With the working week drawing to a close (for most of us anyway) it’s time to start looking forward to the weekend and all that riding time that it brings.

But before we get excited about planning our weekend rides, here’s a quick look at the most popular articles over the past five days that have been keeping you distracted and entertained.

The week kicked off with a look at what we think are the hottest bikes of 2011. We’ve rounded up ten of the mountain bikes we’re most excited about riding next year, and we reckon you’ll probably feel the same way. Of course if you don’t, you can always let us know in the forum.

With the winter now properly in full swing, keeping your legs warm and dry is imperative to happy cycling. And you just can’t beat a nice pair of waterproof trousers for the job. But where to start? How about perusing the six we’ve picked out here.

Our quest to find the perfect Christmas gift continues, with part five and six of our wish list series rounding up some of the most desirable mountain bike kit and clobber that any diehard mountain biker would absolutely love to receive.

We’ve not overlooked gift ideas for the women cyclists, this article highlights six girly gifts.

On the review front Rapha’s Winter Collar is ideal for those suffering from a cold neck when riding. And for lugging loads of stuff around on your bike, whether its commuting to the office to college, Knog’s huge Pig Dog messenger bag is up to the challenge.

There’s good news for Gisburn as a new trail is announced, Preston is awarded funding for a new cycle route and Fort William gears up for the Mountain Festival.