MBR January 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 January 2018

Cover: Supermodel Smith shreds the Nukeproof Mega in the enduro bike test, page 84. Photographer: Roo Fowler

Magical Mystery Tour, Lancashire

How far do you trust your friends? Enough to blindly follow a mountain route, equipped with nothing more than a GPS and a faithful belief that your mate will see you through? We put friendship to the test in a mystery Lancashire moorland loop

Milking Trails, Switzerland

Jamie Nicoll leads an intrepid band of explorers on a tour of Switzerland’s high mountain alpages, revealing a network of daunting singletrack, tasty cheeses and a story that would impress Heinrich Harrer himself

Radon Jab revealed

Fancy a stunning looking carbon fibre superbike but can’t pony up the £6k pricetag? Direct sales brand Radon shows us the new Jab, a 160mm travel enduro bike for half that price

First Rides

We ride the Trek Remedy 9.8 with new through-shaft shock design and Focus’s Raven² e-bike with removable motor

Longtermers

Final review of Charlie’s Commençal Meta TR V4.2 Origin after a year in the testing, Roo has some delightful rides on his Scott Remedy and JD finds a rival for his Calibre Bossnut

Product

Kenda Hellcat Pro and Onza Acquilla RC2 tyres go head to head, and we test the 661 Recon Scout helmet, Karcher’s OC3 and Mobi V3 portable pressure washers, the Specialized 2FO and Ion Raid_Amp shoes and the Alpine Stars Descender 2 jacket

Tested: Flat pedals

Perfect for learning to jump, pump and control your bike, flat pedals provide a vital connection between you and the bike. We test a dozen to find out which grips best, which stands the test of time and which offers the best value

Bike test: enduro bikes

Enduro racing welcomes riders of all abilities, from new riders to seasoned pros, so this month we’ve split the bike test in half: The first head-to-head pits the Nukeproof Mega 275 Comp against the Whyte G-170 S in a £2.5k shootout. The second is a 29er carbon dream machine shoot out, with the new Orbea Rallon M-Team taking on the legendary Specialized enduro

Bikes in this issue

  • Calibre Bossnut V2
  • Commencal Meta TR V4.2 Origin
  • Focus Raven²
  • Nukeproof Mega 275 Comp
  • Orbea Rallon M-Team
  • Radon Jab
  • Saracen Kili Flyer
  • Scott’s Genius 900 Tuned
  • Specialized Enduro Pro 29
  • Trek Remedy 9.8
  • Whyte G-170 S

Buzz: Fit to ride

Can’t ride through injury or time pressures? Here’s how to stay strong for the next time you turn the pedals

Skills: Join the dots

Linking together grip points on the trail is key to fast, confident riding — expert coach Andy Barlow from Dirt School shows us how to take riding to the next level

Regulars

  • Big pictures
  • Buzz: The new Cooking on Gas trail in Sheffield, new places to ride in 2018, plus inspiration on new bikes and gear and how to get fit and fast
  • Mailbox: Your rants, raves and witty ripostes
  • Ride Guide: Routes for four great natural rides, complete with OS mapping
  • Afterimage: Enduro pinner Katy Winton shows us her favourite image racing EWS

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.