We’ve been lucky enough to have the all new Transition Spur in for an exclusive first ride test ahead of its launch. The brand new Transition Spur sees Transition entering a new sector of the market and the Spur is designed as a 29” wheeled,…
June 2020
Watch: Gowaan Gals “The Final Edit”
An edit full of slow motions, stunts, and smiles! Watch the Gowaan Gals ride their lockdown compound in “The Final Edit”. Those hazy sunny days might feel like a distant memory today, but at least you can relive that early summer blip with Chloe Taylor,…
The new Yeti SB115 – Downcountry? Fast Trail? Whatever?
Call it ‘downcountry’ or ‘fast trail’, we’ve been seeing increasing numbers of bikes coming out in the last couple of years aimed at riders who aren’t necessarily cross country racers, yet they aren’t enduro and who like nothing better than trying to pull their friends’…
2021 Commencal Clash | Same look but all-new sporty angles
Another new update from Andorra as Commencal unleashes the 2021 version of the popular Clash platform. Same look, but all-new sporty angles. The Commencal Clash has always been a bike that I’ve looked at as a freeride or mini downhill bike, but in it’s latest…
What Would It Look Like Now? The GT Lobo
We wonder what a modern incarnation of the GT Lobo might look like, and take a trip down memory lane with GT. Bike designer and fabricator Steve Salter of SmallTownBoyCustoms has been busy re-imaging the GT Lobo as it would be if it were around…
Ticks and Lyme Disease: Advice for Mountain Bikers
The charity Caudwell LymeCo brings us important information about ticks and Lyme Disease for mountain bikers. Exercising outdoors is great for physical and mental health, but as we move into summer and further into peak tick season, this also increases our chances of coming across…
Diversion Diary – Know Your Place
Hannah’s partner, BK, lives in the USA, and lockdown has kept them apart. Each week, she brings us some lonesome ramblings, plus a selection of internet finds. This week she’s looking at the land beyond the trails. As much as I enjoy the adrenaline rush…
Welsh Trail Centres Move To Reopen In July With New Trails On Offer
In a joint statement last weekend, the major uplift bike parks in Wales announced that, in line with Welsh Government advice, and after consultation with Welsh Cycling and the Outdoor Alliance and other bodies, a measured reopening of some Welsh trail centres would start happening…
Fresh Goods Friday 506 – The Shall We/Shan’t We? Mid-Lockdown Easing Edition
You can go to the pub. No you can’t. Not yet, but you will. You can queue at Primark. You can probably go camping. You can go to places, but the loos will probably be locked when you get there. You can’t go to Durham,…
YT Shred Range: Coil Shocks For Decoy and New Alloy Capra
The YT Shred range sees the mullet Decoy e-bike get a coil shock, and the Capra get a full metal body and a coil shock too. If there’s not a hair metal video to go with this launch we’re going to be very disappointed. YT…
Review: 2021 Orange Five Evo LE short travel big hitter
Andi tackles the trails on Orange’s latest creation, the short travel, progressively angled 2021 Orange Five Evo LE. A few years ago I reviewed the Orange Four and I concluded that the short travel, single-pivot Orange was probably the bike most riders should be on.…
2021 Orange Five Evo and Stage Evo go big on geometry not travel!
The latest Evo bikes from Orange are short on travel, big on geometry and full of fun. Full details of the Orange Five Evo and Stage Evo. MY21 bikes seem to be following a similar formula no matter which brands are announcing them. It seems…
Video | Corona Coaster With Matt Walker
This week’s Corona Coaster video by Nico Turner features Madison Saracen‘s Matt Walker. Matt has taken the lockdown as an opportunity to double down on his training, investing in some Rocky Balboa style gym equipment and riding some of Shropshire’s finest trails. Nico says: ‘Due…
10 Vegan Trail Snacks | Bake or buy, we’ve lots to try!
Veganism is on the rise, and the availability of vegan snacks and ready meals is ever growing. It’s getting to the point where we’re actually spoiled for choice… but some trail snacks can be quite expensive and end up being disappointing. Too dry, too nutty,…
Video | Skem’ed by Nukeproof
Singletrack Towers may be in the North of England, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t use a few subtitles to go with this video from Nukeproof. Nukeproof says: Skelmersdale; for a region with few official hills let alone mountains, there is a quality crop of…
First Ride Review: 2021 Specialized Epic Pro – No Mercy XC Racing Beast
Wheel this new Specialized Epic Pro out of the box and you’re immediately struck by how neat and purposeful it looks. Thanks to the SRAM AXS Eagle wireless shifting and a puritanical approach to dropper posts, there are only brake hoses coming from the bars.…
2021 Specialized Epic. Lighter. Faster. More Epic Than Ever!
2021 Specialized Epic For the 2018 model year, Specialized did a major revamp of its flagship race bike, the Epic. The full carbon frame was made a lot lighter, while the geometry was tweaked to reflect the changing needs of Olympic-level cross country racing. Well,…
Double Your Donation To World Bicycle Relief This Week!
We’re big fans of the work of World Bicycle Relief, and this week your donations are being match funded – making them worth double! How much did you spend on your last bike? How many bikes do you own? We know that many of our…
Matt Simmonds | Privateer 161 Öhlins Build
Earlier this year Privateer rider Matt Simmonds announced he was taking a step back from World Cup racing to focus on Nationals and his new venture, ProLine MTB. To help him along the team at Privateer helped him get his Privateer 161 ready, along with…
2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 gets revamped with new frame and features
Following on from the release of the radical new Meta TR, Commencal has announced the 2021 Meta AM with all-new frame, geometry and features. Commencal’s boffins have done it again and totally redesigned the 2021 Commencal Meta AM 29 to bring the design and features…
Go Outdoors’ Possible Administration Brings Calibre Future Into Question
JD Sports has filed a notice of intention to enter administration for subsidiary company Go Outdoors, the company who owns Calibre bikes. This will have fans of the budget bikes wondering when or if they’ll be able to buy another Calibre. The statement posted on…
FGF Podcast 505 | Barbed wire hands and Chloe Taylor interview
This week Hannah grills Amanda about her recent incident with a barbed wire fence before Andi chats to Chloe Taylor about her life as a pro racer under lockdown conditions. Did you know she’s only been riding mountain bikes for 3 years?
Islabikes Prepares Two New Ranges To Improve Access to Cycling
Islabikes is working on two new products to improve access to cycling: an e-assist version of their Icons range, and bikes designed for people with restricted growth. Islabikes started because founder Isla Rowntree wanted there to be bikes that were better designed for the needs…
Bike Nerd Bingo | Linkage Driven High Single Pivot Steel Full Suspension Prototype!
We get a bit hot under the collar over this linkage driven high single pivot steel full suspension prototype – because that sentence is like bike nerd bingo. Oh my, what do we have here? It’s like all our nerd buttons are being pushed at…
FGF 505 – The Enjoy This Weekend. Nights Start Drawing In Soon Edition
Did everyone’s grandad always greet midsummer like this? Or just mine? Was it a celebration of a summer barely half-through? Or a lament at months wasted and a looming winter to look forward to? Who knows? All we know is that the weather has mostly…
Cotic Solaris MAX 2020 | More Sparkles, More Bottle Bosses!
Cotic has revealed the latest update to the Solaris MAX, their 29er hardtail which they say can do everything from enduro to bike packing. This latest edition of the Cotic Solaris MAX features a slightly steeper seat tube, but that’s not what going to catch…
Commencal tweaks the Meta HT hardtail for 2021
Commencal’s tweaked Meta HT hardtail released with 2021 build and a couple of frame updates. Think Commencal and you will probably picture downhill race runs, enduro wins, and aggressive full-suspension bikes, but full-bounce isn’t all they do. The Commencal Meta HT has been a regular…
Fort William’s Nevis Range Hopes To Reopen July 15th
We’ve just had word that Nevis Range, the venue that hosts the annual Fort William downhill World Cup will hopefully reopen (with restrictions, obviously) for business and bike riding on July 15th, now that there have been some word on easing of restrictions in Scotland.…
Julbo Quickshift MTB Goggles | 2 Modes, 1 Pair of Goggles
James tries out the Julbo Quickshift MTB Goggles – will he be glad of the protection they give his eyes? Ever since I was about 7 or 8, I’ve worn glasses (-5.75 in both eyes on my last test, thanks genetics) and when I’m riding…
Diversion Diary | Up Fish Creek Without A Saddle
Hannah’s partner, BK, lives in the USA, and lockdown has kept them apart. Each week, she brings us some lonesome ramblings, plus a selection of internet finds. This week she covers the next big cycling trend: bike fishing. I am walking a tightrope of anxiety.…
DZR Turin Boots | Now With European Distributor For Easy Purchasing
Hannah checks out the DZR Turin boots, just as they get a whole lot easier to get hold of int he UK and Europe. When offered a pair of these DZR Turin boots to try out before the launch, I thought they looked like the…
Wiggle Data Breach – Accounts ‘Fraudulently Accessed’ – Updated Story
Wiggle customers are reporting purchases made using their card details, amid what appears to be a data breach. Updated 20:30 16th June We’ve received the following statement from Wiggle: Ross Clemmow, CEO at Wiggle: “Data security is of the utmost importance to us. We’ve investigated the…
First Look: Ride Concepts VICE Kyle Strait Signature Flat Shoe
Ride Concepts’ new VICE shoe is aimed at dirt jump, slalom, BMX and downhill riders who value pedal feel. Ride Concepts produces a whole host of cycling-specific shoes and sponsors some of the biggest talents in the industry. Riders such as the Athertons, Sam Pilgrim…
Hayes XC Collection | Because Not Everyone Is Enduro?
Hayes has launched the Hayes XC Collection – a new range of XC gear aimed at ‘normal’ riders and not just pro racers. If you’re not sure what category of rider you are, here’s the introduction from their PR piece: You wake up at 5:00 am in…
2021 Santa Cruz 5010 & Juliana Furtado: More travel!
The Santa Cruz 5010 and Juliana Furtado are the 27.5in ‘all-rounders’ of each brand. Designed to go up as well as they come down, the nimble trail bikes have had some major changes for 2020. What’s new at a glance Fork travel has increased from…
2021 Juliana Furtado | First Ride Review
The 2021 Juliana Furtado has seen some significant changes. Pitched as being a very capable trail steed, we’ve sent one of our favourite Van Girls out to play on the Juliana Furtado CC X01 RSV build. What’s new? The first thing you’ll notice on the…
First Look: Burgtec Mk3 Enduro Stem
Burgtec replaces the much-loved Mk2 with an all-new Mk3 Enduro stem available in all the usual Burgtec colours. Burgtec manufactures a lot of cool kit. From carbon handlebars, and flat pedals, to alloy axles and oval chainrings, the lads in Macclesfield know a thing or…
2021 Commencal Meta TR 29 is lower, slacker, steeper and meaner!
The 2021 Commencal Meta TR 29 has more travel, a steeper 78.6° seat tube, slacker 64.5° head angle and is longer and lower than ever! For 2021 Commencal has made the Meta TR 29 longer, lower, slacker and meaner than ever. The TR, meaning this…
Bontrager Rally SPD Shoe Review
My old shoes have died. They were lightweight, XC and absolutely knackered. I am neither particularly lightweight nor XC, so was delighted to be given the opportunity try something a bit different, the Bontrager Rally. The styling is not something that I would have normally…
Missing Mountain Mayhem? Join in the #mayhem24 competition next weekend
To celebrate what could have been the organisers are planning a weekend of prize giving on the dates of the cancelled Mountain Mayhem 24 hour racing event, 20-21st June 2020. If you have a phone and a social media account then you have what you…
FGF Podcast 504 | Jamie Knight, Lion And Being An Autistic Mountain Biker
This week the Singletrack podcast gang of Hannah, Chipps and Andi talk about the latest output from SRAM plus the weather. That’s then followed by a truly fascinating chat with Jamie Knight about being autistic and how that affects him as a mountain biker. You…
1989 Raleigh Caprice | Pub Bike Check
As we’re accelerating into a world of carbon, titanium, carbotanium and electric components, I’d like to wind the clock back and introduce you to my new-old pub bike. This 1979 Raleigh Caprice is what you might call a shed find. Although, it wasn’t lost, and…
Get your limited edition Troy Lee lid while you can
Troy Lee has released a run of A2 and D4 helmets featuring custom designs available in limited numbers. Do you like standing out from the crowd? Perhaps you like your kit to be a little brighter, more exclusive, or maybe even a tad retro? If…
Making Up The Numbers Podcast | Gee Atherton
Gee Atherton joins George and Jack in this week’s Making Up The Numbers Podcast. Joining us on this episode of the podcast is 2 x World Champion & 2010 World Cup Overall Champion, Gee Atherton. If you had an hour to ask Gee Atherton anything…
Meet the Moorhuhn, an utterly fantastic 3D printed Reynolds 953 stainless steel full suspension frame!
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, I want you to stop it and soak in the majesty of this stainless steel full-sus Moorhuhn! Keywords are important when it comes to writing a story. We need to use the sort of words that will not only…
Where Did Summer Go? FGF 504
‘Ooh, well it’s good for the grass’ as many of our parents would be saying. It seems that summer has abandoned us again, leaving heavy wind, hail and rain showers. So, a normal June then. Normally at this time of year we would be putting…
Corona Coaster: Matt Stuttard – from EWS to LBS
We’ve another ‘Corona Coaster’ episode for you, this time with Enduro Privateer Matt Stuttard. The series takes a look at how professional mountain bikers are dealing with a year put on hold and Matt’s been keeping himself busy working in his local bike shop, riding…
Diversion Diary – Lockdown Birthday Mixtape
In this week’s internet round up, Hannah has a lockdown birthday party for one. Warning: this is almost entirely a bike free zone. One of the many things I enjoy in my relationship with BK is the sharing of musical discoveries. He’s much better at…
The 520% Eagle Has Landed! SRAM Updates Eagle to 10 – 52
SRAM announces updates to SRAM GX, X01 and XX1 with a move to a 10 – 52 gearing and boosted 520% range! SRAM’s Eagle has been on the market for a good few years now, and thanks to its 1 x 12 gearing and 500%…
First Ride Review: 2021 SRAM GX Eagle, 2 more teeth and 520% range.
Andi has been on the latest version of the SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with new 520% range cassette for 2 weeks, and here are his first impressions. Before we delve in I want to stress that this is a first ride impression of the latest…