Is mountain biking something best done as a group, or is there a certain singularity of experience to be had in the solo ride? Chipps and Hannah try to see things from all perspectives… Hannah: Unusually for me, perhaps, I don’t have strong feelings about…
Mark Alker
Mark has been riding mountain bikes for over 30 years and co-owns Singletrack, where he's been publisher for 25 years. While his official title might be Managing Director, his actual job description is "whatever needs doing" – from wrangling finances and keeping the lights on to occasionally remembering to ride bikes for fun rather than just work. He's seen the sport evolve from rigid forks to whatever madness the industry dreams up next, and he's still not entirely sure what "gravel" is. When he's not buried in spreadsheets or chasing late invoices, he's probably thinking about his next ride.
Win This Yamaha Wabash RT Bike and expand your riding options: 502 Club Raffle
Our 502 Club raffles help to support Singletrackworld and it’s sustainability in times that are unprecedented for the media and bike industries alike. Find out more about our 520 Club and our raffle campaign here. Raffle no.7: Yamaha Wabash RT Everything about this quality eBike…
Cat Eye Lighting Bundle: Did you win it?
It’s draw time again for our latest 502 Club Raffle. The prize this week is a bundle of goodies from top lighting brand, Cat Eye. Cat Eye lights have been around since before Singletrack was born and let’s face it, we’ve always been here. Chipps…
Issue 157 – Norway Hans Rey
What would you say are the greatest innovations in mountain biking? Most would agree the invention of full suspension, then there is the dropper seat post; in more recent times we have purpose-built trails and bike parks; and, even more recently, ebikes. Hans Rey has…
502 Club Raffle : Cateye Lighting Bundle worth £460
Cat Eye lights have been around since before Singletrack was born and let’s face it, we’ve always been here. Chipps and Mark once wrote a feature in a long lost magazine about the Cat Eye Stadium light, one of the first really useful off road…
502 Raffle Winners – Vallon Fjallraven/Specialized
Did you win? If you didn’t buy a ticket then you definitely didn’t. If you did though.. Well, you need to watch this to find out. Yeah, we could just write your name here but then you’d not watch our video. So, you know. There’s…
502 Club Raffle no.5 Vallon, Specialized Fjällräven Bundle Worth over £750
We may have only just picked the winner of the last raffle but we already have the next one ready to go for you, and this bundle of top tier products from Vallon, Fjällräven and Specialized is going to make one of you look absolutely…
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 winners of those should have had them delivered in the post today. So congratulations to…
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 bike. But with drop bars. Is it gravel or mountain? It’s both. Or neither. Or…
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 days in at my desk. But apart from me there’s just Zoe on duty today.…
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 their performance so far… The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by: Previous Episodes
502 Club Back Stage Passes – We still need you
Your donations are still needed and if there was one thing that must surely convince you of our worthiness to remain a vital part of your existence, it’s clearly these t-shirts. If you don’t yet know what I’m on about then check out the details…
Unique Bi-Monthly Print & Digital Subscription | Stay Flexible and Affordable
At Singletrack we are all about doing mountain bike content differently. The way we write; the way we review and some would say the way we ride are all unique and done in our own inimitable style. And that applies to the print magazine too.…
It’s Time To Subscribe To Get Your August Edition of Singletrack!
Whether you’re planning lazy days by the pool, sheltering under damp canvas in a field, or endless party laps in the mountains, we hope you’ll find at least some down time this summer. Don’t spend that precious time doom scrolling – grab yourself a print…
Crankworx – What is it and why it should be on your bucket list
The next round of the Crankworx World Tour takes place on the 19th – 28th July in Whistler, Canada. Here’s our short Singletrack guide to Crankworx. Crankworx is no ordinary mountain biking festival; it’s a mecca for MTB enthusiasts from around the globe. This high-energy…
Singletrack’s Newsletter Subscription Drive
Help us get to 10k newsletter subscribers! It's a great way to support Singletrack for no direct cost and it really helps us out.
502 Club Raffle #3 Win A Cotic Solaris Frame Worth £1199
Grab your tickets and wait for the draw – if you are the winner you could be the owner of a Cotic Solaris hardtail frame in your choice of size and colour. Let’s get right to it. If you want to enter then just click…
Hardline Canyon Gap Jump Is Out
We’ve been informed by a source at the event that the organisers have decided not to include the canyon gap jump as part of the Red Bull Hardline course. The news comes in the wake of a very close call during testing where rider Jim…
Save big with a Singletrack Sub – Top Offers This Week
It’s almost impossible to highlight the best deals available to our Singletrack members through our partnership with EZ Discounts as there are over 19k deals available. But we do get to hear of particularly great offers on a daily basis so here’s our guide this…
502 Club Raffle #2 WIN a Niner Jet 9 3Star RDO
Following our massively successful inaugural raffle to win a Cannondale Habit we have our second raffle. This time you have the chance to win a Niner Jet 9 RDO bike in your choice of size and colour. THE UPDATED JET 9 RDO: FIT TO TAKE…
girouk.com is a scam website
Confirmed by the UK distributor of Giro products, Zyro Fisher. This very convincing website offers up some extremely attractive deals on Giro gear but don’t be fooled. The genuine website for UK customers is giro.co.uk The scam website was first registered in 2023 by a…
Kona Bicycles Winds Down: Brand For Sale: UK Distributor Continues To Import Stock
Having bought the Kona brand from the founders just two years ago, owners Kent Outdoors have announced they are abandoning the bike market altogether and have put the Kona brand on the market. Kent Outdoors owns a large portfolio of 15 outdoor brands with a…
Crossword: The Outdoor Clothing Edition
This one is designed to be gentle, just enough to get the brain cells going over a morning coffee, or while you’re dropping the kids off at the pool. Straying from strictly bikes, it’s outdoor clothing brands. Or Gorpcore, as apparently the cool kids are…
Pinarello Dogma XC Now Available To Buy If You Are A Hardcore XC Racer
You may recall that last year we reported on Tom Pidcock’s new XC race bike from Pinarello. Today that bike is now officially on sale to the general public along with it’s hardtail version. Here to refresh your memory is that story. But essentially it’s…
Concern for Kona as staff take down stand at Sea Otter
The annual Sea Otter Classic race and expo is the traditional new season starter event. Based in California it attracts racers and some of the world’s biggest bike brands every April where they get the chance to show off their new bikes and bits in…
The Singletrack 502 Raffle: Win A Cannondale Habit LT 1
We reviewed this bike in issue 151 of Singletrack World Magazine – read the full review here. Cannondale have stepped up and offered us this amazing bike worth £4750 for our first ever raffle prize draw. For a chance to win this bike and help…
Crossword: Very British (MTB) Problems
Ah, this green and pleasant land. No bears or wolves or poisonous killer spiders. Just miles of trails, free of hazards of any kind. Roll along, taking in the view, don’t trouble yourself with thoughts of mountain lions or brown snakes. Sigh. It’s all so…
No Men Riding At Crankworx Slopestyle Rotorua. What’s Going On?
It’s all blowing up somewhat in the southern hemisphere right now as the male category pro riders have announced they will not be riding on Sunday in the slopestyle event due to an ongoing dispute with the event organisers. The inaugural women’s Slopestyle event will…
Members Deals Of The Week
As a full member here at Singletrack you get much more than just exclusive website content, ad free browsing and a regular high quality, gorgeous print magazine delivered to you post free. You also get access to literally thousands of discounts via our EZ Discount…
Members Survey: Help us make your membership better
As a Singletrack subscriber, you have access to Singletrack Rewards – a wide range of bike related discounts that can save you money! This survey is to gather feedback on these rewards and how we may be able to improve. As a thank you, one…
Thule EPOS Towball Carrier review: best bike rack I’ve used
The Thule EPOS Towball Carrier is low faff, quick fitting and loading. It’s the best bike rack I have ever used. And I’ve used a lot of them.Â
WiggleCRC Administrators’ report: What does the future hold?
We take a look at how the WiggleCRC administration process is going, and where we may be headed. Followers of industry news will recall that the administration process of WiggleCRC was triggered when its parent company SIGNA Sports withdrew a €150m funding commitment. On entering…
Megasack 2023 Christmas Blooper Reel
It’s all over bar the live Megasack draw on New Year’s Eve. We hope you enjoyed our silly Megasack videos this year as much as we did making them. Here’s our traditional MegaSack Mix of the parts that demonstrate our commitment to professionalism on camera.…
Last Minute Gift Subscription To Singletrack
So you’ve left it to the last minute and now there’s no time to send anything through the post. Or perhaps you are seeing the person you’ve forgotten about in an hour and all the shops are shut. There’s not even time to grab a…
Our personal pick from the Black Friday bunfight
Here's the good deals on the good stuff that we think you should know about this Black Friday.
On This Day: Christmas Card Throwback 2017
First things first. My sincerest apologies for mentioning the ‘C’ word outside of December, but I have reasons. Back in November of 2017 – The good o’le days before the world changed – we made a unique Christmas card to send out to various people…
From Burnley to Whistler, how far can you push trail tyres?Â
Part one of a three part Pirelli Scorpion vlog series, Mark tries the trail tyres at home then heads off to ride Whistler's longest downhill!
WIN Free FiveTen Shoes From Chain Reaction
Fancy a pair of free FiveTens? Forum partners Chain Reaction have a giveaway exclusively for our members (free and full). And if your existing shoes are looking a little worse for wear then your chances of bagging a pair just went right up. Here’s what…
Mountain Biker Drives 4×4 To Snowdon Summit To Cheers From Walkers
Back in 2011 a 4×4 truck was abandoned for the second time at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Commonly known as Snowdon) in North Wales for the second time despite there being no access road. It was an illegal act and was roundly condemned by…
Chain Reaction Powers The Singletrack Forum
We are very pleased to welcome back Chain Reaction as our forum partner. Partnerships like this are really important to us as they help us maintain and develop the site but we are looking forward to much more than just a financial relationship with Chain…
Whistler opens camping and RV hookup park for MTBers
The world’s most prestigious biking destination becomes accessible to budget conscious travellers Whistler Olympic Park RV & Campground, a new camping destination in BC’s Sea to Sky Corridor, is located within the iconic Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley, 30 minutes west of Whistler.…
Desert Island Disk Brakes with Samantha Soriano
Press launches are often accompanied by a cohort of pro riders representing the brand and when Hannah went to the Canyon global press camp earlier this year the place was awash with riding talent. Hannah took to opportunity to talk to some of the notable…
Mental Mondays #17 The Events Edition
It’s been a weekend of wet events up here in the north of the UK, so this week’s crossword is on that very theme. Events that is. Not rain. Although we could probably come up with an assortment of very British descriptors of type of…
Desert Island Disc Brakes – Jake100 Podcast
Jake100 – or Jake O’Neill to give him his full name – is an urban riding star and YouTube creator. This year he’s helping run the London BikeStormz event, as well as working on his tricks and skills. We caught up with him for an…
Mental Mondays #16 – The trail hazards edition
Just making it in Monday this week’s puzzle takes inspiration from the caterpillar story. Your theme for this week is trail hazards. Good luck Singletrack Puzzlers. Quick links Singletrack Crossword #16 Win a Singletrack Jigsaw If you successfully complete the Singletrack crossword then that get’s…
Mental Mondays #15 – The Fully Dressed Edition
Naked bike riding may be quite aerodynamic if you’re not too hairy, but it’s a recipe for chafing and nettles where you really don’t want them. Clothes are good when it comes to riding bikes. Look to your wardrobe (or that festering Ikea bag) for…
Mental Mondays #14 – Let there be love
Without heading into Cove bikes innuendo territory, we have a love and marriage themed edition for you. Set your hearts a fluttering and your brains tickling. Quick links Singletrack Crossword #14 Our crosswords and puzzles are for full members only. Join us today to get…
Mental Mondays #13 – The get on out there edition
Fancy getting out and about? Got itchy feet and want to head over the horizon to a new location? This week’s crossword theme is UK riding locations, with a bike park bias. Maybe it’ll have you looking at the map and planning a trip to…
Mental Mondays #12 – Sunlit uplands edition
This week’s crossword theme is UK bike stuff. The sunlit uplands, if you will. If you get stuck, go for a ride and behold the green and pleasant land, pick up some rubbish on your way home, and then perhaps inspiration of the Ol’ Blighty…
The Over-Biked Crud-Bung Episode
Hannah leads and Amanda, Mark and Chipps follow this week. Amanda shares her race strategy of..er.. simply not racing, during the race. Chipps explains how we are all over-biked. Probably. Mark relates how he struggled to justify the price of bikes to a collection of…
Mental Mondays #11
This week’s crossword theme is progress, fashion, and perhaps fads. Stuff that the marketing departments tell us is better – some of it you may agree does indeed constitute progress. Hannah made it, so think a bit sideways if you get stuck. Quick links Singletrack…