Forbidden has unveiled the Puritan and the Heathen, two titanium-framed hardtails with different purposes. The mountain bikes are the first from the brand not to feature the iconic idler and high-pivot layout, as well as its first bikes made from metal rather than carbon. While the Heathen fits the trail hardtail category, the Puritan is harder to box, with Forbidden calling it an ATB all-terrain bike. The bikes are a part of a limited run, with Forbidden saying they are designed to be ridden hard and kept for a lifetime. The brands ONERIDE proportional sizing is carried over, meaning ride feel, handling characteristics and weight distribution should remain consistent across all frame sizes. Read more: Best hardtail mountain bikes in 2026: top-rated hardtail MTBs and our buyer's guide All-terrain bike The Puritan is a flat-bar hardtail, similar to Scott's Scale Gravel. Forbidden Forbidden says the Puritan is built for long hauls and takes 700c wheels with clearance for 50mm tyres not dissimilar to modern gravel bikes. While you can run it with a drop bar, the brand says it is purpose-built to run a flat bar and a 60mm stem. Running a drop bar is said to stretch out the rider triangle, which the brand is unapologetic about. The bike is designed with bikepacking in mind. Forbidden It has accessory mounts on the top tube and down tube for bikepacking duties, and room for two 750ml+ bottles for long days in the saddle. Theres external cable routing, making maintenance easy, and a 73mm threaded bottom bracket, which should help with longevity compared to press-fit options. Fans of simplicity will respect the external cable routing. Forbidden The Puritan comes in fours sizes, ranging from S1 to S4, and is priced at 3,299 / $4,199 / 3,999 / CAD$4,599 for the frame kit. This includes a 50mm RockShox Rudy XL fork and Cane Creek headset. Super-slack hardtail The Heathen looks super-slack. Forbidden The Heathen is an aggressive hardtail designed around a 130mm fork, which has a slack 64-degree head angle. Forbidden says it has designed it to be cherished or neglected, alluding to its durability and strong looks. Like the Puritan, it comes in four sizes, with the smaller S1 and S2 featuring an MX-wheel setup, while the S3 and S4 are full-29in. The bike looks dialled for long days on downcountry trails. Forbidden The brand acknowledges that the slack head angle might raise eyebrows for a short-travel bike, saying, Its deliberate". A shorter fork keeps the geometry consistent under compression. Meaning the Heathen remains composed when it matters most," Forbidden explains. The bike also features external cable routing and a 73mm threaded bottom bracket, but is limited to one 750ml+ bottle. The Heathen frame kit is cheaper because you have to source your own fork. Forbidden There are accessory mounts under the top tube for keeping tools and essentials. The Heathen is priced at 2,599 / $3,399 / 3,199 / CAD$3,599.

A few months ago, it was feared that Sam Bennett's career may come to an end, after a few difficult years. Following two seasons with Decathlon CMA CGM Team, he signed a one-year deal with Tom Pidcock's Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in hopes of reviving his career. However, in November Bennett wa...

CyclistAssessing the mens sprinting hierarchy in 2026Explosive power. Breakneck speed. Victory. Sprinting is an art form, leadout trains clicking into place among a chaos of bodies to deliver leaders for the final desperate dash for the finish line.To build up to the seasons big sprint races including the sprinters unofficial world championsh ips at the UAE Tour we look at the riders set to make the headlines in 2026, plus those who need to improve to keep up with the pace.The top stepDirk Waem/Belga/AFP via Getty ImagesSoudal-QuickSteps Tim Merlier was undoubtedly the man to beat last season. The Belgian notched up 16 victories last year, doubling up in stage races at the AlUla Tour, UAE Tour, Paris-Nice, Baloise Belgium Tour, Renewi Tour and notably the Tour de France. Merlier defeated Jonathan Milan on both Stage 3 in Dunkerque and Stage 9 in Chteauroux with Jasper Philipsen absent having crashed out of the race on Stage 3.His strength in one-day races too like his domain of Scheldeprijs accounts for a hefty number of Soudal-QuickSteps victories in the past two seasons. Now he has even more backing for the Tour after the departure of Remco Evenepoel, the squad previously having to balance GC vs sprint ambitions. His high win rate is helped by best friend and leadout man Bert Van Lerberghe, someone Merlier has known since they were 12 years old. Not many people have such a strong connection. He hasnt faced the most ideal start to a season however, forced to miss what couldve been a tantalising clash with Milan at the AlUla Tour through a knee injury. But if all goes well at the Tour, this delayed start will simply be a forgotten bump in the road.Milan is head honcho for sprints at Lidl-Trek. Of his ten wins last season, two came at the Tour, with Merlier out of the picture on both days. Despite his considerable Grand Tour success to date, the 25-year-old Italian is yet to win a Classic. His best performance came in 2025 when he finished second at Brugge-De Panne behind Sebastin Molano, and third at Gent-Wevelgem behind teammate Mads Pedersen and Merlier.He spent the 2024 offseason improving his position on the bike, particularly his upper body in a bid to limit its movement. Its a common sight to see him bouncing around in the saddle compared to the more stationary Merlier. Hes been doing the same this winter too for a more aero position. If a man who can hit almost 2,000W and bag the green jersey at the Tour is able to unlock more potential, the sky is the limit. Hell return to the Giro dItalia this year with eyes on the first maglia rosa as teammate Mads Pedersen get the nod for the Tour de France.Alpecin-Deceuninck looked incredibly strong in last years Tour. They kicked things off by going back-to-back with Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel, but Philipsen crashed out on Stage 3. He managed to recover in time for the Vuelta a Espaa, where he won three stages and briefly led the race after the opening day. Last season did mark his lowest number of victories since joining Alpecin-Premier Tech though, with seven wins a far cry from a peak of 19 in 2023, but that year he picked up a plethora of 1.1 races instead of focussing on the Grand Tours. For 2026, he will be bolstering his presence in the Classics alongside Van der Poel. The two make an almighty pair, going 1-2 at Paris-Roubaix in 2023 and 2024.Then theres Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert, who are more all-rounders than outright sprinters. The last time Pedersen was at the Tour, he was forced to DNF after Stage 7 with injury, but go back a further year and he won a day backloaded with hills to see off Philipsen. Van Aert is facing a delayed start to the season with a fractured ankle but his recovery is going smoothly. He only won twice on the road last season but they were on the Strade Bianche stage of the Giro and that Montmartre stage at the Tour. The Belgian also helped tee up Simon Yates to win the pink jersey with a perfect display of teamwork on the Colle delle Finestre. Van Aerts palmars has been thin in the Classics in recent years though, last notching one win at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in 2024 and at the E3 Saxo Classic in 2023. Something to ponder as the spring comes calling.Middle groundA.S.O./Charly LpezKaden Groves is another card to play for Alpecin-Premier Tech. Sometimes with the strength of Van der Poel and Philipsen it feels as though he is shouldered out of contention, yet he grabbed the opportunity to shine at the Tour with both hands. Many scoffed (myself included) at the notion of bringing Groves along when he could try his hand at a Grand Tour not including his two formidable teammates he did, after all, claim three stages and the points jersey at the Vuelta in 2024. Yet he proved us all wrong when Philipsen was forced to abandon and he picked up a stage for himself. Thats egg on my face.This season Groves is still faced with battling Philipsen and Van der Poel for space in the Alpecin-Premier Tech hierarchy in the final year of his contract. That might just spur him on even more.Arnaud De Lie and Olav Kooij are two young guns eager to be the next to break through to the top echelon of sprinters. De Lie can switch from sprints to cobbles with ease. He topped the general classification at the Renewi Tour last year and managed four top five finishes in Tour stages. He has quite the responsibility on his shoulders as his team has merged to form Lotto-Intermarch, but he bagged the most points for Lotto last season and is looking to continue to build his form throughout 2026. He has had his share of injury struggles however, and on that note he is currently recovering from sprained ankle ligaments.Olav Kooij has moved from Visma-Lease a Bike to Decathlon-CMA CGM, where he immediately slots in as top dog for fast finishes. He has been steadily growing his palmars with three Giro stages, a silver medal at the European Championships and multiple stages at the Tour of Britain to his name. The biggest objective this year is a Tour stage under the guidance of Mark Renshaw, who has joined the team from XDS-Astana, and with the backing of one of the best leadout trains on paper. Like De Lie and Van Aert, Kooijs start to the season has also been put on pause due to illness.Soudal-QuickSteps young star Paul Magnier has been flying. The 21-year-old amassed 19 wins last season, scoring multiple stages across the Cro Race, Tour de Slovaquie and Tour of Guangxi, but his standout achievement came in the form of a close second place to Sren Wrenskjold at Omloop Nieuwsblad. His identity is intertwined with the future of QuickStep given his signing through to 2029 and the loss of GC man Evenepoel. Now they can pivot to doing what they know best. Being a full-time, Classics-smashing, Grand Tour stage-winning squad.Biniam Girmay is perfect for harder days. The Tour stage- and green jersey-winning Eritrean has moved from Intermarch-Wanty to NSN Cycling for 2026 and will be wanting to turn things around having not won last season. The new territory might be what he needs to find his winning ways again.Sam Welsford typically starts his season strong on home turf in Australia. Something different for him this year has been joining Ineos Grenadiers from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. They arent a squad known for any form of sprinting capability, however it gives him more of a chance to occupy the space outright than having to fight alongside Jordi Meeus, Danny van Poppel and the climbing talent at a GC-focussed team.Welsfords former teammate Meeus still shares the weight of being a sprinter in a general classification squad, and, as such, isnt going to get the same opportunities as the main stars. He did pick up a couple of wins last year in the Copenhagen Sprint and Binche-Chimay-Binche, but doesnt have the same support given to him as Merlier, Milan or Philipsen.Meeus has one thing most others dont though. A coveted victory on the Champs-lyses. In 2023 Meeus shocked many to claim a famous victory on the streets of Paris, however with the team focussed on Evenepoel, Primo Rogli, Florian Lipowitz and Giulio Pellizzari, it might be tough to get a look in. Related Posts The 9 most anticipated head-to-heads to look forward to in 2026 Robyn's 6 pro transfers to follow in 2026 What are the Grand Tour favourites' race schedules for 2026? Assessing the womens sprinting hierarchy in 2026 The rest of the fieldCristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)Pavel Bittner from Picnic-PostNL announced himself to the world in 2024 with an expertly timed bike throw against Van Aert and Groves on Stage 5 of the Vuelta. The 23-year-old didnt manage to cross the line first last year, instead scooping up seven second places. Keep an eye on him in the one-day, hilly affairs.Phil Bauhaus is Bahrain Victoriouss representative in top level sprints, finishing on the podium twice at the 2024 Giro and once at the Tour in 2025. He misses the final kick needed to keep up with the top guys though, with no wins to his name last season.Fabio Jakobsens career was derailed after a life-threatening crash at the 2020 Tour of Poland. It led not only to a lengthy physical recovery but a mental one too. He moved from Soudal-QuickStep to Picnic-PostNL in 2024 but his career has been one of two halves. The pre-accident, dominating Wolfpack days where he would average eight wins a year including a couple in Grand Tours, and the now where it feels as though he might have to settle for some podiums in minor races. But when youve been through an accident and rehabilitation like he has, being alive is a win in itself. Lets hope he can grab a win this year.The post Assessing the mens sprinting hierarchy in 2026 appeared first on Cyclist.

Dr Hutch has done a bit of TV commentating himself, and he's the first to admit he'd make a terrible DS

INEOS Grenadiers has spent huge resources this past winter to sign Oscar Onley from Team Picnic PostNL, and there are big questions on what the team's GC block will look like beyond 2026. There are plenty big names, and a few are ending their contract. One such is Egan Bernal, however, it is possibl...

All e-bikers in the US state will require a licence, registration and insurance from this summer. What could go wrong?

The Gran Premio Castelln is going to be the second Spanish race of the early season and will take place on the 24th of January. It is expected to start at 12:36CET and finish at 16:30CET. We take a look at the profile of the Spanish race. The Gran Premio Castelln Ruta de la Cermica has quickly...

Jamie Meehan knows what its like to move quickly. In the space of just over six months he went from riding for a club team in France to securing a place on a UCI Conti team and then a World Tour stagiaire with Cofidis, which instantly became a long-term contract. The Donegal man is still []

The sprinter-focused Classica Comunitat Valenciana will be taking place on the 25th of January, starting at 12:00CET and finishing at 17:00CET. We take a look at the profile of the race that is set to finish in the city of Valencia itself. The Clssica Comunitat Valenciana is a historic Spanish one...

A cyclist who hit a woman as she alighted a bus in Dublin, resulting in serious injuries to the woman, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the case. The cyclist has been exonerated by the Judge James ODonohoe, who last week labelled cyclists in Dublin as a nightmare. In the latest case, which came []