Mountain Biking UK

The serpentine curves of Nan Bield Pass in the Lake District are a popular route for riders and walkers alike. So rare is the opportunity to have a clear run at them, that photographer James Vincent and his friend Rich Munro came up with a cunning pl

Fox have released a new single-crown fork designed for burly enduro bikes and pushing your limits on the fastest and wildest trails. The pistachio-coloured 38 Float (don’t worry, it also comes in orange and black) is available with 160mm to 180mm of

If you imagine riding in Mexico, dust, deserts and cacti probably spring to mind, not lush forests. This photo of Geoff Gulevich blasting out of the mist was taken on a recent trip to Oaxaca in the south of the country, an area the Canadian freerider

As the world battles its way through the various lockdowns, where travel restrictions have limited access to our favourite riding spots and we’re largely confined to our homes, we’ve become insanely jealous of those lucky few who’ve got backyard trai

Watching Harry Schofield ride a bike is a humbling experience. At just 10 years old, Harry, from Sussex, is already going faster and hitting bigger jumps than most of us would ever dare. And back when he was eight, his trick bag was brimming over wit

We find out how the coronavirus crisis is affecting the bike industry Coronavirus COVID-19 and the measures put in place to try to prevent its spread have had a massive impact on everyday life here in the UK, and the world of mountain biking has bee

What Rob Warner is to us Brits, in many ways Brett Tippie is to Canadians – a pro rider turned presenter, responsible for bringing us some of the biggest MTB events on earth, but with possibly even more stoke and dodgy one-liners. As an inductee to t

Direct-sale giants YT have always positioned themselves firmly at the hardcore end of the market – think Red Bull Rampage, World Cup race wins and their ever-popular Capra enduro rig. But with the introduction of a new 130mm-travel 29er, they’re taki

To ensure you’re able to use every bit of fork travel, RockShox have made some changes to their DebonAir spring for 2020. Set to feature in the brand’s headline Lyrik and Pike, as well as the cheaper Yari and Revelation, it’s also backwards-compatibl

“I’ve had a ton of scary moments in my life, but this is without doubt the biggest, because if my friend wasn’t with me that day, I wouldn’t be here talking about it. “I was out in La Réunion, in the Indian Ocean, for the Megavalanche there, practisi

Readers of a certain age will remember the original Raleigh Burner with teary-eyed nostalgia. Launched in 1982 and leapfrogging a wave of ET-fanned BMX hysteria, it topped many a Christmas list here in the UK and gave thousands of youngsters their fi

Canyon’s Neuron trail bike is a popular option thanks to its bargain price and solid spec. Until now, the alloy and carbon versions have used different-looking frames, but 2020’s Neuron AL update brings both the bikes’ aesthetics together. While the

While most full-suspension e-bikes weigh well over 20kg, the Levo SL Expert is an impressive 18kg in size XL, and the top-end S-Works version is even lighter. Like the Lapierre eZesty, it’s designed for riders who like to push the pedals and want the

Transition are one of those brands that just quietly get on with making super-fun bikes, and the new carbon Scout looks to fit that mould perfectly. With 650b wheels, 140mm of travel and aggressive geometry, it’s a trail bike designed to give you a d

“TODAY IS GOING TO BEEPIC!’ promises Sam Pilgrim at the start of his video documenting the day I’m spending with him, shooting this feature around Ipswich. Epic is probably not the first word that springs to mind when you think of Ipswich, but when S

ith all that’s been going on in the past few months, the new normal seems to be anything but. We’ve been racking our brains trying to come up with something that might be useful for you once lockdown measures have started to ease up a bit. So here it

The Fort William World Cup is the best-attended downhill race of the year. It’s become an annual pilgrimage, with 30,000 fans migrating north each June to watch the fastest racers on the planet do battle. For two days, our small Highland town at the

The Giant had a couple of whirlwind weeks of personal touches and upgrades last month, all topped off with a trip to Fox UK for some suspension tweaks that I was really keen to try – big thanks to those guys for squeezing us in! While the Reign is a

Excited to be escaping the MBUK workshop and heading to Sierra Nevada with my wife in mid-March, I followed Andy from Ride Southern Spain’s advice and fitted some heavier-duty tyres to cope with the rocky mayhem that awaited us. As the bike comes wit

Just as the Contessa Ransom and I have started getting used to each other, the fun’s been put on hold – not only because of the pandemic, but also because of a massive crash. For the first six weeks, the Ransom was out a lot. The Shimano XT rear brak

The standard of bike you can get for less than £1,000 has gone through the roof. While this crucial price point is still dominated by hardtails (the cheapest full-suspension bikes we’d recommend start at about £1,100), the technology and performance

An in-house brand of Chain Reaction Cycles, Vitus have often impressed us with compelling value. The brief for this test was hardtails under £1,000, but the base-model Sentier comes in well below this price limit (the next model up costs £1,100). Tha

On paper, plus-size tyres make a lot of sense on a hardtail, taking the sting out of trail chatter and make it easier to cover rough or soft ground. But how does the fat-tyred Fuse measure up on the trail? Specialized are the masters of finish. The F

By combining well-chosen parts with well-balanced geometry, Vitus have created a fun and versatile bike in the Sentier. But the fork doesn’t work as well for heavy riders as it does for lighter ones, and those who want to tackle steep and technical t

Calibre have made a name for themselves as the brand to beat when it comes to affordable bikes in the UK. Their Rake, Line 10, Bossnut and Sentry have all won accolades and bike tests for being among the best you can buy at their respective price poi

What have we learned from this test? For one thing, that geometry is still king. Measurements and angles vary more at lower price points, with some brands lagging behind with older designs, while others race to apply the latest knowhow. The Calibre L

Having good brakes on your bike makes you go faster. Sound like an oxymoron? Maybe, but it’s true. The fact is, if you know you can quickly and efficiently bring your speed under control, you’re more likely to let it creep up into the red zone. You b

Pistons: 4 Fluid: DOT 5.1 Weight: 256g Adjustments: Reach (TF), bite point (TF) With a choice of levers and callipers that can be mixed and matched in the Hope range, we opted for the Tech 3 lever with the four-pot E4 calliper. The Tech 3 is

Sooner or later , most mountain bikers wonder what lies beyond the bike parks and trail centres. Flick through the pages of MBUK, watch an online video or even just gaze out of the window and you’ll feel the mountains calling. But while you probably

Mountain paths can be steep so you’ll need to shoulder your bike at times. Once mastered, hike-a-bike isn’t that bad. The main thing to remember when lifting your bike is to bend your knees, not your back. Stand on the non-drive side, ideally with yo

PhotosRussell Burton Well, what a year 2020 is turning out to be. After finally wriggling free of winter’s grip and battling through various floods and storms, we’re now in the midst of the worst viral pandemic the world has seen for a century. With

Route summary This route makes use of our favourite trails in the area, passes some amazing refreshment stops, offers stunning views and even has the opportunity for a paddle along the way Start/finish Ulwell Road layby parking (grid ref SZ 022/809,

Route summary A stunning location and a wonderful trail along the top and bottom of the valley. It’s an easy ride, but one you’ll remember Start/finish Fingle Bridge car park (grid ref SX 743/898, postcode EX6 6PW) 1 From the car park, on the south

Route summary This ride is located right off the motorway, but it always feels a long way away from it. A fast cruise along singletrack, through picturesque countryside and featuring some delightfully twee refreshment stops Start/finish Roadside car

Route summary This is a very hard ride, which not only ascends the third-highest mountain in England, but drops down the far side, only to climb back over it a second time. A big, tough, technical day of riding, with magnificent views Start/finish W

BikePark Wales needs little introduction. It’s the biggest uplift venue in the UK, with some 40 trails ranging from green- to black-graded plus two orange pro lines. What it lacks in gradient (there’s only 240m of altitude drop), it makes up for with

Britain may not have endless soaring peaks or vast areas of untamed wilderness, but it’s still home to some truly epic, world-class natural riding. Where else can you be threading your way through ancient woodland one minute, then gazing out to sea t

All the photos in this guide were taken before the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. At the time of publication, cycling was only allowed for exercise, once a day, in the vicinity of your home, with members of your household and while maintaining a dis

The Lake District is one of the most popular destinations in the UK to head for to enjoy the outdoors, and not just among mountain bikers. With 12 million visitors a year, it gets very busy, on both the roads and the trails, and at accommodation and

With fewer bridleways than the national average, mountain bikers in the Peak District haven’t always enjoyed the same wide-ranging access as in other areas of the UK. Thankfully, advocacy group Peak District MTB have been steadily working with landow

Wales was made for mountain biking. Quite literally, in the case of the country’s many manmade trail centres and bike parks. However, there’s a wealth of amazing natural riding to be had out in the hills too. It’s not just a matter of knowing where t

The Forest of Dean is hugely popular with mountain bikers, who flock to the Pedalabikeaway centre near Coleford, where there are two enjoyable, purpose-built cross-country trails and a variety of short but challenging downhill tracks (with a great up

Exmoor is one of our favourite places to ride, because of its great trails, big hills, ancient woodlands and dramatic open hillsides, which offer stunning views across the moors and sea, all the way to Wales. The area is also welcoming to cyclists, w