Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Mountain Biking UK

I like e-bikes and think they’re great for the sport. There, I’ve said it. A few years back, that statement would have got me scoffed at, accused of ‘cheating’ or worse. Now, e-MTBs are a familiar sight on the trails, have opened up the sport to more people than ever, and most riders can recognise their benefits, even if they personally prefer to rely solely on pedal power. I’m sure you’ve decided which side of the fence you’re on, so check out our supplement if you’re interested, pass it on to a mate if you’re not. In the mag itself, we’ve got all sorts this issue. Danny MacAskill admits a secret addiction to crisps, Rob Warner fills us in on the end to his World Cup commentary in an exclusive…

OUT FRONTMy SCARIEST Moment “About 15 years ago I was on a ride through the historical rural interior of Portugal, which was really cool. I was with some magazine editors from Brazil and a few other people, and it was the early days of GPS systems for bikes, so they gave us Garmins to get the course right. It was really difficult to follow because there were so many unpaved sections. Portugal has a huge infrastructure, and yet so few people – a large number of the citizens move away from the country for work and then send money home. “It was a 10-day ride and I was starting to feel really good, so I took off from the front of the group and was hammering along. I was watching…

For most readers, Rob Warner will need no introduction. A regular in these pages since 1994, when he rode for Team MBUK, he was the first Brit to win a Downhill World Cup, and also took three National Championships titles. Known for his outspokenness and wild behaviour on and off the track, it was natural he’d end up in front of the camera, featuring on MTV, Bullseye, You Bet! and even making Anne Robinson laugh on The Weakest Link, before switching to the other side of the lens as a commentator for first Freecaster.tv and then Red Bull. With the World Cup broadcast rights switching to Discovery Sport for 2023, what’s Rob going to do? We arranged to catch up with him to reflect on the past and hear about…

WRECKED & RATED MEET THE TESTER LUKE MARSHALL TECH WRITER Luke’s fortunate to test dozens of bikes a year, so he’s got a grip on what’s hot and what’s not. He’s never happier than when thrashing out laps on fast, punishing trails and enjoys pushing bikes hard to find their limits. There’s no getting away from it, mountain biking isn’t a cheap sport. The main requirement for entry – a suitable bike – costs a not-insubstantial amount of money, and if you want top-spec equipment, it’ll cost you a pretty penny. But does that mean you need to spend an arm and a leg to have a good time? Not necessarily. This issue we’re testing four trail bikes costing £1,600 or less. We wanted to find out just how capable…

Just like the mountain bike itself back in the ’90s, e-MTBs have now evolved to the point where the basics are sorted and designers can head off in all kinds of new directions. ‘Lightweight’ e-bikes are the latest trend – although a bike weighing north of 15kg would never normally be called ‘light’ – with the likes of Trek, Haibike, Pivot and Transition now following the lead of Specialized, Lapierre and Orbea, and sacrificing a little grunt and battery range for a more nimble ride feel. These machines aren’t cheap, though, starting from around £5,000. It’s encouraging then, that true budget e-MTBs are starting to appear, too, with the likes of Calibre (GO Outdoors), VooDoo (Halfords) and Rockrider (Decathlon) all offering e-hardtails for around a grand and, in the case…

FULL-POWERBIKE REVIEWS The E-Sommet VRX is Vitus’s top-spec and longest-travel e-bike, designed for the rigours of enduro riding and draped in high-end parts for a reasonable price, but only available online. THE FRAME Built from 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, the E-Sommet boasts integrated chainstay, down tube and motor protection, internal cable routing (via the headset cap, with un-plugged ports, which let water enter the headset) and a steering block to stop the bar turning too far. The Shimano STEPS EP8 motor is powered by a 630Wh battery in the down tube. There’s 167mm of four-bar rear travel, with a relatively progressive leverage rate, suited to both air- and coil-sprung shocks. The Vitus runs an on-trend ‘mullet’ wheel set-up (29in front, 650b rear). While the geometry isn’t revolutionarily long, low or slack,…

FULL-POWERBIKE REVIEWS Canyon are known for their slick design – here in spades, on a detailed, hydroformed alloy frame with inbuilt electronics and power switch – and also for offering excellent value by selling direct-to-the-consumer online. The Grand Canyon:ON 9 is the range-topper in their electric hardtail line-up, but does an e-bike with no rear suspension actually make sense out on the trails? THE FRAME The Grand Canyon:ON has sophisticated aluminium tube profiles, with huge welds joining slimline rear stays (for increased comfort-boosting ‘compliance’ over rough ground) and a funky oversized seat tube. A Shimano EP8 motor provides the pedalling assistance, powered by a big 630Wh battery (504Wh on the smaller sizes) concealed within the fat down tube. If you tune it for economical power usage, this will deliver over…

LIGHTWEIGHTBIKE REVIEWS Creating an e-MTB that feels like a regular trail bike is no easy feat – and could explain why there aren’t all that many around. Motor, battery and spec compromises have to be made, and geometry complications can arise, putting many brands off. However, Trek reckon they’ve nailed it with the Fuel EXe. You’ll need deep pockets to afford one, though. THE FRAME The heart of the Fuel EXe is theTQ HPR50 drive unit. Trek have taken a gamble partnering with the relatively unheard-of motor brand (a German firm with a history in the medical and aerospace industries), but it’s allowed them to build everything from the ground up. The HPR50 weighs just 1,850g and is barely visible on the bike. TQ claim it produces an impressive 50Nm…

For a brief period at the turn of the millennium, street riding was all the rage. Everywhere you looked, people were riding off roofs on monster-travel freeride bikes, sending it down French stairsets on over-forked hardtails or razzing around British town centres on modified dirt jump bikes. Brands such as Spooky, 24 Bicycles, Brooklyn Machine Works and the UK’s own DMR, Identiti and Pashley jumped on the new trend, building machines that could take a beating on the unyielding urban concrete, and the likes of Jeff Lenosky and Aaron Chase became global stars. Here in the UK, the scene had more of a trials influence, thanks to high-profile riders such as Martyn Ashton, Martin Hawyes, Chris Akrigg and Eddie Tongue. The rise of the full-suspension trail bike, paired with freeride’s…

STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX & ONTO THE TRAILS YETI SB120 T1 £8,199 A short-travel trail bike designed for toughness As the name suggests, Yeti’s new SB120 has 120mm of rear-wheel travel, but don’t mention ‘downcountry’ – with a 130mm fork and a relatively burly build, it’s very much a short-travel trail bike. The T1 model we tested is the most affordable (a term we hesitate to use, given its £8k+ asking price) build with the TURQ-series frame, which is made from higher-grade, lighter-weight carbon fibre than the (slightly) more pocket-friendly C-series bikes. THE FRAME The SB120 ticks a lot of frame-feature boxes. There’s room for a decent-sized water bottle within the front triangle, plus a broad down tube protector, which can be replaced, if needed. This gives access to…

JO e BREEZE HE STILL REMEMBERS EVERY TWIST AND TURN OF LOSING HIS REPACK VIRGINITY Joe Breeze was one of the original ‘klunker crew’ and the man who built the custom chromoly-steel ‘ballooner’ bike that inspired Tom Ritchey [overleaf] to begin making 26in-wheeled off-road frames and set up Ritchey MountainBikes – the brand that gave the sport its name – with Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher. Joe went on to found Breezer Bikes, only stepping back a few years ago, and is the curator at the Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. He still rides the hallowed trail where the sport was born, and remembers every twist and turn of losing his ‘Repack’ virginity. “Charlie held my rear wheel, said ‘three, two, one’ and then I…

SIDI FROST GORE 2 £269 https://saddleback.co.uk SO GOOD… Less bulky than many winter boots, these feel more like normal shoes, and are less prone to crank scuffs, although the internal fit is best suited to slim feet. The neoprene ‘sock’ provides a good seal around the ankle and, combined with effective insulation, makes them nice and warm. Power transfer is efficient through the stiff sole. NO GOOD… Water made its way in when walking across boggy ground – disappointing on such an expensive pair of shoes. The BOA-style closure is fiddly to use with winter gloves, the heel cup feels restrictively tight, and the insole pulls out when you take them off. Sole stiffness isn’t great for walking, and the narrow heel contributes to a sketchy feeling when clambering…

The figures below show some clear differences between the motors, with the Bosch providing slightly more torque but significantly less nominal support (amplification of rider power). If this were a game of Top Trumps, the Brose would come out on top. But it’s not as simple as comparing numbers on a spec sheet. When it comes to weight, don’t forget to take batteries into account. The Shimano motor is the lightest, by up to 300g (claimed), but that’s nothing compared to the difference between a 900Wh battery (4,500g, on the Norco Sight VLT) and a 504Wh one (3,150g, for a standard Shimano BT-E8035).…

LIGHTWEIGHTBIKE REVIEWS Once you’ve seen the price and scraped your jaw off the floor, the next thing you’ll notice is how little the Kenevo SL looks like an e-bike. Like Specialized’s shorter-travel Levo SL, it’s designed to be more like a regular bike than a full-on e-MTB, with a smaller battery and less torque. THE FRAME The Kenevo SL looks almost identical to Spesh’s non-electric Enduro. At its heart is the brand’s lightweight SL 1.1 motor, made by Mahle, which delivers up to 35Nm of torque and 200 per cent max assistance, powered by an integrated 320Wh battery. The three motor modes (‘Eco’, ‘Trail’ and ‘Turbo’) can be easily toggled and tuned via the bar-mounted remote, and the Mission Control app is intuitive, too. An LED console in the top…

UP YOUR PRESSURES E-bikes generally have larger-volume 2.4in to 2.6in tyres. This, plus the extra weight of the battery and motor, means you need to run higher tyre pressures to prevent them from feeling vague or rolling on the rim when loaded hard into corners. In fast sections, it can feel as though they’re ‘folding’ under the bike if run too soft (or at your ‘normal’ trail bike pressures). The levels of grip they offer when set up well is huge, though. To start with, aim to increase the pressures by 5psi over your standard set-up. Make adjustments both up and down in pressure to see how it affects performance. CHECK THE BRAKES With their increased stability and grip – thanks to their heavier weight and lower centre of gravity…

Located in Austria’s Paznaun Valley, the new Flow Trail Dias Kappl incorporates 38 turns and berms through stunning alpine forest as it drops nearly 350m to the valley floor. We got the chance to ride it this autumn, and it’s great for beginners, but with a gradient that encourages you to open the taps if you want. Accessed via the Diasbahn gondola, open from the end of June through to mid-October, it’s ideal for a bit of pre- or post-season shredding. The Paznaun Valley, which also includes Ischgl, one of the country’s most famous ski resorts, has plenty more to offer trail-wise, some of which we’ll be exploring in the mag soon. This area of the Tirol region is seeing big investments to push the MTB side of its sports…

OUT FRONT A NEW CHAMPION RISES? With the 2023 Rise, Orbea aim to set the benchmark for lightweight e-MTBs NEED TO KNOW Continuing with the philosophy of ‘more bike, less E’, Orbea have updated their lightweight Rise e-bike range with new motors and batteries. There’s improved cable integration, too, with control lines threaded through the headset for neater looks. All models use proprietary ‘RS’ versions of Shimano’s updated EP8(01) drive unit or the new, more affordable (but heavier) EP6. These have software tweaks to limit maximum torque to 60Nm and give a more natural feel at optimal cadences of 75-90rpm. Orbea have developed a lighter 360Wh battery to go with them, with a better charge-and-discharge ratio and heat management. It weighs 300g less than the previous version and is more…

FLYUP 417 BIKE PARK Distance 10km of downhill trails Climbing Once on the uplift it takes about 5mins to get to the top, and a bus leaves from the bottom every 15mins or so. How long it takes to push up depends on fitness, but there’s about 450ft of climbing Grading & time Blue to double-black graded pro lines, about 3mins per run WHY RIDE HERE? Ride FlyUp 417 if you want to pack the most possible uplifted downhill runs into one day, with everything from blue flow trails to one of the UK’s biggest jump lines RAD... Plenty of jumps for riders of all skill levels Indoor pump track Really short uplift ride BAD... Rain can close the dual slalom and 4X track No e-bike charging available Leaving the…

SUB-£500 SWYTCH UNIVERSAL CONVERSION KIT From £449 (with 60% pre-order discount) www.swytchbike.com If you’re on a tight budget, one option is to convert an existing bike. The easiest way is with a Swytch kit. There are certain limitations – for example, the powered front wheel is only compatible with quick-release forks – but it’s easy to fit, affordable and gives a welcome helping hand on gentler off-road trails, such as towpaths and fireroads. The latest Air and Max batteries are sleeker and lighter, too. However, the front-wheel drive doesn’t work so well for rougher or more technical trails, where the first-generation Swytch kit we tested was also rattly. £500-£2,500 CALIBRE KINETIC £999.99 (with GO Outdoors card) www.gooutdoors.co.uk While you can now find the odd full-suspension electric ‘mountain bike’ for under…

FULL-POWERBIKE REVIEWS Cannondale updated the Moterra range in 2022, tweaking the geometry and giving the bikes bigger batteries and more travel. The Neo Carbon LT2 is the cheaper of the two long-travel options and is pitched as a hard-charging enduro race machine. It’s equipped with the latest Bosch Smart System tech and a large-capacity battery. But how do all these changes stack up on the trail? THE FRAME The Neo LT is currently only offered with a carbon fibre front triangle and alloy rear end. Cannondale have designed it around a larger 29in front and smaller 650b rear wheel, to maximise bum clearance when things get rowdy. That’s exactly what this bike is designed to do, which explains why there’s 165mm of rear-wheel travel on tap, delivered via a four-bar…

FULL-POWERBIKE REVIEWS Keen on all-day epics? Scott hope to have you covered with the Patron eRIDE. Sitting between their trail-orientated Genius eRIDE and aggro, long-travel Ransom eRIDE, it’s designed to tick off the kilometres with ease, whatever the trails throw your way. THE FRAME The Patron’s striking, angular look is influenced by its high level of integration. Scott have hidden the rear shock inside the top tube of the carbon fibre frame, where a tool-free cover allows access to its adjusters. A four-bar linkage delivers 160mm of rear-wheel travel. By rotating the Bosch Gen 4 motor, Scott have made room in the down tube for a big 750Wh battery. Cables run internally through a one-piece bar and stem, and you get Scott’s TwinLoc system, which lets you partially or fully…

LIGHTWEIGHTBIKE REVIEWS Orbea’s carbon fibre Rise was one of the first lightweight e-MTBs. This alloy version follows the same template, but gains a bigger battery and is more affordable. THE FRAME Smoothed welds will have you thinking ‘carbon’, but fishscales by the BB give the game away. The Rise isn’t obviously an e-bike, either, until you view the down tube from above – this houses the 540Wh (non-removable) battery. Assistance is provided by a smooth, efficient Shimano EP8 motor with ‘RS’ tweaks, which limit torque to 60Nm to eke out more range and give a more natural ride. Shimano’s EN100 junction box replaces the usual LCD screen, with small LEDs to indicate mode and charge status. A single-pivot swingarm provides 140mm of rear-wheel travel, with a rocker to control the…

On any bike, setting up the suspension correctly will improve its performance and your enjoyment. E-bikes are no different, but because of the added weight and inertia, you’ll likely need to adjust your usual air pressures and settings. If set up poorly, the extra mass of the bike will work against you. INITIAL SET-UP Have a friend hold the bike and measure the sag on the fork and shock while you stand on the pedals. Aim for between 15 and 25 per cent at the front, and 20 to 30 per cent at the rear, to start with. Only use any compression adjustment for fine-tuning. Adding high-speed (HS) compression damping will reduce fork dive under braking, but make the suspension firmer over bumps and inhibit oil flow, so use it…