A truly Classic day out with big views, plenty of miles, and legendary Scotch eggs. Words & Photography Barney Marsh The Yorkshire Dales have been, of course, extensively covered in the Singletrack Worlds of yore, but Nidderdale has largely been left off the list. Sure,…
2022
Tea And Biscuits 2 – Full Film Free Online!
Well, that’s the evening viewing sorted then…The second serving of Tea and Biscuits is available in full, for free from 8pm UK time on Friday 17 June. Is that Sam Hill? Yeah, that’s Sam Hill. And he’s joined by countless legendary stars and rippers in…
Digging For Answers (and finding all the feels)
Need to feel better about life? Watch this video and enjoy the overwhelming emotion of ‘Ah yes, bikes are great’. There is an art to building a bike trail on the rugged terrain of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It takes a lot of hard work…
Local businesses come together to help Innes Graham fund his EWS campaign
After a fairly long hiatus from racing, Tweed Valley local Innes Graham had an amazing result on home turf with a 3rd at the Scottish round of the EWS. The Tweed Valley local spends his time coaching for Dirt School, rather than training with a…
Fresh Goods Friday 605: The Highly Erratic Edition
I (Amanda), am in the Lake District with Benji and Mark, fumbling around with bikes and cameras. It’s far too rare an occasion that this job actually takes us outside together, and I’d honestly forgotten how refreshing it is to hang out with colleagues outside.…
Issue 143 UK Adventure: Ghost Riders
Has Taunton’s bloody history left a chill in the air, or is it just the sweat cooling on Pete’s neck? Words & Photography Pete Scullion “If ghosts do exist, why are they all centuries old? Why are there no ghosts from 2013 moaning about the…
Talking About: Tubeless
Sit down for an unscripted delve into Benji’s mind, and all that he knows about tubeless set up, and tips for getting the most out of it. Benji and Hannah talk about the kit you need – and some you maybe don’t – for a…
Issue 143 International Adventure: Where The Wind Blows
An eager Hannah heads to one of her dream destinations, only to discover it’s not like she imagined at all. Words Hannah Photography Hannah and Snorri Thor Tryggvason Iceland Air’s safety announcement features very little of the usual plane stuff. Instead, there is an improbably…
The Singletrack Podcast – everyone in disagreement, then?
Hannah, Benji and Mark sit down for a chat about the news you may have missed and the news that got them thinking. Benji likes Strava, Hannah is pretty sure she doesn’t. Is racers being cautious about injuries a new and emerging trend? Expect diversions,…
Granite Design Stash RT: ratchet in your steerer
New version of the Granite Design Stash RT fits more forks, has a better pop-out function, and can mount Garmin/Wahoo/Bryton devices.
Summer Riding Shirt Member Special
Here comes the sun. Isn’t the summer just the best with its dusty trails, warm air, and long days in the saddle. How could it possibly be any better? (Hold on. This sounds like Charlie is about to make me excited about bikes and then…
Transition Relay with removable Fazua Ride 60
Transition Relay is a lighter-weight powered bike with a removable battery. 160/170mm travel. Full 29 or mullet. Fazua Ride 60 system.
Global cycle adventurer Stephen Fabes to speak in Canterbury
Cycle adventurer Stephen Fabes will be sharing tales of his astonishing round-the-world odyssey in Canterbury at The Gulbenkian on 22 June. Fabes is a medical doctor with, he admits, “A bad case of wanderlust and no sense of direction”. He finally found his way home…
Issue 143 Interview: Guy Kesteven
If he can tell how a bike will ride just by pushing it, why does he keep riding and testing? Words & Photography Chipps Whether you know Guy Kesteven through the thousands of bike and product tests he’s written over the last 25 years, his over-exaggerated ‘bike journo’ riding style, or…
Issue 143 Kitchen: Charlie’s New Wave Hipster Starters
Just as mountain bikes keep evolving, so does food. There was a time when a prawn cocktail would impress people with its juicy shellfish piled high on lettuce with a nice tangy Marie Rosé sauce, and now it seems … well… somewhat ‘canti’.
Grab A Night Out With Richard Parks – Extreme Endurance Athlete
An inspirational international rugby player turned extreme endurance athlete and TV presenter is visiting Exeter and Llanelli to talk about his exploits. Richard Parks, who became the first person to climb the highest mountain on each continent plus stand on all three poles (North, South,…
17 year old Matthew Fairbrother rides 1500km between EWS races
17 Year old Matthew Fairbrother is an enduro racer destined for great things, and he’s certainly putting the work in to achieve them. Deviate sponsored rider @matthewfmtb completed his first U21 EWS race at Tweed Valley Sunday 5th June 2022. He then set off on…
Singletrack Issue 143 Bike Test: Party At The Back
Have we swallowed the marketing hook, line and sinker, or is there something to the mullet trend?
Review: Geometron G1
GeoMetron is essentially Chris Porter. If you don’t know who Chris Porter is, do a Google. Just make sure you have a brew ready before you dive in.
Review: Santa Cruz Bronson
Maybe the Santa Cruz Bronson does need an introduction. The latest Bronson is a massively different beast to the Bronson Mk1.
Review: Starling Twist Trail
Starling Cycles is Joe McEwan. Joe used to work as an aerospace engineer and build bike frames in his shed as a sideline.
Marzocchi Bomber Air shock: first ride review
Benji has had a Marzocchi Bomber Air plumbed into his RocketMAX for the past week or so. Here's how he feels about it. Yes, the piggyback reservoir is supposed to look like that.
DH World Cup Round 3, Leogang – Race Report (Contains Spoilers)
All photos – Credit Red Bull Content Pool If you were to design a track to provide the best spectacle for the sport of DH, you’d probably use a similar formula to Leogang: a super fast top section meaning tight times at the halfway point…
Climbs, gaps and wins – everything goes big at XCO WC Leogang (spoiler alert!)
Check out the comments section below for our live watch-along commentary, or read on for the race report. The women’s race was won by the young French rider Loana Lecomte. This is her second back to back perfect weekend at Leogang. There are some rather…
Issue 143: Shiny Happy People
Alf Alderson was enticed to South Carmarthenshire by a local tourist board promotion – but did the riding live up to the hype? Words Alf Alderson Photography Alf Alderson vs Discover Carmarthenshire Sometimes the best riding is right on your doorstep and while you may…
Readers’ Rides: Jon’s Smokestone Bow-Ti
Whether you’ve got a special new bike or just a bike that’s special to you, this is where you get to tell us about it! You send us your submissions, and then we cast our judgemental expert lustful eyes over them and bring them to the world to ooh…
Mountain Bike Hip Pack Buyers Guide – Kit Essentials
Benji tests out some modern hip packs that can cater for all but the furthest adventuring of riders. Words Benji Photography Amanda The return of the humble water bottle and the widespread ditching of hydration backpacks has been one of the more unexpected developments in…
Review: Bontrager Rapid Pack Hydro Hip Pack
This Bontrager Rapid Pack Hydro hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World Price: £94.99 Capacity: 1.64L Bladder: 1.5L Included From: Trek, trekbikes.com Colours: Black The non-hydro version of this bag has been much loved amongst…
Review: Deuter Pulse 3 Hip Pack
The Deuter Pulse 3 hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World Price: £50.00 Capacity: 5L Bladder: 1.5L (not included) From: Deuter GB, deutergb.co.uk Colours: Bay (blue), Cranberry, Black The square shape of the Pulse 3…
Review: Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack
The Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World Price: £25.00 Capacity: 1L Bladder: No From: Patagonia, eu.patagonia.com Colours: Borealis Green, Black, Coriander Brown, Forge Grey At first glance this dinky…
Review: PNW Rover Hip Pack
The PNW Rover hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World The PNW Rover is a tough, sturdy pack that is clearly designed with a hard life in mind, as opposed to being minimalist, delicate, lightweight…
Review: Polaris Aquanought Waterproof Hip Pack
The Polaris Aquanought Waterproof hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World Price: £47.99 Capacity: 3L Bladder: No From: Polaris, polaris-bikewear.co.uk Colours: Black & Green If you’re like me, you’re a middle-aged mountain biker living in…
Review: Rapha Trail Hip Pack
The Rapha Trail hip pack is reviewed as part of our Kit Essentials grouptest from Issue 143 of Singletrack World Price: £60.00 Capacity: 3L Bladder: No From: Rapha, rapha.cc Colours: Old Gold, Black, Green, Navy Unlike a lot of mountain bike journos, I really have…
Review: Thule Rail 4 Hip Pack
This product was selected for our Editors’ Choice Awards 2022, as published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 146 Benji: “This Rail 4L from Thule was the first bumbag that I didn’t begrudge wearing. It remains the one and only bumbag that I reach for when I’m…
This one’s for the climbers – World Cup XC Short Track at Leogang
Grassy climb, quick descent and techy corners. XCC racing is intense as ever! About the track The track for short track racing in Leogang is 1km long with 47m of ascent. The riders start on gravelly ground and, within a few metres of starting, head…
Internet Rummagings – Queen’s English edition
Welcome to the results of this month’s rummaging around the back room of the internet bike shop, where I try and find cool, shiny or interesting parts to show you, and try desperately not to go bankrupt in the process. Farr (ST) Farr is an…
Issue 143 Hans Rey: Lasting Legacies
Hans Rey learns from new hotshots and old legends to work out his place in mountain biking’s legacy. Words & Photography Carmen Freeman-Rey Looking back on life can be a funny thing, thankfully we have a knack for forgetting the bad and our recollections are…
If you go down in the woods today… Bird Flu Warning!
If you’re heading to a trail centre – or anywhere really – you’d do well to heed this warning. It might be tempting to try and rescue a sick bird, but currently it would be an ill-advised move: Forestry and Land Scotland is advising all…
Dotwatchers Assemble! Bikes of Blaenau 600
The Blaenau 600 is a new bikepacking event, 600km long with over 11,000m of climbing. Blaenau translates roughly as ‘remote uplands’, though it starts in a fairly accessible place and as a loop you return back to base – perhaps making it less of an all-in…
Fresh Goods Friday 604: The Great Power & Responsibility Edition
We trust you’ve had a most splendid week. If you haven’t, we’re sorry about that. There’s always next week. This too shall pass. Anyway. Here’s this week’s Fresh Goods for everyone to enjoy… Cane Creek Helm MKII Price: £1,099 From: Extra UK We’ve got this…
Talking About: How Far Can Your Ebike Go?
Mark and Hannah sit down to chat about the reasons why ‘How far can your ebike go?’ has no simple answer. Video not displaying? Try our Youtube Channel Having discussed all that, we then got to wondering in the office – as batteries get smaller…
Issue 143: Things that are important on a bike, in order.
Benji is here to persuade you not to spend lots of money, except where you should. Words: Benji This feature is intended to be a helpful guide – or reminder – to invest in some things more than others. This often involves spending money on…
It’s Hannah’s Birthday! Grab a deal…
Another year, another bit older, and at the point where I have to ask my kids how old I am this year. ’43!’ they reply with glee. Then they remember its my birthday and they’re supposed to be nice to me, so say things like…
Strava adds mountain biking as an activity: hurray or uh-oh?
A recent update to Strava has given users the option of selecting mountain biking as an activity.
What’s Inside Singletrack World Issue 143? Out Today!
If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each issue, it’s now in the post – we can’t be sure exactly when it will land with you, especially with all the Bank Holidays, but if you’re in the UK and you’ve still not got…
Issue 143: Lost In Time
A few rolls of lost camera film bring back memories of older times. Words & Photography Chipps The fading art of the analogue photograph was always a wonder to me. I can remember watching, amazed, as my first black and white print appeared before my eyes in the college darkroom.…
Issue 143 Last Word: Clothing Optional
Should Hannah be allowed to make equipment choices, or is the outcome inevitable? Words Hannah I have been here before. That time it resulted in a flight through the air long enough to contemplate my poor equipment choices (bikini, sandals and baseball cap) before landing…
When & how & who to watch at Leogang DH World Cup on Saturday
All photos – credit Red Bull Content Pool In the latest episode of the Making Up The Numbers podcast Jack Reading states that Leogang is the hardest track to race on the World Cup circuit. Once bemoaned as being ‘too bike parky’ that all changed…
How to pick the best mountain bike for you
While there may not be such a thing as The Best Mountain Bike, there are certainly bikes that will suit you more than others.
Have An Adventurous Night Out in Nottingham!
Make Wednesday 15th June more than a hump day – make it a full on mountain day, with Kendal Mountain Tour’s evening of adventure films. Meet the intrepid woman who ran 5000 miles around the coast of Britain, with 200 strangers putting her up for…
Making Up The Numbers Podcast With Danny Hart and Dakotah Norton
On this episode of the podcast, George, Jack and Emilie chat all things Fort William and Leogang. They’re joined by 2011 and 2016 World Champion Danny Hart, and 2021 US National Champion Dakotah Norton. Dakotah Norton Gallery Credit: Nathan Hughes Danny Hart Gallery Credit: Red…