LONG-TERM Rides MBUK

TOM’S MARIN EL ROY £2,375

Dry, dusty trails have our tech editor emerging blinking into the sunlight

While I’m sure that by the time you read this things will have changed, recently the weather has been prime for riding. It hasn’t rained properly for weeks and the sun has been shining. Much like how winter slop makes it a battle to keep your tyres pointing in the right direction, so do the current super-dry and dusty trail conditions. There’s no hero dirt to speak of, just a fine sprinkling of dust over hardpack. The result is a delicious mix of fast rolling and instant-breakaway traction that means bike handling has to be absolutely on-point to get close to top speed. I love it!

With summer nearly here and travel restrictions on the wane, it’s been amazing getting out and riding properly with friends in slightly further-flung places once again. I’ve been rediscovering riding spots that I once used to frequent, checking out the amazing work done by the local trail builders and, of course, enjoying some post-ride barbecues!

The El Roy remains my bike of choice for weekend rides, and is proving a reliable partner when firing down the trail blind behind