If you’re in the MTB Hall of Fame, you know you’ve done some pretty remarkable things. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up your pedals and bask in the glory of the past. Nearly 25 years after she won the trip crown of…
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.
Winter Cycle Commuting | It Might Be Grim, But It’s Not All Bad
Hannah peers into the driving rain of the daily commute and sees sunshine and spring at the other end. The worse the weather the better. Giant puddles, torrents from the sky and the valley sides. I’ll even go for a bit of snow, sleet if…
Fresh Goods Friday 477 | The Post Pub Crawl Edition
We have had an awful lot of parcels coming through the door this week, but hardly any of them are for Fresh Goods Friday. Instead, we’ve got exciting items like a bulk order of Oat Milk (Amanda), a clothes rail (Amanda), sushi ingredients (Chipps), secret…
New Cotic FlareMAX | First Ride Review
The new Cotic FlareMAX is launched today, once again at a Cotic CC event rather than a far flung media launch with canapes and jacuzzi. Luckily for us, Cy at Cotic was happy to join us for coffee and mud baths to give us a…
Give Twice As Much Good With A Single Donation | World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief has a ‘double your donation’ campaign running until 10th December. Here’s why you might like to consider making a donation. World Bicycle Relief provides bicycles for people – usually young girls – in developing nations, and those bikes are rugged, high quality…
5 Minutes With Katy Curd: Back In The Saddle, What’s Next?
Katy Curd returned to racing this year after a long period of rehabilitation after a head injury. Is she going to be back between the race tape again in 2020? Tell us who you are, what you do and why we should go for a…
6 Bike Related Things To Make With Pallets
Have a big pile of pallets? Like bikes? Have lots of spare time? Want to make something useful like a bike rack from pallets? Then this is the article for you! Before you read on, a word of warning: making things out of pallets is…
Want To Buy An Islabike? On Black Friday, You Can’t
Children’s bike manufacturer Islabikes has announced it is closed today, Black Friday, one of the biggest days in the retail year. If you want to buy an Islabike, you’ll have to wait until next week, because they’re closed in support of Global Strike 4 Future.…
Privateer Bikes | Proving It’s An Enduro Bike That Will Do DH
From the team behind Hunt Wheels, the Privateer 161 has some pretty interesting geometry that has a few people watching its development. Designed as an all round bike (for the Privateer, who can’t own a fleet) with a focus on tackling EWS style courses, the…
Wait, What?! | Our Eyes Are Boggled
And now for something completely different… there aren’t even any bikes in this first video. But we think you’ll like it anyway. Being lovers of bikes, we find ourselves watching bike videos. Which sometimes leads to BMX. Which can lead to skateparks. Which can lead…
Formation | Behind The Scenes At The Women’s Freeride Camp
This year’s Formation freeride progression camp for women had very low key media coverage so that the athletes could focus on the riding. As a result, there wasn’t too much by way of images and video coming out of the event. However, Red Bull sponsored…
Products We’ve Recommended That Are Currently On Special Offer
Blah blah blah Black Friday, buy buy, shout shout. There are an awful lot of emails coming in with an awful lot of deals vying for our attention. Cut to the best! These products were so good that we recommended them – and now they’re…
Wolf Tooth EnCase | Carry Your Tools In Your Handlebars
If hip packs and enduro straps aren’t minimalist enough for you, then there’s a new opportunity to relieve your pockets of stuff and stash it on your bike: the EnCase system from Wolf Tooth. This sleeve allows you to carry a multitool, tubeless tyre plug…
Canyon Neuron CF: New 2020 model gets even lighter
Canyon has announced an addition to the Canyon Neuron CF line up: a super light Canyon Neuron CF SLX. Weighing a whole 250g less than the previous lightest model, this brings the Neuron CF line up to a choice of five bikes. The Neuron has…
National Downhill Series 2020 Dates Announced
Our #MakingUpTheNumbers team is hard in training, laying down the time in the gym, working on core strength, even running sprints in the local parks. Possibly. They might just be seeing how many pies their core will hold, or racing to catch the last bus…
Banshee Announces 3 New Bikes: Prime, Spitfire and Phantom V3
Banshee Bikes has been hard at work redesigning and testing three new bikes for trail and all mountain use. The press release shows the design team taking the prototypes to far away places such as Iraq and Scotland. What have they been hiding in plain…
Six Reasons Mountain Bikers Should Vote
With only a few days left to register to vote, we suggest a few reasons why you should bother
Gift Ideas For A Cyclist Who Has Everything (Or A Small Shed)
Our guide to buying gifts that don't need storage space.
Cube X-Shell Natural Fit Winter Gloves | Reviewed
It’s one of the mysteries of the cycling world why bike clothing has never really made the crossover into mainstream fashion. Branded clothing from cycling brands therefore tends to be worn by brand-fans and sponsored riders, showing their loyalty. While Cube is a huge manufacturer…
Social Spots | Will The MTB Police Get You?
You could waste a lifetime on social media. We’ve helpfully brought together some highlights, to make you more efficient. Check them out, then get back to important stuff. Like subscribing now so you get the next issue of Singletrack! MTB.Police A new addition to Instagram, give…
Get Your Free 2020 Calendar With Singletrack Issue 128!
It’s that time of the year again. We’re checking our list, checking it twice, making sure our magazine looks real nice… deadline day is coming to town. That means the next print edition of Singletrack Magazine is about to run off the presses, and you…
Police! This Is Not How People Carry Bikes
Dear The Police – This is not how to carry a bike: If you see someone carrying a bike like this and you are a police officer, please arrest them. Clue: this is probably a stolen bike. Other clue: this is probably also a driving…
Sam Hill and The Reactor | A Video Sent To Spite Us?
Nukeproof has just released a new video with Sam Hill riding his home trails, and we think it’s been sent to spite us. Made to showcase Sam Hill’s home trails in Australia, his Nukeproof Reactor, and his riding steez, this latest video from Nukeproof makes…
Bike Culture Videos | Rest Your Legs, Work Your Eyes
Perhaps you’re tired from riding your bike, maybe you have responsibilities that are keeping you home, or maybe you’re just looking for something to pass the time while pretending to pay attention in a conference call. We have a collection of short bike videos for…
Review | Bosch Fontus Portable Bike Washer
Want to clean your bike away from power or water sources? Then maybe this portable Bosch Fontus Washer will be of interest. The Bosch Fontus Washer has a maximum pressure of 15bar, so Bosch says it’s not a high pressure washer, but has enough oomph…
Norco Sight 2020 | More Choice Than You Can Handle?
Norco today reveals the new Norco Sight 2020 range. We’ve been lucky enough to have the mid range alloy model, the Norco Sight A2, in for a test. Read our first ride review here. For this year, you get more travel – 150mm rear, 160mm…
First Ride Review | 2020 Norco Sight A2
Hannah gets a quick spin out on the new 2020 Norco Sight A2, before its official launch. Norco, the Candian brand available in the UK through high street store and online retailer, Evans Cycles has been gradually working through its range bringing the models up…
Leatt Impact 3DF 3.0 – Impact Protection Shorts For Women (And Men)
When Hannah went looking for some impact protection shorts for women, she couldn’t find any – so she tried these unisex ones from Leatt instead. Impact shorts are perhaps more usually worn by gravity riders racing their way down seriously gnarly courses at high speeds.…
Review | Vaude Trail Spacer 18 – More Capacity Than Capability?
Hannah tests out the Vaude Trail Spacer 18 – will its knitted construction hold up to miles on the bike as well as her previous pack? My previous experience of a Vaude back pack was of one tested by Jenn before I arrived at Singletrack.…
Red Bull Rampage: Think You Could Ride It? No You Can’t!
Matt Jones, Olly Wilkins and Ben Deakin are out in Utah to watch Red Bull Rampage, and while they’re there they took the chance to try out one of the famous local (and open to the public) trails – King Kong. If you’ve never been…
10 tips to spend half-term cycling with the kids!
We know how hard it can be fitting your own fun in with everyone else’s – or even trying to convince everyone else that your idea of fun isn’t torture. If you’re looking at the school holidays ahead and wondering how you can fit your…
Vero Sandler On Red Bull Formation: “I’m hyped to see what it turns into”
Hannah chats to Veronique Sandler to see what the Red Bull Formation women’s Freeride camp meant to her. I’ve just given up trying not to put the heating on, and I’m wearing two jumpers and a hat. Veronique Sandler is just back from the Utah…
Islabikes | A Bike Company With Active Imaginations
Islabikes started back in 2006, when it was based in the corner of a cowshed. It grew into larger premises, and has recently grown again, into what might well be mistaken for a really big cowshed. Hannah went to chew the cud with some of…
Chris Porter Says… Even More! Catch Up Here
Here’s a quick round up of Chris Porter interviews, so you can revise, refresh and get opinionated on all things bouncy. It’s always worth listening to what Chris Porter of Mojo has to say – if you can follow it, you’ll definitely learn something. There…
Remembering Jenn Hill – And All Those Who Remind Us To Live
It’s been four years since Jenn Hill, our Deputy Editor, died. Hannah reflects on the legacy she’ll never know she created. I came to Singletrack just over four years ago. It was the silver lining (for me) to a sky of very black clouds. I…
Red Bull Formation | A Freeride Skills Camp For Women
We spotted last week that something called ‘Red Bull Formation’ was happening in the rock formations of Utah. It turns out that it was a women’s freeride camp, based at the old Rampage site, aimed at giving women a chance to dig and ride the…
2020 Norco Optic | It’s Bigger Everywhere You Look
Norco Bicycles today announces its 2020 Norco Optic, which Norco says is completely re-designed and re-focused – and completely different to the previous Norco Optic. Developed on, and inspired by their backyard trails in the mountains surrounding their Vancouver-area headquarters and throughout the Pacific Northwest,…
Social Spots | Tree Taps, Tyre Taps, Tricks and Triumph
You could waste a lifetime on social media. We’ve helpfully brought together some highlights, to make you more efficient. Watch these highlights, then get back to important stuff. Like riding bikes and eating biscuits… Since Red Bull Rampage is just around the corner, this Social…
Stolen | It’s More Than Just A Bike
Hannah and Amanda had their bikes stolen from under their noses. In the immediate aftermath, Hannah wrote this. I had a bike stolen once before. I don’t know what make or model it was, but my Dad bought me it as a surprise present. It…
We’ve Been Robbed! Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Our Bikes
We’re a little in shock here today. Imagine you’re standing looking at a car parking rather too close to your bike and you’re giving the driver a dirty look because they belong on @YPLAC. Then the rear window winds down and a man in a…
Islabikes Goes Longer Lower Slacker!
Shropshire based Islabikes has announced its range refresh, which includes updates to all models in its children’s bike range, plus new sizes and geometry in the mountain bike model. There’s no escaping the ‘longer, lower, slacker’ trend! The key changes identified are: Lighter than ever…
Is A Womens’ Red Bull Rampage Happening?
Has Hannah spotted a women’s Red Bull Rampage style event in the making? Follow the clues with her and see what you think. It was well past our bedtimes here in the UK, but ignoring the ‘don’t look at screens before sleeping’ advice I just…
New Stan’s NoTubes DART: Dual Action Repair for Tubeless
Stan’s NoTubes reveals the DART, a new product to repair tubeless tyre punctures and slices that are 5mm or larger. Before we move on to the news about this new product, we’d just like to draw your attention to the first line of the press…
Short Cycling Films About Long Bike Rides
If you’re feeling like it’s time to snuggle under a blanket and think about adventures to come, we have some short cycling films for you that will help get you reaching for the maps and checking out your camping gear. Better still, they’re all available…
Video | Joe Barnes’ garage tour
The folks from Formula spent part of the summer touring the UK…they even visited Singletrack Towers. In the first video to come from that tour, they take us on a tour of Joe Barnes’ garage. Or is it a shed? Or a house? Check out…
Published Today! Singletrack Issue 127
As we start the gentle decomposition of autumn, a fresh new issue of Singletrack Magazine has landed. Make your last embers of summer riding enthusiasm get a little puff of air to boost them and warm your legs into the chill winds of winter. Here’s…
Autumn Riding – Who’s Up For A Midweek Bivi?
Cycling UK has been out on a midweek adventure in the hope of enticing you away from your sofas and out on the bike for some golden autumn riding. Shortening days and cooler nights don’t have to mean an end to adventure. In fact, the…
Trans-Cascadia 2019 | 4 Days Of Party Trains And Sweet Trails
The four days of racing and riding and partying at the Trans-Cascadia 2019 look so good we’re tempted to add this to our must do list of events. 2019 Trans-Cascadia: Day 1 “We’ve been out here scaring ourselves since 2013, and I’ve never seen tracks…
Are You In? Or Missing Out? Singletrack Subscribers Get More!
Every issue of Singletrack mountain bike magazine comes in two versions: the standard edition – available at newsagents; and the Premier Edition. If you’re a subscriber to our print or digital magazine, it’s this extended Premier Edition of the magazine that you’ll be reading. Which…
Evoc World Traveller Suitcase | A portable wardrobe?
Evoc is known for making many kinds of bag – ones to carry your bike in, ones to carry while you’re riding your bike, and, like this ‘Evoc World Traveller’ maybe, ones to carry when you’re off somewhere fun to ride your bike. Or, just…
Video | Riding Across The Generations
Don’t sit and think about your age, or that ‘is that arthritis’ knee… get on out there and keep riding! The next issue of Singletrack Magazine is whirring its way round the printing presses right now, and one of the features in it is ‘My…
