If you need a bit of feel-good viewing to keep you going until the weekend, then have a look at Sierra Buttes’ video that it has produced, documenting its campaign to connect 15 mountain communities via building and restoring trails through California’s ‘lost’ Sierra mountains.…
News
The latest stories from the world of mountain biking.
Johnny Salido’s Freeride Fiesta Highlights
It’s a different world out there, far away from the low gnar doorstep riding we’ve grown accustomed to. Though, not so different – competitors at the Freeride Fiesta might be more used to peeing in a cup than having their nose and throat swabbed, but…
Deviate Cycles releases the Highlander 150
Want an extra 10mm travel? Maybe you do – and the Deviate Highlander 150 now offers you just that. Already got a Highlander 140? Great! You can update that with the new linkage and add 10mm travel. The frame remains the same – though there’s…
Stolen! Gowaan Gal Martha Gill’s Marin Bikes
Gowaan Gal Martha Gill has just posted on Instagram that she’s had two bikes stolen from her van in Sheffield tonight. Thieves, reported to be on mopeds, have taken her Marin Alcatraz dirt jump bike plus her Marin Alpine Trail Carbon. The theft looks to…
New Pivot Trail 429 – Now with added flip chip
Designed in the deserts of Arizona, the Pivot Trail 429 gets an update – head this way for a sprinkling of dust, sunshine, and a turn of speed. No, wait, to save us all going green with envy – or maybe to show us it’s…
SRAM Buys Time Pedals
For years, SRAM had a clipless-pedal-shaped hole in its complete groupset picture, compared to rivals Shimano. With almost* universal acceptance of Shimano’s SPD platform for clipped-in riding, it seemed unlikely that SRAM would be able to come up with a pedal system as simple and…
Maxxis Shorty Gen 2 – An updated spikey tyre for mud and extreme dust
Ever popular for UK wet weather trail, downhill, or enduro riding, the mid-spike Maxxis Shorty is getting an update. It’s also apparently suitable for ‘extreme dust’, but unless there’s room to ride under your bed, we’re not sure where in the UK such conditions could…
Untold British history of mountain biking hits 1 million views
The feature length documentary, Mountain Biking, The Untold British Story, charts the history of the mountain bike viewed from a British perspective. Through interviews and rides with many of the key personalities and companies who were part of the scene back in the late 80’s…
Bike Check: Neil Sutton’s Sonder Titanium Dirt Jump Bike
What bike would you build yourself if you had access to all the software and the people to build it for you? For Sonder’s Neil Sutton, the answer is this stunning Titanium Sonder dirt jump bike. You might not be aware of this, but as…
Video – UR switches to NS Bikes
NS Bikes is the new bike sponsor of the UR Team who will compete in downhill, freeride and enduro events this year. NS Bikes has taken over from Polygon as the main title for the UR Team supplying the riders with downhill, freeride and enduro…
Thanks for your help – Beat Cancer With Mint Sauce
Update: We had a nice note from Jo Burt so we thought we’d share it with you all: hi folks, thanks every so much for mentioning this last week on your site, it really prompted a healthy flourish of donations… The JustGiving raffle is all…
Munro Bagging By Bike – Why Bother?
What approach would you take to Munro bagging? Are you a ‘gotta catch em all’, or a ‘when the sun shines I’ll bag another’ kind of person? Our very own Sanny set out to bag the Munros by bike as an incentive to get out…
Orange Factory Racing Returns with EWS race squad
Orange Bikes has announced the return of Orange Factory Racing with a new 3 person EWS race team. Orange Bikes is back to racing with an official factory team for 2021. The new team will focus on select EWS races and will include UK riders…
Freak Bike Check! Revel Rascal Arizona Breeze edition
If you thought pro bike checks were just a gushing list of sponsor names then this is a breath of fresh air from Mason ‘Arizona Breeze’ Bond. Mason has been riding for Revel for a while now, but has previously ridden for Orange and Pivot.…
Specialized Chisel LTD Elements – Bike or Art?
Specialized has revealed four limited edition runs of the Chisel, its alloy XC race hardtail: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Let us grab some lamé and chiffon and boogie this way for a closer look. Just as the Chisel rides a thin ribbon of dirt…
Michelin launches new Wild and Force All-Mountain Tyres
Michelin launches new Wild and Force All-Mountain Tyres covering hard-packed and loose trail conditions. Press Release Follows Michelin is excited to announce two new additions to its market-leading range of MTB tyres. The all NEW MICHELIN FORCE AM2 and WILD AM2, join the Competition Line…
EWS 2021 – Rescheduled and Restructured
The Enduro World Series (EWS) has revealed a revised 2021 event calendar in response to ongoing uncertainty over Covid and travel restrictions. Both the Whistler round and the Trophy of Nations have been deferred until 2022, leaving an EWS 2021 race season based solely in…
Pyga Bikes opens European HQ and powder-coating in Nottingham
Nottingham, made famous by Robin Hood and Raleigh Activator bikes, is now the European home of Pyga bikes. Pyga is a small South African bike brand that produces handmade alloy framesets for enduro and all-mountain fans. The Pyga range covers XC, all-mountain and enduro and…
Islabikes founder Isla Rowntree steps back after 15 years
After starting Islabikes 15 years ago and redefining the standard for children’s bikes, Isla Rowntree is stepping back from the running of the company. The direction of Islabikes has always been very influenced by Isla’s own personal circumstances and experiences. First in making children’s bikes…
‘Ooh!’ or ‘Argh!’? Dangerholm’s Hyper Spark
Maybe it’s all the lack of travel that’s getting to people, but it seems to us like there’s a new ‘dream build’ bike build every week at the moment. Cooped up in their sheds, people are building bikes and dreaming of future days of riding.…
Dropping In – Short Stuff You Should Know
For this instalment of Dropping In, we have some general bike culture clippings that we think lovers of bikes will enjoy. What’s more, we hope they’ll help you consider how to build bikes into your daily life rather than just leisure time and exercise, and…
2021 Team News – Rudy Cabirou and Rafael Villegas to race CNC Production Privée with The Brigade
French rider, Rudy Cabirou signs for another year on The Brigade with Colombian rider Rafael Villegas, both to ride prototype Production Privée bikes. Press Release Follows: 25-year-old, Rudy Cabirou signs on for another year with The Brigade MTB Team joining Alex Marin, Mélanie Chappaz and…
Sunn French Connexion Racing welcome 2 new elites for EWS
Louis Jeandel and Guillaume Larbeyou join French national champion Theo Galy on the Sunn French Connexion Racing team. Press Release follows; We’re proud to announce our 2 new elite riders. Louis Jeandel and Guillaume Larbeyou! Both riders had an amazing year in 2020 as privateers…
Mondraker’s MIND technology adds built-in telemetry, GPS and security
Mondraker has today revealed their new MIND technology a system of sensors and a connected app to improve your ride and add a degree of security too. Electronics are now commonplace on our mountain bikes. If electronics aren’t helping us climb hills with motors, they…
It’s here – Have you got yours? Singletrack Magazine Issue 135
Whoop! Well it was all a bit confusing, with the usual courier notification sequence of ‘we’re coming’, ‘no we’re not’, ‘ding-dong SURPRISE! We’re here!’, but we’re delighted that the latest issue of Singletrack Magazine has now landed at the office and is landing on doormats…
Specialized UK HQ Devastated By Fire
Over the weekend, Specialized’s UK headquarters has been significantly affected by a fire. At present investigators are on site establishing where on the industrial park the fire started. 12 fire engines and around 80 firefighters are tackling a blaze at Barwell Business Park in #Chessington…
British Cycling Reveals New Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group
British Cycling has named the members of its new Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group – and it’s great news for the mountain bike world to see Aneela McKenna as co-chair. Let’s see what changes the group manages to bring about. Here’s the official British Cycling…
Josh Bryceland asks riders to stop digging
Josh ‘Ratboy’ Bryceland has asked riders to not build any new features in the Nab Quarry and Styperson Park area, near Stockport, as he is working on managing the area to preserve it and access for the local community. In an Instagram post he says:…
YT Releases limited edition Blaze builds of the Izzo, Jeffsy and Capra
YT has taken 3 existing bikes and added a little ‘blaze’ to them with limited edition Izzo, Jeffsy and Capra bikes. YT Industries has taken the Izzo, Jeffsy and Capra bikes and built them into limited-edition Blaze bikes with just 250 Izzo Blaze available and…
Ride To Survive with Tomomi Nishikubo
Go fishing and make fire with Tomomi Nishikubo as he tries to survive being shipwrecked on an island – with the help of his bike. We’ll admit we missed this video when it was first released, but the recent addition of a ‘making of’ video…
TweedLove WILL Return In 2021 – With Chain Reaction Cycles As Title Sponsor
We’ve just had word that TweedLove Bike Festival has announced a new headline partnership with Chain Reaction Cycles for their 2021 festival weekend based in the Tweed Valley, Scotland. The online bike store will also sponsor two of TweedLove’s other events this year, covering gravel…
The Forbidden Dreadnought takes the fear out of climbing and downhill slaying!
Forbidden’s much rumoured big travel rig becomes official today with the unveiling of the new Forbidden Dreadnought. Forbidden jumped into the mountain bike scene with the Druid, a bike which blurred the lines between trail and enduro with a downhill inspired high-pivot suspension design and…
Bike Shop Thieves Strike Twice – Again!
It’s the second time this week that we find ourselves reporting on a bike shop being broken into for the second time in a month. This time it’s Cycle Gear in Halifax – a local bike shop with online retail outlet. During the last break…
Vee Tyre Attack HPL promises to be your one-stop trail/enduro tyre
Vee Tire Co launches the new Attack HPL tyre with the help from freerider Stevie Schneider. Vee Tire Co is quickly rising through the ranks to be one of the top tyre choices for gravity fuelled and aggressive riding. The Thai company sponsors a full…
What’s Wrong With This Bike Tattoo? (and no, the answer isn’t ‘everything’)
Ahh, tattoos. At least in 2020 in the UK there should have been a downturn in the frequency of questionable tattoo decision making. And of people from the UK going to Vegas for their impulsive tattoo choices. Isn’t that right, Mark? Anyway, that was just…
Behind The Scenes – Danny MacAskill’s The Slabs
If you watched The Slabs and felt a bit wobbly and clammy, then here’s the behind the scenes footage to make you relive the experience. All images: Dave Mackison No, it’s not going to make you feel much better, although it does show the level of…
Trail Centre Break-Ins Test The Willpower Of Shop Staff
It seems that number of recent bike shop break-ins at mountain bike trail centres has had some shop owners on the verge of packing it all in. Most recently, Afan Valley Bike Shed near Port Talbot had a(nother) break-in for the second time in a…
Updated Propain Hugene has all your trail needs covered
Propain updates the all-mountain Hugene now with jump, jib, and shred features! Plus updated geometry and a more elegant and lightweight frame! The Propain Hugene launched a couple of years ago with an all-new suspension platform and a carbon frame made for trail and all-mountain…
Staff Bike Test | Commencal, Ibis, Juliana, and Stooge
This article was first published in Issue 129 of Singletrack Magazine. Chipps and the Singletrack test crew get the enviable, but surprisingly difficult, job of reviewing the bikes that they’ve chosen as long termers for the next (or last) few months. One of the cardinal…
2021 Team News: Mélanie Chappaz Joins The Brigade
The 2017 UCI Junior World Champ, Melanie Chappaz joins The Brigade downhilll team for 2021 and will pilot the new Production Privée. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TheBrigadeTeam / SRsuntour (@thebrigadeteam) From The Brigade: Welcome to the team Melanie Chappaz, The…
Rémi Thirion Joins Giant Factory Racing
Teased yesterday on Giant’s Instagram with a ‘Who dis?’ video, Giant has revealed its newest big signing: Rémi Thirion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giant Factory Off-Road Team (@giantfactoryoffroadteam) Giant’s website says: A new addition to the Giant Factory Off-Road Team…
UPDATED: Is this the UK’s biggest drop?
Is this the biggest drop ever on a bike in the UK? Are we stoked and awed, or are we all thinking ‘you’re a very naughty boy?’. We’re conflicted. In ordinary times we’d probably say ‘wow, that’s insane, our stoke is high!’. Maybe there’d be…
New Danny MacAskill Video – The Slabs
Danny MacAskill is at it again, riding things on the Isle of Skye and scaring us. If you just look at the odd clip some of this almost looks like the sort of thing we could manage. And then you look at the photographs and…
Ragley 2021 Range – 11 Bikes In Stock Soon!
Another year, another excellent colour palette from Ragley, though there’s no new geometry to report of. A range of 11 bikes with new build options has just landed. The Ragley line-up for 2021 doesn’t offer any new frames or geometry, however, all the bikes now…
Vali Höll Joins New RockShox Trek Race Team of Youngsters
RockShox and Trek have teamed up to create a new team consisting of gravity focused riders who are all under 21. The team includes two-time UCI Junior Downhill World Champion and World Cup Overall winner Vali Höll, up-and-coming Scottish shredder Jamie Edmondson, twice-crowned Canadian National…
Pipedream’s New SRS48 Fork Has Zero Millimetres of Travel. Or Is It Miles?
Pipedream Cycles has just launched its new 29er fork. In a time when suspension is getting longer and longer, the new Pipedream SRS48 fork has 0mm of plush suspension travel. And it’s made of steel. But it’s not about how rad you can get, it’s…
2021 Team News: Remy Métailler Joins Propain
Well we didn’t expect that! Freerider Remy Metailler joins Propain with a banging launch video! Press Release Follows We are very proud and beyond stoked to announce that Rémy Métailler will ride on PROPAIN Bicycles from now on. With his insane skills on the bike, he is…
All The Bikes, Many Distractions – Bike Video Round Up
Close your tabs, loosen the waistband on those elasticated pants, set your chair to recline and chill out for a few minutes. It’s out latest round up of videos from the bike world. Nukeproof: 9-5 with Lil Robbo This is going to prompt squeals of…
Propain Statement – Covid/Brexit Update Prices Rising
With each day that passes it seems we are hearing about more businesses that are affected by the perfect storm of COVID and Brexit. We’ve had announcements and updates from Cotic, we’ve also talked about many of the new rules and problems in our Podcast.…
2021 Team News: Phil Atwill back on Propain with his new race program
Phil Atwill teams up with previous sponsor Propain for 2021 with his own downhill race program. Press Release: We are very happy to announce that Phil Atwill is back on PROPAIN Bicycles from now on. After two years away from us, the style master himself will return…
Leatt 4.0 MTB Enduro – DH Certified helmet with removable chin guard
Leatt has launched its first DH certified full face helmet with removable chin guard, the 4.0 MTB Enduro. The helmet is DH certified and is fitted with Leatt’s 360 Turbine Technology, an impact protection system designed to the brain protect from rotational forces in the…
