CATEGORIES

WHEN LOCKDOWN LIFTS

After four months of Covid-19 shutdown, BikePark Wales is back in business and the kids are back in abundance

YOUNG TURQS

Yeti has relaunched the famous ARC as a trail bike, blending retro cool with modern tech

TRASH TALKING

Clearing up the rubbish epidemic plaguing our trails is going to take more than just litter picking – we need a sea change in how to respect the countryside

PROPER BIG RIDES

You’ll need good weather and maximum daylight time for these monster multi-day rides

NEXT GEN KIDS

Full suspension for eight-year-olds: YT and Whyte take kids’ bikes to the next level

SOLD OUT

Online and in-store, everything from hard tails to e-bikes are out of stock: where have all the bikes gone?

CARBON JACK THE RIPPER

The new Carbon jack 29 could be the antidote to all those indentikit designs

ORANGE STAGE EVO LE

Orange’s new 29er loses travel but gets a thrillingly progressive makeover

STATUS: QUO

Specialized has a history of great budget bikes; the new Status 160 hopes to continue the tradition

HONG KONG HEIGHTS

Hans Rey heads to one of the world's biggest, busiest and densest cities to discover its natural riding

FIVE TEN TRAIL CROSS LT SHOE

£ 109.95SPECIFICATION • Weight: 790g pair • Sizes: EU 36 to 50 (43 tested) • Contact: adidas.co.uk

PEARL IZUMI ELEVATE KNEEPAD

£ 119.99

NUKEPROOF HORIZON CARBON BAR V2

£ 109.99

GIRO MANIFEST HELMET

£249.99

Bike geometry 101 WHY YOU NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THE GEOMETRY CHARTS

To wrap up our series on geometry, we're going to explain why you shouldn’t rely on the manufacturers to get it right, and how to gather your own data

HARDTAIL REVIVAL

Lockdown has seen a run on back-to-basics mtbs that do it all with the minimum of fuss

PÚCA UP

Cwmcarn’s new blue trail opens up the South Wales trail centre to every level of rider

REMOTE RIDES

Escape from it all with our pick of the UK's best remote rides

WHY WE TRAIN

You’ll ride faster, for longer, and have more fun, we guarantee it... and it starts with as little as two hours a week

ESSENTIAL UPGRADES

Bought your first proper mtb? Here are the upgrades that’ll really make it sing

TYRES

Exotic carbon frames and complex suspension are only as good as your bike’s contact patch, so get to grips with our 10-tyre test to make the most of your machine

DOWN TO THE WIRE

The final stage of the final race of the year, and one man stands between Sam Hill and a historic third EWS Championship. Will it be a fairytale ending for the Thunder from Down Under?

First rides

SWINGING A LEG OVER WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH

Bike geometry 101 - HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR RIDE

Following on from part one, where we showed how your bike’s geometry influences your body position and centre of gravity, we now look at how you can manipulate components and settings to improve your shape on the bike

3-BIKE GARAGE

Our favourite people pick their ultimate bike stable

SHAPESHIFTER

The Gnarvana from Guerilla Gravity really could be one bike to rule them all

PB'S NORCO SIGHT C NX12 VLT

MONTH 12: PB’s Sight is proving unreliable but that hasn’t stopped him eyeing up its stablemate

LAURA'S SCOTT CONTESSA RANSOM 910

MONTH 5: Laura feels overbiked on her lockdown loop but takes the chance to put the Scott’s travel modes to the test

NORCO OPTIC CARBON C2

Norco sets out to garner big grins from short travel. Will the Optic Carbon fit the bill?

VOODOO ZOBOP E-SHIMANO

A 3k e-bike you can buy from an actual shop? Is Voodoo’s new Zobop too good to be true?