Our local race organisers the Brownbacks Racing have come up with a new plan to encourage fresh-to-racing riders with an coaching initiative. Here’s what they have to say… “If you sign-up for a series entry you become eligible to request a place on our training sessions.…
singletrackjon
Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series Round 2 this weekend
Mike reports with news of the second round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport, which will be hitting Llandovery, mid-Wales this weekend: “The May event will host not just one but two different cycling events – one for…
Round the world rider campaigns to help kids cycle to school
Scottish round-the-world cycling legend Mark Beaumont has been involved in a campaign to ask drivers across Scotland to give children the space they need to cycle to school. Mark, whose previous adventures have involved avoiding rabid dogs and cycling through the effects of dysentery as…
Guest Blog: Ally at the 661 Gravity Enduro at Ae Forest
We’ve got Ally from Campbell Coaching to give us her thoughts and impressions as she races her first full season of the 661 Gravity Enduro. She’s no stranger to enduro racing tough, having taken part in the Mega Avalanche in years past: Enduro style racing…
Colne Valley Mountain Bike Challenge report
Matt Wild reports from the recent Colne Valley Mountain Bike Challenge: What are your options if you want to do a challenging timed ride against your mates, but you perhaps have family commitments that mean you can’t give up every Sunday to do a series,…
Video: 661 Gravity Enduro Muddy Carnage
While the recent 661 Gravity Enduro at Ae went off with barely a hitch despite the damp and miserable conditions, the rain did make the Saturday’s seeding run a little bit tricky, with some of the freshly cut corners being a on the slippy side.…
Troy Lee Designs Ace gloves
Work experience lad Ben G has had this set of gloves on test since he came to the office a few months back – here’s what he made of them… Price: £22.00 From: Fisher Outdoor Leisure Tested: Two months These gloves come with a Terry…
Fresh Goods
It’s Friday and freedom beckons! Before you get released from the metaphorical coal mine (or literal one if you happen to be a coal miner) here’s this week’s selection of the stuff we’ve been sent to test for you to love, hate or, even worse,…
24 & 12 Hours Of Exposure – European & UK Solo Championships
Dymond lass Joolze reports on a weekend of joy through suffering
661 Gravity Enduro Ae report & video
Last weekend saw the very first race in the 661 Gravity Enduro series taking place in the woods of Ae in the Scottish Borders. Despite the buff weather leading up to the event, the weather was a little on the moist side come the weekend,…
Fresh Goods
We’ll kick this week’s Fresh Goods off with a dilemma. If four wheels are good, are two wheels better? Is a bicycle built for two better than two bicycles built for one? Cannondale Mountain Tandem Chipps is going to find out. It’s his new personal…
Ritchey Bikefest 2011 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
Solo entries almost full for Ashton Court singletrackfest
GT Distortion 2.0 Review
Distortion by name, distortion by nature. It's a short travel bike with long travel angles - what's it for?
‘Ride The Divide’ film night at Dales Bike Centre
We’ve just heard from the good folks at Dales Bike Centre they’ve organised another Mountain Bike Film night at The Station Cinema in Richmond, North Yorkshire on the 8th May, that’s this Sunday. Ride the Divide is an award-winning feature film about the world’s toughest…
Avoid Wharncliffe Woods 14th May (please)
There's a world ranking running race going on so steering clear would be helpful
New Orange Patriot?
While Jon was up at the iXS MacAvalanche he spotted a rather new looking Orange – in fact there were a couple of them kicking about, including the bike MTBCut.tv rider Joe Barnes won the event on. It’s stickered up as a Strange so it’s…
Midweek Mini Movies
It’s another short week, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a bit of time for yourself this lunchtime. Here’s our usual selection of biking related video stuff to keep you entertained while you try not to get crumbs in your keyboard. To kick off,…
iXS MacAvalanche Video
Last weekend the closest thing the UK has seen to the Mega Avalanche took place on the slopes on Glencoe Mountain Resort, the iXS MacAvalanche. One hundred odd riders, a mass start and 700m of descending across the snow and tundra – and a helicopter…
Cube release first downhill bike
They’ve been making waves with their all-mountain and cross country bikes recently but Germany brand Cube has just released their first proper downhill bike, the two15. It’s taken a while – it’s been in development since autumn 2008 with the first prototypes ready in late…
Exploding Camelbak Bladders
No, it’s not a product recall – during his recent visit to the Camelbak factory Chipps asked the test lab guys to demonstrate just how tough their bladders are* with a bit of compressed air. Especially for our Premier Users, here’s the video. Safe to…
Fresh Goods
What with Good Friday last week and the Royal Wedding thing today, you’ve probably been missing your dose of Fresh Goods. Well, to make this special day that bit more special, here’s a round-up of all the nice things that have landed in the office…
iXS MacAvalanche kicks off this weekend…
Never mind the Royal Wedding and all that nonsense, something really important is happening in Britain. The first iXS Mac Avalanche race will be hitting the slopes of Glencoe Mountain in the Highlands this weekend. The invitational race will see 120 riders racing from the…
Second round of the ChainReactionCycles MTB Marathon draws near
Second round will hit Llandovery on the weekend of the 22nd May
First round of the 661 Gravity Enduro at Ae almost full
If you want to enter the inaugural round of the 661 Gravity Enduro taking place at Ae Forest up in Scotland on the weekend of the 7th May, you’d best get a wiggle on. There are only a few places left and entry will close…
Access All Areas: A Rights of Way Officer’s view – Part 2
Our discussion of the issues surrounding access in the UK for mountain bikers continues with the second part of an in-depth article from a Rights of Way officer, we talk about Local Access Forums, what they do, why bikers are under-represented on them and there…
Nutcracker XC Gandale report
The opening round of the Nutcracker XC race series took place at the weekend on MOD land at Gandale, located on the outskirts of Catterick Garrision in North Yorkshire. It’s been over a decade since Gandale played host to the old NEMBA mountain bike race…
Video: Labyrinth Agile Review
Labyrinth Bikes are a relatively new brand to these shores but they have their origins all the way back in 1991, hailing from the Vosges region of France. We’ve had their 150mm travel, all-mountain focused Agile to test and we’ve been putting their proprietary ‘Adapt…
Access All Areas: A Rights of Way Officer’s view – Part 1
A professional's view on the Right of Way system and how it relates to mountain bikers
Mountain Biking in Scotland Hits Sky TV
Ooh! Mountain bikes on the telly! Okay, you’ll need a Murdoch-dish to be able to see it but Sky Sports have launched their new series, Cycle Sports World, with a two part documentary following Steve Peat, Danny MacAskill and Hans Rey on their ‘Three Legends’…
Brownbacks Hope XC Series returns…
Lee Quarry sees another season of cross country racing; organisers say it'll be bigger and better than before
Team CRC/Nuke Proof at the Pietermaritzburg DH World Cup
Team mechanic Dave Garland runs us though the track and bike setup for the first race of the season
Anthill announce new film – and it’ll be free…
The crew behind Follow Me, Roam and the Collective are about to start filming on a new project
Fort William World Cup tracks get makeover…
Rowan Sorrell tells us what's going on with the four cross and downhill tracks for this year's downhill World Cup
Midweek Mini Movies
It’s the middle of the week and it’s time to be distracted from whatever pressing work matters you have. Rationalising the workflow and managing throughput will have to wait. Jack Reading and the boys from This Is Sheffield have had a sunny trip to Malaga.…
Shimano Singletrack Classic Weekender – The Trials Video
If the word ‘trials’ conjures up images of Danny MacAskill pulling backflips off trees and riding incredibly narrow railings with massive drops to the side, then you shouldn’t let the ‘trials’ element of the Shimano Singletrack Classic Weekender put you off entering. Benji, Charlotte and…
Countrytracks visit Lee Quarry
The other week a BBC film crew descended on Lee Quarry, our local trail centre and home of the Singletrack Classic Weekender. They were there to film local trials prodigy and Inspired Bikes rider Ali C for an segment of the Country Tracks programme, presented…
Black Mountains Three Day course preview
Spring has sprung, the daffs are out and there’s just over 70 days to go until the inaugural Black Mountains 3 Day kicks off on the 1th to 3rd of July. The rider list is filling up nicely so it’s time to get your entries…
Builth Wells CRC Marathon report & video
Here’s a report from the rather sunny opening round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series, powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport, at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells with video from the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport team and the lens of Rob Kitchin… Mike…
South Wales to get gravity bike-park
If all goes to plan, Gethin near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales will shortly see the UK’s first commercially operated gravity bikepark. It’s been two years in the making, but the concept and business plan has been worked on by Rowan Sorrell and the Back…
Fresh Goods
Hardcore hardtails, magic watches, new The North Face riding gear and loads more - it's Fresh Goods time...
Hope Technology Factory – A photo tour
In a world where mass production and economy of scale is king, where bringing a product to market seems to involves scouring a generic parts catalogue and the hard part of design comes down to which logo you’re going to put on it, there are…
Two days until the Scottish Bike Show
The first bike show to hit the North of the UK is upon us - and there is loads to see and do
Access All Areas: A Policeman’s View
Harry the Policeman fills us in on what can (and can't) happen to you for riding your bike on a footpath
Fort William World Cup Launches
It's the 10th anniversary of the Fort Bill DH which will be hitting town on the 4th and 5th June