One of the longest serving UK bike journalists and Singletrack bike tester, Steve Worland (58) has died of a heart attack while out running on Saturday 29th March.
Steve began writing for MBUK in the early 90’s and built a solid reputation for his expert opinions and technical knowledge. Steve wrote regularly for Singletrack including taking over as lead bike tester a year ago. Steve leaves his partner Jo and daughter Holly. Steve and Jo were due to get married in early April to celebrate 25 years together.
Steve’s last feature for us was the 26 Is Not Dead bike test in Singletrack issue 88. We interviewed Steve for Issue 10.
We are all shocked by his death and the thoughts of everyone at Singletrack are with his friends and family.
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Jesus that is shocking news. I’ve been reading and enjoying Steve’s writing since I was about 14 years old. Condolences to all his friends and family.
RIP Steve 🙁
Like you @trailhound Steve’s writing has been with me for 20+ years of mountainbiking. Shred trails in peace
Jeepers. RIP Steve.
Very sad to hear this
Oh no! RIP Steve. Condolences to all those he left behind.
Such sad news, another legend lost. He was a large part of everyone’s mtb reading reference. RIP.
RIP Steve, your contributions to MTB journalism will be sorely missed, condolences to Jo and Holly
So sorry to hear this. Really no idea what to say about it 🙁
Stunned, utterly stunned.
RIP and my thoughts to those left behind.
RIP Steve. Thoughts with the ones he left behind.
shocked by this news. RIP
Totally shocked! So sorry, gutted. RIP
That has knoked me sideways. Been reading his articles since I was 12!!!
Steve Worland gone? in shock. loved his work for many years.
Shocked and saddened by this tragic news. Steve, you were and will remain part of MTB folklore and a true legend. We will miss you.
RIP Steve
One of the few constants through the Uk history of mtb.
i am truely shocked.
Very sad news.
RIP
You and your family are in my thoughts, x
Terribly sad.
Dreadful news , always liked his photos and articles. True legend of the UK mtb scene.
Shocking news – very sad. As above, I’ve been reading his articles since the early nineties, the man was a legend,
Shocked, had been reading his material for over 20 years, always accurate and fair. Keep riding upstairs fella.
Very, very sad indeed. A great loss 🙁
Have typed many replies but nothing really makes sense.
Jo I can’t say anything that will help other than hug Holly
RIP Steve – read your stuff ever since I pointed a bike off road properly for the first time.
Echo what others said, been enjoying reading his stuff for donkeys years, good writer, talented rider and true cyclist. RIP Steve.
So sorry to read this. Only spoke to him last week. One of my favourite mtb memories is thrashing down beggar bush lane singletrack in Ashton court trying desperately to keep up with Steve who wasn’t even trying! A proper legend who shaped the sport we love. RIP fella.
RIP Steve sad sad news been reading his articles since I started riding,will be think about him whilst riding tomorrow
Truly shocking and sad news, his thoughts and views about our sport were always interesting and thought provoking. Keep riding Steve and my thoughts and condolences are with those he has left behind.
Such an intelligent and informed journo whose opinions I have respected for many years, whose writings were accessible to all and just made me want to get out and ride my bike. RIP Steve.
Stunned – I think I must have read something by Steve almost every month for the last 20 years – last one read today. RIP Steve.
Realy enjoyed his work. He will be missed
I don’t have the words. What a loss. A truly lovely guy.
Sad, sad news. His writing has been a constant for me, always informed, thought provoking and reflective of the love we all have for riding. A great loss; he will be missed.
Stunned
Very sad, he will be sorely missed
Shocked and stunned.
Echo all of the above comments.
Jeepers
That’s a real shock. Steve was a real North Star in an industry that so easily gets blown off course by hype and (re)invention. Like so many of the commenters above, I’ve been enjoying Steve’s writing since I first discovered mountain bikes in 1989. My condolences to his family and friends.
such sad and shocking news…grew up with his writing and testing as part of my whole cycling experience, he was truly a cornerstone of cycling in the uk and around the world. sometimes life is just too cruel. my sympathy goes out to his family and friends.
Sad… Been reading Steve’s words all my mountain biking life… A poorer place without him. RIP. Thoughts with family and friends.
This is unbelievable news. A colossal loss to the world of MTB. My thoughts are with his family.
So sad. Hope he was on the bike and doing what he loved. Rip and sincere condolences to his family.
Such a shock, I enjoyed Steves writing for years, thoughts go out to the family…
So sad,Steve was the sensible one at MBUK during the nutty nineties,Great loss to the cycling media.Heaven has a new star (and he is riding a bike!).Ride in Peace.
So sad. So premature. RIP, Steve
Such sad news.
I always found his articles clear practical and down to earth. A great antidote to the hype that sometimes accompanies whatever new megabucks wonderbike is flavour of the month. Thoughts are with friends and family
So very sad, he will be missed
Very sad news. A top bloke. Best bike reviewer ever.
Marcus Farley
Very sorry to hear this news. I’d been reading his reviews and writeups since the early days and I spent some time with Steve on a Specialized press launch a few years ago. He was a lovely chap; a sad loss.
Thoughts go out to his friends and family. RIP.
shocked. Very sad.
Very sad news top bloke RIP
So Sorry to hear this news and commiserations to his Partner and daughter. I never met Steve but remember reading his words for years in MBUK and Singletrack. A man who knew his stuff! He will be sorely missed.
Like many others, I never met him, but always respected his writing, I always got the impression that he was truly passionate about his work, and that he lived life to max, sympathies to his family and friends.
Sad news. I’m very sorry to hear that.
Very sad news.
Very sad news indeed…..he passed away doing what he loved to do but no comfort to his family and friends – still a true gentleman spoke to him on many occassions at events!! Thinking of his family at this horrific time!!
Nice ordinary bloke to chat,down to earth with no bull but try and follow his wheel round the singletrack in leigh woods and he would smoothly pull away from you like you were stood still.
Top rider
Top bloke
That is very sad news, pass on my sympathies to the family.
wow, The most respected journo gone. Always enjoyed absorbing his pieces. Too young to go.
Thanks for the education.
Shocking! Always enjoyed reading his work. RIP and my heart felt condolences to his fiancee and daughter.
Such a sad loss!
Incredibly sad news
Sad news and a massive shock.
I will miss the articles that I’ve enjoyed for many years.
Shocking news, a true legend of the MTB industry and well respected by all. Very sad to hear this.
A huge shock and loss to the cycling community, which pales into insignificance compared to the shock and loss to his family.
RIP Steve
Far too young.
RIP Steve, and condolences to those left behind.
Jeezus that’s a real shock. I’ve always appreciated his honest views & comment and he will be missed.
No Way. Been reading his articles for years, one of the few voices you could really trust regardless of where work took him, and was really enjoying his contribution to Singletrack.
RIP, condolences to the family.
He was an inspiration to me; a voice of common sense. How about the next issue of the magazine dedicated to the man?
He will always be in my mind as Steve “Rugged & windswept” Worland. Quite possibly my inspiration to start riding the Polaris events way back. A sad loss indeed.
I was lucky enough to meet Steve back in the nineties when I was just starting out mountain biking and have followed his career ever since. Top bloke and great writer, the best. Going to be missed.
I never met him, but through his great writing felt I knew him.
RIP Steve.
RIP Steve. A moment of silence on the next ride.
A very sad loss to the UK mountain biking community and much more so to his friends and family. You have my sincere condolences.
Rest in peace.
RIP Steve
Met steve a couple times around Ashton Court, always had time to talk, about any aspect of bikes and the industry. Like other here read his stuff since mid 90’s. A real gent RIP Steve.
As many above Steve has been an inspiration to me since I started reading MBUK in the wary 90’s. Pretty sure his reviews have helped me with pretty much every bike purchase since. I was pleased to see that he was carrying out the reviews in Singletrack as have always found his views well considered and an interesting read.
As another long-time Bristol local I’ve often seen him cruising through the trails with effortless speed, will definitely have a quiet moment next time I’m there in his memory.
Ride on Steve.
Absolutely stunned! My condolences to his family. As above, Steve’s been part of my MTB world the whole time.
I’m truly saddened.
Despite never meeting him, after over 20 years of reading his writing documenting the growth of mountain biking, there’s a connection to Steve for so many people who ride, or did ride, a bike. Condolences to his family and friends.
He made a big contribution to the progress of UK mountain biking. My thoughts are with his family, take care.
Such sad news. My thoughts and sympathy are with his family at this time.
Sad news.
Condolences to his family& friends.
Stunned to hear the news. Didn’t know Steve but his writing touched a chord. Was delighted when he started writing for Singletrack. I trust the next mag issue will have something fitting.
Condolences to family and friends.
Always enjoyed his writing, genuinley sad and shocked to read of his passing. RIP Steve.
So sorry to hear this, Ive read Steve through the MBUK days and was pleased when he turned up at Singletrack. They guy knew his stuff. He will be missed. Sympathies to family and friends.
That’s awful, 58 is no age and like so many I have read Steve’s work since I first started riding many many moons ago. Sincere condolences to his family and close friends.
Truly saddening news.
If any readers are getting on a bit in years now (like me) and had a slightly misspent youth riding motorbikes (like me) you might just remember John Robinson. John was a giant of motorcycle journalism. His experience and knowledge of the industry and technology were second to none. Everything he wrote felt insightful and down to earth, never regurgitated from a manufacturers press release. It had integrity, and yet his writing style was never less than engaging and entertaining.
When he passed away a dozen or more years ago it felt like motorcycle journalism had suffered a hammer blow and would never be quite the same again. With Steve’s passing it feels like mountain bike journalism has suffered exactly the same fate. I never met him, but I held his writing in the same lofty regard because it upheld all the same values. I’ll miss it.
I hope his family can take some small comfort at some stage in the future from the warmth and respect expressed on this and other forums.
Cheers Steve.