Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome.
He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable.
Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles.
He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds.
He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.
TRP Slate Evo Disc Brake review
The TRP Slate Evo brakes are superlative, wallet-happy anchors. Not be as elegant as pricier brakes but they’re superb, reliable stoppers.
OneUp Dropper Post V2 240mm review
The dropper was born, and progression was made. And now we have this – a OneUp Dropper Post V2 240mm with a frankly enormous drop. Pros Cons There are a...
Issue 148 Classic Ride: Children Of The Dammed
Barney takes in some venerable Peak District trails that are anything but old and past it. Words & Photography Barney Marsh In many ways this ride might be seen as…
Goodyear Newton MTF and MTR review
The Goodyear Newton tyres are as hefty as they are grippy, and as such they represent a solid choice - perhaps in more ways than one.
Orbea Occam M10 LT review
Orbea Occam M10 LT - an Occam, but more so. It’s a long-legged trail bike with a focus that will chime with what many people are looking for.
Simply better than laces: 12 BOA® off-road cycling shoes
The BOA system has been a replacement technology for laces since the mid 90\'s but how was it invented and by whom?
Trek Roscoe 24 review: great little trail bike
The Trek Roscoe 24 sports fat tyres, 1x drivetrain, wide-range cassette, sloping top tube and rear brake calliper is tucked into the frame.
Classic Ride 143 – Scar House Loop, Nidderdale
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…
Continental Der Baron Projekt tyre review
Continental Der Baron Projekt is made of their \'secret sauce\' Black Chili compound, which you’ll only find in their German-made tyres.
Boardman MTR 9.0 review: brilliant or bobbins?
Barney batters the Boardman MTR 9.0. Boardman’s blingiest bouncy bike, but is this affordable full-sus Brilliant, or bobbins? Boardman’s MTR 9.0 is the company’s flagship mountain bike. No high-falutin’ DH...
Classic Ride 138 – Cakes and Ladders
Barney takes a trip around the shivering mountain to see if some favourite old trails still pass muster on new bikes. Words & Photography Barney Marsh There is absolutely no…
Classic Ride 135 – North of Reeth – The Quest for the Holy Dale
Barney explains why the trails north of Reeth are truly classic – especially if your eyesight is up to the task. Words & Photography Barney Marsh The original idea for...
Catch My Drift? Singletrack Magazine Issue 131
With Barney Marsh In which your intrepid reporter attempts to get to the bottom of certain mountain biking vernacular using the ancient arts of Flannelling and Hand Waving. This feature...
Merida Matts J24+ | For the Mini-Shredder with Big Dreams
Eliza Marsh swings a leg over the Merida Matts J24+ little-hitter from Merida It’d be easy to sweep an abstracted eye over photos of the Merida Matts J24+ and assume...
Classic Ride 129 – Cornish Classic
Barney journeys back to his Cornish roots to bring you this West Country classic ride. Words & Photography Barney Marsh Long has my family boasted of ties to Cornwall, despite…
Komoot – what’s Europe’s biggest outdoors app all about?
Barney takes a look at the ideas behind komoot, and what it can offer the The Modern, Up-To-Date Mountain Biker Of Now. I am, I think it’s fair to say,...
Singletrack Issue 126 | Cornish Fasties
Barney takes a trip where few bike journos have dared to tread – Cornwall. Words & Photography Barney Marsh Ah, Cornwall! Last gasp of Great Britain westward before the relentless,…
Review | Cane Creek eeWings – Titanium. Oh yeah, baby
We gave Barney a pair of Cane Creek eeWings. Is he still soaring? There is something mysterious about titanium. From its use in rockets, spaceships, and military aircraft from the...
Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | Making Hay On Wye
Barney takes a trip to Hay, while the sun shines… Words & Photography Barney Marsh This isn’t how it usually works. If you’re a freelancer like wot I is (Barney…
Singletrack Issue 124 : Metal Machine Music
Barney visits this machinists’ paradise in Preston to find out what makes Bounce Cycles, er, bounce. Words & Photography Barney Marsh Preston, a city nestled atop the north bank of…
Santa Cruz Megatower first ride review – The big wheel Nomad we’ve been waiting for.
We ride the first Megatower in the country!
Review: Vee Tire Flow Snap + Enduro Core 29×2.6in Tyre
Tyres, as many of you know, represent perhaps the least sexy but certainly one of the most emphatic ways to alter your ride. From those proponents of the ‘fit once...
Gnar Gnot Gnecessary: Great rides don’t need bluebird skies
Riding bikes is totally ace, regardless of how techy the trails are. And how bad the weather is.
Cotic-ing all the boxes: An inside look at the Cotic-Fiveland Bikes collaboration
Barney takes a trip up to that there Scotland to find out more about Cotic’s venture with fledgling Scottish framebuilders Five Land Bikes
Singletrack Issue 121: MIPS: You’re Twisting My Melon Man
MIPS invited us to Sweden to explain its in-helmet safety system in words that non-neuroscientists can understand. Luckily we have our own actual PhD neuroscientist, so we sent Barney to…
Singletrack Issue 121: Ley Lines – Don’t Do It!
Barney takes a good hard look at whether the legend of ley lines might hold spectacular secrets of sumptuous singletrack. Words & Photography Barney Marsh There\'s more to this story…
Tyke Packing – A bike packing adventure with kids: from Singletrack Issue 120
Barney has taken the – if not impossible – then wildly ill-advised step of actually taking his young kids bikepacking. Read on for some abject lessons in what not to…
Review: The Nukeproof Horizon Wheelset Costs Less Than £350 And Is Barney-Proof
Barney does his level best to destroy Nukeproof’s Horizon wheelset. And, as in so many other things he tries in life, he fails. Nukeproof is a brand with a long...
Review: Convert Your RockShox Reverb With The Wolf Tooth ReMote Sustain
We’ve already become fans of Wolf Tooth Components’ brilliant ReMote dropper post lever, though it’s now available in a kit to convert a RockShox Reverb dropper post too. To test...
Singletrack Magazine Issue 118: Last Word
Train, Train Go Away Barney faces up to the inevitable: he’s not magically going to get fitter by doing nothing. It sits against one wall of the cellar, locked in…