Before Monday the 24th of July: That’s the deadline to make sure you get the lovely smelling block of paper that will be Singletrack issue 114 mailed right to your door. We’ve recently sold out of a few subscriber issues within weeks, and they won’t be reprinted, so don’t ponder subscribing at great length, just do it – when they’re gone they’re gone!
Our next issue has adventures from every corner of Britain, plus features from far flung corners of the globe. Whether you’re stay-cationing or joining the jet-setters, this summer issue is sure to have you occupied for those hours by the pool or sheltering from the rain hammering your tent.
Trail Hunter: Snowdon – Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it can’t be a classic. Tom Fenton opts for the dawn raid on the highest peak in Wales.
Classic Ride: Northern Ireland – Ian Bailey finds us a rare legal loop around the trails of Northern Ireland.
(Hand) Made In China – We get unprecedented behind the scenes access to some of the bike factories in China and Taiwan. Is it a sorry sight of oppressed workers in shabby conditions? Or skilled bike builders in state of the art facilities?
Bike Test: Killer Hardtails (in Innsbruck) – Three tough trail hardtails from Kona, Nukeproof and Trillion make the trip to Innsbruck to see just how capable a modern hardtail can be.
Group Test: Hi-Tech Tyres – James Vincent checks out the current generation of burly rubber. Is there such a thing as a tyre for all seasons? Or even a tyre for a whole Lake District ride? He’s been getting the punctures so you don’t have to.
Adventure: Shropshire – Barney tries to find out why so many good riders come from Shropshire. Is it in the water, or the mud?
Interview: Keith Bontrager – Keith has been designing bikes and components since the eighties. He invented the mantra ‘Cheap, light, strong – pick two’ and has been behind Trek’s component line for over two decades. Chipps tries to get a little more than the usual stock answers to the stock questions.
Column – Jason Miles discusses the merits of riding the wrong bike.
Room 101 – Charlie the Bikemonger decides which bike world items and issues shall be thrown to the bears, or whatever it is that lives beyond the door of Room 101, and what shall be allowed to continue to roam our earth.
ST Recommended – We’ve picked three products so good that you need to go out and buy them now. All of them.
Oddball: Fuel – Coffee – None of this would exist without the warm brown stuff; we couldn’t function without it. Rob Crayons goes full coffee snob in search of the perfect fix.
Kit Bag: Enduro Pack – Bumbags might be on trend, but Tracy Moseley is more of a kitchen sink and the contents of the kitchen cupboards rider. We take a peek in her incredibly comprehensive kit bag.
Premier Edition – EXTRA 32 Pages
Every subscriber gets the Premier edition, with extra features that are just not available in newsagent copies of Singletrack. The Premier edition also has a cover free from attention grabbing headlines, which results in it looking lovelier on your coffee table. That’s less stuff ON, and more stuff IN. For issue 114, the extra features are:
Adventure: Azores – This mid-Atlantic, Portuguese-owned archipelago is rapidly getting a name as a self-contained mountain bike paradise, complete with volcanoes and palm trees.
UK Adventure: Ben Venue – Ben Venue was the first ‘proper’ mountain that Sanny’s mate Dave ever rode. How would 20 years and a whole load of bike technology affect the experience of the anniversary return trip?
Column: Finale Crash – It’s all fun and games on holiday until someone’s lying on the trail, clutching their arm. Ian Bailey types his experience one-handed.