The short version: I ride the product. Not a lap in a parking lot, not a spec-sheet comparison — I put it on my bike or my body and ride it the way you would, for long enough to find out what breaks, what annoys, and what I’d actually buy again. Then I score it out of 10 against everything else I’ve tested in its category.

Who’s doing the testing

Bike198 is written and tested by me, Robb Sutton. I’ve been riding and reviewing mountain bike gear here since 2008. I’m not a race team, a lab, or a media group with a fleet of testers — which means every review on this site comes from the same rider with the same expectations, so an 8.9 for a helmet means the same thing as an 8.9 for a dropper post.

For context on how I ride: 6’2″ / 208 pounds / Mainly Enduro with DH and XC history, mostly on North Georgia singletrack, with regular trips to US mountain destinations. If you ride very differently, I’ll say so in the review where it matters.

How a review happens

1. Getting the product. Some gear I buy with my own money. Some is sent by manufacturers for review. Either way, the brand doesn’t see the review before it’s published, doesn’t get to approve the score, and doesn’t get to pull the review if they don’t like it.
2. Setup like a normal owner. I install and set it up following the instructions you’d get, not with factory help. If setup is confusing, that goes in the review.
3. Real riding, for real time. Every product gets a minimum of 30 days before I write a word. Most get far longer. Helmets get crashed in when it happens; tires get pushed through wet roots and dry hardpack; bikes get raced, parked, and pedaled up things they weren’t designed for. You’ll see the test duration and conditions at the bottom of every review.
4. Compared against what I’ve already tested. Nothing is reviewed in a vacuum. A new full-face helmet is judged against every full-face I’ve ridden, and I’ll tell you which one I’d pick and why.
5. Written, scored, published. The verdict box at the top of a review is the summary; the article underneath is the evidence. If you only read one thing, read the pros and cons — they’re the honest version.

What the score means

Scores run from 0 to 10 in tenths. The number reflects how well the product does the job it claims to do, for the rider it’s aimed at, at the price it’s sold for. A $60 helmet and a $400 helmet aren’t judged against each other — each is judged against what a rider paying that much should reasonably expect.

• 9.0 – 10 · Outstanding. The best in its category that I’ve tested. I’d buy it with my own money without hesitation and recommend it to a friend without a caveat.
• 8.0 – 8.9 · Excellent. A genuinely great product with a flaw or two you should know about. Most of what I recommend lives here.
• 7.0 – 7.9 · Very good. Does the job well and is worth buying for the right rider, but there’s something clearly better at or near the price.
• 6.0 – 6.9 · Good. Works, with compromises that would bother most riders. Buy it if it’s the right fit or the right deal — not otherwise.
• Below 6. I wouldn’t buy it, and the review will tell you exactly why.

A score never changes because of who made the product, whether they advertise, or whether there’s an affiliate link on the page. It changes when the product changes — see below.

Reviews get updated, not abandoned

Gear keeps getting ridden after the review is published. When something breaks at month six, when a firmware update fixes a complaint, or when a newer version replaces the one I tested, the review gets updated and the date at the bottom changes. If a newer product I’ve tested makes the older one hard to recommend, I’ll say so at the top of the old review rather than quietly leave it up.

Affiliate links and independence

Bike198 is supported by affiliate links: when you click a “Check Price” button and buy something, the retailer may pay a small commission. It costs you nothing extra and it’s how the site stays free to read. Every buy button on the site is marked, and it never affects the score — plenty of products I’ve panned have affiliate links too. If a review was made possible by a manufacturer sending the product, the review says so.

What I don’t do: paid reviews, sponsored scores, “reviews” of products I haven’t ridden, or ranking lists compiled from other sites’ opinions. If it’s on Bike198 with a number next to it, I rode it.

Disagree with a score?

Good — that’s what the comments are for, and every review lets readers add their own rating next to mine. If you’ve had a different experience with something I’ve tested, tell me. Reader reports have changed my mind before, and they’ve prompted re-tests. You can also reach me directly through the contact page.