Mountain Biking UK

Pushing your limits and riding right on the edge feels amazing, but it’s all too easy to take things a little too far, exceed your skills and find yourself eating dirt. I was reminded of that this month, when I decided to session a tricky (for me) ju

Top riders including Laurie Greenland, Phoebe Gale, Kaos Seagrave and Dennis Luffman headed to BikePark Wales for the Fox Hit The Park event, to ride the trails and show off their sponsor’s latest gear. We were invited to join them, along with all th

Sometimes we take for granted just how good the trails are in parts of the UK and it takes an outsider’s perspective to make us appreciate them. Austrian rider Helene Fruhwirth has visited Scotland many times, to race four-cross and downhill at the F

“In 2016 I was up in Dharamshala in the Indian Himalayas, which is the city where the Dalai Lama lives. There was a hike into the mountains, and I thought I’d take my bike up it. It was about 10km, up to a ridge at 3,000m. At the entrance gate, the p

South Africa’s Greg Minnaar headed into this year’s Downhill World Championships with the confidence of a four-time winner and a bike honed to eke out every possible extra second on the French track. In the end it wasn’t to be, and he missed out on b

When UK cross-country legend Sally Reid (née Hibberd) saw a pic of herself on her 1991 Team MBUK bike earlier this year, she remarked that she wished she’d never sold it. Her friend Martyn Clarke sprang into action, found a Zinn Z-Centaur frame, in g

IN ASSOCIATION WITH MBUK Write to: MBUK Send it! Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST Email: mbuk@immediate.co.uk Visit: www.mbuk.com Lezyne Tool Insert Kit, Tubeless Insert Kit & Super SV23 multi-tool worth £128 SixSixOne Recon V2 knee & elbow pads, si

Essential protection against knocks and scrapes, for any vehicle and in loads of colours, made-to-order in Leicestershire from heavy-duty waterproof polyester. From £70 https://rhinouk bootlinersltd.co.uk The Tundra is built to withstand Armageddon (

Building on the success of their R1V and D2A flat pedals, Pembree have launched the aptly-named Very First Stem (VFS). Not only does it look pretty bling, but it has great eco credentials, too. Founder Phil Law says he’d always intended to expand the

Stunts with parachutes aren’t new – from Dave Morris riding out of a plane in our August 1990 mag to ‘Darren Berrecloth’ (clearly a stunt double) sending it off a cliff in 2005’s New World Disorder VI. But Tim Howell’s BASE jump off Clogwyn Coch, nea

Is Whyte’s E-180 Works MX the ultimate e-enduro race bike? The first bike launched with Bosch’s new Race motor (right), the E-180 has an all-new alloy frame with mixed-size wheels, aggressive geometry, a whopping 170mm of rear-wheel travel and a big

£7,250 Extra-travel, extra-tough e-bike Alongside redesigning their Moterra Neo e-bike, Cannondale have introduced a new ‘LT’ version, aimed at big-mountain riding. It’s got a lot in common with its shorter-travel sibling, using the same powerful B

Sometime earlier this year, my good friend Max and I were chatting and plotting adventures. With a penchant for hike-a-bike and steep, borderline-ridable tech, our discussion drifted north of the border, to the remote mountains of Torridon. I’d ticke

Over the years, one thing has remained constant in the world of mountain bikes – Trek’s Fuel EX has always been a benchmark trail bike that others are judged against. So, does this latest iteration uphold this reputation? With 140mm of rear-wheel tra

Some people thought I was mad for starting a team in 2021, during a worldwide pandemic. Then we were hit by global supply-chain issues the likes of which the industry had never seen before. There was a point in the off season when I wondered what I’d

Riders have been doing tricks on bikes ever since they were invented. Early MTBs weren’t great for this, but by the late ’90s, frames had become more compact, components more durable and, with a healthy dollop of BMX influence, a thriving dirt jumpin

With three decades of MTB experience, Rob can identify the kit that works XC/trail/enduro rider and tech wizard Tom gives his gear a proper hammering Downhiller Luke is always looking for what saves time between the tape Many years of breaking bikes

£3,499 (+ £56.98 packing & shipping) A frame switch gets tester Katherine back out on the trails The keen-eyed among you will have noticed my update was missing from last month’s mag. That’s because my partner John felt some play in the Spectral 125’

In these budget-conscious times, a waterproof jacket is a serious investment. However, if you plan on riding through the UK winter (or even just spring and autumn), it’s an essential. Careful consideration of your individual riding needs can help you

If you only ever do the same things, you’ll never progress further than where you were. This is true for more of us than we care to admit when it comes to our riding. It’s easy to stay in our comfort zone and not take unnecessary risks because we all

We’re halfway down to the beach on the paved path when Daryl calls a halt to proceedings. “This is boring. I reckon we should head back into the forest and then on to Cadence for lunch instead.” To be fair, it’s my fault – we’d poked out of the fores

The Lake District National Park, established in 1951, covers 2,362km², and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017. This stunning region offers some amazing scenery and challenging riding. www.lakedistrict.gov.uk Max loves travelling

With a background in BMX, 4X, dual slalom and Elite DH racing, as well as bike development, Mick’s ridden and documented MTBing for 20 years and is one of only a few bike testers to have hundreds of reviews in print. The ‘downcountry’ category has be