Bike
Reviews
Ride reviews from bikes we’ve personally put miles on, plus first looks at new models coming into the shop. Shop-owner perspective — not press releases.
In Here
Ride Reviews
Bikes we’ve personally built and put real miles on. Full opinions on fit, handling, components, and where each bike shines — compared against everything else we’ve ridden.
First Looks & New Models
New bikes coming into the shop, old-to-new generation comparisons, and early looks at updated platforms. Always honest shop perspective, even without full ride time.
Shop Perspective
Whether it’s a full ride review or an out-of-the-box first look, we’ll tell you which one it is and give you our take. We sell these bikes — we have no reason to oversell them.
One of Each — MTB, Gravel, Road
Three reviews we keep coming back to. One per discipline — bikes we’ve spent serious time on and have strong opinions about.
Cervélo ZFS-5 120 Mountain Bike Review
Built with XO Transmission, ridden through a full summer. Compared against everything else in the quiver — here’s where it stands.
Read the Review →
TIME ADHX 45 Gravel Bike Review
Steve’s personal build, ridden through the fall. Full breakdown of the frame, drivetrain, wheels and what makes this bike genuinely different.
Read the Review →
2026 Cervélo S5 Road Bike Review
New generation in the shop next to the previous gen. We walk through exactly what changed, what improved, and who it’s really for.
Read the Review →All Reviews
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Cervelo ZFS-5 120 Mountain Bike Review
This is Steve with another Bikes We Ride from Maklin Bike Shop. I’ve been riding the Cervelo ZFS-5 120 this summer, built with the XO Transmission drivetrain. It’s mostly stock with a couple of swaps, and I thought I’d walk through how it rides and how it compares to the other bikes I’ve spent time…
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Niner AIR 9 RDO Drop Bar Mountain Bike Review
This is Lynn’s custom gravel bike—a Niner AIR 9 RDO drop-bar mountain bike conversion built specifically to help her ride the Badlands Gravel Battle with more confidence on the downhills. We ride a lot of different setups, but this one is easily one of the most unique builds we’ve put together. Since it’s part of…
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Bianchi Arcadex Gravel Bike Review
We’ve been riding the previous-generation Bianchi Arcadex for about a month and a half. We brought some of these in on a closeout, turned one into a demo, and started putting miles on it. We were already familiar with the Campagnolo Ekar drivetrain, so this has been a good way to see how that system…
All Bike Reviews
Every review published. Add a new line here each time a new review goes live.
Every Bike We’ve Spent Time On
A lot of these predate our YouTube channel. We haven’t reviewed them all yet — but having ridden them gives us context when we compare. These aren’t short test rides — these are bikes we built, serviced, and put real miles on.
- Cervélo ZFS-5 120 X0 AXS Transmission
- Cervélo ZHT-5 GX AXS
- Cervélo ZHT-5 Custom XX1 AXS Transmission
- Felt Edict NINE 3
- Niner AIR 9 RDO GX
- Niner AIR 9 RDO Custom XX1
- Niner Gen 2 JET 9 RDO XO
- Niner Gen 3 JET 9 RDO XT & GX
- Niner Gen 3 RIP 9 RDO 27.5 GX
- Niner Gen 3 RIP 9 29 XO AXS
- Niner Gen 1 RKT 9 RDO GX Eagle
- Niner Gen 1 RKT 9 RDO Custom XX1 AXS
- Niner Gen 2 RKT 9 RDO GX Eagle
- Salsa Gen 3 Spearfish XT
- Salsa Gen 4 Spearfish X0 Flight Attendant
- Salsa Gen 4 Spearfish Custom XX1 T-Type
- Trek ProCaliber 9.5 & 9.8 SL
- Trek Remedy 9.8
- Trek Supercaliber 9.8 GX Eagle
- Trek X-Caliber 7 & 8
- Cervélo Áspero Apex AXS
- Cervélo Áspero-5 Ekar
- Jamis Renegade Custom 2x GRX 800
- Niner ORE 9 RDO Custom Force / XX1 T-Type Mullet
- Niner RLT 9 RDO 2x GRX 800
- Niner RLT 9 RDO 1x Force XPLR
- Niner RLT 9 RDO 1x Force 10-36
- Niner RLT 9 RDO 1x Apex
- Salsa Warbird 2x GRX 800
- Salsa Warbird 2x Force Wide
- TIME ADHX 45 Custom Force
- Trek Boone 1x GRX 800
- Trek Gen 1 Checkpoint Ultegra
- Trek Gen 2 Checkpoint Force AXS / XX1 Mullet
- Trek Crocket 1x Rival
- Trek Crocket Custom 1x GRX
- Bianchi Oltre Comp Ultegra Di2
- Cervélo Caledonia Ultegra Di2
- Cervélo R5 Ultegra Di2
- Cervélo S5 Ultegra Di2
- Specialized Allez Ultegra
- Trek Émonda SL6 Ultegra
- Trek Émonda Custom Aluminum Ultegra
- Trek Madone SL6 Ultegra
- Salsa Beargrease X0
- Specialized Fatboy Comp
- Trek Farley 9.8
- Trek Farley Custom GX Eagle
Want a Specific Bike Reviewed?
If there’s a platform you’re considering that isn’t here yet, reach out and ask. We may already have miles on it.