Could these be your next winter tyres? They’re certainly among the toothiest tyres we’ve seen so far and WTB reckons that the new WTB Verdict and Verdict Wet tyres are going to be the hot tyre to have for everything from wet Welsh roots to…
Chipps
With nearly 25 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is 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. Over the last 32 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)
Redshift Shockdrop. It’s A Suspension Seatpost That’s A Dropper Post…
Redshift, The people who brought you the Suspension Stem (for this century anyway…) now have something else for you to puzzle over, desire, or simply shake your head sadly at. It’s a (prototype) suspension seatpost. That’s also a dropper post at the same time. Redshift…
Giant Launches New Shuttle Flat Pedal Shoes At The Sea Otter
Today, Giant Bicycles is launching a new shoe line. Some of the shoes, like the racy Charge Pro are redesigns of popular models, but there’s a whole new flat pedal shoe, called the Giant Shuttle, that we think will be of interest to Singletrack readers.…
Yeti launches SB130 Lunch Ride At The Sea Otter – A Beefed Up Trail 29er
Yeti has launched the SB130 LR (Lunch Ride) at the 2019 Sea Otter. The SB130 has been out nearly a year, featuring 29in wheels and 130 (actually 136mm) of travel. The ‘Lunch Ride’ edition is based on the bikes that the Yeti Cycles employees spec…
Pole Stamina 140 Up Close At The Sea Otter
We got up close and personal with the new Pole Stamina 140 at today’s Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. Previously dubbed the Bushmaster, apparently that name was in use, so Pole logically chose to name it in line with the existing Stamina 180. It…
OneUp Components Launches 210mm Dropper Post, Bars, Stems and Grips At The Sea Otter
Canadian/British brand OneUp Components has launched a wider range of dropper posts, clever new bars and stems, as well as grips and chain devices at this year’s Sea Otter Classic event. Let’s get stuck in! OneUp Stem OneUp makes a very popular multitool, called the…
The 2020 Fox 32 Step-Cast fork is now as stiff as a 34
Today, Fox Racing Shox launches its new 2020 Fox 32 Step Cast fork. By adding just 30g of weight over the previous model, Fox has apparently made the new 2020 32 SC as stiff as the current 34 fork. It’s still a purpose-built XC fork…
Trash Free Trails Goes On UK Tour
Trash Free Trails is going on a UK tour to clear up litter from UK trail centres and it needs your help… Trash Free Trails is a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to clearing (and keeping) litter off our trail centres and bridleways. With its founding sharing…
Open Access For Wales Gets One Step Closer
Exciting access news took access campaigners by surprise yesterday. Here’s Cycling UK’s response – more information and reactions as we get it. Welsh land shake-up most significant in over a decade Welsh Government proposals will allow cycling and horse riding on many footpaths Move welcomed…
RockShox Launches Improved Range Of Suspension For 2020
It’s all change at RockShox for 2020! You’ll have seen teases of Rockshox Ultimate Pike forks and Lyriks and other oddly chromed looking forks on the front of sponsored riders’ bikes. Well, now we can reveal that it’s all new. And it’s been here under…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 124 : Editorial
The wider we travel, the more narrow our focus… Words Chipps It’s been said that travel broadens the mind. If you expose your mind to new experiences, new places and people, you will find that your understanding of the world at large is brought into…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 124 : Dyfi Dynasty
Deep in the woods of west Wales, there lies a network of ancient (and very modern) tracks waiting to be discovered. The hidden trails of the Dyfi Forest could be the best-kept secret in Wales. Words chipps Photography james vincent Dan Atherton, the legendary trail…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 124 : Filth Camp 2019
Chipps tries to teach Californians about winter riding and ends up learning as much about himself. Words & Photography chipps “Come to the UK in February! The trails will be wet and muddy. It might snow. Our goal is to get you miserably cold and…
The New 2020 Orange Five: Many small changes make a big difference.
The 2020 Orange Five is incredibly the ‘Mark 12’ version of this iconic, British-made full suspension bike from Orange Bikes. It’s no small thing that the Orange Five is doubtless the best-selling British-made bike ever, tracing its roots back 20 years, so every update, however…
FGF 440 – The Magazine Is At The Printers, We’re Hungover Edition. With Added SRAM AXS!
Yep, the magazine is safely off to our printers, Warners in Bourne, Lincolnshire. And, so it seemed only logical that a couple of evening beers were consumed. Perhaps that after-midnight pint of Jaipur was one too many though. So, today, assembling Fresh Goods, we’re steering…
The New Orange Alpine 6 Is Exactly The Same. Until You Look Closer And Realise That Everything’s Changed.
Orange Alpine 6 2020 Look once and you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s just another Alpine 6, Orange’s flagship 27.5in wheeled enduro and hard-hitting trail bike, but you’d be mistaken. Every tube on the 2020 bike has been changed from the 2019 with…
Forget Trump and Brexit: Niner Has Made A 27.5in Bike! Proof We’re Living In Different Times…
It seemed a normal day at Bike Connection Winter 2019. A day like any other, until we met with Niner. The boys at Niner started showing us the new RIP 9 RDO, covering the benefits of 140mm travel of Niner’s CVA suspension on its flagship…
Leatt’s New Goggles Are Bulletproof, And That’s Not Even The Best Bit!
Today, Leatt has added to its range of protective gear with some new DH/Enduro/Motocross goggles called the Velocity 6.5. They have been designed from the ground-up with several neat features. There are nine lenses available – from 20-83% light transmission (plus clear, which are 100%).…
Marin Mount Vision Returns After Two Years – And What A Difference!
The Marin Mount Vision has been in the range, well, about as long as Marin has been around (and that’s a mighty long time…) But keen eyes will have noticed that the previous Mount Vision had slipped silently from sight in 2017. The return of…
Formula Teases Selva Coil Fork And Confirms New UK Distributor
Everyone loves a ‘Proto’ sticker, don’t they? And seeing the rows of bikes at the Formula truck at Bike Connection Winter, there was definitely something up. A quick glance at the bikes show a telltale ‘Spring preload’ knob on the left hand fork leg where…
Hope Launches Redesigned Evo Cranks And New Fortus Wheels
We’re at the Bike Connection 2019 gathering in Italy with a load of top brands who all have something special to shout about. First up is Hope Technology (no, the irony is not lost on us about having to go to Italy to find out…
A Beautiful Mason, Several Gurns, A New Frame – And The World’s Smallest Samurai Sword… It’s Fresh Goods Friday 436!
No sooner had Chipps returned from his most recent endless holiday, but it seemed that everyone else took that as a cue to take time off for half term (or mid-life crisis adventure holidays…) Never mind, it means that the office this week has been…
Stabbing Your Tyre Is Good For It – And Other Fun Things We Learned At The iceBike Show
Madison’s house show, iceBike* is the traditional early-season chance to see what products are appearing this spring and for Madison – importers of a bajillion different brands – to sneak out a few new brands and product lines. 2019’s iceBike* (the * is compulsory apparently…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 123 : Editorial
Greasing Out Words Chipps Daz was our ride leader for the evening, so he got to deliver the pep talk at the top of the final descent – a rocky start with a rollercoaster grassy singletrack lower down that got faster. It was one of…
Singletrack Magazine issue 123 : 25 Years Of Chipps
January 2019 marked 25 years of Chipps being a full-time bike journalist. Here, he pulls up some of the highlights of a quarter of a century that spans cantilever brakes to e-bikes and McRoy to Minnaar. On 4th January 1994, I walked into the Trim…
Editors’ Choice: Chipps’ Cream Of The Crop Gear Of The Year
What a year! After enduring about four winters, we finally had the summer that everyone had been dreaming about for years. Long, dry days, a collection of riding buddies
Renthal Goes Stealth With Black On Black Fatbars
The Renthal Fatbar (and Fatbar 35) is an iconic bit of kit, used by downhillers, trail riders and enduro elites alike
Marzocchi Returns To Rear Shocks. Affordable Shocks From This Legendary Company.
Marzocchi is back in the rear coil shock game, with the newly announced Bomber CR shock. In keeping with the re-launch of the Bomber fork, Marzocchi (which is now owned by Fox) is aiming the Bomber at the more affordable end of the rear shock…
Guy Martin Wants To Degrease You
Proper Degreaser, or to give it its full name, “Proper Degreaser from Proper Cleaner by Guy Martin” is released today and joins its existing (and successful) stablemate, Proper Cleaner in a growing range of bike cleaning potions from the Orange-bike-riding, beanie-wearing, Hope-braking modern day Fred…
FGF 427: Is It Too Early To Start Christmas Shopping?
Welcome to the final Fresh Goods Friday before Christmas. While it’s probably a little late for gift ideas, there’s nothing to stop you doing some Boxing Day laptop shopping while trying to stay awake through the sherry haze… And this week, well, we hope you…
You Love His Photos, Now Help Colin’s Life.
Chipps, Singletrack’s Editor writes: Usually when a regular contributing photographer emails to say ‘Here is a selection of great photos for you – but it’ll probably be the last I’m going to be sending you. Things have changed…‘ That probably means they’ve got a sweet…
Unsprung Heroes – 3 Fully Rigid Bikes Tested & Reviewed
Chipps rides three fully rigid bikes from Kona, Pinnacle and Surly. Words Chipps Photography James Vincent I always like to wear a watch. I’m lost without one and don’t like to rely on my phone for the time as I like that to be out of…
Review: Surly you can’t have fun without suspension? We test the fully rigid ECR
 Surly has always been individual and self-confident in its outlook. From pioneering the first production singlespeed (the 1×1, which pre-dated even Kona’s Unit and the On One Inbred) to popularising one of the first 29ers (2001’s Karate Monkey), Surly has always been focused on…
Review: After a playful bargain? The Pinnacle Ramin 3 Plus might be the bike for you
Pinnacle is the house-brand of retail giant, Evans Cycles, but the range is way more than a selection of rebadged catalogue bikes. The brand’s bike designer James Olsen has a long pedigree in the UK bike industry and is one of those designers who likes…
Renthal Offers You Zero. Zero Rise Fat Bar Lite and Fat Bar Lite Carbon Now In Flats!
Amazingly not available until now, Renthal’s Fatbar Lite and Fatbar Lite Carbon now come in zero-rise options. It seems that both XC and Trail riders have been asking Renthal for a zero rise handlebar, in addition to Renthal’s current extensive offering of 10, 20, 30…
Review: Kona’s Unit X is like a singlespeed, but with 10 more gears?
The Kona Unit has a long history, from a Canadian company with an equally deep heritage. While Kona celebrates its 30th birthday in 2018, the Unit name dates back at least half that. The Unit was (and still is) Kona’s cross-country singlespeed bike. Affordable and…
Hans Rey Burgled. Then Burgled Again. Thieves Take The Lot.
We bring you some rather unfortunate news today, as we report on a whole swag of bikes that have been nicked from Hans Rey in two separate burglaries. Yes, the Hans Rey. It would seem that not even the pro’s are immune to the abominable…
The Great Singletrack Christmas Giveaway – What’s Coming This Week?
We’ve already given away two prizes this week, but never fear, we have plenty more great prizes to be won. Yes! PRIZES to be WON by YOU! It’s very easy to enter – just watch our daily Facebook Live Videos and follow the instructions. But…
Tweedlove Transcend Epic Promises To Change Scottish Enduro Forever!
For years the Tweedlove Festival has done much to promote the Peebles and Innerleithen areas and to make things like the Golfie trails into mountain bike household knowledge. However, after ten years of events, the organisers have decided that the event needed a proper mix-up…
Fresh Goods Friday 423 – The Dark At Four Edition
Welcome to the ‘Dark at 4pm, deadline week, Chipps is back and we’re ignoring him’ winter Fresh Goods Friday special! Yep, there’s no getting away from it that we’re fully into the grips of the winter months now, and yet it’s just that little bit…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 121: Simon Gallup – There Is No Cure
Simon Gallup: There is no cure. He plays in a world-famous band and has toured the globe for the last 40 years. And yet, all he really wants to do is ride bikes. And if he can’t, then he likes nothing better than to talk…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 121 : Editorial
Longer shortcuts. Words Chipps Out in the car, running errands on a Saturday lunchtime… the Council tip, the shops, the cheese stall on the market… The usual. Wondering why it takes half an hour to go eight miles – and that’s even before the temporary…
Interview: Tom Ritchey – The man behind the ‘tache.
This article was originally published in Issue 110 of Singletrack Magazine. We chat to (and ride with) this iconic framebuilder, product designer, owner and boss of Ritchey Components during his whirlwind visit to the UK. I’m at the Bicycle Academy in Frome, Somerset, and someone…
Review: Curtis AM7 – Not just a pretty face, pretty fast too.
There’s no actual reason to buy a Curtis, other than the fact that you want one. And that’s a perfectly good reason. The bikes are hand made in the UK, in a shed, by a two-man operation, they use materials and techniques that many other…
Singletrack Issue 121: XXC: Cross Country Extra
Three bikes that take the short travel full suspension bike to another world.
Cannondale Habit. First Impressions Of A Very Important Bike
Cannondale Habit, first impressions. While I’m not, for a minute, going to think that I can get away with complaining about riding secret new bikes on wonderful trails with great people… it is always hard to come up with a ‘Well, how did that bike…
Cannondale’s New Habit 29er. The Trail Bike For You?
Cannondale has completely reinvented its 29in wheel Habit trail bike – from the ‘not quite a race bike, not quite a trail bike’ Habit model of old and come out with a bike that is very similar in silhouette to many of its rivals, but…
The Cotic Soda – Flagship Titanium Hardtail – Returns! Longshot, but Limited
New Cotic Soda They’re like buses, eh? New bikes… You turn your back for a minute and a load have turned up without you noticing – and now you have to work out which one is going to be the one to take you to…
Focus Launches The New Sam. Introducing, the Focus Sam.
2019 Focus SAM Today, Focus launches its new 170mm enduro bike. It’s called the SAM (just like the old one) and features 170mm travel front and rear. And if it looks a little familiar, it’s because the same looking design is used on the existing…
Fox Live Valve – Is It Better Than Turning The Knobs Yourself? Maybe Not.
We had a week to ride a Live Valve equipped bike on our own trails. What did we think? Chipps takes up the story... Fox Live Valve has just been announced, but last month, we got to spend a few days on a Fox Live…
Fox Live Valve Launches, but what is it?
After years of behind the scenes work and glimpsed prototypes, the Fox Live Valve system is finally ready to be released to the world. Around the time you read this, bikes with LiveValve fitted will be heading towards bike shops around the planet. But what…
