Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Mountain Biking UK

The KIS (Keep It Stable) steering stabilisation system is the brainchild of Jo Klieber, the mind behind kit brand Syntace and bike makers Liteville. It’s designed to help your handlebar self-centre and counter the wheel flop (automatic self-steering force) that can sometimes be noticed at lower speeds on bikes with slack head angles. Klieber claims there are benefits for climbing and descending, and Canyon certainly seem to believe it – they're putting their engineering might behind the project and will be, alongside Liteville, the only other brand to feature KIS. It’s actually a pretty simple system. A cam ring attaches to the fork steerer, between the headset cups, and is tethered to two springs housed and anchored (at one end) within the top tube, via a synthetic band. As you…

GETTING THE DROP ON THE XC COMPETITION BMC’s new Fourstroke could be the ultimate race whippet, with auto dropper post tech NEED TO KNOW BMC have given their World Cup-winning Fourstroke a complete overhaul, shifting the shock up and under the top tube (the bike retains the same twin-link ‘APS’ suspension system), upping frame stiffness to boost pedalling efficiency, and giving it the longer, lower and slacker treatment. Choose between the 120mm Fourstroke LT or the racier Fourstroke and 01 models with 100mm of travel at both ends. Excitingly, the pricier 01 model features an ‘Autodrop’ post that lowers without you needing to weight the saddle. WHO’S IT FOR? XC racers or downcountry trail riders looking to cover ground fast and efficiently. KEY STATS Travel: 100mm or 120mm, via twin-link…

CROSSWORX ZERO290 From €3,490 Handmade hardcore hardtail They may not be a household name just yet, but you can add CrossworxCycles to your boutique wishlist. The German brand hand-build all their frames in-house, from aluminium, and have a strong focus on making bikes that last. They claim to use the finest materials, and source locally where possible to minimise their carbon footprint. Alongside three full-suspension models, they offer this trail hardtail. The ZERO290 boasts a slack-for-a-hardtail 64-degree head angle and a super-steep 78-degree seat tube angle. Reach numbers are more conservative (455mm on the large), although they do offer an XXL size with a generous 505mm stretch to the bar. Up-to-date frame features include Boost axle spacing and a 180mm rear brake mount. You can buy a frame (€1,199) or…

JULIA’S JULIANA JOPLIN C S £6,399 It’s been another jam-packed month of riding for deputy art editor Julia and her Juliana Squeezing all my latest adventures into this space is a challenge! First things first, I fitted a new rear tyre – in a car park, just before a ride, obviously – replacing the original Maxxis Rekon 3C MaxxTerra with a Bontrager SE5 Team Issue. The more enduro-focused Bonty has brought some welcome grip as the roots get slicker, and the Joplin feels a lot more pinned to the ground, which makes me feel at ease with the prospect of winter. That said, the combination of the new rubber and the wet trails has made climbing a bit of a buzz-killer. The rolling resistance makes it feel like I’m towing…

Being a mountain biker at this time of year isn’t about wearing autumnal colours (nice as they are!) or skipping rides because the trails are a bit slippery. It’s about embracing the change in the weather, managing your expectations, having fun with it and adapting your riding habits to make the most of the season. Follow these tips from pro coach Olly Morris to have your best autumn ever and ride some all-time ‘fall’ lines! PRO-FILE OLLY MORRIS (not pictured) JOB Skills coach for Pro Ride CREDENTIALS As well as being the co-owner of Pro Ride, Bristol-based Olly is the ride coach for the MS Mondraker downhill team and also races DH himself, at national and World Cup level. www.proridemtb.com STAY LOOSE! The most obvious autumn challenge is the leaves…

INGVAR ÓMARSSON IN A FIELD OF HIS OWN What’s life like as Iceland’s top (and only!) professional mountain bike racer? We get the full lowdown from 33-year-old cross-country ace Ingvar on p14 MARTHA GILL AMBITIONS BEYOND ENDURO When we first met her in 2017, EWS racer Martha wowed us with her wheelie skills, and now she’s taking that bike-handling prowess to the courses of Crankworx – p19 DYLAN STARK RAMPAGE ROOKIE It’s a big leap from BMX tricks to hucking off cliffs, but nothing fazes this man. We hear all about his move to big wheels and his Red Bull Rampage debut on p46 ALICE SMITH LIVING THE DREAM? A summer in Canada, hitting up all the best comps and riding spots, sounds like the trip of a lifetime –…

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO IN 2022? Balancing life between being a dad and a pro rider, and trying to get some sleep! DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL DAY... Winning a huge race in the morning and spending the rest of the day celebrating with my family and friends. LAST TIME YOU WERE STOKED? Recently! I was the first person to finish a major championship race in the Elite category for Iceland at the European Champs. FIRST RIDING MEMORY? Crashing hard on a home-built BMX ramp – blood everywhere! FIRST BIKE? One of Trek’s cheaper BMXs. It was the perfect starting point. WHO’S YOUR HERO? Greg Minnaar and Sam Hill, because I was riding DH when I started. WHAT GETS YOU EXCITED TO RIDE? Good weather! WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE PERSON TO GO…

OUT FRONT Autumn is well and truly here, which means getting wet and muddy on pretty much every ride. We still love it, though! (The bike and clothes washing afterwards, not so much.) JCW is looking forward to moving house, closer to the Mendip Hills – although winter may not be the best time of year to explore their notoriously slippery-when-wet slopes! By the time you read this, our staff writer Will will have left. Boo! But don’t worry, he’s only heading across the office, as a new presenter for BikeRadar and MBUK’s MTB video content. We’ll reveal his replacement next issue...…

MEET THE TESTERS ROBIN WEAVER TECH EDITOR IN CHIEF With three decades of MTB experience, Rob can identify the kit that works LUKE MARSHALL TECH WRITER Downhiller Luke is always looking for what saves time between the tape ALEX EVANS BIKERADAR TECH EDITOR Many years of breaking bikes means Al can give reliable buying advice JAMES COSTLEY-WHITE EDITOR JCW has 30 years of riding under his belt and an eye for the key details WILL POOLE WORKSHOP MANAGER A dab hand at building and tuning bikes, Will knows what’ll do the job KATHERINE MOORE TESTER A route maker and guide, Kat is after kit that performs on all-day rides WHY OUR TESTS ARE THE BEST! Our technical-editor-in-chief Rob Weaver gets new products in as soon as they’re available and coordinates…

TECH Q&A COST-OF-RIDING CRISIS I started riding earlier this year and am loving it. I want to keep going through winter, but don’t have much kit yet. Looking at the reviews and in shops, everything seems really expensive. I can’t justify spending hundreds on shoes, jackets, trousers and so on. Can you recommend some cheaper alternatives that still do the job alright? Jack, via email Technical MTB gear can be really pricey, making it hard to justify the expense, especially early on in your riding journey. There are alternatives, though, to help you stay warm and dry over winter. Firstly, we’d look at more value-orientated cycling brands, such as Altura, Dare2b and dhb. Decathlon’s bike kit is well-regarded, too – we tested their £39.99 Rockrider All-Mountain Bottoms and found…

JULIA SCOTT TRAIL CAMO MAP CREW SOCKS £19.99 Made from breathable fabric and not excessively chunky, and although they’re unisex, the smallest size fits my tiny feet perfectly. www.scott-sports.com TROY LEE DESIGNS LILIUM WOMEN’S TROUSERS £130 Stretchy, comfy, true to size and – unlike on other riding pants I own – the pockets are in the right place to accommodate larger smartphones. https://saddleback.co.uk WILL GIRO LATCH FLAT-PEDAL SHOES £130 Grippy, comfy, hard-wearing, casual-looking shoes. Mine have taken a beating and the only sign of wear is the sole beginning to separate from the upper https://zyrofisher.co.uk FI’ZI:K GRAVITA ALPACA X5 SADDLE & TOOL CARRIER £120 This neat solution means I always have my CO2 inflator, tyre plugs and multi-tool right where I need them. I can’t forget them as they’re attached…

Write to: MBUK Send it! Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST Email: mbuk@immediate.co.uk Visit: www.mbuk.com STAR LETTER WINS... Lezyne Tool Insert Kit, Tubeless Insert Kit & Super SV23 multi-tool worth £128 THAT’S GOTTA HURT WINS... SixSixOne Recon V2 knee & elbow pads, size M worth £160 SHOT OF THE MONTH WINS... DMR Vault Mag pedals & Brendog DeathGrips worth £141 INSTA-BANGERS WINS... Lezyne Torque Drive, Grip Drive HV mini pump & Micro Floor Drive HV pump worth £134 STAR LETTER I’ll dive straight in. I’m 61 in December and I bought a Canyon e-bike (Grand Canyon) back in May. As soon as I took up riding, I instantly fell in love with it. So far I’ve covered approximately 800 miles on my new machine. A few bike parks…

GOING DEEP FREERIDE My aim for summer 2022 was to live the freeride dream. To head to British Columbia, get some amazing riding in, bask in the spectacular scenery and maybe enter some comps. The vision was to be completely nomadic, to roadtrip through Canada with just a van and my bikes. A simple and, importantly, achievable dream – or so I thought... Arrival When I landed in Vancouver I felt a mixture of emotions – relief to be back where I felt I belonged, excitement for what the summer would hold and also a bit of worry, about potentially riding my first Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour event. My companion for the trip was fellow UK rider Marcel Hunt, who was competing in all of the tour’s North American…

ENDURA GV500 REIVER £119.99 www.endurasport.com SO GOOD… The construction and materials feel on-par with shorts costing considerably more. You get thigh pockets, which are well-shaped and secure, plus further storage on the back of the bib. NO GOOD… These shorts have a tighter fit than others here and the front hem sits right on your diaphragm, causing discomfort for some testers. Both rear pockets are too small to get more than a few fingers in, to pick out smaller items, especially when wearing gloves. Comfort-break access isn’t great and, on this green version, any drips are visible. Our testers gave Endura’s pad mixed reviews. 7MESH MK3 CARGO £180 www.7mesh.com SO GOOD… Build quality is second to none, with plush-feeling fabrics, a compressive fit around the legs, one of…

You can’t go fast if you can’t stop fast and in a controlled manner, so good brakes are a vital component, no matter what type of riding you do. We’ve tested 12 to find the best set for you. This year, we’ve split our selection across two broad categories. First off, we’ve got some of the most powerful stoppers around, aimed at downhill (DH), enduro and e-bike riders. We kitted these out with 200mm rotors front and rear, to get plenty of power from their four-piston callipers, and tested them on an e-MTB and on enduro bikes for a complete performance picture. Our second group of brakes is aimed at cross-country (XC), downcountry and less aggressive trail riders, who still need plenty of stopping power, but for whom weight is…