OK, we admit, we’re basically running this story because of this: Who doesn’t want to go and ride on a giant supermarket checkout in the hills? We are INSPIRED. Can you turn your bike upside down and change a tyre on the move before you…
Hannah Dobson
More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments.
Evolution Stories with Andy McKenna: Building Better Humans
Andy McKenna is telling stories again, as he continues to ponder what it means to be a mountain biker as his MS limits what he can do, while his mind and soul still appreciate all that bikes can do. Forum threads along the lines of…
Derbyshire Mountain Bikers: Step Away From Those Caterpillars!
Toxic hairy caterpillars have been found in Derbyshire – don’t be tempted to give them too close an inspection. The Oak Processionary Moth may be familiar to riders who have been to Spain or France, where they’re a common sight and something of a menace…
Podcast | Dan Stanton: what happened, what next?
How did Dan Stanton find a way through Administration, and what you can expect next from the new Stanton Bikes company
Fresh Goods Friday 660 – The Pump Me Pub You Edition
Hannah says: Living with an American is an endless source of lingual anomalies. My latest observations are around their curious deployment of French. A piece of fish without bones? I bet you and I said fill-it. Them, fill-ay. Fatbiking is a nitch of cycling to…
NZ MTB Rally: A Proper Kiwi Backcountry Enduro Adventure…
The team behind the Trans Savoie and Enduro2 events has been working on the far side of the globe to pull together the NZ MTB Rally, a multi-day enduro that ticks all the ‘dream trip’ boxes. Let’s just drop a gallery in here to whet…
SixSixOne Women’s Evo Compression Jacket and Shorts Review
SixSixOne Women's Evo Compression Jacket and Shorts are one of only a few in the market that have been designed for women.
World Bicycle Relief seeks World Champs Volunteers
World Bicycle Relief has been nominated as the official global charity partner of the World Cycling Championships in Scotland this summer (there’s also Maggie’s cancer charity as the ‘national charity partner’). Alongside all the competition for striped jerseys, there will be a selection of World…
20 YHA Hostels Up For Sale
With many of the properties up for sale being in prime locations for fans of the outdoors, could you be tempted into buying one?
Cycling UK Seeks Trustees: Could it be you?
Cycling UK is seeking new trustees, and is hoping to attract applications from a diverse range of backgrounds to support its work from 2024 through to 2027. You do need to be a Cycling UK Member to apply, but we know that many of you…
E-everesting, Keneveresting, Nevereveresting Again? New Uphill World Record by Ebike
Inspired by the previous achievement (antics?) of Claudio Caluori, two riders have taken on the challenge of beating his ebike everesting world record. OK, so write up reads a bit ‘sponsored’, but the pics are nice – which is no surprise since they’re by our…
Podcast | Measuring Up: Crank Length, Q-factors, and beyond
Chipps, Hannah and Benji talk crank length. Mostly because in the staff chat Hannah said ‘I want shorter cranks’ and Chipps said ‘But, levers’ and Benji said ‘Short is gooood innit’. Or something like that. Poor Mark was on holiday when we recorded it, so…
Rachel Atherton Confirms: She Will Race Leogang
As many of us will have been hoping, after her amazing come back ride at the weekend, Rachel Atherton will be lining up at the start line in Leogang. If she wins again, she’ll equal Anne Caro Chausson’s record of most Downhill World Cups ever.…
Canyon Neuron:ON CF8 First Ride Review
The new Canyon Neuron:ON is the trail bike of the e-assisted Canyon stable. Hannah was out at the launch in northern Italy to try it out, here’s her first ride review thoughts. Definitely in the proper mountain bike category, that seat tube arrangement might take…
Trackside: Steve Peat’s Evolution in the Santa Cruz Syndicate
If ever you’ve had your really good riding mate try to explain to you how to do that drop, then you’ll probably know that riding talent doesn’t always translate into coaching talent. Is Steve Peat one of those people that can do both? This video…
Fresh Goods Friday 656 – Lenzerheide And Seek Edition
In many* ways, Fresh Goods Friday is like a Downhill World Cup.
Singletrack Issue 149 Is Out Today – How Will You Read Yours?
If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each issue, it’s now in the post – we can’t be sure exactly when it will land with you, but if you’re in the UK and you’ve still not got it by 26th June please email us.…
National Audit Office Report Paints Bleak Picture on Active Travel
A National Audit Office (NAO) report published today has examined the progress made towards the government’s active travel targets. In a move befitting scriptwriters of a political satire, the NAO announced its intention to conduct the study in March, just days before the government announced…
‘Grounding’ with Samantha Soriano
I happened to share an apartment with Samantha Soriano at a recent Canyon launch, where she gave me a sneak peek of an early edit of this film. I thought it was a great mix of insight into the freeride scene, along with a bit…
Winds Of Change – Rebuilding the Damaged Trails of the UK
Manon Carpenter takes another deep dive into the relationship between climate change and trail management in this Winds of Change Video. From November 2021 to February 2022, a series of powerful storms rocked areas of the UK in ways that had not been seen since…
Monte Cosby: Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop
Patagonia has launched a new film documenting the life of Monte Cosby who found a passion and community through mountain biking. Give yourself 20 minutes of time out and inspiration and give it a watch. As a high schooler in the public housing projects of Richmond,…
New 130-mile Traws Eryri cycling route comes to north Wales
Cycling UK has announced its intention to launch a new long distance off-road cycle route in north Wales, at the end of the summer 2023. Our Amanda has already been for a bit of a sneak peek at it – spot her in the promo…
MET Parachute MCR MIPS Helmet Review
This is the MET Parachute MCR MIPS helmet MIPs, an enduro helmet with removable chin bar. It comes in three sizes and nine different colours.
2023 Cube Gravel Line Up: Which is right for you?
One of the things about Cube is that it’s a pretty massive company offering a pretty massive range of bikes in a pretty massive range of builds. That can make picking the right bike for you a pretty massive undertaking. Even if you’ve narrowed it…
Tracking The Health Of The Bike Industry In 2023
There are a lot of signs that the bike industry is going to struggle in 2023, so we thought we’d start a story to track some of the stories we hear about that take the temperature of what’s happening. Things like signs of cash flow…
Fresh Goods Friday 653 – The Fast & Bulbous Edition
That's right, The Mascara Snake, fast and bulbous. Bulbous also tapered? That's right. Certainly when it comes to carbon enduro bikes at least.
Bicycle Frame Making in UK classed as ‘Endangered Craft’
The Heritage Crafts Association has been tracking the health of crafts in the UK since 2017, ranking traditional crafts by the likelihood they will survive to the next generation. This year, ‘bicycle frame making’ has joined the list of ‘endangered’ crafts, shifting from a previous…
Cycling UK opens nominations for 100 Women in Cycling 2023
The UK’s cycling charity invites public to nominate women doing exceptional work inspiring others, in any corner of the cycling world. Cycling UK is looking for nominations for 100 Women in Cycling 2023, its annual list celebrating inspirational women who empower others to cycle. Each…
New Canyon Spectral:ON Builds, New App, New Security Features
There’s a new Spectral:ON launched today, which is interesting to a point, but really what’s exciting about it is the new Canyon App and Connectivity Module that are launched with it. Canyon Spectral:ON Updates: Canyon’s new app is the first step in bringing all your…
Fort William Podcast Special – Making Up The Numbers
Round 2 of the British Cycling National Downhill Series would be the only opportunity to race Fort William in 2023 before World Championships in August. As well as his armour, George also packed his mic and in between runs he caught up with the crème…
Canyon Strive:ON CFR – First Ride Review
Canyon has launched a new addition to its electric line up: the Strive:ON. This ditches the Shapeshifter of the non-electric version, and sets its eye firmly on E-Enduro racing. Developed with input from Fabien Barel and the race team, it’s a bike that’s as much…
Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 – First Ride Review
Canyon has launched the new Torque:ON CF, an electric self–uplift bike, this time in carbon fibre. It’s quite a different beast to the alloy Torque:ON, and something of a step-sibling to the non-electric Torque. Hannah was out at the launch, and brings you this first…
Canyon Grand Canyon:ON – First Ride Review
The Grand Canyon:ON is pitched as a bit of a do-it-all explorer. Not so much a mountain bike for the keen trail rider, but more of a go most places bike for the person that wants to explore without running into terrain that brings them…
We Pledge Our Allegiance To… 10 Alternative Oaths For Mountain Bikers
Stand tall, mountain bikers of the UK. Place your hands over your hearts – or press them firmly onto any bleeding wounds – and pledge your allegiance to the majesty of mountain biking, your airs and successes according to gnar. Oh help us, oh shit,…
Ride Concepts Vice Mid Shoe Review
The Ride Concepts Women’s Vice shoes are my current favourite flat pedal shoe, so I wanted to give the Mid version, with raised ankle, a go. The Mids only come in a unisex version, but the difference in fit is pretty subtle. The Mids feel…
Fresh Goods Friday 650: Fashionable Goods Friday
FGF is often a series of photos of bad modelling, so it seems in keeping to share some wedding dress shopping nonsense.
UK Government Issues Concussion Guidance For All Grassroots Sports
The UK Government has issued concussion guidance for all grassroots sports. You may recall that British Cycling recently issued its own guidance, having decided that it couldn’t wait any longer for the Government’s awaited report to be published. The British Cycling Guidance is (obviously) more…
Lauf Moves Assembly To USA and Drops Prices
Yes, bikes getting cheaper! That deserves a story, right? Gravel bike specialist Lauf has moved a significant portion of its operations to America, and in doing so has managed to create efficiencies that translate to some quite significant price reductions on its bikes. The new…
Survey: Riders, Nature, and Environmental Action
This survey, funded by IMBA Europe with support from Specialized and Patagonia, aims to gather information on how mountain bikers in the UK experience and interact with the landscape and nature around them. With access rights and climate change on the policy agenda, this looks…
Spotted At Sea Otter: Freaks, Geeks and Retro Bikes
Sea Otter is a bike expo and festival of racing that takes place in Monterey, California each year. We didn't make the trip over there for 2023, but our US correspondent Fahzure Freeride dropped in to catch up with bicycle peeps of the world. He's…
Fresh Goods Friday 649 – Sparkling Finger Magic Edition
Hello, good evening and welcome to this week’s Eff Gee Eff. It must be evening somewhere, right? We’ve been struggling for instrospiration this week, possibly due to motivation being carried off by the 75km/h wind. But fear not! The rain has arrived, and brought with…
Santa Cruz and Chris King Builders’ Bike Show
In advance of Sea Otter, Santa Cruz and Chris King hosted an event for builders to show off their wares. Our American correspondent Fahzure Freeride (and my soon to be husband - eep!) went along to warm up his bicycle nerd antennae in advance of…
New Endura Kit – Protection For Even More Of Your Body
Endura has entered the helmet market across the pond, with helmets now certified to USA standards and on sale now. But never fear, it’s not just the Americans that get new gear (and all the best snow, and iconic riding locations, and the better tacos…
Issue 148 Kit Essentials: Sleeping Out
Words Amanda, Hannah and as credited Photography as credited Let us try to persuade you that a night outdoors can be a life-affirming experience, rather than one that has you questioning your life choices. While it’s not technically legal to sleep outside in most places…
Issue 148 Is Out Today – How Will You Read Yours?
If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each issue, it’s now in the post – we can’t be sure exactly when it will land with you, but if you’re in the UK and you’ve still not got it by 24th April please email us.…
XO Bikes: Rebuilding Bikes and Lives
XO Bikes is a bike recycling project based in London that’s doing just a bit more than bringing bikes back to life. Since it opened in early 2022, XO Bikes has trained 14 prison leavers to become professional bike mechanics – or ‘Fixers’ as XO…
Bike Check: Ted James’ Ti Bride Custom DH Bike
Have you placed your credit card at a safe distance away from your current position? Then you may be safe to read on. Custom, titanium, BMX, EXT, DH, Ted James, single speed… no, this is not bike fetish bingo, this is the ‘Ti Bride’, as…
Government To Launch ‘ReGenR8’ Energy Scheme For Unemployed
Following a string of measures aimed at addressing rising energy costs, the Government is understood to be poised to enter into a multi-million pound deal to encourage benefits claimants to partake in micro-generation schemes for local services. Observers say the inter-departmental collaboration will see the…
Fresh Goods Friday 646 – The Weird Galactic Soup Edition
Let’s start out with something approaching normal service… For the CNC and skate nerds, it’s kinda cool, but also seems like a vest waste of metal. Beware the wormhole that awaits you if you explore the rest of that channel, you may get lost: …and…
Free Uplifts For Little Legs At Glentress This Easter
Planning a visit to Glentress? This might just help you out – especially if you’ve got kids that you want to get to the top of the hill. From Monday 3rd April to Sunday 16th April, thanks to Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) and…
Red Bull banned from Welsh mansion after Hardline damage
It’s been reported that Red Bull has been blocked from renting its usual accommodation of Plas Tan-y-Bwlch in Wales, due to excessive damage caused over the past two years. Plas Tan-y-Bwlch is part of the Snowdonia National Park, and offers accommodation, an education centre, as…
