One of the joys (for me, anyway) of the Sea Otter Classic is the unusual bikes that people turn up with, and the stories behind them. I clocked this heavily…
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.
Socks Of The Sea Otter Classic
I was going to call this ‘Socks of Sea Otter’, but then I thought ‘shiny boots of leather’ and thought that socks made of Sea Otter would be distressing. Probably…
British Team for 2024 UEC MTB European Championships Announced
The road to the Olympics hots up with the European Champions in just over a week in Romania. British Cycling has just announced who will be racing for Britain at…
Retro Bike Check: Foes LTS 16
I felt like there were a few fewer retro bikes rolling around this year’s Sea Otter Classic, but this one caught my eye so I stopped its owner for a…
Smart Tires: Tyres From Space Coming Your Way Soon?
At an unassuming looking booth at Sea Otter there was some mega science going down. You’ll have to take my word for it, but the hollow rod of this Nitinol…
Bike Check: Jordy Scott’s Dual Slalom Hyper
Jordy Scott is one of those up and coming riders that might not have come onto your radar unless you follow the Crankworx scene. She was just about to go…
DEADLINE Midnight Tonight! Government Consults On Legalising Higher Powered Ebikes
The consultation for this closes at midnight tonight. It seems pretty unanimous among the bike world that the proposals would be a big mistake. The Bicycle Association has created a…
Bikes Bikes Bikes! The Show Bikes of Sea Otter
Whether it’s a tricked out bike for a show stand, a special lucky race build, or just the garage geek project, there are some unusual bikes to be spotted at…
Even More Sea Otter New Things
Phew, by the power of airport internet, jet lag, and many battery pack charges, here’s the second and final instalment of new things spotted at Sea Otter. Look out for…
A Closer Look At The We Are One Modular Prototype DH Bike
We Are One makes their bikes and components in Kamloops, Canada. The Hope of Kamloops, perhaps? Their onsite manufacturing lets them prototype things quickly, which led to the slightly unexpected…
Martha Gill: The New Sea Otter Dual Slalom Champion
Martha Gill was out at Sea Otter racing Dual Slalom and Downhill. She took the gold in Dual Slalom, finally breaking Jill Kintner’s 11-year run on the top spot. I…
Bike Check: Ryan Pinkerton’s Sea Otter Mondraker Raze Carbon
Ryan Pinkerton is out at the Sea Otter Classic with his eye on the Downhill race. We had a little look at his bike and asked him how it was…
Braydon Bringhurst’s Dual Slalom Sea Otter Special Spectral
Braydon Bringhurst – a man who loves to climb as much as descend, as is big on figuring out the technical side of riding just so – is at the…
Privateer’s Fergus Ryan on Racing 3-on-1 at Sea Otter
Fergus Ryan is out at the Sea Otter Classic in California racing the new Privateer 161 Gen 2. He’s using the one bike to race all three events of enduro,…
Bounce, Bags and Bling – Spotted at Sea Otter
Another lap of the stands at the Sea Otter Classic in California, another round of new things. Some are new and available now, some are still to come, and some…
Nipple shufflers and new rubbers: products and prototypes spotted at Sea Otter
Sea Otter, the massive bike event in California that combines expo, racing, camping and a lot of bike love, gets underway on Thursday. We popped in to collect our media…
Issue 154 MTB Culture: Having The Wrong Thing
Necessity is the mother of invention, and stupidity its cousin. We bring you a selection of instances where ‘Having the wrong thing’ (or forgetting the right thing) brought the family…
Issue 154 Interview: Gladiators… Ready!
It’s perhaps no surprise that one of the new competitors on TV’s Gladiators is a pro mountain biker. Hannah catches up with Privateer Bikes rider Kerry Wilson to find out…
Lezyne Helmet Lite Drive 1200+ LED review
Lezyne Helmet Lite Drive 1200+ LED has eight LEDs, delivering a broad 1,200 lumenbeam, 60-hour runtime and USB-C port recharging.
The Grinder: Zefal Bike Taxi Tow Rope, Continental Argotal, Fox Dropframe helmet, Zipp 1ZERO HiTop Wheels
Is that creak me or the bike? Real-world product reviews from real-world riders.
Bikemon Go! Your April 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…
How To Read Singletrack Magazine – April 2024, Issue 154
Rattle, thunk, slap. For some lucky people, the print magazine has already landed, and for a few more it’s in the post. If you fancy joining riders and readers all…
Take Care Of Your Trails 2024
Whether you’re an established or aspiring trail builder, or even just a weekend rider, there’s something here for you in the Take Care Of Your Trails 2024 campaign. The Take…
Hillbomb: This Video May Induce a Midlife Crisis
The latest movie from Utah based freeride crew In The Hills Gang is out. 44 minutes of freeride vibes, following in the tradition of the original Down trilogy that helped…
Fresh Good Friday 699 – The From Thin Air Edition
It is too soon after last Friday for it to be Friday again. In many respects this is a good thing: we can now take full advantage of the weekend…
DMBinW: Developing Mountain Biking In Wales – Be Part Of It!
If you’re a ‘sector leader’ in Wales, here’s your chance to get involved in a new project – which, if it’s as successful as DMBinS (Developing Mountain Biking In Scotland),…
New Affordable Shimano ESSA, Short Reach Levers, and Cross Compatibility
Hang on a minute, cross compatibility… affordable groupset… short reach levers so everyone can ride bikes… it’s not a late April Fool, it’s a happy reality from Shimano. It’s apparently…
Bespoked Manchester Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now!
Bespoked is the place to be if you’re into hand made bikes, accessories for bikes, and interesting components. This year, it’s coming to Manchester, in a very cool Victorian ex-swimming…
Calibre Line T3 27 review
If you're new to mountain biking, or upgrading from heavy bike shaped object, you'll find the Calibre Line T3 27 feels pretty impressive.
Earth Day Spring Clean With Trash Free Trails
Trash Free Trails is hoping you’ll join in the Earth Day Spring Clean on April 22nd. Or, of course, do your bit every day (we know plenty of you do).…
Cannondale Scalpel 1 Lefty: First Ride Review
The new Cannondale Scalpel has essentially been modernised to give it more travel, and more capable, more stable handling.
Monday Avoidance Movie Sesh
It may be spring, but it’s still Monday. Avoid your inbox just a little longer with a selection of the latest mountain bike video releases. First up, how you’ll never…
Philly Bike Expo 2024: Gallery of WANT
The Philly Bike Expo is a hand made bike show in Philadelphia, USA, that’s known for being more than just a display of shiny things. It’s got a history of…
Frasers Group To Relaunch Wiggle and Chain Reaction Websites
OK, hot off the press… Wiggle and CRC are to make a return. We honestly don’t know what this corporate speak below actually means, so we’ve reached out to Frasers…
The Government, The New Road, and FlyUp 417 Bike Park: What’s Happening?
Many of you have seen FlyUp 417 bike park’s recent video about the potential for them to have to close as a result of works being done by National Highways.…
Hamish Hamilton, Buffalo Founder and Pertex Inventor, Dies
We’ve just heard that Hamish Hamilton, the man who invented Pertex, and founded Buffalo (of jacket fame), has died. As yet, we’ve not seen an official obituary – just an…
Don’t Miss Out On April’s Edition Of Singletrack World
We’re heading into longer days, winter is on the way out, something is in the air. Is it spring? The drifting scent of daffodils on the breeze? Or you, taking…
Bikemon Go! Your March 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…
Thibaut Daprela Turns Privateer For 2024
Having made something of a surprise move from Commencal Muc Off to Canyon at the end of last year, Thibaut Daprela has now announced he’s leaving Canyon for life as…
Matthew Fairbrother: Totally More Enduro Than You
Everyone’s favourite enduro bikepacker is at it again. This time, he’s riding (and paddling) the entire NZ MTB Rally – instead of doing any of the uplifts and boat transfers.…
Is It Time For A Shakeup In The MTB World?
We can’t pretend that mountain biking is green. Riding your bike instead of getting in a car is green, but that’s not what mountain biking is. Mountain biking is play,…
International Women’s Day is Every Day at SingletrackWorld
It’s International Women’s Day again, and it’s my [Hannah] least favourite day of the year. If you do nothing, everyone wonders where your IWD content is, and thinks you don’t…
The International Variations Of Faff: What Do You Call It?
Last week’s Weekly Word newsletter was about ‘faff’. Here in the UK, we are very familiar with faff – but what is it called elsewhere in the world? Take a…
Fizik Terra Ergolace GTX Shoe review
The Fizik Terra Ergolace Terra GTX is an all-weather MTB and gravel shoes with Gore-Tex protection. Yes, they are (were) white.
Sam Pilgrim Off Monster: Who Should Sponsor Him Next?
Canyon rider Sam Pilgrim has announced his 13 year contract with Monster Energy has come to an end. Apparently there are no hard feelings and he’s got plans for promoting…
A-Z of The Singletrack World Forum
If you're new to the world of mountain bikes, you might find it an unfathomable world of tech jargon, incompatible standards, and marketing babble. To cut through it all, you…
Protect Our Winters: Update on British Cycling and Shell
When British Cycling announced its partnership with Shell, the folks at Protect Our Winters wrote an open letter to British Cycling setting out their concerns and asking for British Cycling…
Help Shape the Future of the 7Stanes Trails
Forestry and Land Scotland has announced upcoming consultations on the future of the 7Stanes. To begin with, the dates announced only cover Newcastleton, but the other popular trails at Dalbeattie,…
6 Takeaways From Red Bull Hardline Tasmania
The season’s Downhill racing has started. It’s official. What did you make of the new Tasmanian Red Bull Hardline event? Here are some takeaways from our point of view. 1.…
Spot That Bike: the Short Travel edition
Think you know bikes? Do you even XCO? Have yourself a short travel quiz and see which bikes you can identify.
Win A Forbidden Druid Dream Build, Make Nils’ Dreams Come True
Many of you mourned the passing of Nils Amelinckx. Here’s a chance to win a bike and do something nice for his family, from as little as £4.99. Nils Amelinckx,…