Our Rampage coverage is supported by.. Win an ABUS full face helmet. Details below Today was a day of firsts at Red Bull Rampage 2024. After five dig days for the women, and four for the men, today was the first day bikes were allowed…
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.
Campus: New Video From Danny MacAskill
It’s Five Ten day (geddit?) and to mark the occasion Danny MacAskill has a new video out, riding all over the adidas (Five Ten) ‘Campus’. Who knew adidas had such a bonkers HQ in Germany? It’s got all the classic Danny Mac stuff in it,…
Get dressed for Red Bull Rampage: Win an ABUS HiDrop helmet
As the dig teams start to built lines in the Utah desert, we’ve got a Rampage-ready helmet to give away. The ABUS HiDrop helmet will be worn by Tom Isted and Georgia Astle, who are both competing at Red Bull Rampage for the first time…
Get Paid To Learn To Be An MTB Content Creator
If you fancy yourself as being a ‘content creator’ in the mountain bike industry, then this could be the opportunity for you. Of course, here at Singletrack we’re always open to pitches from anyone, so if you think you’ve got a good idea, read our…
The First Women’s Red Bull Rampage Is Underway
Yes, we’ve a wait until the spectacle of the riding itself, but there are eight days of digging ahead of us before the first women will compete at Red Bull Rampage. The eight women competing at next week’s first women’s Red Bull Rampage have been…
Havok Bike Park Weekender report & pics
Different just-for-fun races, session spots on different features on the hill, there was plenty of chance to get involved and try things out. Just a couple of rain showers across the whole weekend, the Havok Bike Park dig crew struck it lucky for their Weekender…
Forestry England’s Cycling Strategy: A sign of things (not) to come?
Forestry England published its first Cycling Strategy a few weeks ago. Big organisations need this sort of thing so that everyone knows what they should – or shouldn’t – be spending their money on, and what their goals are. On first reading, I got pretty…
Fresh Goods Friday 724: The Elastomeric Edition
Welcome one and all to this week’s Fresh Goods Friday, so much better than Old News Monday. This edition brings you full circle. All will be revealed. On with the show! Bontrager G-Spike Team Issue Tyre ‘Tis the season. The Season Of Spike. Mud spike…
Interview: Joe Breedon – chasing the fractions of seconds
While at the Saddleback House Show, I had a chat with Joe Breedon, who was there with his bike and team mate Lou Ferguson. I stopped him for a chat about some of the more eye catching additions to his race bike. Your bike has…
Route Assembly – making UK manufacturing more than a Pipedream?
A few weeks ago there was the announcement that Pipedream Cycles had been bought by Route Assembly. Who or what is Route Assembly and what do they plan to do with Pipedream Cycles? I caught up with new owner Ian Byrne for some more information…
‘Anytime’ – New Freeride Movie With Old Skool Vibes
Anytime, the latest Red Bull and Anthill production, is now available for viewing on Red Bull TV. For those that recall the ‘Down’ series, it’s got a bit of the old skool vibe to it – featured riders, a whole lot of riding, and not…
Interview: Kade Edwards in Anytime BTS – ‘I’m not going to get any better in the next 10 minutes’
I went down to Dyfi Bike Park for a day of riding followed by a UK Premiere of ‘Anytime’, the latest film from Anthill and Red Bull, that celebrates freeride. As you’d expect, it’s a feast for the eyes, with stunning scenery and a load…
Can You Find Any of British Cycling’s New Places To Ride?
There’s a whole host of new places to ride now available in the UK thanks to legacy funding from the UCI Road World Championships in 2019 – only it’s rather difficult to find out where – or what they actually are. Help us fill in…
Make Your October Better With Singletrack Magazine
As we prepare to slip out of our summer shorts, through the nettle defence trousers, and into something thermal, keep your mountain bike juices flowing with an injection of inspiration, amusement, and information to make you sound interesting on the long evenings by the fire.…
Brompton goes gravel
Billed as the brand’s “biggest launch in over 50 years” the new Brompton G Line sees the adoption of 20in wheels and gravel. The new bikes also feature revised geometry, custom made Schwalbe tyres, hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano 8-speed hub gears. The prospect of…
Bike Check: James Love’s Cotic Cascade
Mr Love, formerly of this parish, dropped by via the back roads of Calderdale. ‘You look like Jeremy Corbyn with that stem!’ cried our Benji. Cue much excited jabber about geometry, back road meandering, and the merits of planning your bike rides around top notch…
Best bits from Saddleback Show: Trickstuff, Abbey Tools, ENVE, Silca & much more!
We bobbed down Brizzle way earlier this week. Amidst plenty of charming retro guff, there was plenty of super modern stuff on display too. Here’s the highlights… Trickstuff No big product updates here – the news is all about increased availability. With Saddleback as the…
Interview: Lou Ferguson on ‘being alive and being happy’
Lou Ferguson was at the Saddleback House Show with her bike, freshly cleaned from Loudenville. We had a good long chat about her season so far, what next year might look like, plus some of the details on her bike. She’s very bright and chatty…
Leaked document reveals MTB World Cup plans for 2025
In a leaked document titled ‘2025 MTB Reform, Evolution of Mountain Bike Racing’, the UCI and Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) set out proposed changes for the racing year ahead. Now, obviously this document has been leaked to us, and perhaps it’s a ‘pre-production prototype’ to…
Freight Worse Than Death? Slopestyle on a Train!
Prepare to see physics in action, and perhaps take a travel sickness pill. Dawid Godziek’s latest video has him riding a jump line on a moving train. The video doesn’t even have a clever/rad/high stoke title – it’s just ‘Riding A Bike On Top Of…
Red Bull Rampage: Changes and Location Revealed
The drip, drip, drip of news from Red Bull Rampage continues, this time with updated rider lists, plus details of the venue location and format for the men’s and women’s competitions. The men will be returning to the 2018/19 site for their dig days, while…
Retrobike Check: Isla Rowntree’s 1993 Race Bike
At the Retrobike Show and Shine at the Malverns Classic, this yellow and red bespoke racing machine was on display. It’s one of Isla Rowntree’s own personal bikes, built to meet her precise ideas about what makes a good race bike, and a bike that…
Interview: The Word According To Landosteezy
If you’re on any kind of social media, you’ve probably seen Leo ‘Landosteezy’ Smith bringing his BMX style to the world of MTB. Now riding for Calibre, you might also have clocked him exploring the north of England by gravel bike. It’s all bikes, and…
What This Bike Needs… Is $1500 Mudguards?
Ok, it never really stopped raining, but let’s pretend this is a seasonal moment. Your thoughts turn to keeping the puddles off your posterior and the mud from your moustache. What your bike needs, is a sensible winter coat: some mudguards. Or fenders, if you…
Spotted: Wonder Woman and the KeeWee Cromozone
I’d barely arrived at the Malverns Classic when we were rolling through the camping field and spotted the kind of freak bike collection that no self-respecting bike nerd can walk past. Plus a 100% rusted car. It was too much to resist after the drive…
How To Read The Latest Issue of Singletrack World
The August issue is out now – here’s how to read it If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each issue you should be happily working your way through it by now. If it still hasn’t arrived please email us and we’ll sort out sending…
Retrobike Barn Find Bonanza!
It’s the collector’s dream: you enquire about a single bike, end up discovering a whole collection of bikes – and the person that owns them wants rid. That’s what happened to Oliver when he got talking to a seller on eBay. I took a moment…
Rachel Atherton: From World Champ to Family Cycling Champion
It was Rachel Atherton’s first year at the Malverns Classic, and like many festival-goers she was there with her family. While she wasn’t juggling child demands with racing, she was working on the Atherton Bikes stand, posing for selfies, signing helmets, and offering up advice…
Lust Is Not A Sin: Paul Brakes for Bromptons
If you’ve been on the fence about whether to buy a Brompton, there’s now another reason to have one: Paul components brake upgrades. I don’t own a Brompton, but I want one. Imagine the joy of hopping on the train and not having to do…
Project Mjolnir: The Most Interesting Bike Of The Year?
At the Malverns Classic Festival there were a bunch of riders with Bowhead adaptive trikes taking part in the racing, which was great to see. But then this rolled by and I realised it was something really different. And then I got chatting to the…
Canyon’s End Of Season Sale Starts… Now! Up To 30% Off
Wherever, whenever you ride — find your favourite Canyon bike for less in their end of season sale. Spectral 5 Affordable, and shreddable. A sorted spec and premium aluminium chassis means this bike has everything needed to keep up with the big dogs on the…
TFFT, Gee Atherton Isn’t In The 2024 Red Bull Rampage Men’s LineupÂ
TFFT, Gee Atherton isn’t on the list. That will be quite the relief to many fans and viewers. But who is on the Red Bull Rampage men’s start line this year? The automatic pre-qualification includes Brendan Fairclough. After last year’s event, Fairclough seemed to indicate…
Dorval AM Ends Downhill Racing Sponsorship
We’re sad to see another loss from the downhill world – this time, it’s not a bike company that’s pulling out, it’s Dorval AM, the French asset management firm. The loss of their support also means the end of the Dorval/Commencal team. Here’s the statement…
Reasons To Be Cheerful: Active Travel Funding Is Coming!
Yes, we like mountain biking, but more people on all kinds of bikes is good for the bike industry and for mountain biking. The Guardian is reporting that the government will be investing ‘unprecedented levels of funding’ in cycling and walking. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh…
This Weekend! GT Bicycles Malverns Classic MTB Festival
It’s this weekend! Are you coming? Whether you were there in the early days and want to relive the glory of your youth, or you have your own kids now and want to meet some heroes, get some T-shirts signed, dance to DJs, and share…
Bikemon Go! Your August Ride Inspiring Download
Back in issue 153 in February, Hannah proposed an alternative approach to measuring rides. As part of that, we gave you a set of ride ‘achievements’ to collect in the month ahead. Here’s your next seasonally appropriate set of ride goals. Enjoy!
Fresh Goods Friday 718 – Bright And Early Edition
Ooh, yes it’s Friday. Not lunchtime mind. We’re messing with you by getting this up early. Mostly because there’s no video this week, because I’m not going to sit and talk to myself. Not on camera anyway. Contrary to what the weather might suggest, summer…
Genesis announces new range of Croix de Fer, Tour de Fer and Vagabond gravel and adventure bikes
While some brands are trimming down their ranges, Genesis continues to offer a wide range of choices across its gravel and adventure bikes. Whether you’re looking for a ‘is this mountain biking?’ monster cross bike, a mix-it-up commuter, or an over the hills with your…
2024 Red Bull Rampage Women: Who To Watch And What To Expect
Whoop! The news that you’ve all been waiting for! (Well, I have, anyway – and I called it right for many of the riders I predicted would be on the list). The riders for the women’s competition at Red Bull Rampage have been revealed. Let’s…
Limitlass Mountain Bike Festival 2024 Wraps Up with an Unforgettable Weekend in Dunkeld
We’ve just received this press release (of an event we missed going to!) that looks like a whole heap of fun. One to look out for next year, perhaps. It’s interesting to see the emphasis on activities beyond just riding bikes. Is there a unisex…
Before the Party’s Over
Mountain biking is getting old. It might be time to sit down and talk to our elders. Words Hannah, Illustration James Vincent Remember when you were a kid and every birthday counted? Cake, presents, and a party to mark the occasion. If someone asked how…
1949-2024: Geoff Apps, pioneer of mountain bike design
We’ve just heard the sad news that Geoff Apps, pioneer of mountain bike design, died unexpectedly at home on 25th July. His passing is as quiet as much of his life, which is why you may be forgiven for wondering who he was or why…
Fresh Goods Friday 717: Sound The Sun Klaxon!
Apparently it’s only a week ago that I was on holiday. Since my house is currently shaking thanks to neighbours having their front garden paved over, let us cast our minds back to more serene times. Unless you are currently on holiday, in which case…
Nerd Alert! Rare Structure SCW1 Prototype Bike for Sale
This caught our eye in the Singletrack Classifieds. I mean, why wouldn’t it? With echoes of the old Whyte PRST1 but a stack of new tech, it’s a bike nerd’s treat. We figured before it finds its way to a new owner, we ought to…
Red Bull Rampage: Dates Revealed For Men’s and Women’s Events
It had already been confirmed that Red Bull Rampage would include women in this year’s event, but now it’s clearer that there will be two separate days: Women on Thursday October 10th, and Men on Saturday October 12th. Spectator tickets will go on sale on…
Off to Fort William? Test a Saracen while you’re there!
If you’re making the trip to Fort William and the Nevis Range, you’ll now be able to try out one of a number of Saracen bikes while you’re there, as well as stock up on products from Freewheel. With Madison Saracen’s Greg Williamson and Matt…
Tweedlove ends: Management of world enduro partly to blame says organiser
TweedLove founder Neil Dalgleish has announced in a blog post that the hugely popular Scottish mountain bike festival is coming to an end. If you’ve been meaning to get round to doing one of their events, you’re too late. In Neil’s announcement, he explains why…
Interview: Atherton Bikes at Bespoked
In our final interview from Bespoked, Manchester, I stopped for a chat with Alex from Atherton Bikes to see if I could find out what’s ahead for the Welsh brand. I think this is the newest model – want to talk us through it? This…
BikePark Wales: New 33 year lease to bring many benefits
Amidst reports of job cuts at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), it’s good to see some positive news coming from Wales: BikePark Wales has signed a new 33 year lease that will allow it to continue to operate on the site, and make the experience even…
Interview: Clandestine’s (Beautiful, Practical) Bikes
Pi from Clandestine makes beautiful bikes that make me want to pack a picnic and ride off into the sunset. Practical, fun and gorgeous, I’d happily have ridden off on any of the bikes he had on display at Bespoked, Manchester. Trying not to fangirl…
Cairn BRAVe 2.0 Flat Bar review
The new flat bar flavoured Cairn BRAVe 2.0 keeps you finding new reasons to just “nip out to somewhere, I might take the long way back”. Pros Cons I previously tested the previous Cairn BRAVe (Back Road Adventure Vehicle) in its drop bar format. It…
