It seems that number of recent bike shop break-ins at mountain bike trail centres has had some shop owners on the verge of packing it all in. Most recently, Afan Valley Bike Shed near Port Talbot had a(nother) break-in for the second time in a…
Chipps
With 25 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps holds the record for the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994.
Chipps stepped down as Editor in April 2026 after 25 years at the helm. He's now wondering what to do next, while riding his bike in the French Pyrenees, where he also runs some gites.
Staff Bike Test: Chipps’ Ibis Ripley MK4
This article was first published in Issue 129 of Singletrack Magazine. The first Ibis Ripley, back in 2001 or so, was an alloy softail, a pretty advanced bike for the time. The Ripleys that followed were equally innovative: the MK2 was the company’s first carbon…
New ENVE Foundation AG25 and AG28 Gravel Wheels Launch
It’s not just mountain bikers that are benefitting from carbon wheel technology. The benefits of hookless beads and carbon’s light weight and impact resistance work very well on gravel bikes. With gravel bikes adopting tubeless technology and its lower pressures, the wide carbon beads can…
Pipedream’s New SRS48 Fork Has Zero Millimetres of Travel. Or Is It Miles?
Pipedream Cycles has just launched its new 29er fork. In a time when suspension is getting longer and longer, the new Pipedream SRS48 fork has 0mm of plush suspension travel. And it’s made of steel. But it’s not about how rad you can get, it’s…
The New Alloy Ibis Ripley – The Ripley AF
There’s a new Ibis Ripley in town. Based on the impressive, carbon (and expensive) 29in wheeled Ripley frame, the Ripley AF offers the same 130mm DW-Link suspension, similar geometry (more on that in a mo’), but in a more affordable package. UK complete bikes will…
Editor’s Choice Awards 2020 – Chipps’ Pick
First published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 134. It’s been a ‘special’ year, for sure, but the sun has continued to come up and bikes have still been ridden. We’ve perhaps not been to as many far-flung places (even in the UK) as usual, but that’s…
The New Focus Atlas Gravel Bike
“Made to Lose” Today, Focus is launching a new range of Focus Atlas gravel bikes, with a great amount of fanfare (it’s the brand’s first dedicated gravel bike, after all) and with the intriguing slogan of ‘Made to lose’ – by this, Focus means that…
Singletrack’s 2021 Predictions
New year, new us, that kind of thing. It’s at this time of year that we ask our team for some predictions for the year ahead. No cheating or open textbooks (or 2021 OEM brochures) allowed – just based on what they’ve seen and how…
Islabikes eJimi e-bike – A Real World Review
Kevin Brennan is a lifelong cyclist and mountain biker, a regular face at the Monday Night Pub Ride, er, rides and is definitely old enough to know better. So who better to get to test the new Islabikes e-Jimi? The e-bike version of the regular…
Singletrack Christmas Countdown – Day 18. Win Pearl Izumi Winter Gear!
Pearl Izumi Winter Protection Kit Price: £725 From: Freewheel Pearl Izumi WXB and D3O pads If you’re after excuses for not riding this winter, then look away now. With this full setup from Pearl Izumi, you’ll be ready to ride in all conditions until the sunshine eventually…
Christmas Countdown Day 16 – Win Shimano Winter Boots
Welcome to Day Sixteen of our big Goodbye to 2020, Hello to 2021, Advent/Christmas/New Year Daily Countdown Giveaway. Today, as with every day in our GHACNYDCG, you have two chances to win. Let’s see what it is today. Shimano MW7 Winter Boots Price: £199 From:…
2021 Marin Alpine Trail Carbon Launches Today
There are a lot of bike launches going on at the moment, but there’s always room for one from Marin, which, despite its Californian roots, always has the UK in mind when designing its bikes, whether that’s in keeping lots of mud clearance, or in…
2021 Pivot Shuttle – Lighter Motor, Bigger Battery, More Radness
It’s been a couple of years since we brought you some news about the Pivot Shuttle e-bike. Back then, there were some big changes: a move to 29in wheels, dropping of Di2, more travel and some general slackening and stuff. That progress has been continuing…
2021 Evil Offering – The 150/140mm Hooligan 29er Rad Machine
The 2021 Evil Offering is here – and the marketing blurb says ‘All hail, the Dark Lord of Singletrack’ so we’d better sit up and pay attention, eh? The Offering is just that big chunkier and slacker than the Following MB, a bike we’ve reviewed…
New Pivot Mach 6 – Get Loose And Go Hard
At a time where it seems that everyone’s attention is on bigger wheels and mullet bikes for more aggressive riding, Pivot is proudly sticking behind its burly new Mach 6 model for that kind of all-round fun behaviour. The Pivot Mach 6 boasts 160mm travel…
The Onza Porcupine Returns To The UK. In white, too!
After a long time away, the Onza Porcupine has returned to the UK! OK, perhaps not quite in the form that you remember – those rounded knobbled weren’t really the greatest for directional grip, but who cared, back in the early nineties? Since those days,…
Video: Gee Atherton’s New Ridgeline Jump Line Is Massive
Gee Atherton is no stranger to massive gaps and big, big air, but the new Atherton Ridgeline might be the limit of what anyone can currently ride on a mountain bike. With the help of his brother Dan and a dedicated dig line, they’ve sculpted…
ENVE Launches Alloy Stem Range
Sure, ENVE currently offers stems, but they’re full carbon and cost around £270 a pop. This new move will offer 3D-forged and machined ENVE alloy stems for £130/€135 The new stem will simply be known as the ‘ENVE alloy stem’ and it’ll come in three…
Giro Launches The Helios Spherical Gravel Helmet
Giro has been cranking out some fine new helmets in the last couple of years, with the top-end helmets, the road bike Aether and the mountain bike Manifest helmet, using the new ‘MIPS Spherical’ system. The new Helios Spherical might borrow an older Giro helmet…
The PNW Loam Dropper Post Is Weatherproof, Adjustable AND Colourful
Today, PNW is launching its new, direct-to-consumer dropper post, the PNW Loam Post. Coming in at US$200/£154*, it offers a lot of benefits for a reasonably low price. AND you can customise it with colours, which is going to be important to some people. Of…
Renewed Hope For Lee Quarry Trails And Trail Centre
Although it seems like we’ve been here before, nearly a decade ago, we’re back with news of council-backed plans for a trail centre building to support the rocky trails at Lee Quarry in Lancashire, along with work to develop the the quarry trails again. The…
Specialized 2FO Roost Shoes – For Clip-in And Flat Riders Alike
There’s a new shoe on the block, and it’s called the Specialized Roost 2FO. There are two styles available – either full flat pedal, or clip-in. The shoes are designed with third generation SlipNot rubber (we love that name…) for superior grip, whether on pedal…
Pipedream Sirius Returns
We’ve just heard from Pipedream that its short travel fork-ready, steel hardtail has been completely revamped and has appeared in stock ready for riders to treat themselves to an early Christmas present. The Pipedream Sirius is designed for a 120mm fork (though you can run…
Nicolai Launches The Saturn 14 Full Suspension Belt-Drive Gearbox Trail Bike
In a ‘what took you so long?’ announcement that we know will delight some of our friends, Nicolai has announce a Pinion-gearbox shifting, full suspension trail bike. The new Saturn 14 will come in 27.5, 29 or Mullet wheel size and features 130 or 138mm…
New Stif Squatch Launches – The All-Round 29er Hardtail
It’s taken three years of design and tweaking, but the steel tubed, Stif Squatch is finally here. It features 29in wheels, a 78° seat tube and 64° head angle and its designed for a 130mm, short offset fork. Just don’t call it ‘a 29er Morf’…
Fresh Goods Friday 522 – The ‘Oh, Not Again’ Edition
Wasn’t that the thought of the Hitchiker’s Guide whale that turned into a plant pot (or was it the other way round?) Anyway, it seems that Singletrack Towers is locking down again and joining our fellow Tier 3 stalwarts just over the border. At least…
A Chat And A Video With Vali Holl
We’ve just had this interview in from YT bikes, Vali Holl’s bike sponsor about her thoughts on the past, the crazy year of 2020 and the seasons ahead. Let’s catch up with Vali Hol For Valentina Höll, 2020 was the year that would see her…
Hope Reopens Factory – Although It’s Not Really Been Closed
Hope Technology has been very quiet recently, and with little new stock on the shelves, it has led to customers wondering if the factory gates had closed. However, the silence has simply been due to everyone there working extra hard there, with no spare time…
Ling’s Bike Trip – The Pre-Ride Interview With Ling Valentine
There's no denying that Ling Valentine is quite a character. Her vividly-coloured, car-leasing website, LingsCars.com has been described as 'contract hire's RyanAir' and with a small staff and efficient practices, it has propelled her to become the UK's "biggest individual seller of new cars" -…
Eurobike’s Been Cancelled For 2020. Here’s Why We’ll Miss It.
Chipps gives us his reasons why he’s very sad to hear that Eurobike has been cancelled. And it’s not just about the shiny new bikes… Traditionally, Eurobike – to me at least – always signified the end of summer. Falling at the end of August/beginning…
First Ride: 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper Review
Chipps reports from a day of ups and downs in the remarkably sunny Tweed Valley aboard the new Stumpjumper. Although it was only a day, there was more than enough riding to give this new 2021 Stumpjumper a first ride review.
Specialized Launches The 2021 Stumpjumper: ‘The Singletrack Flow Finder’ – With Video
At first glance, the new 2021 Stumpjumper appears pretty similar to both the model that came before it, and to the new 2021 Stumpjumper EVO that appeared a week or so ago. However, much has changed, both in where the bike sits in the range…
Fresh Goods Friday 519 – The ‘Not Van Halen too?’ Edition
Hey! How’s it going? Sorry for the late appearance of Fresh Goods this week, we’ve had a busy old week and there’s a lot of stuff to get through. Grab a brew! (Or a beer if you’ve finished work already…) – oh, and we’ve checked…
New SRAM Eagle AXS Lever Shape For Riders Less Keen On The Future
SRAM’s AXS Eagle wireless shifting system has gone down very well since its launch just over 18 months ago. For those riders who got the 1×12 wireless shifter and mech on their new bikes, or those who upgraded to it, the functionality of the shifters…
Aerothan. After 5 Years Of Development, Schwalbe Launches – An Inner Tube?
If you thought the inner tube as daily bit of kit died a half dozen years ago – when tubeless systems really got their act together – then Schwalbe has news for you. The inner tube is alive and well. So well, in fact, that…
New 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Goes Big
The Stumpjumper EVO has changed… The new, 29in wheel, 160/150mm 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO is quite a bike. When it originally appeared a couple or three years ago, it appeared as an alloy-only, two size-only ‘hooligan’ version of the, then brand new, Stumpjumper model. Its…
Bike Magazine Closes Both Print and Digital Output
We were very sad to hear over the weekend that the iconic and influential American magazine, Bike, had closed its doors, magazine and website, along with its stablemates (and equally influential magazines) Powder and Surfer. Bike Magazine launched in 1994 and last year celebrated a…
Nominations Are Open – 2020 Singletrack Reader Awards
Nominations for the Singletrack Reader Awards will close at Midnight Sunday 18th October. Don’t miss out on your chance to show your appreciation for your favourite bikes, kit, trails and people… You don’t need us to tell you that this has been an exceptional year…
TweedLove Writes Off 2020, But Looks Forward to 2021
We’ve been sent a message by Neil Dalgleish, organiser behind the wide-ranging and successful Tweedlove series of events. Except, this year, there have been no events at all and his statement – part matter-of-fact statement and part understandable rant – shows the fragility and frustration…
2021 Intense Primer Gets New Colours, New Spec, But No Mullet
The 2021 Intense Primer range has been revealed. While there isn’t a whole lot changing (apart from some new graphics and colours) the smoke clears to reveal two main models – a 27.5in wheels Primer 275 and the Primer 29. Interestingly the ‘mullet’ model launched…
Roval Launches New Control SL Wheels – ‘The Lightest In The World’
We brought you the story of Roval’s super-light, super-limited Team Edition Control SL wheels back in March. Back then, they were the lightest production mountain bike wheels in the world, at 1248g a pair (with rim tape and valves). Today, Specialized is launching the non-team,…
Cass Gilbert – What Does The Bikepacking Guru Pack Himself?
The new issue of Singletrack features an interview that Chipps did with world adventurer, Cass Gilbert when the two met up at the southern tip of Baja California Sur a week or two before the world shut down. You can read the interview in the…
Fresh Goods 514 – The Stand Inna Garden Edition
Yes, without wishing to gloat too much, us Calderdale residents are now afforded the luxury of being able to actually stand in someone else’s garden having previously been denied the pleasure for most of the year. Quite what the owners of the garden will have…
2021 Trek Slash – More Travel, More Geometry, More Racing, More Fun
Today, we’re seeing the launch of the brand new 2021 Trek Slash. It’s not just a warmed-over version of the previous version, but a completely re-made range, from entry level up to top end, with a load of new features that riders have been asking…
Your Suspension Is Set Up Wrong – Cane Creek’s Kitsuma Is Here To Help That
Suspension in general, and rear suspension in particular, is complicated to set up as you ideally have to be on a repeatable bit of trail and have the knowledge and tools needed to tweak your suspension to work for you. In order to simplify things,…
12 Things That Mountain Bike Magazines Need To Stop Doing
The response to our ‘Ten things the bike industry needs to stop doing’ feature a couple of years ago has been very good, with readers outraged and in agreement in equal measures. So, just because we like giving the hornets’ nest a prod every now…
2021 Canyon Grail Bikes Launch. Same Frames, New Spec.
The end of August used to mean that eyes would turn towards a bit of winter ‘cross racing. Canyon already has it’s top-end Inflite model, as ridden in the ‘cross worlds (when there used to be racing, how about that?) but the 2021 Canyon Grail…
Canyon Bikes Goes All-Out With the 2021 Canyon Exceed Hardtail
Featuring bold rainbow decals and ‘unicorn hair’ carbon fibre, the new 2021 Canyon Exceed has been engineered to be one of the lightest mountain bike hardtails on the planet. The Canyon Exceed CFR (Canyon Factory Racing) frame is quoted at an astonishing 835g. And that…
Bespoked Show 2021 Moves To Harrogate For Its Tenth Year
We’ve just heard from the organisers of Bespoked, the British handmade bicycle show, that it is moving next year’s show to the Harrogate Convention Centre, from its previous home of Bristol for Bespoked 2021. Not surprisinly, this year’s show didn’t happen. Like many spring 2020…
New Merida BIG.TRAIL Hardtail Launches With UK In Mind
Wow, it seems to be hardtail season. And when one of the biggest bike companies in the world looks to the UK for inspiration, it’s time to listen… Merida makes no secret that its new BIG.TRAIL hardtail range was designed with UK riders in mind.…
New ‘99% Accurate’ Wahoo KICKR Trainer Launches
Yes, it must be time to start thinking about those dark nights spent spinning away in front of the screen in the hope of spring fitness. And the new 5th edition of the Wahoo Kickr is aimed at helping you achieve all of those goals.…
