MBR July 2018

mbr july 2018

Want the latest MBR delivered to your door every month? Check out our latest subscription offer, or try MBR’s digital editions on iPad, Android, Kindle and more…

The latest issue of MBR is out now, packed full of inspiring ideas and route maps to help you find new places to get out and ride.

What about the magazine itself? Here’s a taste of what you’ll find inside…

MBR July 2018

On the cover: Al Muldoon tests Vitus’s £500 benchmark bike, in our Hardtail of the Year test. Photographer: Roo Fowler.

Hardtail of the Year

With three price points and an incredible 18 bikes reviewed, this is the busiest bike test of the year, and one of the most important too. No longer an afterthought in a brand’s range, entry-level hardtails are now designed to make your riding experience better, faster, safer and more comfortable.

Mind maps

Think of a favourite well-ridden ride and a topographical route with summits and valleys will miraculously pop into your head… well, it does for Sim Mainey anyway, as he explores the art of mental map making.

Steel evolution

Carbon fibre dominates the big brands’ developments, but for homegrown and small bike companies it’s steel that’s driving bike development on. We look at the stunning Prova Ripido hardtail and the latest Starling bike, a 180mm travel 29er called the Sturn.

First rides

Mondraker’s Foxy now gets 29er wheels and a hefty 150mm travel to compliment its Forward Geometry long length, plus we look at the latest Cube Stereo with, again, 150mm travel and 29er wheels. And our first ride on the stonkingly good value Vitus E-Sommet VR.

Longtermers

It’s goodbye to the Calibre Bossnut V2, the £1k wonder that rode like a sunkissed superbike — read the final review. Plus updates on the Scott Genius, Trek Remedy, Saracen Kili Flyer, Lapierre Zesty, Canyon Spectral and Whyte 905.

Product

The new USE Helix dropper post tested and rated, the Chromag Fubar and Truvativ Descendant bars go head to head, and loads more.

Tested: Enduro race forks

One component above all others can really make or break a bike: the fork. There’s no riding around a sloppy one, while a good fork can instil confidence and control and even save you when things go wrong. We’ve got the top five on test, from Fox, RockShox, Cane Creek, Ohlins and Formula.

Bikes in this issue

  • Calibre Bossnut V2
  • Calibre Line 10
  • Cannondale Trail 3
  • Canyon Spectral AL 6.0
  • Claud Butler Alpina 650
  • Cube Stereo 150 29
  • Diamondback Sync 3.0
  • Kona Shred
  • Lapierre Zesty AM 527 Ultimate
  • Mondraker Foxy 29
  • Norco Charger 2
  • Norco Fluid 2 HT
  • Pinnacle Kapur 2
  • Polygon Xtrada 6
  • Prova Ripido
  • Saracen Kili Flyer
  • Scott Genius 900 Tuned
  • Sonder Transmitter NX1 Recon
  • Specialized Pitch Sport
  • Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29
  • Starling Sturn
  • Trek Remedy 8 27.5 Women’s
  • Trek Roscoe 8
  • Vitus E-Sommet VR
  • Vitus Nucleus VR
  • Vitus Sentier VR+
  • Voodoo Bizango
  • Voodoo Wazoo 275+
  • Whyte 805
  • Whyte 905

Big mountain guide

Trail centres offer quick fix gratification, but what happens when you head to some proper mountains? Your skills, equipment and even mindset need shaking up, so here’s our guide to getting the most from big natural rides this summer.

Yoga for mountain bikers

Three yoga moves all mountain bikers should master, to help you stay supple and pain free after a day’s riding.

Skills: Keeping control

When trails get steep, loose or downright rowdy it’s easy to lose control — Andy Barlow from Dirt School shows us how to get a grip and boss any trail.

mbr july 2018

Regulars

  • Big pictures
  • Buzz: There’s a trail revolution going on at Bike Park Wales, with half a dozen fresh stretches of singletrack and a slick new uplift. Plus new bikes, where to ride and inspiration.
  • Mailbox: Your rants, raves and witty ripostes
  • Three Bike Garage: Racer Tracy Moseley reveals her ultimate three bike garage

Want the latest MBR delivered to your door every month? Check out our latest subscription offer, or try MBR’s digital editions on iPad, Android, Kindle and more…

The latest issue of MBR is out now, packed full of inspiring ideas and route maps to help you find new places to get out and ride.