Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Mountain Biking UK

It was great to see superstars of the sport such as Cédric Gracia, Danny Hart, Hans Rey, Tracy Moseley, Steve Peat and Martyn Ashton at our Rider of the Year awards do (p8). Feeling a bit bleary-headed, I got up early the next day for our post-awards ride at BikePark Wales. Inevitably, the heavens opened, leaving me thanking my lucky stars I’d swung past the Mudhugger van to pick up their latest front mudguard. Others weren’t so fortunate – our videographer Max had to be hosed down along with his bike! Slop aside – or perhaps because of it – it was a fun day, albeit one that reminded me just how fast on a bike many people working in the cycling industry are. Perhaps I should have taken a…

This year’s MBUK Rider of the Year awards must have been the most star-studded yet! Legends of the sport including MTB trials pioneer Hans Rey, OG freerider Brett Tippie and downhill stars Steve Peat, Tracy Moseley, Cédric Gracia and Danny Hart braved torrential rain and nightmarish traffic to attend the annual event, which was hosted at our office in the centre of Bristol. They were joined by a host of nominees and former winners, Team MBUK alumni (Marc Beaumont, Andrew Titley, Dave Hemming) and magazine favourites (Martyn Ashton, Blake Samson, Andrew ‘Doddy’ Dodd), pro riders (Tom Isted, Olly Wilkins, Ben Deakin, Scott Beaumont, Wyn Masters, Andy Lehmann) and brand representatives, at what more than one person dubbed “the unofficial bike industry Christmas party”. Guests were treated to an open bar,…

A London company have come up with a new helmet technology that’s claimed to reduce the risk of concussion by four times, on average, compared with conventional designs. It’ll debut on Canyon’s new Deflectr trail lid, due to hit shops soon. The renowned Virginia Tech helmet lab have already tested the design, and it shot straight to number one in their rankings. The Release Layer System (RLS) works using panels on the exterior of the helmet that “roll and release” on impact to redirect rotational energy away from the brain. These are connected to a lightweight polycarbonate bearing layer, bonded to the shell. When a significant impact is detected, this ‘activates’, leaving the bearings free to roll in any direction to enable the panels to detach. It’s the brainchild of…

“ASA’S BIKE LOOKED BLING WITH CHROME FORK CROWNS, CUSTOM BRAKE LEVERS AND A POSSIBLE SIGNATURE CRANKSET” When Downhill World Cup star Neko Mulally’s contract with his previous team wasn’t renewed for 2022, the three-time US national champion decided to develop and bring his own bikes to market under the name Frameworks Bicycles. Neko has since stepped back from racing, but the torch continues to be carried by the Frameworks Racing 5DEV team, which includes top Junior racer Asa Vermette, whose bike you see here. MIXED MATERIALS The Frameworks DH has gone through multiple iterations. First the frame was full alloy, then the team moved to a steel front triangle and carbon fibre back end (via a collaboration with the UK’s Cotic Bikes), before a version with an aluminium mainframe and…

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. From rounding a bolt to starting a task that’s deceptively complex, it’s all too easy for a simple repair job or some routine maintenance to become an odyssey. So, to ease your woes, we’ve put together a list of frequent bike-fettling foul-ups to help you avoid any unwanted trips to the bike shop. 01 REACHING FOR THE LIMIT SCREWS FIRST WHEN ADJUSTING YOUR GEARS There are many variables to check when adjusting or indexing mechanical gears. While it might be tempting to reach for the limit screws, this isn’t the best place to start. These small screws prevent the rear derailleur from shifting the chain into the spokes or the driveside chainstay. Provided they’ve been set up correctly and the derailleur hanger isn’t bent, in theory…

EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE BEAT THE WINTER BLUES Now that winter is in full swing, I’m struggling to get motivated to ride, largely because of the wet and cold, but also because of the post-ride tidy-up job. Do you have any recommendations for decent winter kit that’s actually worth the cash? Plus, some tips for surviving the clean-up? Billy Purvis, via email Winter riding can seem like a chore, but get the right kit and build good habits, and it can be some of the best you’ll do. When it comes to kit, it’s important to look after your extremities. Your hands and feet will get cold quickly and make life pretty miserable, especially on longer rides. Many of us here at MBUK use 100% Brisker gloves. They may not be…

If the weather’s getting you down, check out Next In Line, a new YouTube edit featuring young UK shredders Finley Davies and Rudi Eichhorn. Put together for the pair’s clothing sponsors Peak Performance, by filmers Joe Simkins and Jack Clark, it shows them hitting up some classic South Wales spots, just before the wet set in. If the flow and energy of these two youngsters doesn’t get you stoked to ride, the prime Welsh loam they’re carving through surely will! UK riding really is hard to beat, when it’s not too wet and minging out.…

Choosing new tyres for your mountain bike can be a minefield. You’ve got to pick a tread pattern and rubber compound that offer the right balance of grip and rolling speed. Plus, a casing that will ward off punctures and provide sufficient support, without adding excess weight or dulling the ride. And all while trying to decipher the bewildering naming conventions used by different manufacturers. With their new, premium K Series tyres, Kenda aim to end the confusion. Simply pick a tread pattern, then choose one of the clearly named casings – Downhill, Enduro, All Mountain, Trail or XC. There’s no need to select a compound, because each casing has its own bespoke rubber blend, tuned for its intended use. Kenda have launched the K Series with the Double Black…

Entry-level mountain bikes have got so much better over the past decade. Before then, £500 to £1,000 bikes would give you a taste of the sport, but the ride would often feel precarious, rough and normally very rattly. Thankfully brands have really stepped things up, creating bikes like the Talon and Secta tested here, which will not only help you take on proper trails, but allow you to enjoy them with more confidence and safety too. At the £1,000 price point, these bikes are at the top end of ‘entry level’ and come adorned with all the kit you’d likely see on far pricier trail bikes, albeit at a much lower spec. Still, having a dropper seatpost, 1x gearing, a wide handlebar, hydraulic disc brakes and an air-sprung suspension fork…

THE GOLD STANDARD Giant’s Anthem Advanced SL has been ridden to Worlds victory, and there’s a longer-travel version plus women’s equivalents Giant’s latest Anthem cross-country bike won gold at the 2025 XCO World Championships, under South Africa’s Alan Hatherly, and now you can buy one yourself. It’s available in four forms – as the Giant Anthem Advanced SL XC bike, the ever-so-slightly longer-travel Giant Anthem X Advanced SL ‘fast trail’ rig (pictured) and the women’s-specific Liv Pique Advanced SL and Liv Pique X Advanced SL. All use a completely new frame with a revised ‘FlexPoint Pro’ layout, increased suspension travel and modern geometry. The chassis is constructed using the ‘Advanced SL’ process debuted on Giant’s 2024 TCR road bike. While many carbon fibre frames are formed around inflated bladders, Giant’s…

£339.99 www.garmin.com This small GPS computer is built specifically for mountain bikers, with a rugged, rubberised case and numerous MTB-specific features to enhance your time on the trail. The 2.13in/54.1mm display is colourful and bright, but lacks the touchscreen capability of more expensive computers. Instead, the unit is controlled by six buttons around its edge. On the plus side, water, sweat and mud can’t interfere with the screen or your scrolling through the menus, as can happen with a touchscreen. However, especially when it comes to manipulating a map for navigational purposes, the buttons are fiddly to use. There’s up to 14 hours of battery life in the normal setting or around 20 in power-saving mode so you’ll get a few decent rides out of it between charges (done via…

£89.99 https://saddleback.co.uk These minimalist knee pads from TLD are built for trail riding, with the aim of maximising comfort and freedom of movement while still providing enough protection to take the sting out of any falls. The D3O padding is rated to CE Level 1, meaning that Troy Lee’s bulkier, slightly heavier, Level 2-rated Stage Pro pads will look after your knees a little better. With no straps, the Speed Pros have proven comfortable to ride in, but compared to the latest offerings from rivals such as Fox, they fall short in some areas. Lightweight protection At the heart of the Speed Pro is a D3O Diablo L1 insert. Like D3O’s other offerings, this is made from viscoelastic material, which is flexible when pedalling but hardens upon impact. The Diablo…

EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE Most e-bike drive systems work by sensing a rider’s pressure on the pedals and using this as a signal to assist (or multiply) their inputs with the electric motor. Overrun is the pushing force an electric bike continues to give you after you stop turning the pedals. UNINTENTIONAL OVERRUN On older or less expensive e-bikes, overrun is sometimes a consequence of inferior sensors or less advanced computer software. In these cases, it can make the bike more difficult for the rider to control, particularly at low speeds. However, on modern e-bikes, clever engineers, using advanced computer technology, are able to minimise unwanted overrun and maximise the biomechanical interface between the rider and the bike. INTENTIONAL OVERRUN E-MTBs often still have some overrun, but this is intentional –…