|
|
|
|
|
|
Subject Choices
|
|
|
Perhaps some of you are parents who have kids choosing their GCSEs or A Levels about now. It’s all a little bit like trying to choose which trails to ride at a bike park.
|
You get off the uplift and are faced with choices. There’s a swoopy blue, easy enough fun, but did you really come all this way to play it safe? There’s a big red - you’ve heard about this one. You might have it in you, or it might finish you off. Should you try it, or save some energy for some other trails? If you wait, will you be too ragged to tackle it later?
|
The double black… you’d like the kudos and self-satisfied glow that would come with completing it. But equally, failure might bring the hype of the day down - or end it early. Perhaps you should narrow your focus, have a berm day and hope you get really good at swooping, perhaps even a spot of schralping (why is one direction always so much harder than the other?).
|
Unless you’re a racer with an important training schedule to achieve, it probably doesn’t matter too much. You can overthink it. (Personally, I favour warming up on something just in range of your skills, and repeating it a few times to nail the most challenging bits, before moving on).
|
Likewise with exam subjects. Unless you have a specific goal, like being a doctor, or a nuclear physicist, you can overthink the choices. Providing you push yourself a little bit to stretch your skills - don’t just roll down blues all day long - all will probably work out OK. You’re probably not going to choose something you’re terrible at - just as long as you listen to your gut and not your mates telling you ‘it’ll be reet’, or your parents insisting you take Latin, Triple Science and Further Maths.
|
Being made to tackle a triple black when you’re clearly out of your depth rarely works out well. But being encouraged to push yourself just a little bit, see what you can do - that leads to progression.
|
|
And progression is perhaps the best we can hope for, whether it’s a smooth arc, a general trend, or a major leap. Resist the urge to send your kids down the trail you want to ride, and encourage them down the ones you know they’ll shine at. Soon enough they’ll realise they’re better than you and you’ll be wondering how you’ll ever keep up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Word From Our Sponsors: Industry 9
|
|
|
|
|
Rider confidence isn’t just about skill; it's about trusting your gear to keep pace when the going gets tough. That’s where Industry Nine’s latest hub creation, the Hydra2, steps in. After years of intense development and countless hours of real-world testing, Hydra2 is ready to meet the rigors of modern trail, enduro, e-bike, and downhill demands head-on and sets a new benchmark for durability and performance.
|
|
|
|
Industry Nine didn't just dream this one up in a lab. They listened to feedback from over 100,000 Hydra hub riders worldwide, taking notes on what worked, what didn’t, and what needed some serious refinement. The result? A hub system that’s tougher, stronger, and ready to shrug off whatever the trail decides to conjure up.
|
|
|
|
Hydra2 boasts a 65% thicker axle for superior stress dissipation. The pawl pockets have been enlarged providing 26% improved force dissipation to prevent wear and tear and the drive ring has been manufactured with a tougher metal and an additional tooth on each pawl to handle the high torque demands of e-bike motors. To help the bearings function the design now incorporates larger 6903 bearings with full-contact radial lip seals paired with proximity dust shields that guard against the grit and grime that’s synonymous with UK riding. The design of Hydra2 also ensures consistent bearing preload that maintains peak bearing performance, regardless of axle tightness. And what about that engagement we hear you ask? Well, it equates to 0.41° of engagement or 870 points of engagement resulting in 60% less coasting drag.
|
|
|
|
All these improvements make Hydra2 the toughest, most versatile hub system to roll out of Industry Nine’s Asheville HQ yet. Whether you’re tearing down rocky descents, smashing out all-day epics, or sending it like Semenuk, Hydra2 is designed to take the hits and keep rolling strong.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bringing you a not-yet-sunbleached edition of FGF!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mountain biking is a broad church and April's edition of Singletrack World covers many a pew. Submit your tithes to our webshop today and ye shall receive. We're very excited to have a rare interview with cover star and freerider Brage Vestavik. What else is inside? Read on to find out. Join us by midnight on 24th March to have …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Would I keep the USE Components Vybe stem and seatpost on my bike? Yes. Do the benefits beat the weight penalty? Yes. Recommended. Reviewed by Lewis Deacon “It’s just a 90s MTB” was the first response when I showed the USE Components Vybe suspension stem and suspension seatpost combo on my gravel bike to my local ride group. But USE …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winter is gone! Break out the Maxxis Forekaster 3C Maxx Terra tyres kids! Free* speed but without the unwanted terrors. Brand: Maxxis Product: Forekaster 3C Maxx Terra Price: *£64.99 From: Freewheel Tested by: Benji for 2 years or so Pros Punches way, way, way above its weight Adds speed (and range if on an eeb) Isn't ever scary Cons Would …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Nixit is advertised as a menstrual cup (or cap, or disc) that doesn't rely on suction to stay in place. In theory, this makes it better suited to those with an IUD contraceptive device, for whom suction-based solutions are not advised. To be on the safe side, Nixit still advises you check with your healthcare provider for any compatibility …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
