Antony was a latecomer to the joys of riding off-road, and he’s continued to be a late adopter of many of his favourite things, including full suspension, dropper posts, 29ers, and adult responsibility. At some point he decided to compensate for his lack of natural riding talent by organising maintenance days on his local trails. This led, inadvertently, to writing for Singletrack, after one of his online rants about lazy, spoilt mountain bikers who never fix trails was spotted and reprinted on this website during a particularly slow news week.
Now based just up the road from the magazine in West Yorkshire, he’s expanded his remit to include reviews and features as well as rants. He’s also moved on from filling holes in the woods to campaigning for changes to the UK’s antiquated land access laws, and probing the relationship between mountain biking and the places we ride.
He’s a firm believer in bringing mountain biking to the people, whether that’s through affordable bikes, accessible trails, enabling technology, or supportive networks. He’s also studied sustainable transport, and will happily explain to anyone who’ll listen why the UK is a terrible place for everyday utility cycling, even though it shouldn’t be.
If that all sounds a bit worthy, he’s also happy to share tales of rides gone awry, or delicate bike parts burst asunder by ham-fisted maintenance. Because ultimately, there are enough talented professionals in mountain bike journalism, and it needs more rank amateurs.
Issue 150: The Three-Wheeled Amigos
Antony finds out the unique challenges that taking a trike around an event like the Dirty Reiver poses. Words Antony de Heveningham Photography As Credited We’re in a van heading…
How to deal with overgrown trails
\'Tis the season of overgrowth. Here\'s how to protect yourself and how to keep your trails running sweetly with a few trail maintenance tools.
The Aberdeen Scene
What’s the recipe for building a thriving mountain bike destination? Antony heads north to find out. Words Antony de Heveningham Photos Pete Scullion Scotland is a good place for mountain…
Vitus Sommet 297 CRS review
The Vitus Sommet 297 CRS is an enduro bike, aimed at riders who tackle steeper, rougher tracks and also fancy cable tying a race number on.
Marin Rift Zone XR review: coil for the trail
The Marin Rift Zone XR - XR stands for eXtra Rad - bumps the front travel up to 140mm, adds a coil shock and beefs up the build.
TSG Scope: do BMX smarts make a decent MTB lid?
The TSG Scope is the top end mountain bike helmet in its lineup, and it\'s a high coverage lid, aimed at riders who want to go fast, down.
Ion Seek shoes: Suave, but are they sticky?
The Ion Seek is casual-looking shoe that can still perform off-road. Simple lace closure, plain styling, and distinct absence of features.
Ion K-Pact Zip review: knee pads when you need ’em
Ion K-Pact Zip knee pads are a take on a time-honoured solution: pads you can take off on the climbs and don for the descents.
Santa Cruz Chameleon R MX review: venerable yet versatile
For the past 25 years the Santa Cruz Chameleon been a tough hardtail that can still be comfortable and light enough for longer rides.
Giro Havoc H2O Shorts review
The Giro Havoc H2O shorts are one of my current go-tos. Though best known for helmets, Giro has been putting out clothing for over a decade.
RockShox Flight Attendant review: efficient, neat, fun
RockShox Flight Attendant is the new electronic suspension system from The House of SRAM that promises to solve your woes for good.
100% Brisker Hydromatic Gloves review: Proper winter gloves on a budget?
The 100% Brisker Hydromatic promises keen pricing, warmth, and good bar feel, plus added waterproofing, but does it deliver?
Coming together for the future of our trails | The Scottish Mountain Bike Trail Summit 2021
Way back at the 2018 Scottish Mountain Bike Conference, a day was given over to a first ever “Trail Summit”. It had a day of presentations and discussion, and finished...
Kids Ride Shotgun Pro Seat review: smile maker
Effectively a mini extra seat that fixes to your bike\'s top tube, the Kids Ride Shotgun Pro means your kid can come mountain biking with you.
Opinion: The Illegal Trail Builder
Building unsanctioned trails is a touchy subject. But are there shades of grey when it comes to building illegal trails or is it a black and white issue? We talk…
Review: Giro Chamber SPD Shoes
SPD shoes with a skate shoe exterior - Giro\'s Chamber shoe looks great, but does it perform?
Review: Norco Fluid 7.3 FS
Can you get a decent full suspension bike for a shade over a grand? Antony tests Norco\'s most bargainous bouncer
Review: Specialized Burra Burra Bikepacking Bags
Specialized recently launched a new range of bikepacking accessories including a frame bag, top tube pack, handlebar bag, and seat pack.
UK’s biggest ever mountain biking survey – the results
11,000 of you responded. The results are surprising in their universal thought that the current system isn\'t good enough
Former MP linked to Caerphilly trail sabotage
Tensions run high as riders confront a high profile local walker and critic of mountain bikers
Five Lessons For Mountain Bikers, From Roadies
In response to the mountain bikers, it’s the turn of the roadies offer some helpful tips. We’re kind, we’ve not even said ‘Just get a road bike’ There\'s more to…
Cycling UK and OpenMTB launch biggest ever UK MTB survey
Your chance to tell the world (well, Cycling UK at least) about where and how you ride bikes and where all that campaigning effort needs to be put
Review: Canyon Nerve AL 7.0
Antony plays out on this mile munching do-it-all ride from Canyon
Making MTB Movie – An Interview With The Producer
Meet Pip Piper, the maker of \'Mountain Biking - The Untold British Story\' which is co produced by us and just weeks away from release!
Feature: The Man Behind The Mayhem
In the run-up to the 2016 Mountain Mayhem, we chat to main-man Pat Adams There\'s more to this story But it\'s a member-only story Join us to unlock it and…
Strava data used to ban riders from US City Park
Strava\'s information-sharing attributes used to strengthen proscriptive argument
Column: When The Feminists Win
Antony predicts the future of the bike industry, according to the bottom half of the internet There\'s more to this story But it\'s a member-only story Join us to unlock…
Welsh Consultation Shows Demand For Wider Access
The votes are back (and shows that you should never fill in template responses) and it seems that cyclists have been very vocal about Welsh access
The Imitation Game
Bikebiz\'s Investigation Blows The Lid Off The Counterfeit Bike Culture
Technical Difficulties: Has cycling lost its wild side?
Think that cycling is lacking in adventure? You’re flat out wrong, argues Antony There\'s more to this story But it\'s a member-only story Join us to unlock it and more…