THE WHYTE STUFF

We hit the trails with elite downhiller turned bike designer Sam Shucksmith, the engineering muscle behind Whyte’s acclaimed machines

RIDE WITH CONTROL

Get the basics right and your skillset can grow on solid foundations. Here’s how to set up your body and your bike

SCOTT PATRON eRIDE 900 TUNED

Its stealth profile is a futuristic tour de force, but will Scott’s new e-bike offer a rocketship ride?

SALSA BLACKTHORN CARBON

Salsa’s Blackthorn is a hot proposition: a trail bike that you can dress up or down

TRAIL BLAZERS ADAM STALLARD, ELAN VALLEY

If Mid Wales is mountain biking’s faded classic, one man is on a mission to give it a makeover and turn it into a masterpiece

WET AND WILD RIDES

Whether we like it or not, water plays a huge role in our riding. Here are five routes that make a feature of the stuff – getting wet is purely optional

Ben's Vitus Escarpe 29 CRS

MONTH 13: Ben’s found his goldilocks machine in longtermer number three

YETI 160E T1

Five years in the making, will Yeti's e-bike debut delight disappoint its dedicated fans?

SPECIALIZED STUMPJUMPER EVO COMP

While there have been highs and lows along the Stumpy Evo’s journey, 2022 is the year that marks its current zenith. Available in a whopping six sizes, the carbon Stumpy Evo 29 has shaken off its tentative, niche beginnings and gone mainstream.

ARBR RB2

The second bike from British brand ARBR swaps trend chasing for enduro racing

SPECIALIZED STATUS 160

£2,760 / 29-27.5in / specialized.com

GIANT LIV INTRIGUE X E + 1

£5,799 / 29in / liv-cycling.com

VITUS ESCARPE 29 CRX

Trail riding means different things to different people, so a good trail bike needs to be able to handle all sorts of terrain.

CANYON SPECTRAL CF8 CLLCTV

Canyon’s new mullet Spectral is a cut-andshut job, but it’s no Frankenbike monster

THE INSIDE LINE

No more bent mechs, as Canadian engineer Cedric Eveleigh has invented a rear derailleur hidden inside the rear triangle

YT INDUSTRIES DECOY MX CORE 4

£7,292.82 / 29-27.5in / yt-industries.com

How To Fend Off Fatigue

Along with general fitness, careful forethought and planning will let you ride for longer than ever, says Dr Shaun Phillips

DOWN TO THE WIRE

The story of how two Swiss riders racked up more descending in one day than most of us manage in several months

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARY FISHER

The godfather of mtb tells us about his Hollywood history, inventing the first klunkers, and his plans for a global trail network

MY BEST TRIALS

Mtb’s movers and shakers select their favourite places to ride

VOODOO BIZANGO

Voodoo’s dark arts continue, with the latest Bizango representing crazy value for money

YT CAPRA 29 CORE 4

Will we enjoy another fairytale shred into the sunset on YT’s latest Capra?

SEASIDE RIDES

With 31,368km of coastline, and great riding along the way, there’s no need to travel abroad to get your seaside fix; here are five routes that skirt the Great British briny

GT FORCE CARBON PRO LE

Is GT’s new enduro 29er a lazy idler or a Force to be reckoned with?

ROCK FACES

After three long years the Ard Rock enduro is back... so how did the riders rate it?

GOLDEN OLDIES

The retro market is booming as riders seek to recreate the dream machines of their youth; mbr pays homage to some iconic designs and wonders what future collectors will warm to

GOING FOR GOLD CUTTING EDGE XC RACE BIKES

Following Tom Pidcock’s gold medal ride at the Tokyo Games we test two XC bikes which, with a bit of training, are good enough to go wheel-to-wheel with Tom

STATE OF OUR TRAILS

Over the past 18 months, riding has been a lifeline for many but a mixed blessing for the state of our trails; we sound out some of the biggest stakeholders to find out what lessons have been learned

HOW TO FEND OFF FATIGUE

What makes us tired when we ride? Pretty much everything, it seems, from the climbs to the descents, the terrain, the temperature and even how well we slept last night

KILLER LOOPS FOR NEWBIES

The perfect place to start for new riders and young ‘uns – all killer, no filler mileage