James Vincent spends a winter in the Lake District on the new Identiti Mettle Mk2. Introduction For someone who spends a lot of their time riding bikes in the Lake District, I’ve tended to steer clear of your typical “Lakes Bike”, in favour of something…
The Alutech Armaggedon is the grimmest donut we’ve ever seen
What has a 57-degree head angle, 81-degree seat angle and 500mm reach that isn’t the Grim Donut? So yeah, apparently there’s an ultra-radical bike out there that a website built for clicks (dammit I wish we could do that), but we’re not interested in that…
10 Tips to Surviving The Coronavirus Lockdown as a Mountain Biker
We’re all about the outdoors which can be difficult during the current epidemic, so here are our 10 Tips to Surviving Coronavirus Lockdown. Even with all the latest advice and restrictions in front of you, it’s still pretty hard to plan what riding you can…
10 Mountain Bike Movies To Stream During Lockdown
We’ve put together links of 10 mountain bike movies to steam during lockdown. New skool, old school, jibs, docs and even some BMX. Ok so we can’t get out for a proper ride, and an hour of Zwift doesn’t quite get the adrenaline going, but…
2020 Women’s Cycling Awards Winners Announced
London Bike Show, the UK’s largest cycling and triathlon exhibition and Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, have today announced the winners of the inaugural Women’s Cycling Awards. Our Hannah was nominated, but was more than happy to lose out in such a great field…
Fresh Goods Friday 493 | The Lockdown Birthday Edition
Happy Birthday to Amanda, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to Amanda, hope you know we love you! Yes, today is Amanda’s birthday, and she is not entirely happy about it. She’s not entirely happy about anything at the moment, thanks to the local annoying…
Hope Technology temporarily suspends production due to Covid-19
Hope Technology has just announced that it will be temporarily suspending production due to Covid-19. Hope Technology has made the decision to suspend production at its facilities in the UK due to the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic. Hope will initially close for 3 weeks and then…
Granite Design STASH Multi-Tool Review – A Mini tool that slides in a tube
Granite Design’s STASH multi-tool is an in head tube solution to trail tool convenience, and it’s easy to fit and cheap to buy. It’s easy to go out for ride have a mechanical and then realise you haven’t got a multi-tool with you. Well, at…
Backyard bikeparks and Chameleons this is what the pros do in lockdown part 2
We catch up with what the pros are up to while keeping at home during the lockdown, but we can’t decide if we’d rather play with a chameleon or be more like Akrigg. Greg Minnaar Chris Akrigg Nigel Page Richard Gasperotti Loose Dog Lewis Jack…
Cotic Flare Ridden And Rated – Now in 135mm Option
Words Daz Hall Photography Chipps First published in Singletrack Magazine issue 126 Price: £3,249.00 (as tested) From: Cotic, cotic.co.uk On a recent holiday to California, I was brutally reminded of a side of human nature that I’ve never been very comfortable with. The ostentatious displays…
Did YT just leak a new bike in their message about the Covid-19 lockdown?
YT Industries posted a video yesterday to stress the importance of following lockdown rules, but in the making of it, they’ve leaked a new YT model not yet on sale! The Live Caged video from YT features YT’s founder, Markus Flossmann and CTO Chris Hilton,…
NRW Mountain Bike Trails Close In Wales
Yep, you might have guessed. It’s another story about closures, sorry. This time, Natural Resource Wales has announced that all of its mountain bike trails are closed. No maintenance is being carried out until further notice. The trail centres are closed already, but now the…
Diversion Diary | How To Find Silence In A Virtual World
Just like all of us, Hannah is looking to survive the social distancing and lockdown. Only, there’s already a heap of distance between her and her partner BK, who lives in the USA. In some respects this week was easier, in that everyone was now…
Mountain Biking The Untold British Story – Free to view here
To help you pass the long hours being stuck inside we are working hard to find create and find content to entertain you. Today, you can watch our much lauded and highly praised co-production with Blue Hippo Media, Mountain Biking – The untold British story.…
Monkeys Sauce starts production of Hydroalcoholic Gel for hospitals
French company Monkeys Sauce has shifted production from sealant and bike cleaning products to manufacture Hydroalcoholic Gel for hospitals. It’s at times like these that we’re proud to be part of the mountain bike community, and as the world goes into lockdown, athletes, brands and…
Steve Peat releases “Won’t Back Down” the full movie for free
Prefer downhill to Disney + ? Then sit back and watch the excellent “Won’t Back Down” full film for free thanks to Peaty! To help with your isolation and hopefully keep you in your houses, we have decided to put “Won’t Back Down “ online…
Bike Shops Classed as ‘Essential Service’, May Remain Open
What do the new UK COVID-19 restrictions mean for bike shops? Yes, they can be open, but can we actually go to them?! When the UK Government issued strict new ‘lockdown’ or ‘stay at home’ rules last night, it specifically allowed for a single instance…
2020 Fort William World Cup Cancelled
We all knew it was going to happen, but it has finally been made official. The 2020 Fort William World Cup has been cancelled. It’s hardly a surprise, but it is now official. The 3rd round of the 2020 Downhill World Cup at Fort William…
BTR is working on the Mk2 Gasser Steel full-suspension frame
Fans of steel full-suspension frames have got plenty to choose from, but fans steel DH bikes might want to take a look at the BTR Gasser Mk2. BTR might be best known for UK hardtails and the Pinner full-suspension bike, but a few years ago…
FREE Singletrack Magazine Corona Survival Pack
Perhaps the title is a bit over dramatic but we really do appreciate all the support you have been giving us over the past week and we are going to do our very best to repay you with distractions and entertainment for as long as…
Are Bike Shops Seeing A Coronavirus Boost?
Perhaps contrary to expectations, bike shops up and down the country have reported exceptional demand today. Requests for servicing of bikes, as well as sales, were on a par with the busiest days of summer. One shop reported their 7th busiest day of trading ever,…
UPDATED! The Singletrack Guide To Riding During COVID-19
Thinking of riding during COVID-19? Read this first. UPDATED March 23rd 8:45pm Boris Johnson has announced new sweeping restrictions on the public that include only leaving the house for very limited purposes like vital shopping or once daily exercise. The limit on exercise does include…
Fresh Goods Podcast 492 | The hunker down for the long haul edition
This week Chipps beams his editorial and comment from isolation and Andy starts to sniffle. Amanda boils down the entire issue 130 contents to just 30 seconds and Mark explains why we now need you all more than ever.
Europe’s Dream Trails | Llangollen, Wales
Radon Bikes has issued this new video highlighting the great trails of Europe. Of course, we can’t ride them all at the moment, but that needn’t stop us appreciating the fun we could be having (and will be having again, at some point). Radon says:…
Cotic Launches ‘Love It Or Your Money Back’
With brands trying to figure out the best way to keep sales rolling during COVID-19 measures, Cotic has taken quite the step, and is offering a ‘ Love It Or Your Money Back guarantee ‘. Here’s the press release. Hello! From today Cotic are offering…
FGF 492 – Moving Heaven And Earth For You
It’s been an interesting week, again. It’s taken a little more effort than usual to keep things ticking along. We’ve sent the next issue of the magazine off to the printer, thanks to all kinds of new ways of remote working, editing and proofing. We’ve…
This is what the pros do when they self-isolate
What do the pros do when they can’t race, or go out to train during the Coronavirus shutdown? Well, some train and others go bonkers! Josh Bryceland – Gravel jibbing Alex Marin – Indoor DH race runs Loic Bruni – Instagram Live Spin Classes Yoann…
Break the self-isolation boredom with Loic Bruni’s Instagram Live Spinning Class
Join Loic Bruni in an Instagram Live spinning class tomorrow and take a break from all the Covid-19 bad news. There is a lot to like about Loic Bruni. He has the same birthday as me, which makes him awesome, he is insanely good on…
Coronavirus | Here’s a list of the bike parks that are open and closed
UPDATE: Please do not travel to any bike parks during the outbreak. Please follow guidelines to self isolate if you have symptoms or social distancing if you do go out. Do not ride in groups and do not take risks on your bike.
Lake Garda Festival Postponed to July 24-26
The Riva Bike Festival at Lake Garda has announced that the event has been postponed until the end of July. Due to the fast-changing situation with COVID-19, we, unfortunately, have to reschedule the FSA BIKE Festival in RIVA. Our top priority is the health and…
Review | Shimano SLX M7120 4 pot power for pennies
Andi bolted a pair of the Shimano SLX M7120 4 Pot brakes to a heavy eMTB and pointed it downhill to see if these mid-range stoppers are up to the job. Shimano SLX has long been my go-to groupset over the years, and now that…
Video: Tommy Zula can ride anything and everywhere effortlessly
If the Coronavirus isn’t making you sick then watching this epic short video of Tommy Zula surely will… Or maybe it will just inspire you to get out and ride! Wait… you don’t know how Tommy Zula is?… Ok, this guy became the first-ever World…
IMBA Statement On Mountain Biking And COVID-19
IMBA – the International Mountain Biking Association, an advocacy group which is very influential in the USA and other parts of the world, but less prominent in the UK, has issued the following message to its members on mountain biking during the COVID-19 pandemic. To…
TweedLove Reschedule 80% of 2020 Events Calendar
It’s not unexpected, but with TweedLove’s COVID-19 induced reschedule, it’s a huge chunk of the cycling calendar being shifted. You have until 31st March to claim a refund if you can’t make the new dates. In response to the global CV-19 outbreak, TweedLove organisers Hillside…
Review: 9 Months With the Ride Concepts Hellion Flat Shoe
Launched in 2018, Ride Concepts are the new kids on the MTB shoe block, but can their kicks take on the establishment? Had you asked me just a few years ago which flat shoe I would recommend, I would probably tell you to look at…
2020 RockShox SID Trail Fork – First Ride Review
We’ve had one of RockShox brand new, 120mm SID Ultimate forks – basically the ‘SID Trail’ on test for a couple of weeks. Here’s what we thought: The world of 100mm suspension forks seems to be a very narrow one of either top-flight cross country…
Diversion Diary – Alone During Corona Virus Lockdown
Just like all of us, Hannah is looking to survive the social distancing and lockdown. Only, there’s already a heap of distance between her and the one she loves. My partner lives in the USA. This situation is less than ideal, but it’s how it…
2020 RockShox SID Slims Down – And Gets New 120mm Trail Option
The RockShox SID has been around since 1998 as RockShox’ top end, no compromise cross country race fork, and the new 2020 Rockshox SID SL is no exception. Everything on it has been tuned and whittled down and lightened to make a fork that comes…
Coronavirus means you could be fined €3000 for cycling in Spain
Spain has joined Italy on its ban of cycling during the Coronavirus outbreak with Police handing out fines of up to €3000. UPDATE: We have had reports stating that Italy hasn’t banned cycling however these reports contradict those statements. Cycling Weekly Bicitv.it Italian Government (Italian)…
DMR Versa Pedal – Clips, Flats or Both?
Clips or Flats? Both! The DMR Versa pedal seeks to offer the best of both worlds, by giving you both options in one pedal. The DMR Versa is an extruded an CNC machined aluminium pedal with chromoly axle, featuring a clip-in pedal interface on one…
Video: Hazzard Racing Glides The Gloop
Joe Barnes and Lachlan from Hazzard Racing have a message for you. And it involves bikes and mud. “Time & Tide for Nae Man Bide. Now Get Out & Ride.” With the world shrinking away from both crowded spaces, and wet hills, it’s a perfect…
ION Scrub Amp Flat Pedal Shoe – First Ride Review
Ion has been making shoes for four years now, and flat pedal shoes since 2018. The new range is launched today, and we have had the new ION Scrub Amp shoes in for a quick pre-launch test. The flat pedal shoes for 2020 use a…
Fresh Goods Podcast 491 | The this week we have been mostly working from home episode.
In this week’s episode Hannah takes control as she guides you through submissions from the editorial staff who have been mostly working from home. We’ve got the latest news roundup from Andi, issue 130 magazine update from Amanda and Chipps tells us surprisingly little about…
Behind The Lens | The Singletrack Covers
In this digital age, media moves so quickly. A photo uploaded to Instagram will receive plenty of attention… for about 15 minutes. Then it’s pushed down the feed by photos of your friends in the gym, the food they’re eating, the car they just bought.…
Fort William DH World Cup Hasn’t Been Postponed … Yet!
The event organisers of the Fort William Downhill World Cup have posted a statement telling that the race is still on, at least for now. As events around the world are put on hold, we’ve been speaking to people in the know about the possibility…
Friday 13th and something Evil has arrived! V3 Evil Following launched
The third generation Evil Following had dropped with a Friday 13th compatible frame, geo and features. If you didn’t already know that a new version of the Evil Following was on the way, then you haven’t been keeping an eye on the homepage of Singletrack.…
Bananas and Smiles | Fresh Goods Friday 491
We’re going to focus on happy, positive subjects this Fresh Goods Friday, because we’re sure you have enough Coronavirus, politics and bad weather in your news feeds already. For those of you that subscribe to the magazine, it’s almost ready for print next week, and…
Singletrack Issue 130 | Get It Delivered To Your Door!
On top of Covid-19 precautions and quarantines, this issue we’ve fought flooding and endless travel plan disruptions to bring you the next issue of Singletrack Magazine. We think it’s a great issue, and all you need to do now is subscribe. Do it by midnight…
4 Mudguards tested | 4 effective face fenders
Spring was due right around now, and this time last year we were riding summer tyres, still, you can ride and not get covered in crap with these 4 mudguards. Mudhugger FRX Price: £25.00 From: Mudhugger What do Loic Bruni and Andi have in common?…
PUSH Elevensix HD | Shocks Revised, Revamped and Revealed!
The precursor to the new PUSH Elevensix HD shock already surely fell into the category of dream-bike build kits – will the latest developments make the lust even stronger? Each PUSH Elevensix shock is built for the bike it will be fitted to, taking account…
