Issue 80 is due to start hitting doorsteps and newstands this week so here’s what’s in it.
Cover: Photographer Rikard Lindby: “The reason we call ourselves mountain bikers has little to do with crowded bike parks, the latest energy drink or huge road gaps. Instead we are fuelled with an inherent desire to explore and to experience the raw beauty only nature can provide. The cold beer waiting at the end of the trail is just an added bonus. Captured in the trail riddled area of Engelberg, Switzerland. I think this image describes quite well what motivates me to set the alarm to before sun rise, pick up my bike and head up into the mountains. It carries the memory of a day well spent and the promise of more to come.”
Trail: Fürenalptrail. Riders from left to right: Oskar Enander and Rikard Lindby (I triggered the camera with a remote attached to the handlebars).
Issue 80 Contents:
9/ Editorial. Chipps advocates a bit of passive- aggressive trail maintenance. Because no one else is going to do it.
10/ International Travel: Boat ‘n’ Bike. Imagine a road trip to a place where t takes more than a day to ride all the singletrack. Now imagine that road trip is a boat trip. You’re nearly there.
22/ The Big Column: Steve Worland. Some riders yearn for better suspension. Steve Worland is yearning for better rigid.
26/ Jewel Of The Isle. The Mountain Café, Aviemore comes under our appreciative culinary spotlight this issue.
28/ Column: Roly. Roly’s sideways view on the world looks at things – together and apart.
30/ Column: Appreciating The Past. Cass Gilbert bought the object of his boyhood dreams – an 80s Stumpjumper. Now he has to see if it lives up to his self-imposed hype.
32/ UK Feature: Reflecting Upon Water. Benji examines the joy (and melancholy) of lakes, tarns and waters high on the mountainsides of this country.
44/ The Bike Feature: Aesthetic Ability. Sim casts a designer’s eye over why good-looking bikes look so good. He finds that it’s no simple accident.
56/ International Travel: Busman’s Holiday. What did Chipps do on his holidays? He went on a mountain bike holiday to the Pyrenees. That’s what.
66/ UK Adventure: Tandemonium. A weekend of riding with16 riders,16 wheels but only eight bikes. A look at those giggle-amplifiers of the mountain bike world: the mountain bike tandem.
78/ Classic Rides: Cadair Idris. Pete Scullion gets laundered and blown-dry on the high, exposed classic mountainside that is Wales’ iconic Cadair Idris.
92/ Through The Grinder. More products tested by mountain bike monkeys, smashing things into rocks with typewriters. Or something.
106/ Grouptest: Trail Shoes. Ride anywhere steep and rocky and you’re going to need to put some walking time in to get where you need. We look at nine pairs of hike and bikeworthy shoes.
114/ Bike Test: 650B or 27.5in. Whatever. Mid-size wheeled bikes from Cube, Scott and Saracen. Is it the future? It might just be.
126/ Premier Listings. A list of great deals from great dealers, hospitality and holiday companies, just for Singletrack subscribers.
130/ We Just Work Here. Who does what, how to get in touch, what helped this issue on its way and who we’d like to thank.
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Comments (19)
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Amazing cover shot.
Really looking forward to this
Now I’m pretty sure an article was done about 2 years ago about 650b, something along the lines of “The other way”
Or am I mistaken?
Not that I’m moaning. SOme good sounding articles in there.
when will it hit my iPad?…..
Topangarider, it was one of those industry opinion pieces from last year sometime
Good to see another Benji article: he always has something entertaining to say.
I’ve not got lost out and around Cader Idris since the early nineties, looking forward to reading about a classic ride.
That cover shot is something else….
@ChunkyMTB All being well, it should hit your iPad today.
“Now I’m pretty sure an article was done about 2 years ago about 650b, something along the lines of “The other way””
Yep, we did an article (get us, ahead of the curve…), but now this is a three bike bike test as the bikes are more than just concepts or custom builder jobs.
Although the 650b bikes tested in this issue sound like they were pretty impressive from the article, I think it’ll be the quality of the 650b offerings at the lower priced end of the market that will determine whether the wheel-size standard survives. Let’s face it, there are few £3k-£4k bikes out there these days that aren’t good in any wheel size. Most bikes sold in the UK are still in the sub £1000 range so it’ll be here that the 26v650b battle really hots up I think.
Just appeared through my letter box 🙂
Whoo hoo that’s me on the back of that tandem.
What a great weekend we all had in the Yorkshire Dales, with bets on how many peole would shout – She’s not pedalling on the back you know’.
I’m liking all of the photography so far- good work, keep it coming!
That’s a good point, Paceman. From what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of high down to mid-end 650B bikes being readied, with many manufacturers planning on 26in only being for supermarket-level bikes. We’ll see though… The UK’s always been a bit quirky (try getting a production steel hardtail outside of the UK, or a long forked hardtail) so perhaps we’ll be different.
“…with many manufacturers planning on 26in only being for supermarket-level bikes.”
Ouch.
Long live the British quirkiness eh 🙂
singletrackgrace said: On March 13, 2013
@ChunkyMTB All being well, it should hit your iPad today.
Well it didn’t ( as expected) . Signed into that darn pocket mag and it just wants me to purchase it.
@ChunkyMTB Please can you contact help@pocketmags.com and Ollie will help you retrieve your issue. They’re aware of the situation and are working to sort it out.