Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Mountain Biking UK

“Warner’s always been larger than life, right back to the early days of his pro riding career” There are few mountain bikers who are instantly recognisable from their voice alone. But the one booming example, guaranteed to get even the most hard of hearing’s ears pricking up, is Rob Warner. Rob’s always been larger than life, right back to the early days of his professional downhill racing career, and certainly through the many wild appearances he made in MBUK in those golden days. More recently, he’s turned the volume up even further as he’s seamlessly transitioned into the familiar voice of World Cup race commentary. It’s a full 20 years since Rob became the first ever Brit to win a World Cup downhill race in Kaprun, Austria. So by way…

Founded by former Marzocchi employee Bryson Martin, California’s DVO Suspension have been designing ‘boutique’ forks and shocks since 2012 and testing them on the likes of Cedric Gracia. The 412g Topaz T3Air is intended to deliver unwavering performance on long descents, with cooling fins on the piggyback chamber and a big air can that can be tuned via internal spacers. A bladder system delivers improved small-bump sensitivity, while the ‘T3’ in the name refers to the three-position compression damping lever, which should mean you can pedal up as hard as you can descend. Of course, it wouldn’t be a DVO product without a bit of signature green anodising to give your bike some extra bling and make your mates jealous. £459 www.silverfish-uk.com…

MOST MOUNTAIN BIKERS know about the Megavalanche Alpe d’Huez. It’s the most famous mass-start enduro downhill race out there, and on many riders’ to-do list. Fewer people know about its Southern Hemisphere counterpart, the Megavalanche Saint-Paul, held on the tiny French island of La Réunion, which lies to the east of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean. Seen as an end-of season getaway as much as a race, most riders practise in the mornings leading up to qualifying and the race, and spend the afternoons on the beach. The race is run along the same lines as the alpine edition, with a mass start from the 2,205m summit of the Maïdo, a volcanic peak perched high on the edge of an ancient caldera formed from the collapse of an enormous shield…

1 Body Sculpture Total Body suspension trainer Attach these straps to a doorframe and use your bodyweight to perform tons of exercises. £49.99 www.bodysculpture.co.uk 2 Beyond Hope Climber’s Therapy Band Marketed at climbers, but just as effective for building strength and mobility after a bike crash. £7 www.beyondhope.co.uk 3 New Balance N Transit long-sleeve top Worn at the gym, running or as a baselayer out on the trails, this should regulate your body temp. £35 www.newbalance.co.uk 4 More Mile The Beast foam roller After a big day on the bike, help your recovery with some stretching and self-massaging. £29.99 www.moremile.co.uk 5 Skins DNAmic long-sleeve compression top Ideal for riding and indoor sports – or wear it sat on the sofa to aid recovery. £60 www.skins.net/uk 6 Fitbit Blaze smart ›itness…

SPECIALIZED S-WORKS ENDURO 29 £6,600 Do you even enduro, bro? If so, step right this way For 2017, Specialized’s already successful Enduro range has had a bit of an overhaul. While the shape of the frame remains generally the same, the geometry has been stretched and the head angle slackened. On the 29er version (there’s a 650b bike too) the travel has been upped to 165mm, making it one of the longest-travel big-wheelers around. The frame also now features a SWAT storage port in the down tube, as found on Spesh’s Stumpjumper range. This top-of-the-line S-Works model is fitted out with Öhlins suspension, Roval Traverse carbon wheels and a SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain. You’re going to have to part with a fair amount of your hard-earned for this beauty,…

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…

GUY’S TREK FUEL EX 9.7 29 £3,200 Our Kes’s new long-term machine promises to be a dual-wheel-size, trail dominating, kit tester’s dream Hunting down a long-termer for this year was no easy task. Not because there aren’t a lot of great bikes available, but because the complex current componentry situation means my primary parts test mule needs to be more versatile than ever. Plus-size tyres, wheels and other wide-specific weaponry are definitely going to be a big deal in 2017. But then, big-stride 29ers are mounting a strong comeback too, after getting shunted out of the limelight by 650b bikes. So I needed to find a bike that could handle both 650b+ and 29in wheels. I knew that Boost axles at either end would be essential too. Not just because…

PRO-FILE ANDREW NEETHLING JOB Pro downhill racer CREDENTIALS ‘Needles’ is a seasoned pro who’s regularly cracked the top 10 at World Cup and World Champs races. As one of the most stylish riders on the circuit, he’s a good bet for skills tips! Riding is a great way to escape reality and the stresses of everyday life, and so be ‘in the moment’. And getting ‘in the zone’ is the ultimate extension of that. It’s when you find yourself riding on instinct and responding automatically to direction changes and obstacles, without thinking. Getting there can take time and it means trusting yourself and the terrain you’re riding, but once you’re in the zone you’ll know it. And as an added bonus, you’ll probably find yourself crashing less too. Try riding…

BIG-BIKE CLIMBING Q I was just reading your review of the Scott Voltage FR 710 (MBUK 322), as I’m looking at buying that very model. The only thing that puts me off is its climbing ability. Could the adjustable geometry help with this? Also, is it worth adding a dropper post? Alternatively, are there other bikes that’ll do the job just as well but be a little more versatile? I mostly ride gravity-based tracks and freeride drops and jumps. Sam Lant , via email A The Voltage FR was loads of fun to ride but, as you point out, not the easiest to haul back up the hill. Adjusting the geometry (on this iteration of the Voltage you can alter the head angle, chainstay length and amount of travel) won’t…

WHERE ARE WE? ANTUR STINIOG, NORTH WALES TRAIL STATS Distance 6 trails, up to 1.5km long Climbing All uplift-accessed Time 3›8 minutes, depending on your ability and track choice Grading Blue, red and black WHY RIDE HERE? Antur’s surfaced rocky trails offer plenty of technical challenges and run well in all weathers RAD… There’s plenty of challenging terrain to keep riders of any level happy. Don’t worry, there are easier trails too! Fast uplift service means you’re guaranteed to finish the day feeling worn out BAD… The exposed nature of the hillside can make jumping pretty sketchy on windy days Although the hard slate surface makes the trails run well in the wet, it can get pretty slippery LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Locals do… Pump their tyres up. The sharp, rocky terrain…

Since stepping down from full-time racing, Dan Atherton has become known for building ultra-hard, boundary-pushing tracks, such as the Red Bull Hardline. But his latest project in Wales’s Dyfi Forest is a marked departure. Instead of a trail for top pros, he involved local riders and built one that’s fun for everybody. We caught up with the oldest Atherton sibling to find out how he goes about building a trail. “You only get out what you put in, so if you want to ride the best trails, you have to build them,” says Dan. “I start on my hands and knees, crawling through the undergrowth to find hidden features. Then I’ll mark a rough line down the mountain, clear key sections and link the features together. I don’t use any…

Winter has to be one of my favorite seasons. Being a chubby Englishman, I’m unable to take off enough layers to be cool enough in a warm climate but I’ll happily pile jackets on when it’s cold. Getting out in pouring sleet is horrible at first, but the feeling of curling up in front of a warm fire afterwards, with your fingers and toes hurting a little as they thaw out and a warm pot of something in your hand is unrivalled. The key to a successful winter is to travel in packs. Get a group together who are happy to ride, no matter what’s falling out of the sky. The best motivation is someone else crowbarring you into it. More often than not, you’ll get out there and the…

WINNER! STAR LETTER IN TOO DEEP I was on a mini break up in the Lakes recently, and naturally the bike came too. The weather was awesome and the views were promising to be spectacular, so I left the wife at Glenridding, saying: “I’ll be back for 12pm – there’s a cafe over there!” Heading up Helvellyn, the snow began to get a bit deep and skiers were passing me. I started to think I was a bit out of my depth. After making it as far as the snow would allow, I took in the amazing scenery and started the controlled skid down Sticks Pass. There were a few over-the-bars moments when the snow gave way (a fatbike would have been perfect) and the skiers were looking pretty smug.…

The life of a fully sponsored-up professional rider may seem like the ultimate dream. Getting paid to ride all the time, free kit on tap like cheap beer in your local Wetherspoon, a mechanic to fix your bike and unlimited sports massages to ease aching limbs – sounds great. But is the reality a little different to this hallowed vision? To find out where we'd rather be, we've pitted being a pro against being an unsponsored rider so we can really see where our futures should lie. 1 THE KIT DEAL FULL FACTORY So you’ve just signed a sponsorship deal with a clothing company. Well done you! You’ve discovered the holy grail – not only are you getting free kit but you’re actually being paid to wear it. But hang…

ROB WEAVER With over 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 ED THOMSETT Always on the hunt for new technical challenges, Ed gives his kit some serious abuse JAMES COSTLEY-WHITE JCW casts the same critical eye over the latest kit as he does the articles in the mag MATT ORTON Our in-house weirdy beardy likes long, hard rides and kit that challenges convention…

SPECIALIZED EPIC FSR COMP CARBON WORLD CUP MBUK VERDICT Blistering straight-line-speed-focused suspension and handling character, but technically unforgiving KTM SCARP 29 ELITE 22S XT MBUK VERDICT Seriously rapid, fast handling race or marathon machine, but bene›its from suspension tweaking XTMERIDA NINETY-SIX 9.XT MBUK VERDICT Stiff, well controlled, sprint-friendly full-suspension speedster with retro race handling SCOTT SPARK 730 MBUK VERDICT Scott’s remarkably sorted, trail happy but race-rapid Spark is the best of both worlds FINAL VERDICT There’s a lot of talk about modern XC bikes being far more trail capable, and also a lot of trail bikes being touted as race fast. While some rides we’d have liked to have included (Trek Top Fuel, Focus OE1, Felt Edict, BMC Fourstroke) weren’t ready in time for this test, having ridden several other…

GET OUT & RIDE! The gorgeous, crisp days between the slop and gloop of our British winters shouldn’t be missed. The next time it’s chilly outside, gird your loins, put on your warmest kit and get ready for one epic day in the saddle! GET PREPPED Riding on the white stuff needn’t be a brown pants affair, as long as you’ve got the right kit… BIKE SET-UP * Lower your tyre pressures to help the tread hook up on hard snow, and ice to an extent. * If the ground is frozen solid, stiffen up your fork and shock – it’ll feel like riding in summer, but the bumps will be more intense. BIKE COMPONENTS * Different tyres won’t offer much extra grip on ice but ‘mud spike’ tyres like…

PRO-FILE 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. In the cold midwinter, wet feet can make a good ride miserable, so whether it’s a puddle or a full-on stream crossing, check out these tips for the best chance of staying dry. It’s often hard to judge depth and choose a smooth line, so approach cautiously and focus on keeping your pedals turning so you don’t have to put a foot down. 01 HOVER Hover over your saddle as you pedal. That way, if your bike hits a rock, the impact won’t knock you out of balance straight away. 02 KNEES…

THE RAM INN There’s a reason we started the ride in Firle, and that’s because of the excellent Ram Inn (www.raminn.co.uk 01273 858222), which serves up some great posh nosh and a selection of fine real ales, including those from the village’s own brewery, Burning Sky. The Ram also offers some very nice rooms for the night, if you want to really spoil yourself. There are other eating and drinking options during the ride, including the excellent Saltmarsh (www.salt marshfarmhouse.co.uk 01323 870218), a farmhouse cafe in Friston Forest, which is just over halfway around the route. The 16th century building boasts both indoor and outdoor seating, making it equally handy during sunny and cold rides. An ideal pit-stop, it serves a fine range of cakes, snacks and drinks.…

1 Remove the securing clip from the pad pin with needlenose pliers. Unscrew the pad pin with a 2mm Allen key, turning it anticlockwise, and pull it out. Squeeze the pads together and pull both pads and the spring up and out of the calliper. Keep the pads, pin and clip safe. 2 Use a 5mm Allen key to turn the two mounting bolts anticlockwise and remove the calliper from the frame. Set the bolts aside, along with any washers. Clean the calliper and exposed pistons with a cotton bud or workshop rag. (See Hope’s website for detailed cleaning instructions.) 3 Gently push the pistons back into their bores, one by one, using a pair of (clean) needlenose pliers. Keep the pliers flat against the piston and use a rag…

ED THOMSETT Staff Writer at MBUK. Loves riding hard trails, but is pretty soft when it comes to getting cold and wet JAMES HUGHES Local downhill racer who rides for Antur Stiniog. He knows all of the big, scary lines and gaps intimately ALEX BOND After racing Red Bull Hardline, riding Antur Stiniog must have seemed like a walk in the park to Al EMYR DAVIES Turned up on his hardtail and rode at about 100mph. Not shy of sending it big JORDAN EADE Rooms with Emyr, and it looks like some of his balls-out attitude might have rubbed off on him…

“The track is really cool, but I should have brought an extra jacket!” In fairness to Swiss pump track king (and the guy behind those hilarious Red Bull course previews) Claudio Caluori, it’s late November in Scotland, and just about the only way to stay warm is to saddle up and drop in on his latest creation. The Bught Park pump track sits alongside Inverness’s outdoor skate park and features a mix ’n’ match ribbon of seemingly never-ending rollers and berms. A loud bang interrupts our chat. DH racer Kenta Gallagher has just attempted to send a huge transfer from the top of a berm into an impossibly tight roller section, snapping his cranks in the process. “Generally, you’ll lay out as much track as you can fit within the…

To celebrate Steve Peat’s final year of top-level racing, This is Peaty is back, with four special Last Orders episodes. As well as following Steve’s World Cup escapades and other adventures, part three reignites the age-old battle between North and South, pitting some of the best riders from both ends of the country against each other. Once Joe Bowman of Steel City Media had managed to get all the riders assembled in the Surrey Hills, they were set challenges that included a bike long jump, dirt jump relay racing and a tug of war. By all accounts, every rider pulled out the stops. Peaty was flat out, Sam Dale was a human wrecking ball and Jono Jones (brother of our columnist Matt) came out of retirement to send it to…

1 APOCALYPTIC Josh Bender, the undisputed godfather of hucking, pioneered a ‘do or die’ style of freeride in the early 2000s, launching off the biggest cliffs he could find. His bike of choice was the Karpiel Apocalypse – a massive chunk of aluminium and gussets that had two rear shocks, giving it an enormous 305mm (12in) of rear travel. It looks hilarious, but back in the day we kinda wanted one. 2 MONSTROUS In the world of forks, nothing has come close to the 300mm (11.8in) travel Marzocchi Super Monster T. With dual coil springs, 40mm stanchions and triple-bolted crowns, these bad boys were nearly on par with motocross forks in terms of size and weight. The open bath design meant they contained enough oil to wipe out a whole…

BLASTING DOWN A VOLCANO Jungles, gnarly roots and volcanic terrain on the stunning island of La Réunion BEST HARDTAIL FRAMES What’s the best frame-only deal you can get for under £500? We test four to ›ind out GET YOUR SKILLS SORTED Learn to jump like Jill Kintner, tackle wet roots, ride in cold conditions for longer & more GREAT RIDE INSPIRATION Routes to try in Shropshire, the Highlands, the Lakes and the Chilterns…

Altura Five/40 £69.99 SO GOOD… Altura’s reasonably-priced Five/40s kept us clean and dry in some grim conditions. We like the high-backed waist and two zipped hip pockets. The fabric feels tough and durable too. NO GOOD… These shorts size up large and adjustment is limited by the short length of the Velcro waist tabs. Relatively short-cut legs meant our lower thighs and knee pads got drenched. The waterproof fabric was among the least comfy on test and didn’t feel as breathable as others. Forward-facing zip covers make the pockets difficult to access. www.altura.eu Specialized De›lect H2O Comp £100 SO GOOD… These water-resistant shorts have a high build quality and some well-thought-out features, including a tough, abrasion-resistant bum panel and an internal gaiter system. The sheeny fabric deflected water and mud…

The choice of mountain bike shoes is huge and their design and details can vary drastically, even if they’re intended for the same sort of riding. For this test we’ve focused on all-rounders – ‘trail’ shoes, which you should be able to pedal in all day long, drag through rutted corners on your local downhill track or tramp over high-alpine passes in without them falling to bits. We’ve split the test in two, reviewing eight shoes for flat pedals and eight for clipless pedals (‘clipless’ refers to the fact that you don’t use a traditional toe clip, as was the norm before these pedals with their ski-style bindings arrived). While some of these shoes might appear quite similar on the surface, it’s important to tread carefully when buying, because if…

OVERNIGHT CHOCOLATE POATS Prepped the night before, this do-it-all jar of goodness can be custom-made to tickle your tastebuds. With oats and milk as the foundation, it’s easy to get the base recipe dialled and from there your imagination is the only limit on what tasty jars you can leave in your fridge ready for that pre-ride or pre-work breakfast! INGREDIENTS 65›85g rolled oats 100›125ml milk (cow’s, almond, rice or oat) Natural or greek yoghurt Cocoa powder Optional additions: Desiccated coconut, chia seeds, almond ›lour RECIPE 1 Take a large, clean jam jar with lid. 2 Add a third of the oats and sprinkle over a little cocoa powder and any other ingredients you fancy. 3 Continue layering as above until your jar is three-quarters full. 4 Slowly pour your…

ViewRanger is an app that lets outdoor enthusiasts plan, navigate, record and share their adventures. With offline mapping (including OS maps), turn-by-turn navigation, and live trip stats – like ride time, distance, and current, average and maximum speed – it’ll turn your phone into a fully-fledged GPS unit. You can also download detailed route guides, broadcast your location and share your adventures with friends. In 2016 ViewRanger released Skyline, a free augmented reality feature that uses your phone’s camera to label landscape features such as peaks, towns, lakes and cliffs within 20 miles of your location. ViewRanger is also the first app to use the built-in GPS on Apple Watch Series 2, allowing you to follow directions with a quick glance at your wrist. The ViewRanger app is available to…

1 Quick-release skewers Traditionally, frames and forks had slotted dropouts. The hub axle, which was 9mm in diameter and 100mm (front) or 135mm (rear) wide, rested in these. A thin (5mm diameter) QR skewer was then slid through the hollow axle to clamp everything in place. Not as stiff or secure as so-called ‘throughaxle’ systems, QRs are now mostly found on cheaper bikes. 2 Rear through-axles Through-axles are also inserted through a hollow hub axle, but they’re bigger (rear ones are 12mm in diameter) and screw into closed dropouts. At first, 135mm was the most common rear axle spacing, with 150mm used for DH. But 142mm and 157mm soon superseded these standards, with the extra 7mm allowing a stiffer interface with the frame. 3 Front through-axles Until Boost came along,…

GET THERE Approaching from the A5, take a sharp turning onto the A470 and stay on it all the way to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Antur Stiniog is on the left-hand side of the road, just before you reach the town. The postcode LL41 3NB will get you there. FACILITIES Parking, toilets, showers, cafe, bike shop and bike hire, plus loads of adventure activities! NEARBY BIKE SHOPS There’s a small bike shop in the on-site visitor centre if you need to fix your ride. They also hire out Nukeproof Pulse DH bikes, offering a great opportunity to try out ‘big’ riding on some proper Welsh terrain. CONTACT www.anturstiniog.co.uk WHAT ELSE IS NEARBY? Revolution Bike Park One of the UK’s best downhill uplift spots. See our feature in issue 335. www.revolutionbike park.com Nant-Gwrtheyrn This…