Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Mountain Biking UK

1 Oakley Universal Soft Goggles Case If you’ll be riding enduro or DH, goggles are a must – never go Full Euro in a full-face and glasses! This case is lined with soft fleece to protect your lens, has vents to prevent moisture build-up and is made from durable nylon, so should endure some rough handling. £22 www.oakley.com 2 Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones A crying baby or snoring neighbour can spoil a flight, but not if you have these bad boys! Designed with air travel in mind, they’re said to offer optimal sound at high altitude, 30 hours of battery life and high-quality LDAC wireless connectivity. £249 www.sony.co.uk 3 Osprey Ultralight Drysack Drybags aren’t only useful for outdoor trips, but also for making sure liquids in your hold luggage…

COMMANDING AUTHORITY Propain’s Tyee enduro bike gets updated for 2023 NEED TO KNOW Propain have given their popular enduro bike a refresh, while keeping its distinctive silhouette. They’ve tweaked their ‘Pro10’ suspension platform to improve bump absorption and consistency throughout its 160mm of travel. The Tyee’s geometry has also been refined – it’s now 5mm longer, 0.5 degrees slacker at the head tube, and standover heights have been lowered by 10mm. In addition, seat tubes are shorter, so that riders can use longer-travel dropper posts. An extra-small size has been added to the range, too. This and the small are 650b only, the medium can use 650b, mixed and 29in wheels, and the large and extra-large can use mixed or 29in wheels, thanks to a flip-chip. WHO’S IT FOR? Riders…

GOING DEEP RACING AS A CHILD I WAS ALWAYS COMPETITIVE. GROWING UP WITH TWO OLDER BROTHERS AND A YOUNGER SISTER TO KEEP IN CHECK, I spent my youth battling against and trying to one-up my siblings. A string of injuries later, and my focus changed from competing against others to challenging my own body. My racing streak was still somewhere there under the surface, though, and probably always will be. So, when Saracen challenged me to get competitive and take on a mini enduro event, I jumped at the chance. This was the spark I needed to refocus my energy and try to become a racer again. After all, there’s no better feeling than knowing you did your best and having the results to prove it. Saracen-sponsored rider and 2019…

WRECKED & RATED LONGTERM SARAH’S SANTA CRUZ BLUR XC C S £5,599 Tuning and new tyres make for a Blurry good time for tester Sarah For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been running a volume spacer in the RockShox SID SL fork, to see whether it’d make a difference to the support through fast berms and drops. If felt better, but I wanted to see whether the set-up I had was as good as it was going to get. Tweed Valley Bikes run a suspension set-up service, and they kindly agreed to fit a Motion Instruments data acquisition kit to the Blur XC, to show how well the fork and shock were working together. With this in place, I looped a short trail of varied terrain, making changes to…

STEVE PEAT MTB LEGEND For older readers, Peaty needs no introduction. Newbies can get the lowdown on this DH icon on p20, then head to p136 for a tour of his local Sheffield trails RACHEL BENNET MBUK STAFFER Challenged by Saracen Bikes to try her hand at a Mini Enduro, our Rach only went and podiumed! Find out more about her prep and race-day action on p38 STEVE THOMAS STALWART SNAPPER Documenting the sport with his camera since the early days, Steve takes a look back at the UK-led trail centre revolution, which changed how we ride forever – p47 MICK KIRKMAN OUR BAR MAN When he’s not snapping pics for us, Mick rides with a burly, take-no-prisoners style – making him the perfect man for this issue’s handlebar test…

Is it an MTB with a rigid fork? A flat-bar gravel bike? Or the ultimate bikepacking machine?! Whatever it is, the UK-made Windover Beacon sure looks like back-to-basics fun. Built for long off-road missions and endurance racing, the West Sussex-based brand say it matches the efficiency and weight of a drop-bar adventure bike while keeping the capability of a 29er hardtail when the tracks get rougher and the gradients steeper. The handmade frame is built from Reynolds 853 DZB steel tubing, while the carbon fibre fork is Windover’s own design – non suspension-corrected, but designed to fit a chunky 29x2.5in front tyre (415mm axle-to-crown). Other MTB-inspired touches include dropper post routing and Boostwidth through-axles front and rear. This flat-bar version blends off-road-worthy angles with “a dash of roadie DNA”, with…

OUT FRONT Congratulations to Bex Baraona on her first Enduro World Cup victory! The Tweed Valley-based racer and Gowaan Girl notched up three stage wins in Derby, Tasmania to top the podium. A big shout out, too, to MBUK 404 cover star Tom ‘Ice-T’ Isted for bagging his first Crankworx slopestyle podium, in Rotorua, New Zealand. Top work by the hard-charging Cornishman! Details of how to watch the 2023 MTB World Cup series have been announced. The racing will be broadcast on GCN+, Eurosport and Discovery+. Sadly, this means the coverage is no longer free to view, as it was on Red Bull TV. On the plus side, four disciplines will be shown live – downhill (DHI) and cross-country Olympic (XCO), short track (XCC) and marathon (XCM) – along with…

GOING DEEP TRAIL CENTRES “WORKING OUT WHAT WAS LEGAL TO RIDE WASN’T EASY, AND YOU MIGHT STILL GET SHOUTED AT BY RED-SOCKED RAMBLERS” For many mountain bikers, it’s hard to imagine that long-lost and occasionally lamented time before such things as suspension and disc brakes, smartphones and social media. As the sport entered the early ’90s, things were evolving at a rapid pace. However, as we slowly started to adapt to 1in-travel forks and clipless pedals, there was still something missing from the equation – dedicated trails to ride. The rules of the ride were a little blurry back then. Deciphering those dotted red and black lines on Ordnance Survey maps to work out what was legal and viable to ride wasn’t always easy, and even if you got it…

MEET THE TESTERS ROBIN WEAVER TECH EDITOR IN CHIEF With three decades of MTB experience, Rob can identify the kit that works TOM MARVIN SENIOR TECH EDITOR XC/trail/enduro rider and tech wizard Tom gives his gear a proper hammering ALEX EVANS BIKE RADAR TECH EDITOR Years of breaking bikes means Al can give ultra-reliable buying advice WILL POOLE WORKSHOP MANAGER MBUK’s mechanic can handle a bike as well as he wields his toolbox ANDY MCCANDLISH TESTER & SNAPPER Andy and his team have been testing kit north of the border for decades CHRIS BARNARD PRODUCTION EDITOR Chris loves bikepacking and remote places, and knows what kit to take 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 all…

One of just three contact points between rider and machine, the handlebar is a vital factor in any bike’s set-up, which can affect fit and ergonomics, steering mannerisms and comfort. Bikes in most categories now come fitted with bars that are a sensible width – 780mm or more. This means the days of needing to switch out bars from new to get enough steering leverage are thankfully long gone. There could still be many reasons to need or want a new bar, though, aside from the obvious bling-factor of colour-matching or upgrading to a fancier material. These range from wanting to adjust the height and position of your hands to tune your balance and position on the bike, to adding extra comfort via controlled flex for a smoother, less jarring…

This one isn’t just for the cross-country riders out there – anyone who pedals will have to deal with technical climbs. There’s obviously one way to manage them, and that’s to get off and push. But where’s the fun in that? Play around with some of these techniques and have fun with your mates trying to get up those challenging ascents. PRO-FILE OLLY MORRIS JOB Skills coach for Pro Ride CREDENTIALS Bristol-based Olly is the owner of Pro Ride Mountain Bike Coaching and the ride coach for the MS Mondraker downhill team. He also races at national and World Cup level. www. proridemtb.com FINDING TRACTION As the ascent gets steeper, you need to make sure your weight is spread across both wheels. This is the same when descending, but for…

JAMES COSTLEY-WHITE EDITOR A Troy Lee Designs D2 helmet during my wannabe DHer phase. Worth every penny! ROB WEAVER TECHNICAL EDITOR IN CHIEF I rinsed my student loan on an Orange 223 when my Saracen sponsorship ended JAMES BLACKWELL ART EDITOR My prototype On-One 456 Ti hardtail, back in the 26in days – and I still own it now JULIA BROUSSIER DEPUTY ART EDITOR A proper waterproof jacket, from Fox – that was when I started riding in winter! CHRIS BARNARD PRODUCTION EDITOR Terra Nova’s Laser Compact 1 bikepacking tent, which paid for itself in a single summer RACHEL BENNET STAFF WRITER My Giant Reign 2 – I blew my winter savings on it and committed to MTBing!…

OUT FRONT ALREADY ONLINE! The TRUE first mass-produced MTB Check out the little-known bike that pre-dates the Stumpjumper A lap with… Chris Smith UK freeride vet shows how to ride Wind Hill B1kepark like you built it Trail Crew: Dare Valley Some fun laps at the family-friendly South Wales venue External routing FTW! Tom Marvin explains why he’s no fan of internal cabling COMING UP NEXT! We ride MTBs with moto star Billy Bolt, do a lap with Ben Deakin, hit the jumps at Dirt Farm & much more To watch these and more, head to YouTube.com/BikeRadar…

Write to: MBUK Send it! Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST Email: mbuk@ourmedia.co.uk Visit: www.mbuk.com STAR LETTER WINS... Lezyne Pocket Torque Drive torque wrench & Alloy Drive (M) mini pump worth £105 THAT’S GOTTA HURT WINS... 661 Recon Advance knee pads (M) & Rail Classic gloves (L) worth £125 SHOT OF THE MONTH WINS... DMR OiOi saddle, Deathgrip (Thin) grips & V11 pedals worth £123 INSTA-BANGERS WINS... Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL & KTV Pro Smart lights worth £160 STAR LETTER RIDE IT OUT! I’ve just read issue 420 and wanted to thank you for your ‘Get out there!’ how-to feature. As someone who suffers from multiple sclerosis, highlighting the fact that some of us struggle to sling a leg over a bike and go riding is massively helpful.…

OUT FRONT CARL DECKER At age 47, this former XC Olympian and singlespeed world champ may call himself “as old as hell”, but he’s still competing, as well as managing Giant’s gravel riders – in between frequenting the Mexican restaurants and breweries of his hometown, Bend, Oregon “I see food as one of life’s great pleasures. But there’s a dichotomy – riding allows you to eat what you want, but eating what you want lessens your ability to ride! And getting off the couch to make decent food gets harder and harder with each long day in the saddle. “Eating for races runs the gamut. I’ve carried things that are eyebrow-raising. A pork chop – that was awesome, hours into a cold ride! I’ll also shove a bunch of yams…

UNPARALLEL DUST UP SHOES £110 New flat-pedal daps Founded by former Five Ten employees, UnParallel are a relatively new brand (est. 2017) who make shoes for climbers and MTBers. These are their DH-focused flat-pedal offering. The dual-compound outsole combines softer (45-50A duro-meter), unfortunately-named ‘VD’ rubber in the centre, for optimum grip and vibration damping, with more durable (76-80A) ‘RH’ rubber around the edges. Two different tread patterns are used, too, in the pedal zone and at the toe/heel, to improve traction further, both on and off the bike. You get a medium-stiffness midsole for stability when things get rough, plus a traditional lace closure with single Velcro strap. Made from synthetic materials, the Dust UPs are vegan-friendly and available in sizes EU37-48.5, in both men’s and women’s fits. www.unparallelsports.com WHEEEE…

WRECKED & RATED MINITEST LEZYNE GRAVEL DIGITAL DRIVE PRO £110 www.upgradebikes.co.uk SO GOOD… With its machined aluminium body and wooden handle, this has a premium feel. The connection between base and barrel feels strong. It took 25 strokes to inflate a 29x2.4in tyre to 25psi. Full rebuild kits are available, with spares for almost every part. NO GOOD… You have to screw the pump head onto the valve, which takes extra time and sometimes removes the valve core. Our test model’s digital display was off-centre and refreshed slowly, making it difficult to read when pumping. In transit, the pump head can pop out of its friction-fit holder, releasing the hose and allowing the handle to extend. TRUFLO SUPERTRAX £54.99 www.freewheel.co.uk SO GOOD… You can switch between high-volume (MTB)…

TECH Q&A PAD IT OUT I’m in the market for some new knee pads. What should I be looking for, and have you got any suggestions? I guess I’d class myself as a trail rider. Stephanie, via email Pads for trail riding need to strike a good balance between protection, comfort and ventilation – all potentially competing demands. Knee pads usually have a protection rating of CE Level 1 or CE Level 2. Level 2 pads are tested to withstand bigger impacts, but consequently tend to be heavier, bulkier and hotter. For trail riding, we generally use Level 1 pads. These mostly feature a flexible insert, held in place over your knee by a stretchy sleeve. This insert may be made from foam or, on pricier models, a non-Newtonian…

BIGRIDE Since MTBs – or ATBs (all terrain bicycles), as they were often known back then – started to become available in the UK in the mid-’80s, the sport has grown steadily. In recent years, this growth has become more marked, with the 2020 lockdowns getting more people out on bikes, mountain biking attracting a more diverse range of riders, and e-bikes opening up the sport to more people than ever before. Add an increasing number of folk wanting to explore beyond purpose-built trail centres and bike parks, and natural trails have inevitably become more crowded, and conflict with other users and landowners more prevalent. This isn’t helped by England and Wales’s outdated and confusing rights-of-way system, complete with inappropriate, missing or incorrect records. There is, therefore, a need, now…