Salvation Through Spirits – A Lakes Distillery Subscriber Special

Salvation Through Spirits – A Lakes Distillery Subscriber Special

There are many benefits to being a Singletrack subscriber… For a start, and most obviously, you’ll get every issue of Singletrack through your letterbox every other month, but you’ll also get good prices on everything we sell – from coffee to T-shirts to hipflasks and…

FREE Singletrack Magazine Corona Survival Pack

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…

Singletrack Issue 130 | Get It Delivered To Your Door!

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

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?…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Chris Akrigg: Quick. Change.

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Chris Akrigg: Quick. Change.

Chipps quizzes Chris Akrigg just before he announces his new bike sponsor, GT, after 12 years on Mongoose.  Words & Photography Chipps I’m watching Chris Akrigg ride a bike through his local Yorkshire woods, and there’s something different about him. It’s nothing to do with…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : One Last Run

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : One Last Run

Tim Oates looks at why you should never give in to that one extra run after you’ve stopped for the day.  Words Tim Oates If I get out early in the morning, ride straight out of the car park and have a huge crash-and-burn, it’s…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Guiding light

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Guiding light

Tom Hill looks at why hiring a local guide, despite GPS and the internet – even in our over-explored island – is still money well spent. Words Tom Hill Photography Duncan Philpott Our group paused at the high point of the ride. Huge wind turbines…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | You should never go back…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | You should never go back…

Sanny reflects upon whether trail nirvana lightning can strike twice. Words & Photography Sanny They say that you should never go back. If you have experienced what you consider to be trail perfection, do you risk tarnishing the memory? If the tumblers and stars aligned…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Ode to climbs

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | Ode to climbs

Self-confessed climb-lover Rich Rothwell reckons that you’re missing out on half the fun if you don’t learn to love the ups as much as the downs.  Words Rich Rothwell

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : Interview : Cedric Gracia

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : Interview : Cedric Gracia

Andi gets Cedric Gracia to slow down for long enough to spend five minutes answering the questions we ask everyone.  Words Andi Photography Forestal Tell us who you are, what do you do and why we should go for a ride with you. Well, I’m…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : International Adventure : What’s Zermatt’er With You?

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 : International Adventure : What’s Zermatt’er With You?

Emma and Carly head off to a different part of the mountains in their home-made camper. This time, it’s Zermatt and the Matterhorn that are getting all the attention. Only now, Carly does the storytelling… Words Carly Frame Photography Emma Whitaker It’s been one whole…

Classic Ride 129 – Cornish Classic

Classic Ride 129 – Cornish Classic

Barney journeys back to his Cornish roots to bring you this West Country classic ride. Words & Photography Barney Marsh Long has my family boasted of ties to Cornwall, despite our predominantly Northern roots. My mother and grandmother were born there. My aunt lives there.…

Singletrack Issue 129 | Game Plan

Singletrack Issue 129 | Game Plan

Do you have the wrong plans? Or is planning itself the thing that’s wrong? Words | Hannah My life is currently full of the wrong sort of plans. In any given day in any week in the year ahead, I could give you a pretty…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | The Frigid Secrets Of Ukraine

Singletrack Magazine Issue 129 | The Frigid Secrets Of Ukraine

This story was originally published in Issue 129 of Singletrack World Magazine. We’ve pulled it out from behind our paywall – if you enjoy it, we’d like to invite you to make a donation to one of the Red Cross appeals. Three Polish friends prove…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | Revelstoked

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | Revelstoked

On a day off in Revelstoke, Canada, James Vincent has no option but to climb a mountain, just to come back down again. Words & Photography James Vincent British Columbia. Those two words resonate with mountain bikers across the globe and conjure up images of…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | UK Adventure – Ochils the Noo

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | UK Adventure – Ochils the Noo

Think you know which is the best mountain biking town in the UK? After a weekend of riding trails local to the city of Stirling, Sanny reckons it might just be time to reconsider your opinion. Words & Photography Sanny “There’s a voice that keeps…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | Column – Jason Miles

Singletrack Magazine Issue 128 | Column – Jason Miles

Winter lard is coming! Protect yourself! Jason steps back from moaning about everything for a change to deliver a bit of inspirational fitness speak. It’s the start of winter – a time when most of us probably ride our bikes less and possibly eat just…

Singletrack Magazine Classic Ride 128 | All Weather Grizedale

Singletrack Magazine Classic Ride 128 | All Weather Grizedale

Chipps offers a Lake District loop that has great views and challenging trails, but which keeps to a lower level and is rideable all year round.  Words & Photography Chipps The gravity pull of a marked forest centre trail can be very strong. Leaving the…

Bike Test | Long Haulers – For Bikepacking In Comfort

Bike Test | Long Haulers – For Bikepacking In Comfort

Antony de Heveningham looks at three unconventional mountain bikes that come with fitted racks and a sense of adventure. Perfect for bikepacking. Words by Antony de Heveningham. Photos by James Vincent. Not so long ago, many mountain bikes were designed so their riders could carry…

Trek 1120 Review| Custom Racks For Unbeaten Tracks

Trek 1120 Review| Custom Racks For Unbeaten Tracks

First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Trek 1120 was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to carry everything and the kitchen sink. Words by Antony de Heveningham. Photos by James Vincent.…

Salsa Blackborow | Haul More Junk In The Trunk

Salsa Blackborow | Haul More Junk In The Trunk

First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Salsa Blackborow was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to carry everything and the kitchen sink. Words by Antony de Heveningham. Photos by James Vincent.…

Mason InSearchOf | A Bike For Going Further

Mason InSearchOf | A Bike For Going Further

First published in Issue 124 of Singletrack Magazine, this Mason InSearchOf was reviewed as part of our Long Haulers test of bikes with racks. For when you really want to carry everything and the kitchen sink. Words by Antony de Heveningham. Photos by James Vincent.…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Verbier By Train

Singletrack Issue 127 | Verbier By Train

Mark and Vic look at a different way of getting to play in the mountains with bikes. To the Alps by train. Words & Photography Mark As I start writing this, the strongest hurricane on record, Dorian, is battering the Bahamas. I’ve just read an…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Van Girls

Singletrack Issue 127 | Van Girls

Emma and Carly show how much fun you can have by being badly prepared and under-equipped in France’s best-known mountain bike event.  Words Emma Whitaker Photography Emma Whitaker & Carly Frame The wildly popular annual event Pass’Portes du Soleil is a mountain biking shindig like…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Five Minutes With: Damien Nosella, Production Privee

Singletrack Issue 127 | Five Minutes With: Damien Nosella, Production Privee

Andi catches up with Damien from Production Privée, the enigmatic Andorran bike and component company. Words & Photography Andi

Singletrack Issue 127 | The Last Word | Accidental Punch-Up

Singletrack Issue 127 | The Last Word | Accidental Punch-Up

Sometimes alcohol and high spirits can get in the way of a race to the point that some people let themselves down a little. So much so that we’ve toned this one down, to hide the guilty. Words Chipps

Singletrack Issue 127 | Editorial – Wear sunscreen…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Editorial – Wear sunscreen…

Words Chipps Now, how did those lyrics go again? “Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old And when you do, you’ll fantasise that when you were young Prices were reasonable, politicians were noble And children respected their…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Going Over To The Dark Side

Singletrack Issue 127 | Going Over To The Dark Side

Sanny and Dene head out on a pre-dawn mission proving that winter shouldn’t be a barrier to fun. Words & Photography Sanny Be honest. It’s hard not to feel your heart sink, if only just a little, at the thought of the impending winter. Shorter…

Singletrack Issue 127 Classic Ride | The South Downs

Singletrack Issue 127 Classic Ride | The South Downs

They say variety is the spice of life – how hot do you like your spice?  Words & Photography Tom Hutton All I could think about was a pint of ice-cold Coke. And I don’t even drink Coke. In truth, it wasn’t all I could…

Singletrack Issue 127 | The Helmet of Unhappiness

Singletrack Issue 127 | The Helmet of Unhappiness

Jason Miles takes a good long look at himself. With his eyes half shut…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Letting go and finding flow

Singletrack Issue 127 | Letting go and finding flow

Amanda takes a few days to ride and decompress in Denmark. Along the way she finds food, friends, trails and adventures, but most of all, she finds balance.  Words Amanda Photography Max Schumann As I stood on my tiptoes with the waves aggressively carrying me…

Singletrack Issue 127 | My Grandad’s head in a jar

Singletrack Issue 127 | My Grandad’s head in a jar

Adam Batty welcomes back a lapsed member of the mountain bike club to enjoy the views.  Words & Photography Adam Batty Great rides are full of hair-raising descents, jaw-dropping climbs, and belly-filling cakes. When I (a bona fide under-30) am riding with my old man,…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Keeping track of time at the Trans-Provence

Singletrack Issue 127 | Keeping track of time at the Trans-Provence

Tom Hill reflects on the phenomenon that was the Trans-Provence, and his part as a small cog in its machine. Words & Photography Tom Hill (unless credited) I stand at the bottom of a trail. Despite the beauty of the wider country that surrounds me…

Singletrack Issue 127 | Making it up in the Lake District

Singletrack Issue 127 | Making it up in the Lake District

Nigel Page and Chipps strap on luggage and join forces again. This time to ride a completely made up North/South traverse of the Lake District. Words & Photography Chipps ‘Puckpuckpuckpuckpuck…’ All I’d been able to hear for the last hour had been the octopus-like sucking…

There and back again – putting the mountains back into mountain biking

There and back again – putting the mountains back into mountain biking

In association with… There are some places you ride that stick in the mind long after you’ve brushed yourself down, cleaned the dust off your bike and moved onto places and adventures new. The towering peak of Binnean Mor, an imposing edifice of possibility and…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Editorial – There is no right or wrong…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Editorial – There is no right or wrong…

Words Chipps How is it that I can love listening to a particular band, yet my friend hates them? Or that I can dislike food that is someone’s favourite dish? Or that I can laugh at a comedian who barely raises a titter from others…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Panning For Trail Gold In Arizona

Singletrack Issue 126 | Panning For Trail Gold In Arizona

Huw Oliver goes searching for singletrack gold in the arid mountains of Arizona. Words & Photography Huw Oliver My fingers yanked on the levers automatically, bypassing the usual thought processes and channels of communication, as if they knew what was needed before my brain did.…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Colour Wheels

Singletrack Issue 126 | Colour Wheels

Sim Mainey goes behind the scenes to find out who decides what colours you’ll be wearing and riding next year, and what will be old hat the next. Words Sim Mainey Photography credited While most of us would like to believe that we base our…

Singletrack Issue 126 Classic Ride | Don’t Mynd If I Do

Singletrack Issue 126 Classic Ride | Don’t Mynd If I Do

It’s the Long Mynd Jim, but not as we know it. Tom Hutton proves there are still real classics out there just waiting to be discovered. Mountain bikers are creatures of habit. Even the more pioneering among us, those of us who are still happy…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Cornish Fasties

Singletrack Issue 126 | Cornish Fasties

Barney takes a trip where few bike journos have dared to tread – Cornwall. Words & Photography Barney Marsh Ah, Cornwall! Last gasp of Great Britain westward before the relentless, unyielding expanse of the ocean. Kernow (in its local tongue) has long been spoken of…

Singletrack Issue 126 | How to lose friends and alienate people

Singletrack Issue 126 | How to lose friends and alienate people

Sanny takes on a Lake District pass too many, nearly breaks Mark and makes Nick Craig swear. Words & Photography Sanny This feature was originally published in Singletrack magazine issue 126. Features like this are normally only accessible to our full members. Help us create…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Hope’s Helping Hand

Singletrack Issue 126 | Hope’s Helping Hand

How one engineering student’s idea became a reality thanks to Hope Technology. Words & Photography Chipps Maxime Lallemand loves riding bikes in the French mountains. He loves racing enduros, and blasting down mountains flat out. The only trouble is, he’s always had a bit of…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Hello, my name is Jason and I’m a big scaredy-cat

Singletrack Issue 126 | Hello, my name is Jason and I’m a big scaredy-cat

Jason steps out of his comfort zone and under a combine harvester. Or something like that. In a week or so, I’m going to be starting a bike race and I’m getting really nervous. Nervous like I was the first few times I did a…

Singletrack Issue 126 | Rock[et] Science – Manon Carpenter

Singletrack Issue 126 | Rock[et] Science – Manon Carpenter

Pete catches up with an enthusiastic and at peace Manon Carpenter on her South Wales home trails. Words & Photography Pete Scullion A shout from the front of our three-person train manages to find its way to my ears through the clatter of bikes and…

Singletrack Issue 126 | A Day In The Life Of.. Fort William World Cup

Singletrack Issue 126 | A Day In The Life Of.. Fort William World Cup

A look behind the scenes of Fort William’s biggest weekend of the year. Words Samantha Saskia Dugon & Chipps Photography Samantha Saskia Dugon As with all great things in life, the smoother and more professional the outward appearance of a venue, event or personality, the…

Singletrack Issue 126 | The Quiet Revolution

Singletrack Issue 126 | The Quiet Revolution

A safety and navigation essential for long-distance riding? Or another bleeping digital crutch for those who shouldn’t be in the wilderness in the first place? Rich Rothwell looks at the dramatic influence that GPS units have had on our sport. Words Rich Rothwell Photography Singletrack…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 126 – The Last Word

Singletrack Magazine Issue 126 – The Last Word

Red. Rocks. Hannah takes a mountain biker’s pilgrimage. Words & Photography Hannah

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | Padded With Knowledge

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | Padded With Knowledge

Words Chipps There’s a fresh sign that’s recently popped up on a bridleway near me. It’s at a road junction between a very minor road and a bridleway. The bridleway in question is flat tarmac for the first 500m until it goes past the end…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | A day in the life of Bike Park Wales

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | A day in the life of Bike Park Wales

Sam Dugon goes behind the scenes at BikePark Wales and follows the staff during a typical day. Words & Photography Samantha Saskia Dugon As with all great things in life, the more professional a venue, event or personality appears, the more work has gone in…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | The Art Of The Possible

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | The Art Of The Possible

Has your biking mojo taken a knock of late? No longer quite feeling the love? Sanny reckons you might just need a wee challenge in your life to fire you up. Like a few Scottish Munros. Words & Photography Sanny What is it that first…

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | Capital To Coast

Singletrack Magazine Issue 125 | Capital To Coast

Max Darkins rides off-road as much as possible from Richmond Park in London to dip his toes in the sea at Brighton beach.  Words Max Darkins Photography Matt Pitts With springtime officially sprung and a day of sunny weather forecast, it is decided that Monday…