountain bike, if you are looking to cross country in the quickest possible timeframe.

Are Mountain Bikes Getting Heavier In 2025?

In a world now obsessed with facts and figures, it’s impossible to ignore specific numbers in the world of mountain bikes. One of these numbers is related to weight, and many full-suspension mountain bikes, as the years go on (like many riders!) get heavier and heavier. If you look at some of the longest-standing full-suspension mountain bike models, you can see that their weight has increased by around 20% in the last ten years - in this post, we look at the reason that such mountain bikes are getting heavier, and also how this has impacted mountain bike performance, and how these bikes feel out on the trails.

2025 MTB And E-MTB Predictions

There’s not much in the world of technology that advances quicker than mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes - every year brings its new technologies and designs, some of which last, and some of which don't. Today, you can expect to buy a mountain bike or electric mountain bike which is more capable than ever before, and you can also expect to see innovative new materials and technologies used on bikes that we can buy - ranging from graphene-enhanced carbon fibre frames, right across to artificial intelligence fuelled suspension components.

Pump Tracks And Pump Track Bikes

The humble pump track has surged in popularity in the UK in recent years, giving riders the opportunity to practice and learn new skills and techniques. It appeals to a wide variety of riders, giving the likes of seasoned mountain bikers the ability to practice carrying corner speed and maintaining speed through jumps, along with allowing kids to learn basic control and bike handling in a safe environment.

Can You Ride A Fat Bike In The UK?

This is one of the most popular questions we get asked when it comes to customers looking to purchase a fat bike - whether or not the terrain in the UK is suited to the design and purpose of the bike and whether a purchase of a fat bike is a worthwhile investment here in the UK. Anyone who has been on a London commute of late will have noticed the increase in fat bikes on the daily commute, and we have to admit - the tarmac streets of our biggest cities are not the natural environment for a fat bike.

Post Winter MTB Drivetrain Maintenance

At Westbrook Cycles, we understand the extent to which winter riding and mountain biking can damage and negatively impact the performance of a mountain bike drivetrain, both as an entire system and as individual components.

Post Winter Mountain Bike Maintenance

The spring months of March and April usually see a rush of mountain bikers getting their rigs into perfect working order after a long winter of their bikes suffering from mud, grit, salt, and general abuse.