Yup, it’s the big one! After eleven years of looking pretty much the same, big changes are afoot with the new issue. You may have seen our reasoning behind it on Twitter, the forum or even the front page, but the time has come. Singletrack is going to be thicker, made from better quality paper and packed with even more high quality photography, inspiring articles and opinion, starting with this issue.
The most obvious change is the lack of bylines on the cover – yup, it’s back to the roots of Singletrack with a totally clean, ad-free, wraparound cover for you to better appreciate the image, whether it’s a shop or subscription issue.
We’re really rather excited about the future look of the magazine and we hope you will be too – without further ado, here’s Issue 72…
Singletrack Issue 72
Cover Image: Chris Akrigg on Ilkley Moor baht ‘at, with ‘lmet. When it came to picking a rider for the cover comeback kid Chris Akrigg seemed the right man for the job. After a massive fall which broke his leg Chris is back on the bike and once again pushing his limits. As Chris says, “You want to kick my arse? Be quick, I’m getting stronger!”
Photo by Sam Needham.
Contents Image: They look quite normal from a distance, don’t they? The East Lothian fat bike posse adopted Steve Makin for a weekend’s riding back in January. With snow mostly off the cards, these folks spend their time roaming the beaches of Scotland and Northumberland; a nicer bunch of evangelists you couldn’t hope to meet.
Photo by Jenn Hopkins.
Contents
9/ Editorial.
Chipps poses as the Vicar of Dribbly.
10/ Subscribe to Singletrack
Do you like the new magazine? Subscribe now and you’ll beat the cover price rise.
12/ UK Riding: Wet, wet, wet.
Jenn and Benji ride in England’s wettest valley, where (of course) it didn’t rain…
24/ Column: Stuff That Matters, And Stuff That Doesn’t…
Our newest columnist, Steve Worland, puts forward a controversial couple of ideas.
26/ Stat Of The Art.
This issue we find out how many of you are thinking of buying a 29er this year.
28/ Jewels of the Isle: Tebay.
We celebrate a little corner of Britain that you must visit. And not just for the riding.
30/ Column: Rad Science.
Roly gets out the stopwatch, the modern MTB and the Hybrid of Doom. It’s science, OK?
34/ Bike Tech Corner: An Angle On Angles.
Geometry exploded. Sim looks at the difference a degree can make here or there.
38/ International Travel: Queenstown.
Matt Wragg rides in New Zealand’s most progressive mountain bike town.
52/ The Big Feature: We Are Family.
Does having children mean the end to your mountain biking? Mark investigates.
64/ Classic Rides: The Preseli Hills.
Little-known hills in the corner of Wales that need exploring. Benji is your guide.
76/ Interview: Annie Last and Manon Carpenter.
Two of the most successful young women in British mountain biking, brought together to chat.
86/ UK Riding: Time And Tide.
Fat bikes: snow bikes or beach bikes? A bevvy of them take to the Scottish coast.
98/ A Question Of Fitness.
Answers to your queries. Racing, dieting and riding with tunes, all covered.
102/ Bike Lust: Dream Bikes.
The editorial team pick their ultimate, no-holds barred, dream bikes. What would you choose?
110/ Through the Grinder.
Eight pages of real world product testing from the grittiest time of the year.
120/ Grinder Bikes: Lapierre Spicy 916 and Norco Shinobi 1
Updates on Sim’s big-wheeled bulldozer and Matt’s long-term love affair.
130/ Grouptest: Pedals.
A dozen clips and flats, ridden and written about.
140/ Premier Listings.
Have a Premier Members card? This is what it gets you…
146/ We Just Work Here.
Who does what, how to contact us, what helped this issue on its way and who we’d like to thank.
Digital Subscriber offer!
If you’re currently a digital-only subscriber, we’ve got a one-time offer to have a print copy of Issue 72 sent to you for your to fondle with your hands. Supplies are limited so if you’re print-curious then hurry…
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That is such an awesome quote from Chris Akrigg.
I’m really REALLY looking forward to this. When its due on my doorstep?
looks like its going to be good but whens it going to land on me door mate(soon please)
The on-sale date is 15th March. Subs copies should be landing from Tuesday onwards.
(Disclaimer: I think.)
Its only a minor critisism but did you not do a Tebay ride/feature a few months ago? And also Jen’s article last month on the National Park boundaries was round that area
Sounds and looks good. But also what Iain1775 said……..
Good to see a cover shot in the UK too.
Looking forward to getting it through the door @@@
Prepare for disappointment on getting home from work each day from next Tuesday to find it hasn’t landed.
I hope I’m wrong though, really looking forward to the new issue.
The new mag has given me a massive stalk-on.
Just paid for the one off mag offer and after paypal payment it took me to the STW shop and said basket was empty? Assume all ok but thought i’d let you know 🙂
fantastic cover 🙂
wallpaper please 😀
As a menu it certainly reads well.
So does that wraparound cover mean the end of the musings on the spine?
Did you look inside my mind and pull out the best bits?!
Worland, possible 29r desire, new family, going to preseli this summer – all good.
Fat bikes – you can keep that article!
But yes – Wallpapers please (for premier subscribers only obviously!)
Is it Tuesday yet… 🙂
How do you know that you can keep the Fat Bikes article? It might well be a bunch of people looking to justify a “snow bike” when they don’t live above the arctic circle. But you could argue that riding a mountain bike is no different when there are perfectly good metaled roads everywhere? I’d certainly never entertain buying a fat bike (unless we do get some very severe weather modification in the UK). I’d love to be able to hire one though for a bit of beach combing, a ride across Morecombe bay/Grange over sands for instance?
Free your mind maaaan!
“The Big Feature: We Are Family.” will be interesting to read as a new dad.
Sounds like a great mix of features, and particularly pleased to see Mr Worland involved – dude is a proper legend! Looking forward to seeing the postie on tuesday!
p12
Go Tom Go Beardy!! Go singlespeed
Great Cover shot (mine arrived today)
anyone know what bars are on the Goose?