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…
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Mental Monday #8 The Super Cryptic Edition
This week our crossword has been designed by reader Chris Lansley and for you cryptic fans it’s a beast of a puzzle. The list of successful completions of last week’s puzzle is the longest yet, but we don’t expect the list to be a long…
Back From The Dead: Breathing life into a Lizard
Dieter is a mechanic who will always fix things if he can. With his spare parts bin and Dremel, he'll breathe life back into almost any bike. Join us for another of his regular columns, full of bike fettling, and occasional philosophical (or political) sidetracks...
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…
Mental Mondays #7 – The MAMIL edition
Hannah is the designer of this week’s tricky prize crossword, despite the fact that she’s spent the last week in Italy at a top secret bike launch. For those about to attempt the this week’s slider puzzle – we salute you. Quick links Singletrack Crossword…
Bike Check: Chipps’ 1994 Fuquay Logic Prestige
This 1994 Fuquay Logic Prestige was custom-built for Chipps in 1994, after a full measuring-up session with Mr Fuquay.
Know Your Trail Users
Charlie takes a light hearted look at the wonderful variety of people we share the trails with. It’s that time of year again when the clocks go forward, the sun comes out and at 10am precisely on the first sunny Sunday your peaceful and uncrowded…
Mental Mondays #6
Hannah is the designer of this week’s tricky prize crossword. It’s a pretty cryptic one this week. Mark hates cryptic clues and failed miserably at this one. Amanda however, stormed this in no time at all. My tip is that you need to have a…
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…
Bike Check: Hannah’s Schwinn Traveler
This is my 1964 Schwinn Traveler, given to me as a rather special 40th birthday present from my partner. I did protest that he shouldn’t give it to me, as it’s too nice, and I’m not worthy and I’ll probably break it, but he didn’t…
Mental Mondays #5 Crossword & Puzzles by Mark
Mark is the designer of this week’s tricky prize crossword. This week’s test is a mixture of random bike related general knowledge with a few cryptic style questions thrown in for good measure. To complete this you are going to need to be up to…
New Rider (battery provided)
A new reader and rider sent us this piece, before he’s even hit the trails. Welcome to mountain biking, Gareth, we hope you like what you find. So I’ve just bought a mountain bike, my first one, that I have no idea how I will…
How Much?! Why we should care about the closure of Kitsbow
If you’re in the UK, there’s every chance you’ve never heard of Kitsbow, so why should you care that they’re closing? And who even are they? Kitsbow were (or, until 7th April, are) USA based makers of cycling clothing. With an RRP of $289 –…
Mental Mondays #4 Crossword & puzzles by Hannah
Hannah is the designer of this week’s fiendishly tricky crossword and those that know her will not be surprised to discover it’s rather cryptic. The crossword is definitely one for those who spend perhaps too much time on the Forum. Or is it? Somewhere between…
The Answer To Everything Is…
This piece was originally published as the editorial in our Weekly Word – a newsletter which brings you a piece like this, plus a round up of news, offers, and whatever else we think you’ll like. It’s free to get the Weekly Word, and you…
Singletrack Kitchen: Pub Bike Gumbo
By popular demand, here’s another recipe from Charlie to warm you up and fill you up after a ride. This is a really efficient recipe as it is great for using things up. I suppose in many ways this is the pub bike of recipes,…
After Slashing Active Travel Funding, Government Keeps £4.8 billion Fuel Price Discount
Hannah argues that the 2023 budget is taking us in the wrong direction.
Mental Mondays #3 – Crossword & puzzles by Chipps
Chipps is the designer of this week’s fiendishly tricky crossword. You may need to have your MTB historical records to hand to complete this one. Good luck. Todays quiz was composed of clues I didn’t have to look up on the internet, so expect a…
Full Suspension for Short Riders: What’s Out There?
If you’re a smaller adult looking for a full suspension bike, it can be tricky to find what you’re looking for outside of the women’s specific market. Some women’s specific bikes come with a shock tune suited to the lighter rider, which doesn’t always suit,…
Retro Ridgeback gallery and video walkthrough
2023 marks Ridgeback's 40th anniversary and Madison had a bunch of retrobike beauties on display at their recent iceBike* trade show. For those who couldn't attend the show, here's our gallery and video for your delectation.
Women and Bikes: How Far Have We Come?
Hannah charts the advance of women in the bike industry, as she sees it. Are you as optimistic? What changes have you seen? Apparently I am now long in the tooth enough that people have started asking me about how the bike industry has changed…
From The Archive: Womens’ Specific Bikes – do we need them?
Back in issue 15 of Singletrack Magazine, in 2004, we reviewed three of what were then a new development: women’s specific bikes. We followed it up with a head to head pair of columns from Joolze Dymond and Jenn Hill, complete with ironic pink and…
Mental Monday! Singletrack Weekly Crossword #2
Welcome to the first Mental Monday. If you are a full member you will see below three puzzles for you to solve. There’s our tricky Singletrack crossword puzzle designed by a staff member here at STHQ and based on a mixture of bike related general…
27.2 Dropper Posts: 15 Options For Skinny Seat Tubes
27.2 dropper posts are not common but if you have a bike frame with a skinny seat tube you can still take advantage of the benefits.
Quiz: Do You Know Your Bike Acronyms?
CNC’d XC BSO with ETT of 571 and BSA fitting… we’ve all scanned our way through the spec list of a new bike and read the letters, but do we actually know what any of them actually mean? Here’s your chance to test yourself… While…
11 Things That Should Be Standard Issue, Not Special Feature
We've rounded up some of those product 'features' that we think should go without saying. Feel free to disagree, or add your own below! When you're looking at products, especially on the web, you'll find yourself seeing bullet pointed lists of 'product features'. Some of…
Reyt Good Bikepacking: Rider Kit Lists
Some of you who enjoyed our A Reyt Good Time Bikepacking in the Dales article will no doubt want to know what sort of kit the riders used.
How Long To Rebuild A Bike? – Back From The Dead
Dieter is the kind of bike nerd mechanic that every good bike shop should want. He is endlessly enthusiastic about getting people of all kinds onto bikes of all sorts. He can fix your bike even when the outlook looks bleak. Go for a ride…
140mm Suspension Fork Group Test
140mm Suspension Forks AKA Best Modest Travel Trail Forks. Which fork for real world riders on real world trails? Benji has the results.
WHY 2K? Full-suspension bikes under £2000 test
Benji and Rhys look at the world of £2k full suspension bikes. Can a good ride be had at this price?
Do we need trail maintenance trousers?
Rapha has launched a limited edition collection of clothing. It’s a collaboration with ‘Brain Dead’, a trendy LA-based international fashion collective. With its disruptive, graphic-led approach, Brain Dead takes its cues from post punk, underground comics, and the spirit of subculture as a whole. Not…
15 Ways To Spend Less On Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is not cheap. You'll never 'save' money as a mountain biker. But you can stop a lot of avoidable spending if you're canny.
Taiwan: A storm brewing for the bike industry?
Remember when that ship got jammed in the Suez, and goods shipped around the world got stuck? Remember when Covid disrupted the natural flow of shipping containers and products, and everything got delayed? If you thought that was a mess, that’s nothing to what could…
Best Mountain Bike Saddles: Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Saddle pain can affect both new and experienced riders: so here's our guide to the best mountain bike saddles.
Bike Check: Ross’ Deviate Claymore
The Deviate Claymore is fast and fun, composed in the rough and the steep but also versatile and easy to get along with.
Can Working On Your Bike Void The Warranty?
We asked a selection of bike companies to comment on whether working on your bike could void the warranty.
Buyers Guide to the Best Mountain Bike Glasses
I try to wear glasses all the time. As a short-sighted blindo I am used to such face furniture. The best mountain bike glasses are few and far between in my experience.
Bikepacking The EWS – Delirium, Duct Tape and Detours
While still just 17 years old, Matthew Fairbrother from New Zealand set off on the adventure of a lifetime, competing in the EWS, and riding between the stages. He carried all his gear between races, often riding through the night to get the distance covered…
What MTB Marketing Works On You?
Of course, you’ll probably say ‘none of it’, right? But something, somewhere, informs your buying choices, and you have to hear about a product in the first place to know it’s available to buy. How do we get from anonymity to desirability? Before we continue,…
What We’re Looking Forward To In 2023
Let us raise our spirits, look on the bright side, and feel the warm rays of positivity. 2023 is gonna be great, OK? There are going to be highlights, and peaks, and apogees of achievement. Big good and small good stuff. All the good stuff.…
Buyers Guide to the Best Mountain Bike Gloves
I hate gloves. Which makes me the ideal tester for them. For a glove to stand a chance of being worn by me for more than one ride it needs to be a good one.
Gravitating Around The Aneto Discovering The Pyrenees’ Highest Summit
Slowing down the pace in order to take in the surroundings has paid off for this group of bike packers. Join Simon, Ulysse, Dani, Chris and Thomas for a journey through the unique location of Aneto – the highest summit in the Pyrenees. Words: Simon…
Buyers Guide to Mountain Bike Shoes for Big Feet
We point you at decent mountain bike shoes for big feet. If you are looking for mountain bike shoes in size 12, 13 and even 14… read on.
Predictions For The Mountain Bike World In 2023
Every year we make our predictions for the world of mountain biking. Some take it seriously, some less so... Last year Mark predicted that the influencer bubble would burst... does Specialized dropping its global ambassadors counts as evidence he might be right? He also predicted…
Internet Rummagings – Tom’s Christmas Baubles
Season’s greetings and welcome to this edition of Internet Rummagings where, rather than doing my Christmas shopping on the internet I once again have been rummaging around in the WWWLBS, to find shiny trinkets, tinsel and baubles to hang from your tre… sorry, bike. This…
Peanut Butter Squares Recipe
Rick Hamilton shares his popular peanut butter squares recipe, having fuelled the Slymefoot Slide route with them. I got this recipe from my friend Louise. These are fabulously dense and calorific trail snacks, perfect for mountaineering and mountain biking. Nobody complains if you take them…
An Alternative Year in Sport
Today’s the day when Strava does its ‘Year In Sport’ thing, and your social media feeds will be filled with miles ridden, feet climbed, cups won and other such data driven achievements. For those of you without a virtual trophy cabinet, or maybe just with…
Back From The Dead – ‘Tis The Season For Good Vibes
Dieter is the kind of bike nerd mechanic that every good bike shop should want. He is endlessly enthusiastic about getting people of all kinds onto bikes of all sorts. He can fix your bike even when the outlook looks bleak. Go for a ride…
Laps and Loops: Is It Time To Rethink Trail Centre Designs?
Dave Evans from Bike Corris has previously written extensively on ‘wild trails’ in Wales – it’s all well worth reading, and his latest paper is no different. ‘Evolving The Trail Centre – Lessons From Wild Trails‘ looks at the difference between trail centre designs and…
Buyers Guide to the Best Mountain Bike Shock Pumps
Bust one? Lost one? Never had one? Need one? Here's what to look for in a decent shock pump that won't let you - or your suspension - down.
From Dangerous Sport to Fun Activity – Reframing Mountain Biking
I was recently asked to give a presentation on ‘Image and Mountain Biking’, as part of an event held by Ride Sheffield under the topic ‘Reframing Mountain Biking’. The event brought together a range of people from brands, media, trail associations and the MTB industry…
