Having ridden bikes for as long as he can remember, James takes a certain twisted pleasure in carrying his bike to the most inaccessible locations he can find, before attempting to ride back down again, preferably with both feet on the pedals. After seeing the light on a recent road trip to Austria, James walked away from the stresses of running a design agency, picked up a camera and is several years deep into a mid life crisis that shows no sign of abating. As a photographer, he enjoys nothing more than climbing trees and asking others to follow his sketchy lines while expecting them to make it look as natural and stylish as possible. He has come to realise this is infinitely more fun than being tied to a desk, and is in no hurry to go back.
leatt dbx 5.0 3df knee pads

Review | These Leatt 3DF 5.0 soft-shell knee pads are almost perfect

James Vincent gives us his longterm review of Leatt’s soft-shell 3DF 5.0 Knee Guards It’s incredibly rare that you’ll see me out on a bike sans knee pads. Ever since...

Inside the Continental Factory | Meet the new Baron, same as the old Baron

Ever wondered how Continental tyres get made? Or indeed how any tyre is made? We sent our man James Vincent to have a look behind the curtain at the Continental...

e*13 cassette 1x11

Review | Forget 12-speed with e*thirteen’s 9-46t TRS Race 11-speed cassette

It feels like 1×11 drivetrains have been around forever (go on, take a guess. No Googling mind. Answer* at the bottom of the review). I don’t think it would be...

leatt dbx 3.0 enduro helmet convertible full face

Review: The Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro V2 Is a Transformer Helmet

The convertible helmet market continues to heat up, with Leatt throwing its hat in the ring with the DBX 3.0 Enduro V2, which converts between a half shell and a...

maxxis tyres doubledefence minion dhf dhr II shorty aggressor

Enduro Rubbers – 4 Maxxis DoubleDown Tyres Reviewed & Compared

Maxxis has a growing range of Wide Trail (WT) mountain bike tyres, including several options with the more robust DoubleDown casing. To make sense of the range, we gathered the...

Singletrack Issue 123 : Grate Expectations

James Vincent travels to Cheddar, in the West Country for this issue’s Classic Ride, hoping to find fun trails and the one true cheese. Words & Photography james vincent They…

maxxis shorty doubledefence

Review: Maxxis Shorty 2.5 WT DoubleDown Tyre

Maxxis has a growing range of Wide Trail (WT) mountain bike tyres, including several options with the more robust Double Down casing. To make sense of the range, we gathered...

maxxis minion dhr ii doubledefence

Review: Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4 WT DoubleDown Tyre

Maxxis has a growing range of Wide Trail (WT) mountain bike tyres, including several options with the more robust Double Down casing. To make sense of the range, we gathered...

maxxis minion dhf doubledefence

Review: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 WT DoubleDown Tyre

Maxxis has a growing range of Wide Trail (WT) mountain bike tyres, including several options with the more robust Double Down casing. To make sense of the range, we gathered...

maxxis aggressor doubledefence

Review: Maxxis Aggressor 2.5in WT DoubleDown Tyre

Maxxis has a growing range of Wide Trail (WT) mountain bike tyres, including several options with the more robust DoubleDown casing. To make sense of the range, we gathered the...

whinlatter sonder evol intense primer bird aeris 145

3 Consumer-Direct Mountain Bikes Tested & Reviewed

With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each...

sonder evol

Review: The UK-designed Sonder Evol aims to deliver maximum grins-per-mile

With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each...

intense primer

Review: The Intense Primer Expert comes with extra enthusiasm as standard

With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each...

bird aeris 145

Review: The Bird Aeris 145 GX Eagle is uber-long and uber-fast

With more and more brands selling complete mountain bikes direct to consumer, we decided to check out three of the latest options from Intense, Bird, and Sonder, to put each...

Unfinished Business: One Mountain, Three Ways

Earlier this year for issue 119 of The Magazine, I had a great day out on Helvellyn and subsequently wrote up a classic ride taking in (after much debate) what I…

Review: Commencal Meta Trail V4.2 Race 650B: Fun and confidence inspiring

When the bike first arrived, aside from being blown away with just how damn good the bare aluminium with orange and black graphics looked, I was puzzled; Commencal Meta TR...

Trail Hunter, The Quantock Hills: From Singletrack Issue 120

It’s rare that a good idea is found at the bottom of a bottle… There\'s more to this story But it\'s a member-only story Join us to unlock it and…

giro chamber clip-in spd shoes

Review: There’s no need for disco slippers when the Giro Chamber II shoes are so good

James Vincent gives up his usual toe-tappers to test out the burly Chamber II shoes from Giro.  The original Giro Chamber was launched back in 2014 as a casual, skate-inspired...

wtb vigilante tyre

First Ride – WTB introduces new Vigilante, Trail Boss & Judge tyres

WTB has got some brand new tyres and rims to show off, so we sent our resident rubber nerd, James Vincent, down to Bikepark Wales to see what he thought...

Singletrack Magazine Issue 119: Rubber Rendezvous

Singletrack’s self-confessed rubber sniffer takes a tour of the Hutchinson tyre factory in France to see what puts the knobs into our knobblies.  Words & Photography james vincent I’m floating…

Singletrack Issue 119 Classic Ride – Ultimate Helvellyn

Words & Photography James Vincent This is a Classic Ride you’ve got to work for, but it’ll be worth it. Really, there’s just a bit more up… How do I...

Vee Tire Co. has done mighty well with the Flow Snap Enduro Core tyres - there's a lot to like about these.

Review: The superb Flow Snap Enduro Core tyre breaks new ground for VEE Tire Co.

Having tested about a kerbillion tyres on his unforgiving home trails in the Lake District as part of last year’s High Tech Trail Tyre Group Testr, James Vincent has become...

James Vincent Trek Slash

Review: 2018 Trek Slash 9.7 – it flatters you into thinking you’re a riding god!

If you get your kicks from heading downhill over rough terrain as quickly as possible, then the Trek Slash simply has to be at the top of your shopping list.

rockshox pike rct3 fork james vincent

Review: Is The 2018 RockShox Pike RCT3 Still Master Of The Mountain?

Should you upgrade to a 2018 Pike? James swapped his \'16 fork for a shiny new one to find out

crank brothers highline dropper post

ST Recommended: Crank Brothers Goes For Mega Reliability With The 160mm Travel Highline Dropper Post

With 160mm of travel, the Crank Brothers Highline is one of the most reliable dropper posts we\'ve ever tested

camelbak kudu backpack hydration bladder reservoir protector spine armour james vincent

Review: Camelbak KUDU Protector 20 Backpack

Redesigned for 2018, the all-new Camelbak KUDU combines an in-built back protector with a brilliant harness and clever storage. Review within.

tyre test james vincent continental hutchinson michelin vee wtb maxxis schwalbe specialized kenda e*thirteen

Review: High Tech Trail Tyre Group Test

James put 10 burly trail tyres to the test. Few survived. Read the full results to find out which ones he recommends. There\'s more to this story But it\'s a…

maxxis high roller exo 3c tubeless tyre

Review: Maxxis High Roller II EXO 3C 27.5×2.4in Tyre

How did the venerable Maxxis High Roller II hold up against the competition in our High Tech Trail Tyre group test? Read on to find out.

hutchinson toro tubeless tyre issue 114 hardskin

Review: Hutchinson Toro Hardskin 27.5×2.35in Tyre

The Hutchinson Toro proved to be one of the biggest surprises of the whole tyre group test.

rose root miller james vincent

Review: Rose Root Miller 3

James Vincent puts this mid-travel 29er to the test in big mountains and tight trails. How does he get on?