Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Mountain Biking UK

British riders will have a big target on their backs in 2021 – Reece Wilson and Matt Walker come into the year as reigning downhill world champion and World Cup champion, respectively. Danny Hart will be looking to stamp his authority with his new team (Cube Factory Racing) and Laurie Greenland will be hunting for his second World Cup win. In the women’s, Tahnée Seagrave will be hoping to put her injuries behind her and claim the World Cup overall title she’s been after. We’re also looking forward to seeing other British riders such as Mikayla Parton making the live feed. The UK has a trio of strong female XC riders – Evie Richards, Isla Short and Annie Last – who’ll be looking to make their mark on the World…

With Fox having overhauled their 36 and 40 fork ranges last year, plus introduced the 38, it was only a matter of time before their do-it-all trail and ‘aggro XC’ forks – the 34 and the lighter-weight 34 Step-Cast – received the same treatment. Features found on Fox’s burlier forks carry over to the new 34s, including the air bypass channels on the lower legs, which help avoid unwanted ramp-up caused by changes in internal air volume. They forgo the bleed valves, but get new seals and oil. Both forks’ chassis have been updated, too, with a new arch shape for more head tube clearance. They also get a revised EVOL air spring with a larger negative chamber to improve mid-stroke support, plus you can tune the negative spring with…

YOU CAN MANUAL, PUMP AND JUMP WITHOUT THE BIKE ABSORBING TOO MUCH OF YOUR ENERGY. THE EXTENDING REAR-CENTRE GIVES YOU A STABLE PLATFORM TO WORK FROM AND, COMBINED WITH THE GEOMETRY, MEANS IT NEVER SEEMS TO FLINCH FORBIDDEN DREADNOUGHT XT £5,599 Will the Dreadnought make you totally fearless? Forbidden were one of the first to shake up the established order with the launch of a high-pivot trail bike – the 130mm-travel Druid, introduced in 2019. Two years later, and still not ready to settle for the status quo, the small Vancouver Island brand are doing the same to the enduro market with the 154mm Dreadnought. The frame High-pivot bikes aren’t uncommon these days, especially in downhill, but they’re still a minority in the enduro and trail markets. The main advantage…

“The Verderers has all the manmade features needed for beginners to develop skills such as pumping and cornering, and a few sections where it’s easy to get air, which is fun. There’s a wavy part where you need to get enough speed on the downsides to go back up the climb. The trail weaves between woodland and open areas. Each section is well divided, and you have the chance to take regular breaks. Depending on your fitness and skill level, it’s still a fairly long loop. It’s also a very popular trail (especially on weekends) so if you’re a faster rider, you’ll have to be mindful that families or slow riders might interrupt your flow.”…

Shropshire lad Matt was a familiar face on the DH World Cup start line from 2005 to 2019, his career peaking with a second-place finish at Méribel, Switzerland, in 2014, where he lost out to the legendary Sam Hill by a fraction of a second. He also came sixth overall in that year’s series. When Matt retired from racing in 2019, the natural next move was to turn his ProLine skills coaching business into a full-time concern. He’s also working to turn Caersws into a great spot for local riders.…

100% Trajecta £229 SO GOOD... Large vents across the head and on the chin bar give an airy feel, despite the high weight (931g). Goggles sit nicely within the face port, and stow securely under the broad peak. The brand’s Smartshock Rotational Protective System adds peace of mind. NO GOOD... There are only two sizes. The plastic plugs for the shock absorbers between the padding and EPS liner can just be felt on the head, leading to gentle pressure points if you’re unlucky. We’d prefer a lower drop at the rear, for a more secure feel. The peak can’t easily be adjusted while on the bike. www.silverfish-uk.com MET Parachute MCR £300 SO GOOD... Without the chin bar, this is a fairly light trail lid that works well on all-day rides.…

CLIPLESS Pedals with a clip-in mechanism – a set of sprung jaws that engage with a cleat attached to your shoe. The seemingly contradictory name dates to their introduction in the ’80s, when it differentiated them from traditional toe-clips and straps. CLEAT Metal part that bolts through slots on your shoe and clips into the pedal. Pedals and cleats are specific to each other, although Shimano SPD-style systems are often cross-compatible. Some brands sell cleats with varying amounts of float or release angles. FLOAT Calculated in degrees, this is the amount your foot can twist from side to side while clipped in. As well as being kinder to your knees, float allows freedom of movement in your ankles and hips that makes it easier to manoeuvre the bike. PLATFORM The…

Buzz off  Q I’ve got my family booked into a small cottage up in the Scottish Highlands later this summer. The plan is to take my bike for a few laps of Laggan Wolftrax and maybe further into the unknown! It’s my first trip to Scotland since I was a kid and all I hear about is midges. Any tips on how to avoid them? Maya, Colchester A Very nice – we’re jealous! The riding up at Laggan is great and there’s a lot of scope for adventures around there. Here are a few things we’ve gleaned from years of riding up that way. First off, long sleeves and trousers are a good idea, and not just for midges, but for ticks as well. Keep your socks pulled up high…

The North York Moors, up on the north-east coast of England, are a bit of a trek for many, but that’s what makes this National Park a wonderful area to visit, most of it far from the madding crowd. There’s plenty of wild, rough and rugged riding on the bleak, barren but beautiful hills, although with much of the landscape being moorland, it can get pretty boggy in places. From late August into September, the heather is in bloom, providing a magnificent blaze of pink and purple flowers that sweep across the hills and bring them to life with colour and the buzz of insects. Red grouse are also abundant, bursting out of the heather and making you jump as they shriek and flap away. They’ve good call to be…

ACCOMMODATION Where to base yourself The Yorkshire Cycle Hub, located just south of Danby in Great Fryup Dale, has everything you need and is where we started all our rides. Perched up on the hillside, it offers stunning views, too. Accommodation comes in the form of holiday cottages or modern bunkrooms with en-suite facilities. Camping pods are on their way too, meaning it can cater for everyone, from solo travellers to large groups, across a range of budgets. The Yorkshire Cycle Hub is in Fryup (01287 669098, www.yorkshirecyclehub.co.uk). B&B The lovely Fox & Hounds Inn in Ainthorpe, just south of Danby, has 10 bedrooms of varying levels of luxury (01287 660218, www.foxandhoundsainthorpe.com). FOOD & DRINK Cafes The Yorkshire Cycle Hub has a superb cafe with seating both outside, to enjoy…

Route summary This ride explores a great variety and selection of trails in the North York Moors, with some big hills and technical riding to keep you on your toes. Expect wild, open moorland crossings, leg-burning climbs and sublime singletrack across the hillside in a blaze of purple heather (if you time it right) Start/finish Yorkshire Cycle Hub, Fryup (postcode YO21 2AP, grid ref NZ 720/049) 1 Turn right at the road and, after the cattle grid, keep right up to the road junction. Go left, then right opposite the blue ‘Single track road’ sign (not the bridleway before it). Climb steeply and take a steep rutted descent to join a road. Ride to an offset crossroads, go over this and keep ahead, downhill. 2 At the road fork, turn…

Locals do… Bring the whole family to Bedgebury so non-riders can wander round the arboretum Get involved with the By Riders 4 Riders races held at The Bull Track each summer Respect the opening hours at The Bull Track and don’t ride when there’s no one about or it’s soaking wet Locals don’t… Misplace their knee pads and full-faces before a day at The Bull Track Forget to be polite to other trail users at Bedgebury. You’re likely to come across riders of all abilities, plus walkers and horse riders…

I didn’t start this year too well. After breaking my ankle last year, I had surgery on Christmas Eve. Now I’m finally back on a bike and riding relatively normally. I have a strange relationship with injuries. On one hand, I hate them and have endured my fair share. On the other, I believe there are good things to be gained with each one, and I think it’s always worth focusing on the positives. The biggest things I get from injuries are perspective and clarity. Honestly, it sounds clichéd, but when I find myself unable to ride it makes me realise just how much I love doing it. Every day, life flies by and I forget how lucky I am to have something I enjoy at such a high level.…

STAR LETTER GOING PLACES  Having met my friends – seven almost-in-shape middle-aged men who love riding bikes– at a local trail centre, I found myself last in line as we came to the most modest of features: a short, wooden pallet-type thing ending in a decent drop with a gap. The way to tackle such a feature is to relax, hold your speed and line, and just ride over it. My method, however – that of the slightly sleepy 50-year-old man who hadn’t bothered to scope the feature properly – was this: spy it coming, panic, feather the brakes, ride onto it too slowly, panic again on seeing the gap, kill my speed, roll onto my front wheel, go over the bars and land face-first in the mulch of the…

MONDRAKER SUMMUM RR 29 £6,699 World Cup-proven race rig Mondraker have been refining their Summum downhill bike since 2009, when Fabien Barel won the Maribor World Cup on a prototype. This latest iteration looks set to carry on that winning tradition. For 2021, the brand have tweaked the kinematics of their twin-link Zero suspension, made their long reach/short stem-based Forward Geometry even longer (there’s now a 475mm reach on the large) and introduced a new Stealth Alloy aluminium tubeset. The range-topping RR comes with a choice of 29er (here) or ‘mullet’ wheel set-up and some top-spec parts, including Fox Factory suspension, a Shimano Saint groupset and Michelin DH tyres, all of which ought to make it a podium contender. www.silverfish-uk.com MICHELIN WILD AM 2  & FORCE AM2 TYRES Wild AM2 from…

“For advanced riders, the Verderers is a great fitness tool. It’ll give you a brilliant workout and keep you entertained as you smash out a lap. The new sections are mega regardless of your skill level, with the berms being some of the best I’ve ridden yet. It’s an ideal trail to sharpen your skills on – because the surface is pretty smooth it’s easier to concentrate on technique. You can generate some speed on the descents, but be careful of other trail users. Plus, if you keep looking ahead, there are sneaky lines to find, lips to hit and plenty of corners to practise drifting around, to channel your inner Sam Hill. Of course, it’s still a blue so don’t set off with gnarly expectations and you won’t be…

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 reviewers. OneUp EDC…

ROB’S NUKEPROOF 290 CARBON RS £5,999.99 After a wild one for Rob, it’s good to be back on the Nukeproof With Bike of the Year taking up so much of my time, every time I swing a leg over a bike during winter or spring, it’s pretty much always one from that test. I’m not complaining in the slightest, because the quality of bikes in this year’s selection meant I enjoyed every single ride on each and every one of them. But I certainly feel relieved when it’s over and I get to jump back on my long-termer once again. As you should have seen last issue (MBUK 394), the Nukeproof Mega was a frontrunner for the top spot and only narrowly missed out on being crowned Enduro Bike…

CHUNKY TRAIL-CHEWERS Wide 27.5x2.6in Schwalbe tyres help make the Sentier 27 feel smooth on rough trails and offer plenty of grip MORE PLEASE, SIR! While the 46t biggest cassette sprocket and 32t chainring provide an adequate lowest gear for most ascents, when it gets really steep or you’re tired, a 30t ring (as on the 29er Sentier) would make the going easier TALL ORDER The long seat tube makes it harder to get the saddle out of the way. If you’ve got short legs, measure up before committing to the Vitus…

PLATFORM SIZE How big you want your pedals depends on your riding style and what shoes you’re wearing. XCers with stiff shoes won’t need the support and weight of a platform, but in the context of gravity riding, a platform provides foot support for softer shoes that have more pedal feel. The bigger the platform, the easier it is to locate and stamp back onto when you unclip, but weight goes up, as does the risk of catching a pedal on a rock or other trail obstacle. PINS Some pedals have removable pins on the cage that add grip and lessen the floating movement of the cleat. These can help things feel less sketchy when you’re unclipped, but pins that are too tall can interfere with the sole of your…

1 Before working on the pedal, make sure the cleat bolts on your shoes are securely fastened. Play in the cleats can be mistaken for problems with the pedals. Clean dirt from the cleat bolts and tighten, using a 4mm Allen key. 2 Check the pedal platform for wear. See if there’s any play in the axle by holding the axle thread and moving the other end side-to-side in the pedal body. Even a small amount will be amplified across the pedal. Check the bolts on the pedal body with a T10 Torx key. 3 Work on one pedal at a time. Undo the locking nut at the base of the axle thread with a 15mm spanner. Unless otherwise indicated, the locknut of the left pedal will unscrew anticlockwise and…

LOCATION North York Moors National Park in north-east Yorkshire is one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the UK, covering 1,436km². It includes an extensive coastline, with the pretty seaside settlements of Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby sitting within the park. www.northyorkmoors.org.uk WHY COME HERE? The North York Moors are a fantastic location for cycling, whatever your level or discipline. Mountain bikers not only have a choice of great manmade tracks at the local trail centres, but there’s also an abundance of rights of ways across the National Park, which provide top-notch riding amid stunning scenery. A network of businesses have signed up to a ‘Cycling Friendly’ initiative, offering facilities, information and services to make it easier and more welcoming for visiting (and local) riders. GETTING HERE We…

Route summary A great introductory ride to the area, offering a taste of the big open moorland, with wonderful views, good singletrack and some rocky, but not too technical or hilly riding. It never gets too remote and can be cut short by either riding through, or starting in, Danby Start/finish Yorkshire Cycle Hub, Fryup (postcode YO21 2AP, grid ref NZ 720/049) 1 Ride to the road and head right on it, down to Stonebeck Gate Farm. Turn right before the building. Keep ahead on this access track, then, when it bears left to a house, go straight into the field. Continue ahead, following a wall, veering left when it briefly ends, into the trees, then turn left to pass a farm. 2 Join the farm track, cross a river…

ED THOMSETT MTB WRITER & TESTER ”These contrasting venues made for a really fun and varied day out. If you’re in a mixed-ability group and wondering where to go then Bedgebury is a great shout – the red trail isn’t intimidating, but can still challenge if attacked at full tilt. The Bull Track, on the other hand, is an awesome bike park. Its progressive lines were the perfect place to build things up after not having hit many jumps over the winter. Pick a sunny day, rally your mates and get on down there – you’re gonna have a good time.”…

While it’s hugely disappointing that this month’s Fort William World Cup has been cancelled (at the time of writing, we’re still waiting to hear whether it’ll be rescheduled), it’s not all doom and gloom for racing fans. By the time you read this, the opening round of the XC World Cup in Albstadt, Germany, should have just wrapped up and it won’t be long until the DH kicks off in Leogang, Austria. Turn the page for a roundup of what you can (hopefully) look forward to this World Cup season. Remember, you can watch all the action unfold on Red Bull TV’s live stream. NOVÉ MESTO, Czech REPUBLIC, May 15-16 For the XC racers, this rooty and demanding track always makes for an exciting ride. Expect those who didn’t have…

Fort William is one of the highlights of the World Cup race season. It’s a rider favourite, too, thanks to the enthusiasm of the thousands of fans who pack out the venue every year. We were gutted to hear that our annual pilgrimage to the Highlands was canned, firstly when the attendance of crowds was prohibited and then the race itself was cancelled (or, hopefully, just postponed). Here’s what we’ll miss about Fort Bill (bar the haggis burgers and beer, of course – they’re a given). THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE FINALS Fort William is famous for the fans’ buzz and energy on race day, when the world’s best riders drop in for their runs. It’s the climax of the weekend and the excitement, noise and anticipation are unrivalled by any…

The Domain has been in RockShox’s lineup since 2007 (with a brief hiatus since 2018) and it’s back with a bang for 2021. It’s always been a long-travel, hard-hitting fork – starting off back in ’07 as a 180mm, 2.8kg monster – and that theme continues, although with a considerable weight saving over previous versions. Taking much of its DNA from the recently-released RockShox ZEB, but priced significantly lower – at just £530 – the new Domain has chunky 38mm stanchions and 150 to 180mm of travel. It’s aimed at riders looking for complete authority at the front of their enduro bike or e-MTB, where stiffness is king. As you’d expect, there are versions for 650b and 29in wheels. Both share the same short 44mm offset for calm handling no…

Jen De Vries suffered one of the nastiest injuries we’ve seen in a while. We hope you’re healing well, Jen! “It was the first day of a holiday last year, heading up to Dyfi and Revs, so we stopped outside Shrewsbury to stretch our legs and go for a quick pedal en-route. A little stump in some off-camber roots caught me off guard and before I knew it, I washed out and skewered my mush on a branch on the ground. After literally holding my face together on the 25-minute drive to the hospital, I spent the next six hours there with the doctors removing the foliage I’d managed to eat and putting stitches in. It wasn’t a good time to discover that I metabolise anaesthetic extremely quickly! The downside…

AS I PULL INTO CAERSWS, THE CONDITIONS ARE A CRISP -1°C WITH BRIGHT SUN. IT LOOKS LIKE I’VE LUCKED OUT FOR TODAY’S PHOTOSHOOT WITH MATT SIMMONDS, AMID A WINTER FILLED WITH DARK, DAMP DAYS. But I’m not just here to take photos of Matt – even though, as a former World Cup downhiller, he makes some great shapes on the bike. No, I want to find out all about his plans for this place. Catching sight of the ProLine MTB van outside the Seasons Cafe, I park up. Matt’s already got his butty order in, so we chat about the past of this classic Welsh race venue over a brew. Salad days Caersws, not far from the English border and Shropshire Hills, was a significant riding spot for Matt in…

Pat Campbell-Jenner PCJ is a former Elite-level 4X and enduro racer, hailing from the south of the UK but now emigrated to the Lake District. He’s the European sales and marketing guy for CushCore, while also flexing his muscles for Fit4Racing. James Vincent Also based in the Lakes, James is a freelance photographer and writer. Usually to be found carrying his bike up some inaccessible mountain pass, he’s considerably happier inching his way down a techy, rock-strewn descent than trying to keep up with Pat through jumps and berms.…

ROB WEAVER With With three t decades o of riding e experience e, , R Rob knows ws what w works and what doesn sn’’t t TOM MARVIN Riding anything up to five days a week means Tom has plenty of time to hammer test kit RUSSELL BURTON Long days outdoors mean photographer Russ needs gear that won’t let him down LUKE MARSHALL Keen racer Luke is quick to identify what helps or is a hindrance between the tape ED THOMSETT Notoriously picky Ed won’t accept anything less than the best there is…

Developments in pedal and shoe technology mean that, as well as being a must for XC racing, clipless pedals have almost completely displaced flats in Elite-level DH, and – with the notable exception of Sam Hill and Morgane Charre – it’s rare to find enduro racers who are performing at the top level without clipping in. Flat pedals will always have a place for more playful riding, and there are riders who just prefer the freedom they give, but if you can adjust to the sensation of having your feet attached, there are a lot of advantages. Firstly, there’s the confidence gained from knowing your feet are going to stay exactly where you want them through rough terrain. Then there’s that connection to the bike, which makes hopping obstacles or…

An excellent way to think about what you need to improve is to start by looking at what’s going wrong. I like to think about it as symptoms and causes. Trying to stop ‘performing’ a symptom isn’t the best way to fix it. Instead, think about why the symptom happens by troubleshooting. Have a look at these common symptoms and some ideas for how you can start to improve them. 01 DRAGGING THE BRAKES IN CORNERS Most riders are aware that they shouldn’t brake through corners, because it’s terrible for grip and control. However, it’s bloody hard to avoid doing it. I’m sure we all have this fault, but is it as simple as just telling ourselves to stop doing it? Usually, there’s more to it than that. The thing…

Sutton Bank Cycle Centre is perched up high on the south-western edge of the North York Moors plateau. This stunning escarpment has excellent facilities, with a pump track, skills area and waymarked trails for families and beginners up to more advanced riders. Plus, it has a great bike shop and cafe. Dalby Forest is on the south-east side of the National Park, near Scarborough. This huge 8,000-acre woodland provides over 70km of trails, including family routes right through to a World Cup XC track. There’s also a superb jump site, Dixon’s Hollow Bike Park, for anyone who likes to get airborne. Guisborough Forest is a small trail centre on the northern edge of the NYM, near Middlesbrough. Currently it only has a blue-graded route, although there is other riding there,…

Route summary A quite long and hilly ride for a medium route, but it’s generally pretty easy going, without too much tricky navigation. Making use of a variety of tracks from heather-hidden singletrack across the barren moors to lush green meadow valleys, this classic cross-country ride offers a scenic tour of the area Start/finish Yorkshire Cycle Hub, Fryup (postcode YO21 2AP, grid ref NZ 720/049) 1 Go right on the road, climb past a cattle grid and go left at the fork, signed to Rosedale. After 4km turn left onto a wide, gated track, signed to Glaisdale. Follow this until you meet a road, then go left. 2 After 1.6km keep ahead as the road bears left, on a wide bridleway, eventually dropping into Glaisdale. Bear to the left of…

TRAIL STATS Distance: Bedgebury: blue 9km, red 13km The Bull Track: 15 trails, 0.5km to 1km each Climbing: Fireroad and surfaced singletrack at Bedgebury. Push-up only at The Bull Track Grading: Bedgebury: blue and red The Bull Track: black (lots of easier trails, too, but graded black because they merge into harder ones) WHY RIDE HERE? Bedgebury’s purpose-built MTB loops can be ridden by anyone in any weather, while The Bull Track caters for the bike park crowd with a field and woods crammed with jumps and bermed flow lines. RAD... Bedgebury gives beginners a chance to feel the flow and push their speed without any scary terrain or big climbs. Quench Cycles are on hand at Bedgebury for all your mechanical needs, and they’ll even come and rescue you…

GETTING THERE Bedgebury’s trails are at the National Pinetum. It’s well signed and the postcode TN17 2SJ will take you straight there. The Bull Track can be found on the outskirts of Crowborough at TN6 3HF. From the town take the B2100, turn left onto Palesgate Lane, follow this through a ford, up the hill and the bike park will be on your right. FACILITIES Bedgebury: Paid parking, cafe, toilets, bike shop, bike hire/demo fleet, bike wash The Bull Track: Parking (included with entry), snack shop NEARBY BIKE SHOPS Quench Cycles are right by the trail head at Bedgebury www.quenchuk.co.uk For The Bull Track, Bikegoo are 5mins away in Crowborough www.bikegoo.co.uk CONTACT www.forestryengland.uk/ bedgebury You can find The Bull Track on both Facebook and Instagram OTHER RIDING Friston Forest: This…