Chipps gives us the lowdown on the brand new 2020 Ibis Ripley The new 29er from Ibis, the Ripley, Mk4, is a degree slacker, half a pound lighter and a whopping 47mm longer than the previous model. It’s even longer and lower than the company’s…
April 2019
UPDATED | Karpiel is back with a new 29in Karpiel Armageddon prototype
Jan Karpiel and the Karpiel Armageddon is back for 2019, this time as a modern WC downhill race machine with 29in wheels. If you have fond memories of Josh Bender launching his custom Karpiel Apocalypse off cliffs in the desert, then have we got some…
What Is Fork Offset? And Why Does It Matter?
Reduced-offset forks are all the rage at the moment, but what is fork offset? Wil explains in this two-part online feature about fork offset Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, you’ll have noticed that fork offset has been a…
Interview | Cycling UK: What’s Next for Welsh Access?
Wales is poised to shake up its outdoor access laws in a big way. We caught up with Sam Jones and Duncan Dollimore from Cycling UK to find out what's on the horizon.
Review | The 2019 Trance Advanced Pro 29er 1 is a very ‘un-Giant like’ trail bike
Wil delivers us his longterm review of the 2019 Giant Trance 29er My recent experience of Giant bikes includes testing the latest Trance 27.5, the Anthem 27.5, and the Anthem 29. While none of them were exactly fire-starters, they’re all good bikes that suit their…
Review | Evoc Neo Protector 16L Backpack
Hannah reviews the EVOC Neo – A Backpack With Protection. I’m a fan of having a back pack on – I like having something between my back and the ground when I crash. Yes, I mean when I crash. I seem to have developed something…
2019 Maribor DH World Cup Finals: Men Elite Results
Race results from the 1st round of the 2019 UCI DH World Cup from Maribor DH. The weather held for the final at Maribor with all racers enjoying a much drier and dustier track compared to the conditions during qualifying yesterday. By the time the…
Maribor DH World Cup Finals: Women Elite Results
The first elite women’s race of the season has just taken place and the results are in! Tahnee Seagrave takes first place at the first round of the UCI DH World Cup. The 23-year-old rider managed to beat Rachel Atherton who placed 2nd and Tracey…
Maribor DH WC Junior Results: Vali Holl and Thibaut Daprela take Junior wins
Junior riders for both YT and Commencal take the win in the first round of the UCI DH World Cup! Vali Holl has stormed through the finish line at Maribor to take the first win of the season in the women’s junior, while Commencal rider…
Qualifying results Maribor DH World Cup 2019
Qualifying results are in for the first round of the UCI DH World Cup at Maribor and it looks as though the rain has been playing with the riders. Junior Women Qualification Vali Holl: 3:32.652 Anna Newkirk: +9.423 Mille Johnset: +12.353 Lauryne Chappaz: +28.597 Leane…
Maribor DH World Cup 2019 course preview with Gee Atherton
Gee Atherton straps on the GoPro and takes us on a fast-paced course preview of the Maribor DH World Cup track. With Claudio stepping away from track previews it looks as though pro riders will be handling the onboard videos this year. First up, for…
Five Ten Impact Pro Review: Is the king of grip still king?
Andi tests the latest incarnation of the Five Ten Impact Pro. Do these stealthy, sticky shoes still sit on the flat shoe throne? Five Ten shoes were once the one and only sticky flat sole shoe to run on your mountain bike, but the past…
Trade Tariff Troubles for US Bike Manufacturers
US bike manufacturers look likely to be hit with increased tariffs on bikes or parts exported to Europe, as part of the latest chapter in a tit-for-tat trade dispute between Donald Trump’s administration and the European Commission. The US fired the first volley of import…
10 things to watch for this weekend at 2019 Maribor Downhill World Cup
The first round of the UCI Downhill World Cup is just days away at Maribor and our excitement levels have topped last weekend’s Easter sugar high. It’s the racing that we’re going to be tuning in for at the weekend. We all want to see…
Fresh Goods Friday 445: Monkey Sauce, Giant, Rubber and Strap-On… Wheels
What a mixture of product. Some direct from Sea Otter, some from a monkey milking farm in France, and items not even in the office but in a far off land known as Australia, a wondrous place famous for the Kula Bula and Billa Wonga.…
Canyon Pure Cycling Weekend – Athletes and Partners Confirmed
Last month, Canyon announced its first ever UK Pure Cycling Weekend which will take place over two days at the Forest of Dean on the 11th & 12th May 2019. Modelled on the annual Pure Cycling Festival which takes place each Spring at Canyon’s HQ…
Singletrack Newsdesk 9: Would you hit the Maribor DH WC on a £220 bike?
In Newsdesk 9 we ask the questions “Who will win at the Maribor DH WC?” “Will Cannondale’s new bike show up” and would you chop up a Fox 40? Watch the following video or read the highlights below. Maribor DH WC This Weekend! Finally, the…
Review | Syncros XR 1.0 SL: A lightweight, carbon railed racing saddle
Looking for a lightweight saddle to give you the edge in a race? Jason tried out this carbon railed offering from Syncros. The Syncros XR 1.0 saddle sits at the top of the Syncros XR range of saddles and sports a carbon base, carbon rails…
Inside the Continental Factory | Meet the new Baron, same as the old Baron
Ever wondered how Continental tyres get made? Or indeed how any tyre is made? We sent our man James Vincent to have a look behind the curtain at the Continental tyre factory, Korbach, Germany. I’ll tip my hat to the new constitutionTake a bow for…
Spied: Intense’s Jeff Steber is working on a new Intense Socom
Wish Intense still made the Intense Socom? Well, a new leak from Jeff Steber shows that he is working on a replacement to the much-loved freeride bike. The Intense Socom has always been a bit of a mash-up of Intense bikes. The last production Socom…
Review | BikeStow Bike Rack – foldable storage, no drills required
The BikeStow offers bike storage without the need for fixing to a floor or wall. How did we find it? The unit is well built and has an appealing ‘thunk’ quality to it that I certainly wouldn’t achieve with a home brewed version of it.…
Cannondale 2 shock downhill bike confirmed in this official video
Some of the most recent Cannondale bikes are starting to look a little sensible, thankfully they’ve come out with this 2 shock downhill bike to prove they still have all the crazy left in them. Cannondale has always’s been one to release innovative suspension products.…
On Board | Testing The Raucous 2019 Whyte S-120 C RS
Wil takes us on board for the first ride with the 2019 Whyte S-120 test bike As part of our ongoing foray into the new-school 29er trail bike world, we recently got our hands on a 2019 Whyte S-120 C RS. With 29in wheels and…
You can buy this alloy full-suspension bike for just £229.20
Fed up with all of these mega money, carbon fiber, 3D printed wonder bikes on the market? Hyper Bicycles might have the answer with this £229.20 full suspension bike. If you live in Canada… Hyper Bicycles aren’t very well know over here in the UK,…
Review | Bell Super 3R MIPS Helmet – the ideal ‘just in case’ full face?
The Bell Super 3R MIPS helmet is a (surprise, surprise) MIPS equipped lid with removable chin bar, but as a touch lighter than Andi’s Editor’s Choice Super DH MIPS helmet, this one is designed for trail riding rather than more extreme downhill stuff. With 23…
Review | Bike Bag Dude Top Tube Mini Garage
Wil checks out this strap-on top tube bag from Bike Bag Dude for carrying the essentials on your mountain bike Mountain biking these days is a little different to the (good?) old days. Wheels and tyres have gotten bigger. Seatposts are now expected to go…
Skinny Dipping #004: the World Cup hasn’t even started and we’re already two races down in the British series
In this month’s Skinny Dipping we start off in the UK before heading out to the racing and tech in sunny California. Homeward bound It’s only April and we’re already two races down in the British XC Series. Sherwood Pines hosted the opening event at…
Structure Cycleworks – Carbon Linkage Enduro Bike With WTF Suspension!
If you start from the back end, the Structure full suspension bike looks pretty normal, but one you get a forward of the bottom bracket and… whoah mama! Now that is a different looking bike! And it has WTF suspension! (Standing for ‘Without Telescoping Fork’…
Women’s Wear, Cranks Worth More Than Your Bike & a DOG | FGF 444
There are several reasons behind the number 444 being spiritual (yes, I’m going there…). You are on the path of awakening – are you new to mountain biking? If so, welcome to the beginning of a life of muddy floors, empty bank accounts and bruised…
12 Huge Cassettes For 1x Drivetrains That Aren’t Shimano Or SRAM
Not so long ago, wide-range cassettes were an Exciting New Thing. Actually, we still think they’re pretty exciting, and we’re seeing more brands outside the two Big S brands – Shimano and SRAM – bringing out their own versions. That got us wondering: how many…
On Board | Testing The Merida One-Twenty 8000 Trail Bike
Wil takes us for a ride on the 2019 Merida One-Twenty test bike Last year Merida unveiled the latest generation of its popular One-Twenty trail bike platform. Equipped with a brand new frame, carefully massaged geometry, and an updated suspension design, the One-Twenty nestles into…
Singletrack Newsdesk 8: Sea Otter 2019, Myriam Nicole, Hannah’s Hacks and more.
In this week’s Singletrack Newsdesk we talk Sea Otter 2019, steel e-Bikes, Myriam Nicole, Josh Brycelands prototype Cannondale downhill bike and more. As usual, we have a video below, but if you prefer to read your news keep scrolling for a written version of Singletrack…
PUSH HC97 brings ElevenSix compression technology to your RockShox fork
Suspension design gurus PUSH has announced the release of the PUSH HC97 compression system kit, an upgrade that promises to bring Elevensix rear shock technology to your fork. The PUSH HC97 simply replaces the upper compressions assembly of your RockShox Lyrik, Pike, BoXXer RCT3, RC2…
Top 10 latest 2019 Bike Videos Straight From The Singletrack YouTube Channel
Here are 10 of the latest bike videos from the Singletrack YouTube Channel. Bikes from Commencal, Specialized, Calibre, Trek, GT and more featured and reviewed. You all know that we have a thriving Singletrack YouTube Channel don’t you? And you are subscribed to our YouTube…
Win! | Are You Ready For The Singletrack Easter Egg Hunt?
Want to win a digital subscription to Singletrack Magazine? Of course you do! We’re going to be giving away 10 FREE digital subscriptions in our Easter Egg hunt, but you’ll need to be quick to the party to be in with a chance of winning! Here’s…
Unboxing video: Motion Ride E18 linkage fork, the future of suspension design?
Last year we test rode a pre-production Motion Ride E18 linkage fork, this week we have a retail version to unbox and slap on the front of a bike. Unboxing video: Motion Ride E18 Linkage Fork It’s no secret that the suspension fork landscape is changing.…
Liv Intrigue Advanced 1 – Easy Climbing Meets Playful Descending
For 2019, the Liv Intrigue has returned to the women’s specific brand line-up. This is after taking a couple of years off in 2016 to allow for the Pique SX and Hail Enduro bikes to make an entrance. I attended the product launch for the…
Sea Otter 2019: The New Components, The Crazy Bikes And The Quirky
As it’s going to take forever to bring you individual stories of the thousands of new products launched at this year’s Sea Otter Classic, here’s a bucket of curated new bits and pieces in no particular order for your reading enjoyment. ODI Grips Pioneers of…
Chris Chance Unveils Fat Chance Yo Eddy Titanium At The Sea Otter
Chris Chance is celebrating moving the Fat Chance workshop from the Bay Area to Medford Oregon by announcing a full, US-made titanium version of the legendary Yo Eddy hardtail. He was at the Sea Otter Classic to launch it and to meet up with fans…
How To ‘Fix’ Your Spongy Reverb Dropper Post In Under 2 Minutes
When my spongy Reverb Dropper is driving me nuts on the trail, this two minute hack gets me rolling again. Maybe you’ve grabbed your saddle and lifted your bike. Oops. Or maybe your Reverb Dropper has just mysteriously developed a bit of spongy squish. It…
Commencal Meta AM 29 SRAM Edition First Look
First look at the Commencal Meta AM 29 SRAM Edition, a 29er EWS slaying enduro machine from Andorra. Ever since first riding a Commencal Meta AM 4.0 back in Spain, I have wanted to swing a leg over the Andorran full bouncer for a long-term…
Review | For £450, the X-Fusion Sweep RL2 is a big-hitting fork for those on a budget
Alongside the plethora of high-end mountain bike suspension forks out there from Fox, RockShox, Öhlins, MRP and Cane Creek, the £450 X-Fusion Sweep RL2 is pretty darn cheap in comparison. Is it cheap on performance too? We gave a set to local Calderdale skipping stone,…
Head To Head Trail Bike Review | 2019 GT Sensor Expert Vs 2019 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
When it comes to full suspension trail bikes these days, there are so many options to look at. We’ve got super high-end, luxury carbon options from the likes of Santa Cruz, Yeti, and Pivot, to the other end of the scale with alloy offerings from…
Hayes JUNIT Offers Performance Mountain Bike Components For Kids
Hayes (who you’ll remember for brakes, but which is part of the whole Manitou/ProTaper/Sun-Ringle group) has just launched a full range of performance mountain bike components designed specifically for young riders. While we’ve seen smaller brake levers and smaller bikes for years, Hayes reckoned that…
WTB Launches Aggressive WTB Verdict and Verdict Wet Tyres
Could these be your next winter tyres? They’re certainly among the toothiest tyres we’ve seen so far and WTB reckons that the new WTB Verdict and Verdict Wet tyres are going to be the hot tyre to have for everything from wet Welsh roots to…
Review | The 2019 Trek Fuel EX 9.7 is a tech-heavy trail bike that rips hard
As part of a head-to-head review feature, Rob’s been testing two 130mm travel 29er trail bikes; the 2019 GT Sensor Expert and the 2019 Trek Fuel EX 9.7. So which one has come out on top? Read on for Rob’s review of the Trek Fuel…
Redshift Shockdrop. It’s A Suspension Seatpost That’s A Dropper Post…
Redshift, The people who brought you the Suspension Stem (for this century anyway…) now have something else for you to puzzle over, desire, or simply shake your head sadly at. It’s a (prototype) suspension seatpost. That’s also a dropper post at the same time. Redshift…
Review | The 2019 GT Sensor Carbon Expert ditches complicated suspension for pure, unadulterated fun
As part of a head-to-head review feature, Rob’s been testing two 130mm travel 29er trail bikes; the 2019 GT Sensor Expert and the 2019 Trek Fuel EX 9.7. So which one has come out on top? Read on for Rob’s review of the GT Sensor…
Giant Launches New Shuttle Flat Pedal Shoes At The Sea Otter
Today, Giant Bicycles is launching a new shoe line. Some of the shoes, like the racy Charge Pro are redesigns of popular models, but there’s a whole new flat pedal shoe, called the Giant Shuttle, that we think will be of interest to Singletrack readers.…
#MakingUpTheNumbers | ‘I am not precise, I am cumbersome’ – SDA Rd 2, Innerleithen
George Thompson brings us his race report from SDA Round 2 – Innerleithen where he tries to weave in and out the trees. It’s not him that’s too big, it’s his bike. “We’ve got you a present” Hope’s Matt Rushton has just handed Adam Smith a.k.a.…
FGF 443 | Alcopops, bottle cages & body armour – the perfect Fresh Goods Friday combo!
Well our work experience lad has left, not taking up our offer of an extra week having realised that we really don’t ride bikes very often. So normal service has resumed and we’ve got a mixed bag of items for Fresh Goods, but unfortunately no…