The latest issue of MBR is out now, packed full of inspiring ideas and routes 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…

On the cover

KC Deane enjoys the ultimate riding season, in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Photographer: Mattias Fredriksson.

Best of British: Hope Technology

Hope is one of the UK riding’s best-loved success stories, crafting precision components from aluminium and steel, adding its anodised colourful flare, and now exploring carbon fibre for its new HB.130 trail bike. We head to Gisburn Forest to meet the brains behind the project, and check out the bike’s proving ground.

Lake District

It’s too easy to get stuck in a rut and ride the same trails, so in an effort to shake things up we head to the Lake District to ride something unknown and sample some singletrack that barely a tyre has graced before.

First rides

Linkage suspension isn’t just for your bike’s back end now — we try the new Trust Shout fork with 178mm and a design that could turn front suspension on its head. Plus first rides from the new Vitus Mythique budget trail bike, Merida’s EOne-Forty e-bike designed for fun over fast, and Norco’s pumped up Sight now with 29er wheels and 150mm travel.

Longtermers

Nukeproof’s first new bike in a while joins our longterm test fleet, the Reactor 290C Elite takes over where the old short-travel version of the Mega left off, with aggressive geo and short travel. Plus updates on the NS Synonym, Norco Sight e-bike, Marin Mount Vision and Canyon Strive.

Product

Muc-Off’s Pressure Washer Kit claims to be the only bike-only washer out there, we see if it’s bearing-saving lower pressure can still shift the crud. Plus reviews of the WTB Verdict wet tyre, Thule ThruRide bike rack, SQ Lab saddle, Madison Zenith waterproof jacket and more.

Tested: Enduro helmets

Blending downhill levels of full-face protection with the breathability of trail lids, the new breed of enduro helmets really do come close to doing it all. We’ve got eight on test, ranging from super-lightweight fixed full-faces models to convertible helmets with removable chinbars, with a wide spread of weight, price and functionality.

Bike test: Boutique British hardtails

A properly made hardtail is a thing of beauty, as well as dishing out the best connection between ride and trail. We’ve got three high end bikes from Pace, Cotic and Ribble, made from steel or alloy, all featuring 27.5in wheels and all boasting high level spec (because hardtails deserve top end components too).

Bikes in this issue

Canyon Strive CF 8.0
Cotic BFe
Marin Mount Vision 8
Merida EOne-Forty 9000
Norco Sight A2 29
Norco Sight C NX12 VLT
NS Synonym TR2
Nukeproof Reactor 290C Elite
Pace RC627
Ribble HT
Vitus Mythique 29 VRX

Get fit for riding

Riding your bike can only get you so far, if you want to ride faster for longer you need to add in some strength work, so we’ve teamed up with Fit4Racing to show us how to do it: From no-equipment exercises right up to full-gym strength training.

Car park skills

Messing about on your bike is more than just killing time and putting a grin on your face, it teaches you essential bike handling and placement skills for proper trail riding. Mess-about man in chief Andy Barlow from Dirt School shows us how to play and call it work.

My Best Trail

Trail builder Rowan Sorrell has raced, ridden and dug tracks all over the world, and his favourite trail can be found in Jamaica — sounds like the perfect excuse to us to go and check out why it’s so good.

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