Mountain Biking UK has got all the latest news, kit and exclusive info on the newest and best bikes. The MBUK Wrecking Crew testing team are out there right now, riding new bikes and products to destruction, to give you expert reviews you can count on to be brutally honest. We live to ride - and that's what makes MBUK Britain’s best-selling bike magazine.
HELLO
IN THE MAG THIS MONTH
MEET THE TEAM • Our favourite things about summer are…
Out Front • WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF MOUNTAIN BIKING
What a lotta Otter! • Senior tech editor Tom Marvin brings us his highlights from the raft of new kit on show at the season-opening Sea Otter Classic
SEND IT! + Win all of this • YOUR MAIL, PHOTOS, IDEAS & RANTS
INSTA-BANGERS • Tag your Instagram pics with #mbukletters. We’ll pick four each issue and our favourite will win a Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL and KTV Pro Smart light worth £160. Usual T&Cs apply.
Want That! SUMMER VIBES • Our top kit picks for soaking up some sunshine
AUTOMATIC SHADES
DNA • OiOi! We put Ben Deakin on the spot and dive into what makes him tick
Launch Pad • THE NEWLY-UNVEILED BIKES & KIT GETTING US EXCITED THIS MONTH
MBUK Month • The highs & lows of life on the mag
ROADIE BRANDS TARGET THE XC CIRCUIT • New MTBs from drop-bar diehards Cervélo, Pinarello and Wilier
BOLD UNPLUGGED ULTIMATE • £10,999 Swiss superbike with unparalleled integration and futuristic looks
PROPAIN TYEE AL PRICE2RIDE MX • £3,599 (+ shipping) Don’t let the unusual spec put you off this capable bike
CALIBRE RAKE 29 • £550 (with £5 GO Outdoors card) The solid entry-level hardtail returns
FIRST LOOK
BOLT ACTION! • we ride motorbikes and e-bikes with reigning superenduro world champ Billy Bolt
THROW DOWN THE GAUNTLET #3 HIT THE DIRT JUMPS • Julia (nervously) swaps her full-sus for a jump bike to get some tips on improving her airtime from Saracen pro Alex Cahill
THE PROSPECTORS • IN NEW ZEALAND’S GOLD COUNTRY, IT’S A CASE OF ‘SAME DIRT, DIFFERENT REWARD’
WRECKED & RATED
6 OF THE BEST SADDLES • Posterior getting punished? We help you find the perfect perch
LONGTERM RIDES • Team bikes ridden hard for a year
BIKETEST LIGHTWEIGHT E-BIKES • We find out if slimmed-down, lower-powered e-MTBs truly offer the best of both worlds
GROUPTEST TRAIL SHORTS • Sun’s out, pins out! We test 12 pairs of men’s and women’s baggies for those long summer days on the trails
IMPROVE YOUR BRAKING • Knowing when and how to slow down can actually help you ride faster, says pro coach Olly Morris
GRIME TIME • EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE
THE LONG WAY DOWN • Max and Russell head to the Lake District for a route that pays off the uphill grinding and hike-a-bike with some of the biggest downhills you can get in the UK
BIKEPARK WALES • The largest bike park in the UK never gets old, so we figured it was time to hit up its newest trails
Mountain Biking UK
MINT SAUCE