Our story

Bike198 was started back in 2008 by Robb Sutton with one purpose: provide the best reviews, tutorials and opinion articles for the mountain bike community. Since then we’ve reached thousands of riders around the world by staying focused on that core message.

Bike198 is based out of the Atlanta, GA area, with some of the best riding on the East Coast within a short drive — flow trail and rocky, technical terrain alike, which makes for ideal testing grounds. Our goal is to give the trail rider a website they can call home.

How we test

Every product with a score on this site was ridden by the same rider, on real trails, for long enough to find out what breaks and what’s worth buying again. Scores run 0–10 and mean the same thing on every review. The full process — how gear is sourced, how long it’s tested, what the numbers mean, and how affiliate links work — is on the How We Test page.

Follow along

Watch

Many major reviews get a full video on the Bike198 YouTube channel — here’s the latest.

Prefer email? Trail Notes is one email a week with the gear worth buying and the riding worth planning — no spam, ever.

Other review websites by Robb Sutton

In addition to Bike198.com, I operate a network of focused review websites built around hands-on testing and real-world use across different gear and lifestyle categories. Each site is designed to provide deep, practical insights within its specific niche.

Get in touch

Questions about a review, a product you’d like to see tested, or a trail we should ride? Use the contact page — every message is read by a rider, not a form.