Want to see more of this sort of thing, or chat to the makers? Get yourself along to Bespoked, the handmade bicycle show, in London, 14-16th October. ACTOFIVE Cycles P-TRAIN…
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Articles and features published exclusively for our full members.
How Injured Are You? 5 Exercises To Find Out!
Coach to the mountain biking stars, Alan Milway, brings you some exercises to help you assess just how much work you could be doing… We like how the introduction assumes…
Bespoked: Ryden Bikes’ Free 3D Print Your Own Bike Fit
Bespoked, taking place 14-16th October in London, celebrates hand built bikes and their makers. Sometimes those makers are making bits for bikes, as well as whole bikes. Here, we’ve got…
Bespoked Bike Check: The Variangle Mk5
We’ll be heading along to Bespoked in London for 14-16th October to check out all the hand built bikes and chat to their makers. It’s being billed as ‘a celebration…
Buyers Guide to the Best Mountain Bike Mud Tyres
Although we are entering autumn winter, filth is a year-round issue in the UK. With that in mind, here are the best mountain bike mud tyres.
Back From The Dead – Punk Rock Holiday and Armpumpapalooza
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.…
Bespoked Bike Check: Quirk Cycles SUPERCHUB
We’d love to tempt you along to Bespoked, the Handmade Bicycle Show celebrating handmade bikes and the people that make them. To give you a taste of what you might…
Thinking of starting a charity event? Tips from the Calder Divide Challenge!
When Adrian Wright’s riding buddy, Will Norman, died of cancer during lockdown, he and his other mountain bike friends couldn’t mark his passing as they might have hoped. Like many,…
Buyers Guide to the Best Mountain Bike Helmets
Let's not get into a debate about the merits of wearing them, let's just get on with recommending 12 of the best mountain bike helmets.
Behind the Media: Wyn Masters – athlete and entertainer
Anders concludes this short series looking at the changing face of mountain bike media, with a look at the shifting expectations on athletes. From racer to content creator, Wyn Masters…
Internet Rummagings – No Queue Edition
There's never a queue to get to the back room of the internet's bike shop, so off I went a rummagin'. Here's what I found this month.
Behind the Media: photographer Katie Lozancich
Anders Engberg embarks on a short illustrated series examining the changing world of mountain bike media.
Goodbye Red Bull! Here’s to the Past 10 Years
In 2012 Red Bull got the broadcast rights for world cups, fast forward to 2022 and we're entering a new era with Discovery.
Food and drink to avoid on a ride – no, really, just don’t do it!
Sanny has been engaging in adventures of a culinary kind to make sure that you don’t make mistakes next time you fill up your Camelbak.
Internet Rummagings – The Flexible Edition
Welcome back to the look behind the curtain, beyond the velvet rope at everything the internet bike shop is hiding in it’s darkest places.
Back From The Dead: Electric Lemons
Faceless corporate big-box auto-spares multi-sport camping-stores bringing out bikes to play catch-up with whatever is the bicycle-du-jour.
Behind the Media: Chris Hall and Downtime Podcast
Anders Engberg embarks on a short illustrated series examining the changing world of mountain bike media. In the streets of Reading you would often find a kid riding his Raleigh…
National XCC and XCO Championships at Kirroughtree race report
What a weekend! The National Champs at Kirroughtree was an absolutely stunning way to finish the National XC season.
Name That Park Tool Quiz – The Amateur Edition
We’ve been playing in our workshop – which Park Tools and Madison kindly fitted out for us after we got ram raided a few years back – with play dough…
My Top 10 Sustainable Travel Toiletries For Cyclists
My top 10 sustainable travel toiletries ideal for bikepackers, campers, racers and every other kind of bike rider.
Q: How much to start mountain biking? A: £605.00
Contrary to what mountain bike websites may imply, you don't have to be a millionaire to be start mountain biking.
Internet Rummagings – Bacon Cheeseburger Edition
Welcome back to this month’s rummage through the internet bike shop back room where we find bikes and parts whose native countries foods they are renowned for, would come to…
Back From The Dead: Your Bike Hates You
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.…
British Cycling National XC Series Rd 5: Woody’s Bike Park
Back to Woody’s Bike Park for the last round of the XC season. Last year the series started here and it became known as a pretty tough course where both…
Don’t think about Monday
This editorial was originally published in one of our Weekly Word newsletters, which comes out every Friday. To get your Weekly Word delivered to your inbox, sign up now –…
What size mountain bike do I need?
If you're unsure as to what size mountain bike to get, don't worry. You're not alone. It is not always obvious these days.
Summer Riding Shirt Member Special
Here comes the sun. Isn’t the summer just the best with its dusty trails, warm air, and long days in the saddle. How could it possibly be any better? (Hold…
Readers’ Rides: Jon’s Smokestone Bow-Ti
Whether you’ve got a special new bike or just a bike that’s special to you, this is where you get to tell us about it! You send us your submissions, and…
Mountain Bike Hip Pack Buyers Guide – Kit Essentials
Benji tests out some modern hip packs that can cater for all but the furthest adventuring of riders. Words Benji Photography Amanda The return of the humble water bottle and…
Internet Rummagings – Queen’s English edition
Welcome to the results of this month’s rummaging around the back room of the internet bike shop, where I try and find cool, shiny or interesting parts to show you,…
Dotwatchers Assemble! Bikes of Blaenau 600
The Blaenau 600 is a new bikepacking event, 600km long with over 11,000m of climbing. Blaenau translates roughly as ‘remote uplands’, though it starts in a fairly accessible place and as…
Strava adds mountain biking as an activity: hurray or uh-oh?
A recent update to Strava has given users the option of selecting mountain biking as an activity.
Back From The Dead – A Full Suspension Handcycle
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.…
The Boy of Ten Who Conquered the Ben!
It’s just after 3pm on a cold and blustery April day as I ponder my current situation; I am just over 500m away from the summit of Ben Nevis in…
British Cycling National XC Series Rd 4: Cannock Chase
A welcome return to Cannock Chase for Round Four aka the round much nearer to most people than some of the previous ones. Before anyone starts, to have a race…
The MTB Tyre Tread Quiz – how well do you know your rubber?
How many times have you ridden along a trail and looked down to see tyre tracks that you could identify? Have you impressed your riding mates with call outs of…
Things you’re no longer allowed to like in mountain biking
This is a rundown of all of the things that the Mountain Biking Illuminati has recently outlawed. Cancel culture MTB, if you will.
Readers’ Rides: Tom’s Rå .410
Whether you’ve got a special new bike or just a bike that’s special to you, this is where you get to tell us about it! You send us your submissions, and…
A Grand Day Out – and a call to action
Roy has set himself a challenge, all in the name of fun, eternal youth, and some good causes. Now I am officially an old Yorkshire duffer (66yrs young) and in…
Flat Pedal Shoes Buyer’s Guide: MTB Kit Essentials
What makes a great pair of flat pedal shoes? And, more importantly, who is delivering? Here are the best flattie pumps around.
British Cycling XC National Series Rd 3 – Lochore Meadows
Whether you’re racing or watching from the sidelines, you’ll enjoy the latest update from the National XC Series. Lochore Meadows 7/8 May 2022 Photos by Man Down Media unless credited.…
Internet Rummagings – The 3 Bike Esses (Shiny, Spinny, and …err… Stemmy)
Welcome to the results of this month’s rummaging around the World Wide Web’s bike shop, we’ve got shiny things, spinny things and, err stemmy things! Yoshimura Cycling First up we…
Back From The Dead: Hand Cycle Restoration
It’s nearly a year since Dieter moved to Calderdale. This issue of Back From The Dead charts the path of finding new friends, new work, and new mechanical challenges. Yay,…
Spotted: Eye Catching Bikes Of Sea Otter
Hannah is out at the Sea Otter Classic in California, USA. It’s a four day festival of racing and a huge expo area. There are races for every type of bike, but…
Things The Bike Industry Will Try To Sell Us This Year
Call us cynical, or call us highly informed industry insiders with our fingers on the pulse. But we think the marketing departments of the bike industry are going to find…
Internet Rummagings | Spring has Sprung edition
Do let’s, dear reader, focus on the evenings getting longer, the weather getting warmer and the trails getting drier rather than the current cold snap and potential for snow, for…
Back From The Dead: A Custom Toolbox For Every Eventuality
Be still your beating hearts, because for this edition of Back From The Dead, Dieter is giving you an in depth look at his tools. Oh yes. Here we go…
2022 Downhill Season Preview – Get hyped!
The 2022 DH World Cup season starts relatively early this year, with the season opener taking place on Sunday 27th March in Lourdes, France. Famous for its healing waters and…
Is This Custom Built eBay Treasure?
Jo Burt spotted it first, so we suspect him of having an eBay alert for ‘custom built bike’. Which only serves as another plus on the good character of Mr…
Internet Rummagings: How Long?!
Welcome back to my rummaging through the back room of the bike shop we call the Internet, there’s no real theme this month, just some cool shiny stuff, starting with……
World Book Day 2022 – Books For Cyclists
World Book Day 2022 is here to share the love of books with children and adults worldwide. Being in print for over 20 years, Singletrack World sees every day as…