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 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
Pre-lockdown Canyon launch, around a dry and dusty Barcelona. Photographer: Markus Greber
New Series: Trail Blazers
The Calder Valley where Lancashire meets West Yorkshire is home to the Havok Bike Park, once famed for its unsanctioned trails it now hides a huge bona fide trail network. We head north to sample the still-wild singletrack, chat to the trail builders and figure out just how you turn private land into a legit riding hotspot.
Scotland by sleeper
The famous Caldedonian Sleeper carriages have been whisking riders north to the holy trails of Scotland for decades… and it had started to show. Now those worn-out wagons have been replaced by shiny new rolling stock – complete with dining cart. We start with a lap of the Surrey Hills, before being rocked to sleep, waking up with a ride in the Cairngorms. Perfection.
First rides
Canyon has reworked its short travel Neuron Al full suspension bike, giving you a stack of bike for the money, a first-class frame and sorted suspension. And we ride the latest Nukeproof Mega 29, which now comes with revised geometry, more travel and a carbon front triangle
E-bike special
Thinking of flicking the switch and buying an e-bike? Let our guide walk you through the process, from this summer’s hottest models, to the different motors on offer and on to the newest breeds of diet, and downhill bikes breaking new ground.
Longtermers
Ben Smith is seduced by the Canyon’s great rival, the Radon Slide, PB’s Norco Sight e-bike won’t turn on (again), Laura reveals the merits of the Scott Contessa Ransom’s women’s specific contact points, Ben Day sums up a filthy six months on his NS Synonym, and Benji fettles his Nukeproof Reactor’s fork with volume reducer spacers.
Tested
On test this month is Formula’s Cura 4 brake, easily overlooked thanks to SRAM and Shimano’s dominance, but not overshadowed, it seems. Plus we review the 100% Trailcraft glasses with light reactive lens, E*Thirteen’s new TRS Race MoPo tyre, Race Face’s The Grippler grips, a bike cover from BikeParka and the Troy Lee Designs Spring Ultra pant.
Group test
Flat pedals
Bikes in this issue
Cannondale Moterra Neo SE
Canyon Neuron Al 7.0
Canyon Strive CF 8.0
Evil The Following
Norco Sight C NX12 VLT
NS Synonym TR2
Nukeproof Mega 290C Factory
Nukeproof Reactor 290C Elite
Scott Contessa Ransom 910
Scott Genius E-Ride 900 Tuned
Vitus E-Escarpe VRX
YT Izzo Launch Edition
Get fit for riding
Riding is taking a back seat right now but that doesn’t mean your fitness and strength have to join it — Fit4Racing shows us how to get faster and stronger at home, with no kit, little space but lots of technique.
Building speed
Riding faster is all about making smart choices, says Andy Barlow from Dirt School — he shows us when to go hard, when to back off, how to choose the right lines and always to have our best riding position.
My Best Trail
Why is The Luge in Cragieburn, New Zealand, the favourite trail of Jerome Clementz? No pedalling for days, flow to rival a pump track, and spectacular views have something to do with it.
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 routes to help you find new places to get out and ride.