Chipps gets to put together a menu of rides. Does he start bold? Or subtle and build to a crescendo? I had some riders in the village this week. Not friends or friends of friends…
2024
How To Read The Latest Issue of Singletrack World
The August issue is out now – here’s how to read it If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each issue you should be happily working your way…
Retrobike Barn Find Bonanza!
It’s the collector’s dream: you enquire about a single bike, end up discovering a whole collection of bikes – and the person that owns them wants rid. That’s what happened…
Lazer Chase KinetiCore Helmet review
The Lazer Chase KinetiCore is a downhill rated helmet with a comparatively reasonable price tag (well, it’s under £200). Pros Cons The Lazer Chase KinetiCore is a downhill rated helmet…
Rachel Atherton: From World Champ to Family Cycling Champion
It was Rachel Atherton’s first year at the Malverns Classic, and like many festival-goers she was there with her family. While she wasn’t juggling child demands with racing, she was…
Fresh Goods Friday 720: The Chambréing Edition
Hello to each and every one you out there in Singletrackworldland! Well done for making it though yet another week on this planet we call Earth. To ease you into…
Lust Is Not A Sin: Paul Brakes for Bromptons
If you’ve been on the fence about whether to buy a Brompton, there’s now another reason to have one: Paul components brake upgrades. I don’t own a Brompton, but I…
502 Club Raffle: Magura Brakes Worth £550
Thanks to everyone who entered our last raffle for a Surly Grappler trail bike and congratulations to John Edgar who won it. There were some minor prizes too and the…
Issue 156 – No place for science
Put down your calculators and pick up your pitchforks, because Benji has ideas about where you can stick your science… Despite what this article is called, I am not anti-science.…
Project Mjolnir: The Most Interesting Bike Of The Year?
At the Malverns Classic Festival there were a bunch of riders with Bowhead adaptive trikes taking part in the racing, which was great to see. But then this rolled by…
Deviate Highlander II review
Deviate Highlander II is pleasantly surprising. It’s a fantastic trail bike that’s easy to get to grips with and have a great day aboard. Pros Cons We were fans of…
Who won the Surly Grappler in 502 Club Raffle?
Our most recent 502 Club raffle was for a complete bike, in your choice of size from that bastion of US-designed steel rides, Surly. The Surly Grappler is a trail…
Team GB squad for MTB World Champs (plus how to watch it for free)
The UCI MTB World Championships are next week, and Britain will be fielding a decent squad across the age groups in XC and DH. This year’s World Champs are taking…
Fresh Goods Friday 719: The Jewelled Skeleton Edition
The end is nigh! The end of summer holiday season that is. The Good Ship HMS Singletrackworld is back with a full crew and sailing the seven seas of… er,…
Canyon’s End Of Season Sale Starts… Now! Up To 30% Off
Wherever, whenever you ride — find your favourite Canyon bike for less in their end of season sale. Spectral 5 Affordable, and shreddable. A sorted spec and premium aluminium chassis…
TFFT, Gee Atherton Isn’t In The 2024 Red Bull Rampage Men’s LineupÂ
TFFT, Gee Atherton isn’t on the list. That will be quite the relief to many fans and viewers. But who is on the Red Bull Rampage men’s start line this…
Dorval AM Ends Downhill Racing Sponsorship
We’re sad to see another loss from the downhill world – this time, it’s not a bike company that’s pulling out, it’s Dorval AM, the French asset management firm. The…
Reasons To Be Cheerful: Active Travel Funding Is Coming!
Yes, we like mountain biking, but more people on all kinds of bikes is good for the bike industry and for mountain biking. The Guardian is reporting that the government…
Issue 156 – Arran’ a good time
Amanda, Rhys and James are reunited for further confirmation that ‘enduro-packing’ is a great idea. WORDS AMANDA PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES VINCENT I am spreadeagled on a rock slab. James is holding…
Santa Cruz Bronson Mk5 gets longer stays and lower anti-squat
The fifth generation Santa Cruz Bronson remains a 150mm travel mixed-wheel trail bike but gets longer rear centre and a reduction in anti-squat. Santa Cruz Bronson Mk5 in a nutshell…
This Weekend! GT Bicycles Malverns Classic MTB Festival
It’s this weekend! Are you coming? Whether you were there in the early days and want to relive the glory of your youth, or you have your own kids now…
Issue 156 – Beyond Benidorm
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY CHIPPS One blazing sun, two very different worlds on Spain’s Costa Blanca. As I look around at the hotel breakfast buffet, there are two distinctly different groups…
Issue 156 – Earning your descents
In our next head to head debate, Chipps is a big fan of earning your descents – he thinks they’re all the better for having put in the effort to…
The Grinder 156: Formula Cura X brake, OneUp Alu bar, MSR tent, Specialized Method shoe and more
Bits for your body, bike, and the happiness of those who share your shed. Formula Cura X Brakes First things first, these brakes aren’t as powerful as the SRAM Maven…
Issue 156 – Pete’s Peaks
Pete brings us a selection of climbs (and descents) worth bagging, even if they’re not on a fashionable to-do list of must-do mountains. Words Pete Scullion, photography Pete Scullion and…
Bikemon Go! Your August Ride Inspiring Download
Back in issue 153 in February, Hannah proposed an alternative approach to measuring rides. As part of that, we gave you a set of ride ‘achievements’ to collect in the…
Making Up The Numbers: European DH Champs Pits Special
George Thompson made the trip to Europe to take part in the European Downhill Championships and record this podcast from the pits. After a couple of huge crashes in his…
Fresh Goods Friday 718 – Bright And Early Edition
Ooh, yes it’s Friday. Not lunchtime mind. We’re messing with you by getting this up early. Mostly because there’s no video this week, because I’m not going to sit and…
2024 Red Bull Rampage Women: Who To Watch And What To Expect
Whoop! The news that you’ve all been waiting for! (Well, I have, anyway – and I called it right for many of the riders I predicted would be on the…
Limitlass Mountain Bike Festival 2024 Wraps Up with an Unforgettable Weekend in Dunkeld
We’ve just received this press release (of an event we missed going to!) that looks like a whole heap of fun. One to look out for next year, perhaps. It’s…
Before the Party’s Over
Mountain biking is getting old. It might be time to sit down and talk to our elders. Words Hannah, Illustration James Vincent Remember when you were a kid and every…
1949-2024: Geoff Apps, pioneer of mountain bike design
We’ve just heard the sad news that Geoff Apps, pioneer of mountain bike design, died unexpectedly at home on 25th July. His passing is as quiet as much of his…
Issue 156 – Inconvenient Injuries
Very silly injury… Went OTB at about four miles an hour. Not a scratch, got back on the bike, rode ten feet, did the same thing. I was on an…
Issue 156 – Bhutan: On Royal Trails
Since Bhutan is keen on measuring happiness, it should be no surprise that there is great mountain biking to be found there. The small kingdom of Bhutan, nestled in the…
502 Club Roll Of Honour
Special Notice of Appreciation We wouldn’t be here without any of you and you’re all special, but the folks listed here are particularly special. Thank you to everyone who joined…
Issue 156 Last Word: Know Your Frenemy
Hannah Discovers the impact of mountain bike injuries on your trails and explores how a favorite trail can turn into a nemesis and the challenges it brings.
Fresh Goods Friday 717: Sound The Sun Klaxon!
Apparently it’s only a week ago that I was on holiday. Since my house is currently shaking thanks to neighbours having their front garden paved over, let us cast our…
Nerd Alert! Rare Structure SCW1 Prototype Bike for Sale
This caught our eye in the Singletrack Classifieds. I mean, why wouldn’t it? With echoes of the old Whyte PRST1 but a stack of new tech, it’s a bike nerd’s…
Red Bull Rampage: Dates Revealed For Men’s and Women’s Events
It had already been confirmed that Red Bull Rampage would include women in this year’s event, but now it’s clearer that there will be two separate days: Women on Thursday…
Off to Fort William? Test a Saracen while you’re there!
If you’re making the trip to Fort William and the Nevis Range, you’ll now be able to try out one of a number of Saracen bikes while you’re there, as…
Tweedlove ends: Management of world enduro partly to blame says organiser
TweedLove founder Neil Dalgleish has announced in a blog post that the hugely popular Scottish mountain bike festival is coming to an end. If you’ve been meaning to get round…
Interview: Atherton Bikes at Bespoked
In our final interview from Bespoked, Manchester, I stopped for a chat with Alex from Atherton Bikes to see if I could find out what’s ahead for the Welsh brand.…
BikePark Wales: New 33 year lease to bring many benefits
Amidst reports of job cuts at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), it’s good to see some positive news coming from Wales: BikePark Wales has signed a new 33 year lease that…
Is NRW About To Close Coed Y Brenin?
According to several reports we have seen, it’s looking very likely that in the short term, several trail centres, including Coed y Brenin and Nant yr Arian will be forced…
Fresh Goods Friday 716: The Icelandic Edition
It’s oh so quiet. There’s just me (Mark) in the office today. That’s not actually unusual as we run a hybrid home/office deal at Singletrack and Friday’s are my usual…
Podcast Making Up The Numbers – Mid Season Review
We’re over halfway through the 2024 World Cup season and in this episode George, Jack & Emilie round up the first half of the season and grade the teams on…
MB Wales recruiting Steering Group positions to develop MTB
Following the recent rebrand of Beicio Cymru, MB Wales has announced that recruitment is open to support the development of MTB in Wales. MB Wales press release: MB Wales is…
Shimano commits $10 million to trail building projects
Shimano Trail Born Fund is a new initiative aimed at increasing and sustaining mountain bike trails and trail access around the world. TRAIL BORN SHIMANO is proud to announce its…
Bike Check: Sour Bikes ‘Pasta Party’
Jürgen from Sour Bikes talked us through the features of this ‘Pasta Party’ bike from Sour Bikes, a German brand that’s managed to make production in Germany work for them.…
Readers’ Rides: Ally’s Resurrected Nicolai Saturn 14
For this edition, Ally Mitchell shares his “resurrected” Nicolai Saturn 14. What made him choose it? “Geometry and sizing mostly”. Bike brand and model Nicolai Saturn 14. Why this bike?…