Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i Mountain Biking UK

The Marin Trail at Betws-y-Coed was one of Wales’s first waymarked routes and it’s about to get its first major addition since it opened in 2002. This 25km red loop has always had a natural feel, thanks to its narrow hand-dug singletrack and views of Snowdonian mountains. The new 2km extension has been designed to retain this character but introduce elements of modern sculpted flow trails. Located halfway around, it replaces a big chunk of forest road with a flowing traverse and descent, before a challenging climb called Dwsin Drwg (‘Bad Dozen’ – it has 12 switchbacks) and another downhill. Expect a mixture of singletrack, berms, rollers and jumps. Andy Braund, MTB Ranger for Natural Resources Wales, told us: “I’m super-excited to get this new section open. It solves some…

STEVE PEAT CROSSES the line and, on seeing his time lit up in green, lofts his bike above his head amid deafening cheers from the crowd. It’s one of the defining moments in the 14-year history of the Fort William World Cup, when Britain’s favourite racer finally won on home soil. If Peaty were to do it again in this, his final year of top level downhill racing, wouldn’t it be a fairytale ending? Okay, so it may be unlikely but this is Fort Bill and it’s where the magic happens. Over the years of racing at The Fort there have been countless moments that have had the spectators yelling even louder than usual from the sidelines or jumping back from the tape in alarm. As excitement builds for the…

SHE GREW UP IN FRANCE 1 Although she’s English born and bred, Tahnée spent 10 years in the Alps, living in the ever-popular Morzine and learning to ski and ride bikes at an early age. She was inspired to start racing by the 2004 DH World Champs in neighbouring Les Gets, where Vanessa Quinn took the win. CHAMPION IN THE MAKING 2 Winning the women’s Junior World Cup series in 2012 and 2013 and taking the Junior World Champion title in 2013, Tahnée is no stranger to success. She’s yet to win her first senior World Cup but has already stood on the second step of the podium so we’re sure it’s only a matter of time. IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR 3 Tahnée’s dad, Tony, set up the FMD (Follow…

The career choice I was a cyclist in high school and cycling was more environmental than driving, so riding and making bikes made sense. If you’re making a product that goes into a responsible use you’re already on a good foot. The good life I worked 70 to 80-hour weeks non-stop for 11 years and made maybe $5 an hour, but I was happy and it was fun. A good life isn’t necessarily built on money. It’s built on people appreciating what you do and benefiting from what you do in a direction you believe in. Success from mountain biking didn’t come until 1991. The changeover When roadies who’d been cult believers in my headset in the mid ’70s crossed over they took the product with them. They literally pulled…

THE ANNUAL SEA Otter Classic in California is the traditional kickoff of the North American cycling season. It’s a chance for racers to test their early season fitness against each other and for the bike industry to show off their latest and greatest. Here are the eight things that stood out at this year’s festival. HOPE’S HB 211 ENDURO BIKE “We made it because we can.” That pretty much sums up Hope’s motivation for building a 160mm travel carbon trail/enduro bike. The company’s expertise with aluminium allowed them to create the mould in-house. As you might expect, it’s fully decked-out with Hope components, some of which are proprietary pieces made just for this frame. Expect to see a limited production run. TOPEAK JOEBLOW BOOSTER PUMP Tired of fighting to inflate…

TRACY MOSELEY, DH & ENDURO CHAMP “Any time you get a bunch of women together it creates enthusiasm – that feeling of wanting to get out and ride, meet new people and make new connections. I love it. There’s been a good vibe from everyone here.” ZANNY SHIRLEYSMITH, EXETER “You feel more relaxed when you’re riding with other women and less intimidated. And you get to meet people at all levels.” ANDREA THOMAS, SOUTHAMPTON “I really enjoyed the workshops. I normally just jump on my bike and go, and felt a little useless when it came to maintenance. Now I could easily bleed my brakes, change a gear cable or adjust the sag – I understand what it should be doing.” JESS GREAVES, DH RACER “It’s great to see girls…

1 PRE-RACE PARTYING “The World Cup scene is definitely tamer these days. It was constant carnage back then! Now there’s dribs and drabs of it. You have a big night once a week now, when back then it was a big night the night before the race! I remember in ’96 me and Warner went out to a club until at least two, maybe three, in the morning and raced the next day – I got second and it was my first podium at a World Cup ever, at Panticosa in Spain!” 2 THE BUS (PT.2) Peaty and Palmer used to travel together between races a lot and once su ered a pretty hair-raising blowout on the freeway in Palmer’s bus. “We got a flat and got pulled down into…

Leatt DBX Mtn Lite 2.0 £79.99 SO GOOD... Leatt have been fastidious when it comes to attention to detail. Large straps hold this pack in place really comfortably and won't interfere with chest-mounted action cams. Cross-body tube routing makes it easy to grab a drink from the 2l bladder, the bungee cord is useful for stowing pads and it's the only pack on test with back protection. NO GOOD... We removed the spine guard to save weight and help dissipate heat. Double T-clips on the straps can make it fiddly to get on/off, and we quickly got fed up with the mouthpiece cover. www.hotlines-uk.com Osprey Viper 3 £65 SO GOOD... The 2.5l bladder supplied with the Viper is Osprey’s own and its added capacity opens the pack up to longer…

The Five’s Race Face Chester bar is the widest I’ve ridden, at 780mm, and also my first 35mm diameter bar. I’m light and don’t have issues with bar flex so, figuring it was overkill, I swapped back to my Renthal Fatbar Carbon, cut down from 780mm to 760mm. I thought I’d feel a big difference, but over 16 miles of fast, dry trails all I noticed was the reduced width. OK, the Renthal bar is way lighter and a better shape, but why did I cut it down?! I’ll go back to the Chester for now, but will be on the hunt for something lighter. www.orangebikes.co.uk…

PROFILE JOE RAFFERTY JOB Mountain bike coach CREDENTIALS Elite level racer Joe heads up his own coaching business, Pro Ride, and has been passing on his expertise to riders for over 10 years as a full-time skills coach. 01 PICK A GEAR Select a gear that allows you to maintain good cadence so you don’t spin out or grind to a halt. If there’s a big change in speed from the start then get ready to select a higher gear quickly so you can keep powering up the climb. 02 GET LOW Move your centre of gravity forward on your bike by lowering your chest, tucking your elbows in and sliding forward on your saddle. This will stop the front wheel wandering and lifting when you pedal hard to maintain…

PROFILE JOE RAFFERTY JOB Mountain bike coach CREDENTIALS Elite level racer Joe heads up his own coaching business, Pro Ride, and has been passing on his expertise to riders for over 10 years as a full-time skills coach. Maintaining good body position is arguably the most important but overlooked skill in mountain biking. It’s the foundation of all skills, and by making a few changes to improve your body position you can improve your skill, strength and balance on the bike. When talking about body position in the context of mountain biking we’re talking about a stood-up position that helps the rider negotiate fast and technical terrain. Good posture on the bike is a position that enables the rider to quickly react to the trail, use their strength to apply…

1 Rebound This little indexed dial (usually red) adjusts the rebound damping in your fork, allowing you to fine-tune the speed at which it extends after absorbing a bump or landing. Turning the dial clockwise will increase the amount of rebound damping, slowing the fork down as it returns to the sag position. The rebound dial is usually found at the base of the right-hand fork leg. 2 Low-speed compression Some forks use a dial to adjust low-speed compression damping, while others have a lever, usually with three positions – ‘open’, ‘trail’ and ‘pedal’ or ‘lock’. These allow you to control how the fork behaves when it compresses due to pedalling, pumping, some cornering situations and other rider-induced movements. The dial/lever is usually located at the top of the right-hand…

TRAIL STATS Distance Varies (4.6km for Terry’s Belly, 1.6km for HotStepper) Climbing Uplift or singletrack TimeUp to 12 minutes per run Grading Green, blue, red, black and double-black pro lines (Terry’s Belly is blue, HotStepper is red) WHY RIDE HERE? The UK’s widest selection of all-weather downhill trails, all ridable on trail bikes. RAD… Flowy, exciting, well maintained trails with loads of variety Speedy uplift service Lots of happy people to get you stoked! BAD… BPW can get busy at the weekends You have to book your space on the uplift well in advance…

Imagine the situation. It’s raining, your gear hanger has snapped, your carbon 11-speed mech is bent in your wheel and the spares your friend has won’t fit. If only bikes were simpler! Don’t get us wrong – modern bikes are lighter, stronger and faster than ever before. It’s just there’s lots to go wrong. There’s something to be said for a bike that needs nothing more than an occasional lube of the chain. Enter the hack bike, the modern reincarnation of the original ‘clunker’ – modified beach cruisers that MTB pioneers such as Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly used to bomb down the hills north of San Francisco on. Now this type of bare bones bike is seeing a revival. Earlier this year, a group of frame builders from UK…

SHAKE THE FOUNDATIONS The sheer speed at which the top riders hit the rock sections can only be appreciated first hand. You can feel the ground move as the likes of Aaron Gwin and Brook MacDonald thunder past. STAY ON YOUR BIKE, DANNY! In 2011, Danny Hart was the definition of loose. Feet o and nearly going over the bars, he hung on to take second behind Greg Minnaar. Can he go one better? MOTORWAY MADNESS With four big jumps in a row, the lower section of the track is the best place to see the big guns throwing it sideways. SAM HILL Australia’s flat pedal destroyer has had his ups and downs at Fort William, winning the World Champs in 2007 but ending his season with a huge crash…

1.Baselayer Look for something breathable and quick drying. Helly Hansen Active Flow zip, £45 www.hellyhansen.com 2.Sun hat A baseball cap is ideal, preferably with white space for pros’ signatures! Sombrio Badge Flatbrim, £20 www.cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk 3.Waterproof phone case We like the roll-top dry bag type best. Topeak Smartphone Dry Bag, £19.99 www.extrauk.co.uk 4.Wet wipes Got a face-full of roost or fallen in the mud? These have got your back. WaterWipes, £2.49 www.waterwipes.com 5.Midge hood You’ll look daft, but you can focus on the racing, not your itchy head. Lifesystems Headnet, £6.99 www.lifesystems.co.uk 6.Insect repellent Essential, but keep it away from your eyes! Jungle Formula Maximum, £8.99 (90ml spray) www.jungleformula.co.uk 7.Waterproof socks Keep bogs at bay and avoid cheesy feet. SealSkinz Thin Mid Length, £30 www.sealskinz.com 8.Bike T-shirt The more bears with…

WASTE NOT 1 “Waste for waste’s sake has never been big with me. Our first headset box was printed in black and white – that was as far as we wanted to go with waste and toxic inks. When we started shipping hubs, we had corrugated cardboard boxes. To minimise the printing, we made a branding iron!” NON TOXIC 2 “When I started in the mid ’70s I struggled with the idea of doing machine work, partly because of the power consumption but also the toxic chemicals involved. So we went out and found straight mineral oil – no chlorine, sulphur or any other crap. This was back in 1988.” WELL OILED 3 “Later we found we could replace the mineral oil with soya oil. I figured, if I don’t…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH WINNER! STACK IT! WINNER! STARLETTER SINGLETRACK SMILES After much persuasion I dusted o my old hardtail to take part in a charity bike ride at Whinlatter. On my return my then nine-year-old son thought it would be a good idea for us to go mountain biking together. This was by far the best idea he’s ever had! After a few trips and some expensive bike changes we’re thoroughly enjoying our new hobby. Now, I should point out that my son is autistic. This shy social introvert comes to life on the trails. Where he’d normally avoid any interaction with strangers, he’s more than happy to greet other riders and even smile at them, which isn’t something anyone outside of the family usually sees. This is testament to…

GREG WILLIAMSON Hailing from the Black Isle, near Inverness, Greg has been racing DH for 10 years, working his way up through the junior ranks before making his World Cup debut back in 2009. Sixth place in Cairns was his best result yet and he’s looking set for a cracking season. How did your move to the Cube team come about? I met Andy [team manager] at the Enduro World Series round in Finale Ligure last year. That’s when I heard there was going to be a Cube DH team. Then in October I went out to Germany, we tested the Two15 and it was really positive. I spoke to the main engineer, Michael, and we discussed a couple of changes. They kind of knew that they needed to slightly…

SPRUNG If you want a snapshot of what the gnarlier end of UK mountain biking was like at the turn of the millennium, look no further than the Sprung ‘video magazine’ series. Steve featured in all five episodes, from Sprung 1 in 1998 to Sprung 5 in 2002. They’re worth watching just to see what shenanigans he got up to with Palmer out in California! Luckily, you don’t need a VHS player to check out the old-skool awesomeness – they’re all online. EARTHED The Earthedseries debuted in 2003, and once again Steve featured heavily in all five videos. “I love those old films – Sprung and Earthed” he says. “I’m just in them shitloads!”Earthed3: Europa is the one to watch for Peaty fans, with some hardtail razzing near the start…

RIDERS NEED TO LEAVE THE HILL BUZZING. OTHERWISE THEY MAY AS WELL GO FOR A PEDAL AROUND THE LOCAL PARK SORRELL ROWAN The man behind the spade has been racing since 1996, scoring top 30 results in the DH World Cup. Still a keen competitor, he’s now racking up wins at UK enduro races. Helping to build the first Fort William World Cup 4X track in 2001, he’s been trail building almost as long as he’s been racing! Hurtling down your favourite trail centre singletrack you’d be forgiven for not giving the build process a second thought. But as the smile on your face grows and your bike drifts predictably into a perfectly placed catch berm, none of this is happening by accident. Trail building is an art. And it’s…

HOW WE TEST THE KIT Starts with a detailed product check in the workshop. We strip and rebuild, checking for any problems. Next we hit the trails… hard! We test in real riding conditions for the complete picture. And finally we re-test with another tester. WHY OUR TESTS ARE THE BEST! Our test team is made up of the most respected bike and kit testers in the world. We have unrivalled knowledge and experience, and spend a vast amount of time making sure we get it right. We tell you the truth and aren’t influenced by PR or advertisers. ABOUT OUR TEST TEAM Our Technical Editor in Chief, Rob Weaver, gets new products in as soon as they’re available and coordinates all the testing through our vastly experienced band of…

As I puffed up a steep fireroad climb on the SB6c I found myself repeatedly glancing down at the Fox Float X rear shock. What was going on? Something didn’t feel quite right. As I continued to pound the pedals right up to the final crest I looked again. Hmmm. I must have flicked the low-speed compression lever by accident at some point and locked out the shock, right? Apparently not. As it turns out, the Yeti is seriously efficient in how it uses its travel, up and down. That means I’m yet to even use the lever to firm things up – it’s stayed in the fully open position since day one, even when tackling dribble-inducing climbs out of the saddle. But how does this translate when going back…

Last issue I said I wanted to fit new tyres, and luckily I still had the Maxxis High Roller II and Ardent from my old Stanton long-termer. I was surprised that the 2.25in Ardent fitted in the T-129’s rear end, given its 2.0in stock rubber and reputation for tight clearance, but Whyte’s move to a single-ring-only frame on the SCR models has enabled them to widen things slightly. Setting the tyres up tubeless was an easy task (for once!) thanks to the pre-taped wheels and the winning combo of Stan’s sealant and an Airshot tubeless inflator. http://whyte.bike…

There are a few key things to bear in mind to ensure you invest in the right pair of shorts, the number one consideration being the fit. It doesn’t matter how cool the design is or if the colour matches your frame – if they don’t fit, then every ride will be anything from a little bit irritating to a downright disaster as you cope with saddle snag or legs that migrate upwards. Check that the back of the waist stays securely in place when you lean forward. Look at the length of the front rise too – is there two much fabric there, does it bunch or is it so low you’re in danger of scaring the wildlife? Waist adjustment is a useful feature – are there Velcro tabs…

01 Hover If the terrain is really rough, then lift your backside about an inch above the saddle so the bike can move up and down. If your bum is on the saddle and you hit a bump, there’s a good chance that you’ll come to a stop. 02 Get traction Select a lower gear than usual in slippery conditions for better traction. Higher gears are easier to pedal, but you’ll lose at least half a pedal revolution and too much speed if your rear tyre slips out. 03 Step up If there’s a step in the trail you need to get your front tyre onto it by unweighting the front wheel. Then quickly unweight your back wheel by lifting your hips just before the wheel touches the step to…

STAR JUMPS Simple and effective – get warm, improve ankle mobility and ire up your central nervous system! 20+ reps WINDMILL Start with feet shoulder width apart. Shift your hips to one side, keeping knees straight. Rotate upper body so you’re looking up to an extended arm and touch ground with other arm. Repeat each side LUNGE WITH TWIST Lunge backwards, catch your weight and lower yourself. Make sure all lower limbs are at right angles, with front knee behind the ankle. Twist your upper body towards the supporting leg with arms bent up. PUSH-UPS Get yourself into a strong push-up position with your upper arms about 25 degrees out from your torso. Lower yourself slowly for a count of four then push back up as fast as possible.…

REACH PICKINGS I’ve been looking into buying a new bike for a while now and keep reading reviews with references to longer effective top tubes and more reach being big plus points. I want a new mountain bike with up-to-date geometry but don’t fully understand what these numbers relate to. Can you fill me in? Steve Williams, Bagshot Good question, Steve, and one you’re not alone in asking! We’ll try to simplify it as much as possible. The effective top tube (ETT) and reach measurements both relate to a bike’s cockpit and are critical to how it’ll feel on the trail. The ETT length is measured along a horizontal line parallel with the ground, from the centre of the top of the head tube to the centre of the seat…

PROFILE MAX DARKINS JOB MTB route planner CREDENTIALS Max loves travelling up and down the country searching for the best routes for you to ride. He’s the man behind www.roughrideguide.co.uk YOU CAN RELY ON THE DALES TO PROVIDE SUPERB RIDING YEAR ROUND, AND WE’VE HAD THE HILLS TO OURSELVES, ONLY SEEING TWO WALKERS ALL DAY Although it’s technically spring, it’s raining when we arrive at the Dales Bike Centre and still raining when we wake the next morning. We make our way downstairs from our cosy bunkroom to the cafe where Stu greets us cheerily and pushes some strong coffee into our hands, in a bid to cheer us up. We know the trails will still be ridable despite all this rain, but there’s something a little demoralising about setting…

GET THERE BPW is located in Gethin Woodland Park, just off the A470, 20 minutes from Junction 32 of the M4. The postcode CF48 4TT will get you to the roundabout you need to turn off from. A day pass without uplift costs £7. FACILITIES Parking, cafe, toilets, shower, bike shop, bike hire, bike wash, uplift service, skills coaching. NEARBY BIKE SHOPS BPW has its own shop on site, complete with expert mechanics, suspension tuning and bike hire. CONTACT www.bikeparkwales.com WHAT ELSE IS NEARBY? Forest of Dean The Pedalabikeaway centre has (uplifted) DH runs and two waymarked XC routes. Black Mountains Cycle Centre With massive jumps and loads of trails, the BMCC is a great uplift destination if you have a need for speed. Cwmcarn Two awesome XC trails, two…

JOSH BRYCELAND That was then… At Wharncliffe Woods, Sheffield, in late 2000, a young lad from near Manchester turned up for an MBUK masterclass with Steve Peat, sporting a Royal jersey down to his knees and riding a hardtail. Even at this early stage Peaty noticed his talent and commented that if his dad ever bought him a downhill bike, then one day he’d be World Cup champion. After putting in some solid results, Steve gave Josh a ride aboard the Royal/ Orange team alongside Brendan Fairclough and Marc Beaumont, and over the years his charismatic style has grown and grown… along with his hair! And this is now! Fast-forward a few years and Steve’s prediction has come true, with Josh winning the World Cup overall in 2014. ‘Ratboy’ has…

The mountain bike world has been left reeling by the death of Stevie Smith. The popular and hugely successful Canadian downhill racer died in his hometown of Nanaimo, British Colombia, on May 10 after su ering a massive brain injury in an enduro motocross crash. Stevie was one of mountain biking’s greats, winning the 2013 DH World Cup overall title and fighting his way back onto the podium this year after two seasons o because of injury. As Canada’s most successful DH racer ever, the 26-year-old helped inspire a new generation of riders, including the likes of Devinci teammate Mark Wallace. Beyond his amazing results, Stevie was known for his fun and friendly attitude – he embraced his fans, who nicknamed him the ‘Chainsaw Massacre’ after his skilful yet powerful…

Think foot out , flat out and on flat pedals, and Sam Hill is the first name that springs to mind. For 2016 the Aussie DH legend’s signature shoe gets a makeover, with a new look and materials. The chunky Stealth S1 sole of Five Ten’s original Impact remains, but the padding around the foot has been slimmed down, though not quite to the same extent as on the lightweight Impact VXi. The synthetic upper is claimed to be faster drying too, which should stop the shoe ending up like a sponge in wet conditions – a problem with earlier models – and the toe cap is reinforced for protection against rock strikes. All black with an outlined green logo, the design is subtle. While they’ll no doubt inspire some…

“Crankworx was always the Super Bowl of slopestyle. For me and my mates watching it on TV, it was a dream to one day ride the Red Bull Joyride course. ‘Wow do you think you’d try that drop? Yeah, for sure!’ – we loved it. So I guess the kids of this next generation were as stoked as us riders when Crankworx announced the Triple Crown of Slopestyle – a three-stop tour from New Zealand, through France and onto the grand finale in Canada. “The first round just went down in New Zealand, with some of the best riding ever! The Triple Crown has really upped the prize money, and with it the motivation and level of all the riders – including Nicholi Rogatkin, who pulled the first ever ‘twister’…

Throughout his time at the top, this month’s cover star Steve Peat has consistently made time to progress the racing careers of others. Over the years he’s selected some of the most promising mountain bike talent in the UK and taken them under his wing to pass on his years of invaluable experience. Most of them we’ve followed closely in the pages of MBUK. But has it always worked out? There’s no denying that most of these names have gone onto big things but here’s what the big man has to say about each of them. The only thing is, we’ve jumbled them up a bit and left it to you to match up the rider with Steve’s quotes. Answers at the bottom. Match up the quotes with the riders…

RED BULL FOX HUNT Get chased down a mountain by the most successful woman in mountain biking, DH world champ Rachael Atherton. The catch is there’s 100 other girls to overtake too! www.redbull.com AIR MAIDEN A series of events in Scotland encouraging women to get their wheels off the ground and learn to jump. This year there’s an all-girls enduro race as well as two coaching sessions. www.airmaiden.com TRAIL TAKEOVER These get-togethers give women the chance to ride with no pressure and meet fellow mountain bikers. They’re held across the country – search for #trailtakeover. www.trailtakeover.com.…

EVIL INSURGENT £5,999 (X01 Ltd Edition) Unleash your inner rebel! “A bike that likes to party” is how Evil describe their latest 650b machine, and by this they mean The Insurgent is designed to rip the s**t out of corners and get rowdy at every opportunity! These claims are backed up by its 150mm (5.9in) of travel, long-and-slack mainframe and short chainstays, which should mean it can be slashed around tight turns with ease. It’s a sleek-looking machine, with a one-piece moulded carbon front end attached to a matching rear triangle via the same DELTA System linkage used across Evil’s range. The frame on its own costs £2,799. We’ll be hunting out some particularly gruesome terrain to put this to the test on. Silverfish www.silverfish-uk.com FABRIC CHAMBER TOOL £34.99UK brand…

Hidden away in Peaty’s man cave are some of his most prized possessions, including nigh on 20 custom-painted Troy Lee Designs helmets and more trophies and medals than we could count. Each lid and accolade has a story behind it, and Steve is clearly justly proud of everything he’s achieved. From his 1998 World Cup win in Snoqualmie, USA, to his most recent podium in Windham, USA, in 2011, Peaty has been at the top of the sport for a long time. His gold World Champs medal sits inconspicuously among other tokens of success at the bottom of his trophy cabinet. Symbolising his hardest-fought victory, the medal is worth much more to Steve than its actual weight in gold. Peaty has competed in well over 100 World Cups since his…

ROB WEAVER With two decades of riding experience, Rob knows what works and what doesn’t GUY KESTEVEN Our Kes’s relentless test schedule quickly exposes kit that doesn’t measure up ALEX EVANS Al’s back in the UK after seven years in the Alps and has a rep for wrecking bikes JAMES BLACKWELL Riding nearly as fast as he talks, Jimmer’s been testing kit for MBUK for 13 years RIC MCLAUGHLIN When he’s not on the mic at World Cups, Ric’s giving test kit a pasting up in Scotland SEB STOTT No slouch on the race track, Seb’s passion for engineering helps him pick products apart…

I’ve been racking up some serious miles in preparation for my 550-mile Highland adventure. The Fatboy has been taking the brunt of my off-road training, which has consisted mainly of XC rides with plenty of climbing. I’ve been following the lead of Tour Divide winner Josh Kato, whose training regime consisted not of easy long rides but of shorter rides made as hard as possible with difficult routes, weighted frame bags and bad conditions. Fatbikes are perfect for this kind of training because a quick release of tyre pressure gives an immediate increase in resistance, making even flat roads a challenge. After finding Lauf’s Carbonara fork uninspiring on last year’s Surly ICT I almost didn’t fit it to the Fatboy, but after a couple of months’ use I’m glad I…

I’ve not been able to remove the Maxxis Shorty tyres because winter has dragged on for yet another month. Still, they’ll need switching out soon for something a bit narrower because the Stan’s ZTR Arch EX rims are pretty narrow and struggle to support wider tyres when being pushed hard into turns. I’m also keen to go up a chainring size since converting to 1x11. I could only get a 30t ring at the time, and although it’s great on hilly rides, I’m finding I’m running out of gears more quickly than I’d like. www.cannondale.com…

7 Mesh Recon £130 Exceptional kit generally feels right as soon as you put it on, and with the Recons there was a definite ‘ah’ moment when we fastened the waist. Pared back in terms of design, with just two discreet hand pockets, these shorts have been considered down to the last detail. The high price is due partly to the Gore Windstopper membrane, which is windproof and highly water resistant but very breathable. The outer fabric is a durable woven nylon and the inner is a soft textured material. We’ve worn these in temperatures from below zero to the warmth of an average UK summer day and they’ve remained remarkably consistent. And although the fabric is only rated as ‘water resistant’ we’ve yet to get wet. That level of…

The Fort William track is accessed by a gondola that opens for bikes from May to September. It runs from 10.15am to 3.45pm every day (weather permitting) and costs £32 for a day ticket. 01 THE START Before you even get on the track, make sure that you’ve double checked everything in the start hut. A cursory bike check is worth its weight in broken parts and could be the difference between whether you make it down in one piece or not. 02 ROCK DODGING The first steep, rocky section is long and lumpy with plenty of jaunty cambers and misleading lines to take you on a rollercoaster ride off the hill. Keep your eyes focused on where you want to go. 03 THE DEER GATE About halfway down the…

Saddle height Let’s assume in most cases you’ll be using a dropper seatpost. You want to be able to optimise your pedalling efficiency but also control the bike over rough terrain while you’re pedalling. For enduro riding you need to set your seat slightly lower than you would for marathon or XC riding. This will help you to keep your heels down and maximise the power you can put in on the climbs or when you need to pedal hard to maintain traction and keep the bike under control. Saddle angle Having the correct saddle angle will allow you to slide to the front or rear of the seat, depending on the position you need to be in for pedalling. Sitting towards the nose of the saddle will help load…

1 If you have a chain guide, move it out of the way. Shift the chain onto the smallest chainring. Push the cage of the rear mech forward to release the tension on the chain. Unhook the chain from the chainring and rest it on the bottom bracket shell. 2 Remove the non-driveside crank arm with an 8mm Allen key, turning the bolt anticlockwise. Holding the driveside crank arm, tap the exposed crank axle with a rubber mallet to push it through the frame. Remove any spacers/washers, noting their positions. 3 Give both crank arms a good clean with a rag or paper towel, paying particular attention to the axle and the spider/crank interface, where you’ll now be able to see the three T25 Torx bolts that clamp the spider…

Welcome to this special mini version of MBUK, dedicated to all the little off-road rippers out there. With plenty already pinning it on the trails, we know that more and more of our older readers are looking to get their kids off to the best possible start when it comes to two wheels. Which is what this pint-sized magazine is all about. We’re going to guide you through the potential minefield of buying a kids’ bike and show you our picks of the great mountain bikes and gear that are now available for your beloved young ’uns. Be prepared – it’s going to create a whole new ‘want’ list in your family! And there’s plenty more to inspire you and your youngest to get out and hit the trails in…