It’s our big birthday issue – 20 years of mountain biking stories and tech. By now, you should know all about our cover – and if not, where have you been?!
It’s a magazine of two halves, acknowledging where we’ve come from, but looking forward to where we’re going rather than going on about the ‘good old days’.
Because we have two fronts to this issue – start at whichever side you fancy! – we have two editorials, from our two owners:
Chipps says…
They say that 10,000 hours is how much time and dedication it takes to master a skill. If you’ve been with us since issue 1, it’s likely that you’ve ‘mastered’ mountain biking by now, but we all know that’s a lie, right?
Mark says…
Mark likes tech, he’s one of those people who buys the first version of everything. Does he think the past has anything to offer us, or is it all about what’s next?
Countdown to membership cut off for the next print issue of Singletrack World Magazine
As with every issue, we’ve got a Classic Ride and a Bike Test for you:
Classic Ride – Rivington Pike
Site of the 2002 Commonwealth Games mountain bike races, ‘Rivi’ is still wildly popular with local riders, due to its accessibility to many northern cities. Mark takes a fond trip down memory lane at this historical site.
Big Bike Test
Andi looks at three bikes that descend like enduro racers, but which which you could still consider for all day riding – climbs and all. And yes, one of them is so new, we can’t show you it here!
Column: Catch My Drift
Barney brings clarity to the world of bike language. No matter what technology we have, it seems likely that ‘stack’ will always have a place in our lexicon.
Pete’s Pros: Mikayala Parton
A young rider to watch for the future, Pete Scullion rides out with Mikayala Parton to find out more about where she’ll be taking the sport.
As well as these regular features, we’ve got some big thinking pieces too, to inspire you to get both mind and body working:
Our Place in The World
Antony de Heveningham looks at where mountain biking will sit in the context of future environmental and social changes. Can we just ride, do we need to take account of the world around us, or will we be unable to ignore the changes that are coming?
Futurama
Dean Hersey examines where technology will take the bike industry. What influence and trends can he see in other industries, and will the bike world follow? Is it hover bikes all round, or will our wheels still be firmly on the ground?
Back to the Future
Pete Scullion looks at bike marketing, racing, and the shape of future promotion of our sport. How can it continue to grow, where will the new riders come from, and what will they want their bikes to do?
Power Up
Andi looks at the fast-paced world of e-bike technology. With rapid growth (and improvement) in recent years, the focus of many bike companies is on improving their e-bike offerings. Will they leave their pedal-powered pals behind?
The Big Hitters
Hannah goes behind some of the best known usernames in the forum to find out more about the community that is Singletrackworld and what it is that brings us all together,
Keeping it Real Steel
Chipps looks at that original bike making material and examines its relevance in a world of advanced material science. Steel, it seems, is still real. Really popular, that is. But why?
We’ll still be adventuring, getting out there, and riding bikes – whatever form they take. We’ve got some tales of (mis)adventure to entertain and motivate you:
International Adventure: Kiwi Beer Vet 2020
Would a birthday be complete without a trip to the pub? Tony Hutcheson goes on a multi-day tour of the New Zealand back country, with only the shining beacons of the pubs and hotels along the way to guide his path.
UK Adventure: North vs South: Bingley Bingo
Amanda heads out for a group ride with a difference: there IS no group. United by a bingo sheet of ride goals, two geographically-remote pairs of riders head out for socially-distanced local rides in search of that group ride camaraderie.
If all that tickles your fancy, you have a few options: you can join us today for a whole year of birthday fun (and certainly by the 25th March, which is the cut off date for new Members wanting to get this issue), or you can pre-order just this single issue. Or, you could join us on an annual digital only Membership – which is just £20 per year – then invoke your new Member’s discount to pre-order this edition as a paper copy keepsake.
Countdown to membership cut off for the next print issue of Singletrack World Magazine
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Nice varied content mix guys, thanks. I work out that since 2003 I’ve put in about 5k hours. So I’m possibly like a yellow belt mountain biker.
Is that a Kirk Revolution on the 2001 side?
Looking forward to it.
Rivi was nearly my back yard when growing up.
Pity tho mountain bikes weren’t a thing when I was growing up.
It was road bikes, Raleigh grifters, or some barstewardised road bike with upturned cowhorn bars.
I’ll be good to see what’s there now, as I’ll take a bike with me when we’re allowed to travel to see family still that way.
I look forward to reading about the ride in my old stomping ground (Hindhead)
Looks to be a good ‘un – can’t wait. I’m glad you’re looking forward; it is the only way we can go, after all.
Looking good! Rivington Pike was my local ride back around 2000 and I was on photo duties for the council to cover the Commonwealth Games MTB event. An old mate used to house share with Oli Beckinsale and after the race we all sat having a beer or two. Happy times and look forward to the article and mag.