Specialized had already redesigned its popular Enduro platform for 2017, but the big-S (well, one of the Big-S’s anyway) decided it could go one better for 2018. With a new frame and some key spec changes, the latest Enduro is an absolute monster, so we…
Video Teaser: Highland Trail 550 – Making long distance racing look fun (almost)
In case you missed it, Stu Taylor was off to tackle the Highland Trail 550, after an intense training regime that even included ‘boredom training’. We’re pleased to say that he’s back from what must surely be the hottest and driest HT550 ever. Not only…
Singletrack Magazine issue 119: Never Trust The Weather
This adventure in Utah’s White Rim was supposed to be simple. And dry… Words Łukasz Piątek Photography Adam Klimek Sharp sunlight burns our motivation to pedal. We’re resting on the edge of the canyon. It’s a September afternoon and the Garmin on my handlebars shows…
Singletrack Issue 119: Tour de France The Fun Way
Jérôme Clementz takes on a crossing of the classic mountains of the Tour de France his way – off road. Words Pauline Dieffenthaler Photography Jérémie Reuiller The Tour de France has many iconic mountain peaks that have a special place in its legends. Mountains where…
Singletrack Magazine Issue 119: Scott Beaumont – Staying Professional
A lifetime as a pro rider, with Scott Beaumont. Words & Photography Geoff Waugh You’ve seen them in the magazines; we’ve seen them on our TV screens. Professional riders that is. We are bombarded by new ‘edits’ on a daily basis; they come at us…
Singletrack Issue 119 Classic Ride – Ultimate Helvellyn
Words & Photography James Vincent This is a Classic Ride you’ve got to work for, but it’ll be worth it. Really, there’s just a bit more up… How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth…
Peter Sagan: Roadie, Mountain Biker, And Possibly Cat?
Peter Sagan, surely one of the best riders we’ve ever seen (though arguably not quite as good as Pauline Ferrand-Prevot), has posted this video which has all us in the office making the kind of noises that we’d probably make if we tried this. Before…
The 2018 Fort William World Cup Finals Gallery
Under blue skies and unusually warm conditions, the 2018 Fort William World Cup was run and won over the weekend. You may have followed all the action via our STWFortBill news feed, where you would have seen and heard all the drama involving mechanicals and…
Beers, Bikes And BBQ… Spin Up In A Brewery Returns For 2018
After taking a short break since the last event in 2015, “Spin Up in a Brewery” is back by popular demand! Established in 2012, it is again a collaboration between two West Sussex based companies, the craft brewery Dark Star and bicycle brand Kinesis UK.…
Trek To Become Official Partner Of Nevis Range
Hot off the back of the Fort William round of the UCI Downhill WC is the news that Trek and the Nevis Range are teaming up in partnership for the next few years. The official partnership has already started with Trek and the first step…
Bike Check: Matt Walker’s Saracen Myst 29er
At last year’s Fort William World Cup, the one theme that dominated all of the hubbub both in the pits, and out on the race course was the 29er. Everyone wanted to know what teams were bringing out 29in wheeled race bikes, and which athletes…
First Look: Commencal Meta AM 29 Team Edition
Commencal sent teaser images of the Commencal Meta AM 29 a few weeks back, and we’ve since spotted the big wheel bike in action on the Enduro World Series. But it was just this weekend in the Scottish Highlands when we got the chance to…
Fort William 2018 – Elite Men’s Results
Following on from the Elite Women’s finals (check out the results and race report here), it was time for the men to come down Aonach Mor. Though earlier weather forecasts had predicted heavy rain around lunchtime, somehow, despite Scotland’s reputation for, shall we say, ‘eclectic’…
Fort William 2018 – Elite Women’s Results
It’s the fourth and final day of the 2018 Fort William World Cup, and you know exactly what that means – it’s FINALS TIME! Reaching a thundering crescendo after several days of growing excitement, anticipation and anxiety for many, Sunday stood as the opportunity for…
The Calm Before The Storm – Fort William Qualification
With practice in the morning and qualifying in the afternoon, Saturday was chock-a-block from start to finish at Fort William. Riders had plenty of time to get more familiar with the race track and the new rock-armoured section in the woods, while also getting their…
Vaughan Evans’ Nasty Orange 329 Prototype 29er Downhill Bike
And we mean ‘nasty’ in the good kind of way. Orange first showed a prototype 29er downhill bike at Eurobike last year, which was originally labelled up as the ‘Strange DH29’. The Halifax-based bicycle manufacturer has been refining its big wheel concept since then, with…
Fort William 2018: Qualification Results Are In!
It’s the end of Day 3 at the 2018 Fort William World Cup, and both the Elite Women’s and Elite Men’s fields have made their way down the side of Ben Nevis to post their most rapid qualifying times in preparation for tomorrow’s big race.…
Spied: Miranda Miller’s Prototype Specialized 29er DH Bike
If you’ve been keeping a close eye on our coverage from this year’s Fort William World Cup, you will already have seen a couple of spy photos we took of Specialized’s prototype DH bike running Ohlins suspension and 29in wheels. After those original spy photos…
First Look: Commencal Meta TR 29 British Edition
After circling the Fort Will event village for the 100th time we thought we had seen it all, but out of the corner of our eyes, we spotted this British Racing Green beauty. We’d heard rumors ahead of Fort William that Commencal was planning to…
Dean Lucas’ Crash, Flat Tyres & Midges – It’s The 2018 Fort William World Cup
Friday was the first day of proper riding at the 2018 Fort William World Cup, after racers had a chance to scope out the course on Thursday’s track walk. Having seen the new rock-armoured section in the woods, riders were then able to see how…
Claudio Calouri talks pump tracks, concussion, and why he didn’t do the course preview at Fort William
For many mountain bikers and fans of the the sport, Claudio Caluori won’t need an introduction. Thanks to his hilarious course preview videos (many of which have gone viral online) and his entertaining race commentary, the Swiss downhiller has become synonymous with the World Cup…
Fort William Timed Practice Results
The weather has held so our dry spell (ooh er misses) is now at a full three days of bright sunshine here at Fort William, meaning super dry dusty trails for timed practice today. Riders hit the dirt from 3:30-onwards, where they let rip down…
We Get Our Grubby Paws On Shimano’s Brand New 1×12 XTR Groupset
Shimano XTR M9100 may have only launched a week ago, but already the 12-speed groupset has been making waves amongst the global mountain bike media and on internet forums everywhere. Aside from taking the logical step to go 12-speed in order to keep up with…
Before The Race – 2018 Fort William World Cup Randoms
Race day is almost upon us here at the 2018 Fort William World Cup. The crowds are building and the atmosphere is rising. It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago the Nevis Range was almost empty, with teams starting to arrive to…
Trillion Unveils New Shug Steel Hardtail At Fort William
Shown on the first day of the 2018 Fort William World Cup, the Shug is an all-new steel hardtail from Trillion Cycles. Joining the Prime hardtail (a bike we tested and reviewed last year), the Shug is also manufactured in the UK, and it’s also…
Course Preview: Fort William World Cup 2018
Blue skies and dusty trails at Fort William (for now…). We welcome you to take a walk down the world cup track with Ross and James as they consider line choices, calculate what percentage of the track they could actually ride, and meet some familiar…
9 Prototype Bikes Spotted At Fort William 2018
Being just the second round of the 2018 Downhill World Cup, there are still new and prototype bikes popping up that we haven’t yet seen in the flesh, and seeing as we’re top cycling journalists, we’ve arrived at Fort William early to capture these spy…
Kona has a new carbon Operator downhill bike, and it’s 29er ready
Connor Fearon of the Kona Gravity Team is racing aboard a new Operator downhill prototype that features a carbon fibre frame and dual wheelsize capability. Everywhere we turned in the race pits during today’s opening day of the 2018 Fort William World Cup we seemed…
Brendog’s Prototype Scott Downhill Bike
Scott Sports has a new prototype downhill bike, which is currently being raced on by the Scott-Velosolutions team this weekend at the 2018 Fort William World Cup. First shown in Losinj, Crotia, for round one of the 2018 World Cup series, the prototype is a…
Rachel Atherton’s Stunning Custom Painted Trek Session 9.9 Race Bike
Today marks the first official day of the 2018 Fort William World Cup – the second round of the 2018 World Cup series – with all of the teams, managers, racers, and mechanics descending on the race village to get everything setup in preparation for…
Pole Machine 200 Prototype First Look
Pole, the Finnish mountain bike brand, is up at Fort William this week racing a brand spanking new prototype downhill bike. And it’s rather special indeed. We’re all pretty well versed with Pole and the way the small mountain bike brand does things, so it’s…
Breaking News! Greg Minnaar Out Of 2018 Fort William World Cup
That’s right – Greg Minnaar is out of the 2018 Fort William World Cup with a broken right arm! Uh-huh. We’ve only just arrived in Fort William, Scotland, for the second round of the 2018 World Cup Downhill Series, and already the drama is starting…
Review: Hutchinson Taipan Hardskin 29×2.25in Tyres
Hutchinson is a well-known brand in the mountain bike tyre world, but in recent years the French rubber manufacturer hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of the scene. After nabbing an award in last year’s tyre group test however, we decided to see what else…
Jeff Steber Interview: Staying Intense
Chipps visited Intense Cycles in Southern California back in April 2017 for an in-depth conversation with the founder of Intense, Jeff Steber. This interview was originally published in Issue #113 of Singletrack Magazine. (And, while much of the business organisation may have changed since then,…
Review: This 185mm long Revive dropper post from BikeYoke is better than the original
Shortly after the original BikeYoke Revive dropper post was introduced, we tested and reviewed one. Full of promise with its super-slick action and clever IFP-free hydraulic internals, it wasn’t without fault however. BikeYoke has since updated the Revive dropper, adding a huge 185mm travel version…
Get A Grip! Northern Grip Festival Coming Soon!
If you love the North, Mountain Biking, Music, and a festival vibe then the Northern Grip Festival is the one place you need to be! Northern Grip returns to Lee Quarry and Stubbylee Park for 2018 with more of the same and a whole lot…
Rachel wrecked two helmets to bring you this review of the sub-£100 Lazer Roller MIPS
When we sent out a Lazer Roller helmet to our resident pedal-head, Rachel Sokal, we didn’t quite expect her to ‘test’ it so comprehensively. Over to Rachel to explain further… The Roller is Lazer’s entry-level helmet sitting below the Ultrax (which I reviewed last year)…
Site update, GDPR and being an independent media company in a perfect storm
The last 6 months have been a roller-coaster ride for us here at Singletrack. We’ve completely changed the website from the old theme that we’d been using for almost a decade and brought the software up-to-date to deal with the changing internet landscape. Regular forum…
Review: G-Form’s Elite knee pads are burly and flexible, but they’ll make you like ‘The Thing’
I used to detest wearing knee pads, or any other kind of body armour for that matter. Living in a warm climate was part of it, and up until a few years ago, I guess my expectation was that only beginners or hardcore downhillers wore…
11 Questions With Chris Cocalis On The New Pivot Trail 429
Last week Pivot Cycles introduced its newest mountain bike called the Trail 429. Replacing the existing Mach 429 Trail, the new Trail 429 not only has a revised name, it also has a brand new carbon fibre frame with an increase in rear suspension travel…
Motion E18 Linkage Fork Goes On Sale 1st June
Do you ever look at the current range of excellent telescopic suspension forks on the market and just wish there was something different on the market? Sure, there’s the Lefty Ocho, but what if you want up to 170mm travel and have a soft spot…
Will This Be The UK’s Ultimate Mountain Bike Festival? Malverns Classic Returns
Mention the Malvern Classic and Chipps goes a bit misty eyed. It was obviously an influential event. A recent ‘were you there, what do you remember?’ thread on his Facebook page elicited a similarly excitable response. And quite a lot of debate – what year…
Does e-bike=motorbike? EC proposes compulsory insurance for e-bikes
If you’re an e-bike user, or you’re thinking of getting one, you might soon need an expensive insurance policy to ride it legally. That’s because the European Commission (EC) has proposed updated laws which will require users of e-bikes to have the same level of…
First Look: Shimano Introduces 12-Speed With XTR M9100
They’ve only gone and done it! That’s right, Shimano has finally gone 12-speed in one of the most anticipated moves of the millennium. While SRAM has been dominating the drivetrain market with its superb 1×12 Eagle groupsets including XX1, X01 and GX, Shimano has been…
Solaris Max, MaXalami and Max Madness – It’s Fresh Goods Friday 398
Good day prized readers. It is time. Time for you to sever ties with that yoga mat supplier you once made a purchase from five years ago. Time for you open your mailbox to find only highly relevant information of direct interest to you. Of…
Last Chance To Subscribe! Singletrack Magazine Issue 119
It’s off to the printers, which means that our designer, Amanda, is breathing a sigh of relief, and you have just a few days to subscribe in time to get Singletrack Issue 119 delivered to your door. The cut off date is Sunday 27th May…
Stu Taylor’s Highland Trail 550: Ready, Get Set…
Stu Taylor doesn’t just make Singletrack Beer. And he doesn’t just roast coffee (but he does that too – he’s a good man to know at any time of day). Somewhere in between the beer and the coffee, he also finds time to ride a…
Longterm Review Part One: 2018 Scott Genius 900 Tuned
Scott’s popular Genius has been in the lineup for no fewer than 14 years now, occupying a position smack-bang in the middle of the range between the XC-oriented Spark, and the DH-focussed Gambler. There have been numerous Genius models over the years built with varying…
Longterm Review: Shimano XC7 vs XC9 SPD Mountain Bike Shoes
At the risk of RUINING EVERYTHING, consider this a somewhat cautious announcement that summer is now finally upon us. The weather is (steadily) improving, the trails are (sort of) drying out, and the over-ripened muddy puddles of a brutally long winter are (mostly) making a…
Interview: Ally Campbell – it’s all about the confidence
A couple of months back we started off a series of interviews about inspiring women in mountain biking by chatting to HopeTech’s Rachael Walker and then 75 year old downhill racer Pat Horscroft. This month’s interviewee is MTB coach Ally Campbell of Campbell Coaching. Why…
On Test: 3 UK-Made Full Suspension Bikes
We’ve been working on something special for the upcoming issue of Singletrack Magazine, and we think a lot of you are going to be very interested in this one. Oh and a quick note – for those of you who aren’t subscribers to the UK’s…