Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Mountain Biking UK

It’s been four years since my last visit to the Malverns Classic (and 26 years since my first!), and I was blown away by this year’s event – see p48. The mix of riding, spectating and partying was as good as I remembered. What differed was the age of the people attending. Yes, there were loads of old-school MTBers with fond memories of the event from its first time around, when they were younger, fitter and had more hair (not that you could see it, for all the Bula hats...). But it was heartening to see just how many younger riders are following their parents into the sport or discovering it for themselves. And not just boys, either. You could barely take a step without a tousle-haired teenager manualling wildly…

The world’s top slopestyle riders battled it out in front of massive crowds on a crazy multi-level course that wended its way through the central streets of Nuremberg, Germany, as the Red Bull District Ride returned after a two-year hiatus. There was some serious carpentry going on, with the course including 16 trickable features plus a lift halfway through the run, which took riders to the top of the next roll-in to perform their final move on a huge trick booter. Sweden’s Emil Johansson has been on spectacular form this year and took his ninth win in a row with a crazy run that included opposite and switch tricks as well as an effortless 360 windshield-wiper, putting him well ahead in the FMB World Tour rankings. Second place went to…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Aiguille de la Grand Sassière is a monster of a mountain, sitting on the French/Italian border not far from Val d’Isere. Virtually hidden from view from the valley below, the trail from its 3,752m peak is believed to be the highest singletrack descent in Europe, accessible only via a five-hour hike-a-bike over loose, rocky terrain with glaciers to one side and precipitous exposure to the other. Those who ride the Sass usually start this gruelling ascent from a car park at 2,300m and return via a steep, loose, technical descent. This is what I did back in 2011, while working for BikeVillage Holidays near Bourg St Maurice, run by my mate Sam, on one of the staff’s regular ‘Savage Wednesdays’. But this smash and grab approach has…

THE TESTERS As we dig out our baselayers, strap our mudguards back in place and search high and low for those waterproof socks we swore we bought last year, bike manufacturers are already thinking about next spring and introducing their 2023 model-year ranges. That means it’s time for us to consider what bikes (or even what type of bikes) could be making waves out on the trails next year. We haven’t needed to get out our crystal ball (and in all likelihood, Jimmer’s misplaced it, anyway!), as we’re not so much attempting to predict the future as to identify where things have evolved and what design traits may become popular. All eight bikes you’ll be reading about shortly are here for a reason. The Trek Fuel EXe illustrates how e-bikes…

WRECKED & RATED BIKETEST SPEC Frame ‘OCLV Mountain’ carbon fibre, 140mm travel Fork RockShox Lyrik Ultimate with AirWiz, 150mm travel Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate with AirWiz Drive system TQ HPR50 motor with TQ 360Wh battery Drivetrain SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS with e*thirteen e*spec Race carbon cranks (1x12) Wheelset Bontrager Line Pro 30 carbon wheels with Bontrager SE5 Team Issue 29x2.5in tyres Brakes SRAM Code RSC, 200mm rotors Bar/stem Bontrager RSL, 820mm/45mm Seatpost/saddle RockShox Reverb AXS dropper/ Bontrager Arvada Weight 18.9kg, medium size without pedals www.trekbikes.com JARGON R.P.M. Revolutions per minute. The number of rotations made by a gear wheel or crank arm over the course of 60 seconds. B.B. DROP Measured from an imaginary horizontal line between the wheel axles down to the centre of the BB axle. The…

WRECKED & RATED BIKETEST SPEC Frame ‘CFR’ carbon fibre, 160mm travel Fork Fox 38 Factory GRIP2, 170mm travel Shock Fox Float X2 Factory Drivetrain Shimano XTR M1900 with Race Face Next R carbon cranks, Shimano Deore XT M8100 cassette and SLX M7100 chain (1x12) Wheels DT Swiss EX 511 wheels, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ 29x2.5in (f) and Minion DHR II 3C Maxx-Terra EXO+ 29x2.4in (r) tyres Brakes Shimano XTR M9120, 203mm rotors Bar/stem Canyon G5, 780mm/Canyon G5, 40mm Seatpost/saddle Canyon G5 dropper/Ergon SM10 Enduro Comp Weight 15.84kg, medium size without pedals www.canyon.com JARGON SHAPESHIFTER Canyon’s geometry and suspension adjustment system. A shifter on the handlebar actuates a Fox-built air piston at the upper shock mount, which alters the position of the damper to give two modes. In ‘shred’ mode,…

GOING DEEP MALVERNS Stumbling out of my tent, I’m mercifully hangover-free – something that definitely wouldn’t have been the case during weekends spent at the Malverns in my youth. However, it’s the crack of dawn – or feels like it, at least – and I have to escort my daughter to the portable toilets, which are just as much of an assault on the senses (albeit kept remarkably clean). There’s no way my kids are sleeping in today, not with bikes to ride, a festival site to explore and none other than Danny MacAskill – whose Wee Day Out video is still a regular watch back home – due to make an appearance in a few hours. It’s a struggle to force some breakfast down their throats, they’re so desperate…

WRECKED & RATED BIKETEST SPEC Frame Carbon fibre front triangle, carbon/aluminium alloy rear end, 160mm travel Fork Öhlins RXF38 m.2, 170mm travel Shock Öhlins TTX2 Air Wheels Hope Fortus 30 SC rims on Hope Pro 4 hubs, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxTerra EXO 29x2.5in (f) and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 29x2.4in (r) tyres Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle with Hope Evo cranks (1x12) Brakes Hope Tech 4 V4, 200mm/180mm rotors Bar/stem Hope carbon, 800mm/Hope AM, 35mm Seatpost/saddle OneUp V2 dropper/WTB Volt Weight 15.32kg, H2 size without pedals www.hopetechhb.com JARGON PEDAL KICKBACK If a bike’s cassette and chainring move further apart as its suspension compresses, tension across the top of the chain increases, causing the cranks to spin back and the pedals to ‘kick back’. FRONT CENTRE The horizontal distance…

SPEC Frame ‘C’ carbon fibre, 170mm travel Fork Fox 38 Performance Elite GRIP2, 170mm travel Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ Coil Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle AXS (1×12) Wheelset Santa Cruz Reserve 30|HD rims on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip DD 29×2.5in WT (f) & Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra DD 27.5×2.4in WT (r) tyres Brakes SRAM Code RS, 200mm rotors Bar/stem Santa Cruz Carbon 35, 800mm/Burgtec Enduro Mk3, 42mm Seatpost/saddle RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper/WTB Silverado Medium CroMo Weight 16.75kg, large size without pedals www.santacruzbikes.co.uk The wild Nomad is ready for everything from big bike-park lines to the enduro start line. This latest version is slack, rugged and ready to rip. THE FRAME Available in carbon fibre only – with the choice of Santa Cruz’s ‘C’ or lighter…

SPEC Frame Carbon fibre, 130mm travel Fork Fox 36 Performance, 150mm travel Shock Fox Float DPS LV EVOL Performance Wheelset DT Swiss XM 1700 wheels, Maxxis Dissector EXO+ 3C MaxxTerra 29x2.4in WT (f) and Aggressor EXO Dual 29x2.3in (r) tyres Drivetrain SRAM GX/NX Eagle (1x12) Brakes SRAM G2 R, 180mm rotors Bar/stem Onoff Sulfur 1.0, 800mm/Onoff Sulfur FG, 30mm Seatpost/saddle Onoff Pija dropper/fi’zi:k Antares R7 Weight 13.24kg, large size without pedals www.mondraker.com Mondraker’s Forward Geometry may no longer seem as radical and innovative as it once did, but the Spanish brand hope their MIND telemetry technology, featured on the new Raze, could be the next step forward for mountain biking. THE FRAME Created using Mondraker’s ‘Stealth Air’ technology, the sleek full-carbon frame features their twin-link ‘Zero’ system, which delivers 130mm…

What could be more stylish than getting your bike fully sideways over a jump? With whip-off contests featuring regularly at events such as Crankworx, this move is one of the best ways to show your steeze without having to resort to uber-technical tricks. And what about scrubs? If you’re more into speed than amplitude, the ability to keep your bike as low as possible (pioneered by MX racer James Stewart) is a great way to gain vital tenths on the racetrack. Here, BikePark Wales team rider Leon Rosser explains how to pull off these tricks… PRO-FILE LEON ROSSER JOB Plasterer & BPW team rider CREDENTIALS Hailing from Wales’s Rhondda Valley, Leon isn’t only an MMA fighter, motocrosser and 4X, DH and enduro racer, but also a father of four boys!…

BIGRIDE WHERE ARE WE? CHEDDAR, SOMERSET Cheddar lies in the Mendip Hills AONB, a range of limestone hills in North Somerset to the south of Bristol and Bath, covering an area of 200km². www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk YOUR GUIDE MAX DARKINS 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 DOWNLOAD Download the OS Maps app to ride & share this route This issue I was tasked with producing some great MTB rides in areas known for their classic British foods. One that immediately sprang to mind was Bakewell in the Peak District – known, of course, for its Bakewell tart – which has some great riding straight from the town. The iconic pastry makes for a delicious trail snack…

FREEZE FRAME FREERIDE FUNTIMES Tie-dye and mega-trains were the order of the day as riders thronged to Wind Hill B1kepark in Wiltshire for the inaugural Status Festival. The event was loosely aimed at showing off the capabilites of Specialized’s new Status 160 freeride rig, but essentially just a little-needed excuse to get wild! “It started as a seed of an idea, which I planted with Specialized UK,” explains West Country wild man and Spesh pro rider Joel Anderson. “Months later, the day dawned, a mega-train set off and everyone got involved, from 10-year-old shredders to dads trying to keep up. First up was the whip-off. Everyone was sending it! With bangers pumping from the Red Bull truck and the crowd roaring, it went off. I haven’t seen that many good…

Billed as ‘the mullet with muscle', the new Switch 7 is a big-hitting, mixed-wheel-size enduro machine with long travel and aggressive angles. It sports Orange’s trademark monocoque aluminium mainframe and swingarm, but, in a radical departure for the Halifax-based brand, uses a hidden linkage to drive the shock (1) – something seemingly anathema to the Orange mantra of keeping frames as simple as possible (while constantly refining the geometry and kinematics). This Switch 7 belongs to Lachlan Blair, the Enduro World Series and Downhill World Cup racer from Fort William, who’s built it up with a drool-worthy selection of parts. All hail the coil While Lachlan’s favoured terrain is fast, flowy jump trails – “the looser and dustier the better!” – the young Scot admits: “I tend to get better…

A HAIBIKE THAT’S NOT SO HARD TO LYKE! E-MTB pioneers’ latest model is much lighter and less industrial-looking NEED TO KNOW Haibike were one of the first brands to make viable e-MTBs – in fact, they claim to have invented them – and have long been the industry leaders in Europe. Their bikes have always worked with stereotypical Germanic efficiency, but haven’t been as sought-after as the likes of Specialized’s Turbo Levo here in the UK. The new LYKE could change that. Not only is it one of the new breed of lighter-weight e-bikes – using FAZUA’s latest, removable RIDE 60 drive system, here claimed to supply 60Nm of max torque and paired with a 430Wh battery – but it looks a lot sleeker than previous Haibikes, too. WHO’S IT…

IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES WE’VE GOT A TWO-STOREY HOUSE EACH AND ARE FIRING UP THE STOVE FOR A BREW You can’t go on social media these days without being exposed to the #vanlife scene. It’s the ultimate aspirational lifestyle generator – buy a clapped-out workman’s van, strip it out and build a versatile, personalised motorhome inside. Then head into a National Park or north of the border and your Instagram will thank you for it. Of course, the mountain bike scene has its own van life community, too (which we shone a spotlight on last month), with vehicles also accommodating bike storage, workshop facilities and more. But the thing is, conjuring up thousands of pounds, hundreds of hours of labour and a deep understanding of mechanical engineering is…

SPEC Frame Carbon fibre Fork RockShox SID SL Ultimate, 100mm travel Drivetrain SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS (1x12) Wheelset Reynolds TR 309/289 XC carbon wheels, Hutchinson Kraken Racing Lab (Hardskin, rear) 29x2.3in tyres Brakes Hayes Dominion T2, 160mm rotors Bar/stem ProTaper Hyperlite carbon, 760mm/Rockrider alloy, 60mm (small frame) Seatpost/saddle Carbon fibre (rigid)/fi’zi:k Vento Argo Weight 9.4kg, small size without pedals www.decathlon.co.uk Decathlon made their World Cup debut this year with an all-new Rockrider team riding this bike. They’ve kept both frame and component weight to a minimum, to make it a super-lightweight XC race weapon. THE FRAME The full-carbon chassis is constructed from high-modulus fibres, for increased stiffness. A spare internal-routing port is provided for a dropper seatpost, in case you want to add one in future. The geometry is designed…

SPEC Frame 7075-T6 aluminium alloy, 190mm travel Fork RockShox ZEB Ultimate, 190mm travel Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Drive system Bosch Performance Line CX SmartSystem motor w/ PowerTube 750Wh battery Drivetrain SRAM X01 (1x12) Wheelset Mavic Deemax wheels, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip DD 29x2.5in (f) and Minion DHR II 3C MaxxGrip DD 29x2.4in (r) tyres Brakes SRAM Code RSC, 220/200mm rotors Bar/stem Truvativ Descendant carbon, 800mm/ Truvativ Descendant, 45mm Seatpost/saddle SDG Tellis dropper/Ergon SME30 Evo Weight 25.6kg, K2 size without pedals www.pole.com The Voima’s Bosch motor and battery are commonplace, but its construction isn’t. It’s made from two machined-aluminium halves that are bonded together. Pole are so confident in their manufacturing they offer a five-year frame warranty. THE FRAME CNC’d from a block of super-strong 7075-T6 aluminium, the chassis is…

SPEC Frame KVA MS3 stainless steelFork RockShox Pike Ultimate, 140mm travelDrivetrain Shimano SLX (1x12)Wheelset DT Swiss EX 511 rims on Hope Pro 4 hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF EXO 3C MaxxTerra 29x2.5in WT (f) and Dissector EXO 3C Maxx-Terra 29x2.4in WT (r) tyresBrakes Formula Cura 2, 200/180mm rotorsBar/stem Race Face Next R carbon, 800mm/Race Face Turbine R 35, 40mmSeatpost/saddle Bird Down Dropper V2.1/Bird BlankWeight 14.0kg, medium size without pedalswww.bird.bike JARGON TORQUE CAPS Designed to stiffen the interface between the fork dropouts and hub axle, these are wider in diameter than standard axle end-caps. EXO+ Maxxis’s mid-weight tyre casing uses thicker, more robust threads in the carcass, as well as a butyl strip over the bead to boost puncture protection. The Forge was launched in 2021, with this stainless steel version landing…

VAN ROAD TRAILS TRAIL STATS Distance Jump lines are about 150m Climbing Push up Time Jump lines take 10-20secs, dual slalom track about 40secs Grading Beginner to pro dirt jump lines WHY RIDE HERE? With four pump tracks, five-plus sets of dirt jumps and a dual slalom track, there’s something for everyone. Friendly locals sweeten the deal! RAD... Fast-draining, grippy dirt means the trails run well in all but the wettest Welsh weather The jumps get progressively more difficult as you ascend the hill, so it’s the perfect place to progress your skills BAD... Track length is limited compared to most bike parks Heading east out of Caerphilly on Van Road, there’s a small gateway leading to a car park and ponds, set in the hills a stone’s throw north…