Hannah found herself with an unscheduled stop in Salt Lake City. A little too tired and confused by the rules of the road, she didn’t take advantage of the docked bike system, so instead on her way to hook up with Fahzure Freeride (the writer…
June 2018
Comfortable kit upgrades, many components and one VERY nice frame – It’s Fresh Goods Friday 402
Did you know that in Idaho there is a button you can press that induces pancakes? Instant, fresh, warm pancakes! Hannah has been over there checking out that button, so expect a full write up soon. Rigorous testing has been done. In other news, we’ve…
Interview: Amanda Tanfield – When Ladies Do DH
We’re now well underway with our series featuring inspiring women (and those that inspire women) in MTBing. If you’ve missed the interviews so far, you can read about HopeTech’s Rachael Walker, Campbell Coaching’s Ally Campbell and DH hero Pat Horscroft. This month we’re featuring Amanda…
2-piston or 4-piston? Testing & comparing Shimano’s brand new XTR disc brakes
Last week I was lucky to find myself in the wonderfully atmospheric Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. A location unfamiliar to this antipodean, Kranjska Gora is squeezed into the north western corner of Slovenia, right up against the intersecting border with Italy and Austria. Surrounded by…
Eating Dust With #MakingUpTheNumbers – Pearce Cycles Rd 3: Bala
They say, ‘if you want to get faster, ride with faster people’ and Lord knows I’m trying. As I sit on the start line for the first of my two race runs I’m not a hundred percent sure what’s going on. Another visor destroyed in…
26 Ain’t Dead! Cotic has just released a new BFe hardtail 🤘🤘🤘
Peak District-based Cotic Bikes has just released what we believe to be the only new 26in mountain bike frame launched in 2018 – the BFe26. Following in the footsteps of the latest 27.5in version, the BFe26 takes the same robust steel construction and 66° head…
Will There Be Open Access For Wales? ‘No’ seems to be the official answer…
The Welsh Government asked for our opinions about a ‘Scottish style’ open access for the Welsh countryside. We responded in our thousands, overwhelmingly in the positive. They listened. And then they seem to have ignored us in favour of a quieter life… Here’s the response…
Review: Brake Force One’s 2nd generation H20 disc brakes are filled with…water?
This isn’t the first time we’ve tested the H2O from Brake Force One. We first reviewed them in our disc brake group test last year, but they weren’t exactly quirk-free. BFO then sent us out a revised version of the H2O brakes, so we put…
Maxxis Launches Rekon Race: An XC tyre for modern XC courses
Over in the dust of Sun Valley, Idaho, Hannah got the chance to ride the hot off the production line new Maxxis Rekon Race. This is a new XC race tyre aimed at catering to the modern aggressive race courses. The tread pattern is born…
2 Videos To Show You How Good Shimano XTR 12-Speed Is
Unless you’ve been residing below a stone-based dwelling for the past month, you’ll be well aware that Shimano recently delivered one of the biggest product stories of 2018; new, 12-speed XTR. In one of the most eagerly anticipated moves of the year, Shimano finally retaliated…
9 hot product highlights from SRAM, Formula, Bell & MET that you need to see!
A brand new event for 2018, Bike Connection is a relatively small, multi-brand press camp. The first event – the winter edition – was held back in February of this year in Italy. Chipps went along and caught up with brands including Nukeproof, which launched…
Poll: How will you convert to 12-speed?
It has taken a little longer than we expected but there are now more 12-speed options available than ever before! The past few weeks have seen SRAM introduce the NX Eagle 12-speed groupset. Officially the most affordable 12-speed drivetrain on the market and a pretty…
Adroit’s Linkage Fork Takes Inspiration From the Girvin Vector
Linkage forks once again hit the headlines with news of 2 new forks from U.S based Adroit Cycleworks. Adroit is one of the few U.S bicycle manufacturers who has subscribed to UK standards of long, low and slack with its range of aggressive hardtails, but…
First Ride Review | 2019 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Pro Race
In June 2018, the German direct-to-consumer giant, Canyon Bicycles, invited me out to Girona in Spain to test out the all-new Lux full suspension race bike. Featuring a full carbon fibre frame, 29in wheels, 100mm of travel, and thoroughbred race geometry, the Lux is Canyon’s…
First Ride Review: 2019 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Pro Race
Earlier this month, the German direct-to-consumer giant, Canyon Bicycles, invited me out to Girona in Spain to test out the all-new Lux full suspension race bike. Featuring a full carbon fibre frame, 29in wheels, 100mm of travel, and thoroughbred race geometry, the Lux is Canyon’s…
Canyon’s new Lux full suspension XC race bike will fit two bottles and has a sub-2kg carbon frame. Sort of…
Following two years of development, and a few rounds of testing on the World Cup XCO circuit, today Canyon proudly launches its brand new Lux full suspension race bike. Replacing the existing Lux – a model that has remained largely unchanged for five years –…
E*13 Releases Upgrade Kit To Convert 11-speed to 12-speed
If you have the 12-speed itch but are currently on a SRAM 11-speed groupset and on a limited budget the only option before today was to wait for it to wear out and bag yourself an NX Eagle groupset, but today there’s another way. E*13…
First Look: Motion Ride E18 Linkage Fork
The chances are pretty high that you either own or have ridden a bike with front suspension. It’s also extremely likely that your suspension fork (or the one you’ve tried) is a “traditional” telescopic model, and you’re reading this to see why on Earth any…
The Orbea Oiz Gets Rowdy For 2019
The Orbea Oiz, a full suspension XC bike, has been around for 12 years now – our man Stu Taylor has just ridden one at high speed round the Highland Trail 550. Today, tapping into the ‘XC bikes doing a bit more and getting a…
The Ten Best Carbon Wheel Crash Replacement Schemes
Lighter, stiffer and more available than ever. Is there anything about a carbon wheelset that there’s not to like…? Oh yes, the fact that they’re monumentally expensive compared to most alloy versions and if you do bash your carbon rim too hard it’s unlikely to…
Rushup needs you!Less than 20 days left to save a classic Peak District descent
Peak District mountain bikers are preparing themselves for the next stage in a long-running battle with Derbyshire County Council over the maintenance of Rushup Edge, formally known as Chapel-en-le-Frith Byway Open to All Traffic 144. The sorry saga began in 2014, when DCC started surfacing…
Ride Your Bike, Play Music, Raise Money – 3 reasons to visit Hebden Bridge
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the environs of Singletrack Towers, we’re based in Todmorden. Todmorden is at the upper end of the Calder Valley and is…well…fairly normal. There are communal vegetable patches, and there’s a lucky dog in the park, but apart…
Notes from a small island: A Scottish sea to sky adventure
Sanny and friends head to the Isle of Arran in search of big mountain adventure. But is it a ridge too far?
Notes from a small island: A Scottish sea to sky adventure
In association with Canyon UK “So I’m off to Arran for a biking adventure” I said with no small degree of excitement and genuine anticipation to my erstwhile riding companion Dave. “Arran? Are you kidding me? That sounds far too dangerous to me. How will…
Get Your Grip On..!! Not long to go to Northern Grip 2018
Northern Grip returns to Stubbylee Park and Lee Quarry in Bacup, Rossendale on Saturday the 7th July for its third year, promising to be bigger, bolder and even better than ever. Northern Grip is an annual celebration of Mountain Bike culture which last year attracted…
Thank Fork! It’s Fresh Goods Friday 401
Brace yourselves! After a brief suspension of service, summer is returning. Prepare for news coverage of lobster coloured people on beaches, children playing in fountains of questionable water quality, and exclamations of how it was hotter in Hull than Benidorm. Before you head home to…
Trek Powerfly LT e-MTB gets beefed up forks, battery and wheels for 2019
Last month Mark was whisked off to the Swiss spa town of Bad Ragaz to get a first look at the 2019 Trek Powerfly LT 9 e-MTB. After a day of riding it and listening to the presentation pitch in a rather swanky hotel he…
Mountain Mayhem Returns For 2019. And yes, it’ll be a 24 hour race
Mountain Mayhem, the longest running 24hr mountain bike endurance event in the world, has announced its dates for 2019 – exactly one year ahead to the day. The iconic event, the first ever 24hr MTB race in Europe, has been copied by many, but none…
Smokin’ Hot, Or Not? Kona Bikes’ Rolling Papers
This week Canadian legislators voted to legalise the consumption of cannabis in Canada, and Kona was quick to mark the occasion by launching its ‘4:20’ smoking papers. Let’s get 🔥! These Kona rolling papers have just arrived in our web store and may just be…
Malverns. Classic! Is this the new must-do event of the summer?
What a weekend! With nothing short of the expectations of the British mountain biking world on his shoulders, event organiser, Si Paton pulled of a remarkable success with the first of the new-school GT Cycles Malverns Classic events – and by the look of it,…
Jobs: Cairngorms-based bio-statistician wanted.
POSITION: SENIOR BIOSTATISTICIAN Do your interests include; cycling, walking, climbing, water sports and/or skiing? Would you like the opportunity to combine an exciting professional career with excellent quality of life in the Cairngorms National Park area of Scotland? Then Frontier Science is looking for a…
Singletrack Issue 119: Ride Less, Be Happier
Adam concocts a recipe for happiness. Like a public bathroom mirror I am covered in the handprints of strangers, but I have also been doing a lot of reflecting. Reflecting on a snowy and wet winter with limited opportunities for adventure, and how these limited…
Singletrack Issue 119: Dan Stanton – Hardtails with Shocks
Ian Bailey takes a trip to Stanton Bikes’ Peak District HQ to talk about steel bikes, the future of British framebuilding and following your dreams. Words ian bailey Photography Andy Heading The British bike manufacturing industry has a tumultuous history; once the world leader in…
Singletrack Issue 119: Was It All A Dream
Chipps looks back at the colossal impact of the original Malvern Classic event and asks if the ‘new’ one can ever live up to the hype. Words chipps Photography Geoff Waugh and steve behr/stockfile Remember those long, hot summers of your youth? The sun shone…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 119: Returning To The Dark Side
The former Red Bull trail opened in 1996 to wide acclaim as the first purpose-built trail in the UK. Chipps argues that it’s still one of the best trails anywhere. Words & Photography chipps Stepping off my bike, I look a little closer at the…
First Ride Review: Pivot Firebird 29 Pro X01
After the first day of riding at the Pivot Cycles launch in Moab last month, we gathered inside the living room of one of the apartments Pivot had taken over, to get the full product presentation on the new Trail 429. We’d been out on…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 119: Rubber Rendezvous
Singletrack’s self-confessed rubber sniffer takes a tour of the Hutchinson tyre factory in France to see what puts the knobs into our knobblies. Words & Photography james vincent I’m floating in the centre of the fuselage of a large passenger jet having the time of…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 119: Last Word
Mike Braybrook Lazy Lines Choices. How to quit them. Mike Braybrook discovers that the shortest line between two points is often the quickest way to the first aid tent. Last month I had a pretty decent head-meets-earth incident at a race in Scotland. It happens…
Pivot Cycles Goes Big With 170/162mm Travel Firebird 29er
Officially unveiled as of today, Pivot Cycles has just taken the wrappers off this brand spanking new long-travel 29er called the Firebird 29. Joining the existing Firebird 27.5, the 29er version takes on many of the same ingredients including a gargantuan carbon fibre frameset that…
Limited Edition Singletrack Lifetime Subscriptions – available now!
Life subscriptions have been extremely popular each time we release a batch. The convenience of never having to renew your subscription, the joy of the cost never increasing, and the invitations to reader rides and awards may be a few reasons why. Other exclusive benefits…
Commencal Meta AM 29er Comes In 3 Flavours
Back at Fort William, we managed to get some eyes on time with the latest additions to the Commencal range. If those pre-production models managed to whet your appetite then news that Commencal has finally released the AM 29er to the public and at three different…
The New Intense Tazer Is Nothing Like The Old One!
Cast your mind back to last week, and you may remember our post about Intense boss Jeff Steber and his prototype e-Bike project. Well, it appears that it has come along quite a bit from the alloy mule we reported on. Again Steber has taken…
Stu Taylor’s Highland Trail 550 – Done And Dusty!
This article was written by and stars Stu Taylor. That’s it done, the Highland Trail 550 2018, in 4 days 7 hours and 24 minutes of the most amazing Scottish riding…and hiking. In the build-up and preparation for the event it never even crossed my…
Victorious Underdogs – Number 2 Plates Rule Tweedlove’s British Champs
What a Tweedlove finale! Crowning the midsummer cycling festival (that actually starts in March and finishes at the end of August…) of Tweedlove this year was the British Enduro Championships. And in true nail-biting finale style, it came down to the wire in both of…
Fresh Goods Friday 400: The Stumpy And Pool Noodle Celebration Edition
There should probably be cake, and sparklers. Maybe a release of some doves, or a peacock or two. Definitely prosecco (cheaper than champagne, and usually nicer too). Dancing is optional, though you’re welcome to take off your shoes and have a barefoot shuffle if the…
Calibre Releases The Triple B, An Upgraded Bossnut
Calibre, you know, that bike brand that keeps scooping up the awards with its low-cost mountain bikes? Well, the company is in the news again today with its latest variant of the popular Calibre Bossnut which it calls the Triple B. The standard Bossnut is…
SRAM Introduces NX Eagle 1×12 Groupset, Including A Sub-£100 Cassette
You read that correctly – SRAM has just unveiled its fourth – and cheapest – 1×12 Eagle drivetrain. Badged with the NX Eagle label, this new 12-speed groupset slots in underneath the GX Eagle, X01 Eagle and XX1 Eagle groupsets. However, it makes use of…
Review: SRAM NX Eagle 1×12 Drivetrain
Following the release of the XX1 and X01 Eagle groupsets two years ago, then GX Eagle last year, the latest NX Eagle groupset slots into the lineup as the fourth, and cheapest 1×12 drivetrain option to come from SRAM. Equipped with the same 12-speed technologies…
Review: Endura SingleTrack II Helmet
A few months ago I reviewed Endura’s MT500 helmet, and quite liked its fit and broad coverage design. So when the more affordable and similar-looking SingleTrack II helmet arrived at the office, I was handed the petrol coloured lid and told to get on my…
Review: Shimano GR7 vs GR9 Flat Pedal Shoes
Shimano unveiled a brand new line of gravity-oriented flat and SPD shoes last year, and since then we’ve been testing a whole swag of them. Two such shoes are the latest GR7 and GR9 models (GR = flat pedal specific), which we decided to give…
UPDATE: milKit Booster tyre inflator recalled due to safety issue
Update: We’ve just received the official recall notice from milKit regarding the Boost tubeless tyre inflator – see below for the full recall notice. Madison, the distributor that imports and sells milKit products in the UK, has just gotten in touch with us to let…