Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Mountain Biking UK

“Richie’s a thoroughly pleasant (and properly-built) lad, who lets his riding do all the intimidating chat” What do you do when you hear that a brute of a world champ is coming to town, especially to visit you? Throw down the gauntlet, of course, and challenge the wimp to prove his worth! Oh yeah, the ‘big man’ talk flows easily when you’re the one giving the orders from the safe distance of the MBUK office. But it’s maybe not so good for the one who’s been nominated to take him on. So big up to our very own powerhouse Ed for stepping up so graciously and agreeing to put Enduro World Series star Richie Rude in his place. Not that he needs putting in his place, by the way. Richie’s…

When SRAM released their 12-speed XX1 and X01 Eagle drivetrains last year, they made it possible to have a huge gear range with no front mech. The only inhibiting factor was the equally huge price tag. Now, with GX Eagle, SRAM have brought 1x12 within reach of the masses. GX Eagle has the same 500 per cent gear range as its more expensive counterparts, but varies in terms of materials and construction. The 10-50t cassette is made up of separate sprockets pinned together, as opposed to a single piece of machined steel, and the plastic-bodied shifter uses a bushing rather than a bearing. A cheaper grade of aluminium is used for the rear mech and the titanium spring is downgraded to steel, but all the same features remain, from the…

The pilgrimage to Fort William carries with it a mixed bag of emotions – there’s excitement about the racing, trepidation about the midgies eating you alive and hopes for your favourite riders to do well. In our case, we were also crossing our fingers that we’d packed our new van with enough bikes, merch and insect repellent to last the weekend. After a solid 20 pee stops to stop Jimmer making a mess of the new seats, we arrived to a slightly dreary-looking Fort Bill. Spirits (and seats) undampened, we hit the town in search of booze (OK, Al opted for sparkling water, but JCW was on a mission) and food. Setting up the MBUK stand the next day turned into a tactical mission of midge avoidance, loud noise suppression…

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE CARBON 70 £4,999.99 Take your riding to new heights Rocky Mountain have given their 150mm-travel aggressive trail bike a full makeover for 2018. They say the new frame, which is available in either alloy or carbon, is stiffer than the previous-generation Altitude as well as having more sensitive and pedalling-efficient suspension. The bike shown here is the mid-range carbon model, which is specced with a 160mm Fox 36 Float fork and Float DPS shock, both from the Performance Elite range, and a full Shimano Deore XT 1x11 drivetrain. Stan’s Flow MK3 rims shod with Maxxis Minion rubber keep things rolling and a Race Face bar, stem and cranks keep you in control and on the gas. Our large-sized bike weighs a reasonable 12.85kg (28.32lb). www.greenoversports.com TRUVATIV DESCENDANT…

KIERAN HITS THE TRAIL FLAT OUT, KICKING UP LEAVES AND DIRT AS HE THREADS HIS WAY BETWEEN ROCKS AND TREES We’ve been in the van for an hour now, and are just starting to see small patches of snow glinting in the undergrowth. From the rush-hour traffic of Nice, we’ve climbed the mountains on progressively smaller roads, passing the village where Nico Vouilloz and Fabien Barel live, following the black rubber streaks left by the Monaco Rally a few weeks before and nosing our van round corners where vehicles a touch longer would be left wedged between cliff and barrier. We need to press on a little higher though, to just below where the snow gets too deep to ride, if we want the longest descent possible. Because the weather…

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…

JIMMER’S GIANT TRANCE ADVANCED 2 £3,399 A traumatic month for Jimmer, as his fork decals get scratched Wear and tear is inevitable when you ride a bike as much as I’ve ridden the Trance. I treat my test bikes as my own, meaning that I don’t deliberately abuse them but they get ridden hard, washed sporadically and only occasionally treated to some lube! I’m also somewhat lazy, when it comes to bike mechanics. We’re all busy, right?! I’ve never got around to shortening the front brake hose or the ridiculously long dropper post cable. The result is what looks like a tangled mess of snakes in front of my handlebar, which is something I’m always berated for by other members of the team! Constant rattling from the Giant Contact SL…

PRO-FILE TOM CARDY JOB Professional mountain biker CREDENTIALS Essex boy Tom’s been making the transition from amateur to pro over the last year, riding on the Action Sports Tour, plus he’s won his fair share of competitions. 01 KICKER SET-UP Here we’re using the kicker as a stepdown, with a grass bank as the landing ramp. Before you even think about jumping, first analyse the situation. Here the run-up is slow and bumpy because it’s grass, the landing is lower than the take-off and the run-out is quite sketchy. 02 APPROACH When you’re a good distance from the ramp have one last look around to make sure it’s all clear, then commit. Pedal at the speed you need to clear the jump – depending on the run-up you may need…

PRO-FILE ROWAN SORRELL JOB Elite level racer and professional track builder CREDENTIALS Rowan has been racing for years and also runs trail building firm Back on Track. He knows a thing or two about riding hard and fast, as can be seen from his trails at BikePark Wales. Breaking grip with both wheels drifting together – off the brakes, at speed and in control– is arguably one of the hardest skills you can master, yet get it right and it’s also one of the most fun and rewarding… 01 PLAN AHEAD Look for turns that are relatively smooth and provide you with the space to drift wide without hitting trees or rocks. Set up your turn early, giving yourself room to relax as you cut the apex, and then push…

PRO-FILE DANNY MACASKILL JOB Trials superstar CREDENTIALS Danny is perhaps the UK’s best-known mountain biker. His YouTube videos featuring his mind-blowing tricks and skills have racked up millions of views 01 GET IN GEAR Choose a medium gear – somewhere around fifth on an 11-speed cassette with a 32-tooth chainring. You don’t want a gear that’s too easy because your feet will spin too quickly, while a gear that’s too hard means you won’t have enough power in your pedal strokes. 02 ROLL IN Approach at walking speed with your front foot forward. About 3m away start to pedal, and as your back foot comes around you should then be about 1.5m from the obstacle. When your back foot is at the top of the pedal stroke you want to…

1 If your cable is frayed or sticky, it’s time to replace it. First, cut off the cable crimp behind the remote lever. Loosen the pinch bolt two full turns. Mark the seatpost with tape just above the seat collar so you can reinstall it at the correct height. 2 Loosen any fasteners securing the cable to the frame. Slide the post out of the seat tube, while guiding the outer cable through the frame’s routing port. Stop when a couple of inches of outer cable are exposed above the seat clamp. 3 Unhook the cable bushing from the actuation lever on the base of the post. Set the post aside. Pull the old inner cable all the way through the outer. Remove the cable bushing from the old cable and…

PRO-FILE MAX DARKINS JOB MTB route planner CREDENTIALS Max loves travelling up and down the country, searching for the best routes for you to ride, and he’s the man behind www.roughrideguide.co.uk WHERE ARE WE? SNOWDONIA Snowdonia National Park in north-west Wales covers 823 square miles (2,132km2 ) and contains the highest mountain in Wales and England, along with a wealth of great trails. www.eryri-npa.gov.uk North Wales is well blessed with some great manmade MTB trails, and this route is slap bang between two of them – Gwydir Mawr (formerly known as the Marin Trail) to the north and Penmachno to the south. These are both fun loops (especially the latter, which has a natural and remote feel to it) but they fly under the radar compared to the very popular…

If you’re a keen follower of the slopestyle scene, you’ll be familiar with the name Emil Johansson. If not, then let us tell you now, you’re going to be hearing a lot more about him in the next few years! Aged just 17 and not even out of school yet, the young Swede is already making waves, standing on two Crankworx podiums this year alone. What makes these achievements even more impressive is that Emil has only been riding for seven years and this is just his second year competing at world level, after breaking onto the scene at the Austrian 26TRIX event last year. As a young dirt jumper in Trollhättan, near Gothenburg, Emil looked up to and tried to emulate the likes of Brandon Semenuk and fellow countryman…

3 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA My third favourite place I’ve ridden is the Los Angeles and San Diego area of California. It’s got a brilliant mix of epic trail biking, awesome downhill tracks and dirt jump spots for days. Plus the weather’s OK! The spots that stick in my head are Laguna Hills, Corona, San Juan, Arrowhead and Pine Valley. My only criticism is the distance between them, coupled with the awful Californian traffic! 2 PORTUGAL I’ve had some of the most brilliant adventures and rides in Portugal over the past 10 years. From travelling around with mates in vans following the national DH series out there to training trips away, it’s never disappointed. Spots that come to mind are Ribeira de Pena, Fafe, Gouveia, Turcifal and Lousã. Friendly people, cheap living,…

Margus Riga is a photographer who’s best known for his documentation of the MTB freeride scene. Originating from Estonia, bikes and skiing drew him to Canada in the early ’90s and he now calls Vancouver, British Columbia, home. Living in the birthplace of freeride has had a clear influence on Margus’s work and, with a keen eye for composition, his photos do an incredible job of immersing you in the environment and putting you in the position of the rider. “THIS PARTICULAR JUMP THAT KURT IS HITTING IS THE BIGGEST IN A SET OF THREE.TO ME, THIS SHOWS THE PINNACLE OF WHERE FREERIDE HAS COME” 1 (H)OFF THE HOOK “The Hoff Fest, at Retallack Lodge in BC, is the one MTB event, apart from Red Bull Rampage, that I actually…

ROB WEAVER With two decades of riding experience, Rob knows what works and what doesn’t ALEX EVANS Al’s back in the after UK seven years in the Alps and has a rep for wrecking bikes SEB STOTT No slouch on the race track, Seb’s passion for engineering helps him pick products apart JAMES BLACKWELL Riding nearly as fast as he talks, Jimmer’s been testing kit for MBUK for 13 years ED THOMSETT Always on the hunt for new technical challenges, Ed gives his gear some serious abuse BEN CANNELL Ben rides hard and fast, and has a keen eye for the technical details too…

01 Materials & tools You need 2 sheets each of 18mm and 9mm plywood, 4-6 lengths of 4x2 CLS timber and some screws. You also need a hand saw, jig saw, tape measure, ball of string, marker pen, square and a drill. 02 Shape the sides My ramp is 6ft long, 3ft tall and has a radius of 8ft. Tie your pen to an 8ft length of string. On the 18mm ply measure 6ft along the bottom and 3ft high so you have what looks like half a rectangle. On the opposite side to where you marked the 3ft, put the pen on the bottom line at your 6ft mark and get someone to hold the end of the string nice and tight, then draw from the bottom of the…

Don’t eat… • Stay away from refined sugar • Steer clear of highly processed, packaged products • Avoid liquid calories (other than all-in-one smoothies) Do eat… • Start with hydration, preferably water, but milk, tea or coffee count too • Always eat a quality source of protein, such as eggs • Eat for the demands of the day • Fuel for the ride if you’re biking first thing • Make time to enjoy the meal – if time is tight, prep the night before • Remember ‘oranges, not orange juice’. Keep your meals whole, wholesome, natural and packed with variety, colour and varied texture. Breakfast burrito Try this for a meal to set you up for the day: 3 eggs Chopped sweet potato Chopped courgette Shredded spinach ½ tbsp butter…

WE LOOK UP TO SEE CORNISH WILDMAN JASPER FLASHMAN FLYING ACROSS THE SKY, BACK END KICKED OUT SIDEWAYS AND FOOT HANGING CASUALLY OFF THE PEDAL It’s a picture-perfect summer’s day in rural Cornwall. The trees are a lush green, the long grass in the fields sways lazily in the breeze and the sun casts a hazy light over the whole scene. Suddenly, the tranquillity is broken by the sound of a bike whirring through the air above us. We look up to see trail builder and all-round Cornish wildman Jasper Flashman flying across the sky, back end kicked out sideways and foot hanging casually off the pedal. Landing some 30ft further down the hill, he rides away hollering with excitement. We’ve only been here five minutes, but that’s set the…

STAND ASIDE GLASTONBURY – if you want a real party atmosphere plus some of the biggest names in downhill and slopestyle performing for your pleasure, it's hard to beat the Crankworx bike festivals. The latest addition to the calendar, Innsbruck in Austria, was a slow starter, but come the weekend people were out in force. Things really got going with Friday night’s Pump Track Challenge, with Mitch Ropelato’s lederhosen winning the crowd over, if not the event – France’s Chaney Guennet pipped the American to first place. Australia’s Caroline Buchanan and America’s Jill Kintner put on a battle royale in the women’s event, riding literally neck-and-neck until Buchanan accelerated uphill on the final straight to snatch victory. Most come to Crankworx for the slopestyle, and the riders didn’t disappoint, delivering…

1 Park Tool PRS-4W-1 wall mount repair stand A heavy-duty workstand replacement for those with limited space, with a cam-operated quick-release clamp. £179.99 www.madison.co.uk 2 Blackburn Chamber HV track pump This chunky pump can seat even the fattest of tyres with ease. You can also use a handlebar as the handle. How cool is that? £79.99 www.zyrofisher.co.uk 3 Cycloc Endo bike hook Limited on space? Try storing your bike vertically. Hang up your ride by its front wheel and slide a lock through the hook’s hollow hinge to keep it secure. £39.95 www.cycloc.com 4 Cycloc Hero bike hook This discreet system hooks onto a pedal and supports your bike on the wall, out of harm’s way. £39.95 www.cycloc.com 5 Silverline 10-piece T-handle hex key set Throw those old rounded-off Allen…

WINNER! STARLETTER BUCKING BRONCO Having recently got back in the saddle (on a Giant Reign 2), I decided to tag along with my friends on a trip to BikePark Wales. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end! Under-skilled and with no body armour, I headed for the top. We started with a blue run. My friends were a little faster (they’ve all been riding for a few years) but I held my own, and on reaching the bottom I was hit by a wave of confidence. Back to the top we went, this time riding half a blue run and then going onto a red. I went second. Pedalling a little faster, I was keeping up until we hit a sharp turn and the bike slid from under…

If ever there was a region made for mountain biking, Tirol is it. This western corner of Austria is a playground for two wheels, with swooping mountain passes, dramatic single trails and some truly testing off-road sections. Yes, there are plenty of gentler areas – pretty lakeside roads, winding routes through Alpine meadows and the like – but to access the most spectacular views, you need thighs of steel and a group of like-minded friends to push each other along. Thankfully, help is at hand in the form of an extensive range of electric-assist mountain bikes. These smart bits of kit come with a motor that can be switched on and off at will, giving you an electronic tailwind when you need it and extra juice for particularly steep climbs.…

Vaude First Aid Kit Bike Essential Waterproof £10 SO GOOD The lightest kit on test is housed in a waterproof pouch that has a roll top and Velcro closure to keep the elements out. Butterfly strips and an absorbent compress dressing are useful additions beyond the standard sticking plasters, alcohol wipes and bandages. NO GOOD Weight has been kept to a minimum at the expense of a more comprehensive selection of first aid equipment. We would have liked to see some surgical gloves and a wider choice of dressings to help deal with different riding injuries. www.vaude.com OEX Waterproof First Aid Kit £15 (£13.50 with GO Outdoors card) SO GOOD This offering from OEX, the in-house brand of camping/hiking/ biking mega retailers GO Outdoors, comes in an extremely robust and…

cent of external tyre width being a good benchmark to work from. Once you’ve worked out what’ll fit, choosing your tyres is exactly the same as with ‘normal’ rubber. Smaller, closer-spaced tread blocks and a harder compound will help you roll faster, which is ideal for XC riding or trail/aggro use on the rear. A chunkier, wider-spaced tread in stickier rubber will be slower but with more grip, which is good for trail/aggro use on the front or at both ends in sketchier conditions. Because there’s more tyre in contact with the ground, tread and compound differences are more obvious on bigger tyres. Carcass performance is even more important too, because you’ll be running them at lower pressures. If the sidewalls are too stiff for your riding style you’ll not…

1. A FEW DAYS TO GO… So, event day is looming and you’ve probably not trained as much as you’d hoped. Don’t worry, no one ever does. You’re really riding for the fun and experience, and there’s still time to make sure you’re ready to go come race day HYDRATION Good hydration starts up to 48 hours beforehand, so drink plenty in the days running up. Consume plenty of complex carbohydrates like wholewheat pasta or rice the day before but don’t eat too late in the evening. DON’T STRESS Keep strenuous and stressful activities to a minimum in the days leading up to the event. Set two alarms so you can sleep soundly the night before without worrying about oversleeping. RESEARCH Research the route, terrain and conditions, and double check…

XC mountain bike racing is a true fitness challenge, where the elite ride hard for nearly two hours at speeds most of us can only sustain for about five minutes. Their training starts at lower intensities but for much longer durations. Building a hugely efficient and developed aerobic capacity is the main aim – riding at low-lactate levels for long periods of time so you can tolerate progressively more wattage and power without accruing the acidic waste products. This is why XC racers spend long hours on their road bikes during winter. They also do interval sessions to raise their anaerobic threshold so they can push harder and faster for longer. The aim is to increase wattage output for any given heart rate or effort level. The best riders can…

IS BIGGER BETTER ? Q I’m finally in a position to buy a new bike. When it comes to wheel size, I’m open-minded – I just want the best full-suspension trail bike I can afford. I was hoping you could shed some light on these massive ‘plus’ tyres. Are they any good? Paul Gadd, via email A Plus-size tyres – which are generally 2.8 to 3.0in wide and designed to be used with broad (30mm+) rims – are a regular topic of discussion in our office, thanks to their polarising ride characteristics. If you ride rough, loose terrain where traction is hard to come by, plus tyres not only add comfort by taking the edge off hand-numbing trail chatter, they also stick to the ground incredibly well, making technical climbs…

1 Water If you’re working hard on a bike you can lose a surprising amount of fluid, even if you’re not sweating visibly. You may need over a litre of water every hour to stay hydrated. Just three per cent dehydration has a noticeable effect on your power output, and by seven per cent you’ll likely collapse. 2 Electrolytes Sweating lots and drinking pure water can lead to hyponatremia – a lack of salts, especially sodium, in the blood – which can cause nausea and confusion. Electrolyte drinks, or salty snacks in combination with plenty of water, will keep those salts topped up. 3 Food The best fuel for high-intensity exercise is carbohydrate. Once you burn through your available calories your blood sugar will crash, leading to a sudden lack…