Newsletter sign-up

Current Issue

FREE Calendar with this months issue of MBR!

Along with the new look and feel of MBR, the January issue also comes with a free calendar. It features some stunning riding shots, World Cup dates and of course all of MBR's 2009 on sale dates, so you'll never forget when to get into stores to pick up the latest issue.




MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDER

We've given the mag a bit of a freshen up this month, from the cover to the contents inside. Amazingly, it's three-and-a-half years since we launched our award-winning compact format, so we thought we'd kick the new year off with a flourish of new fonts, new sections and, what the publishing industry likes to call, new 'franchises'.

Don't panic, all your favourite features are still there, we've simply added a few elements and expanded others. Biggest change perhaps is that we've now gone for a 'compartmentalised' approach, putting all the routes, tests and advice into their own specific sections.

We reckon it's the best incarnation of the mag yet, so let us know what you think via the website forum.

Also, to coincide seamlessly with the unveiling of our new look, I've been goaded into undertaking a special atb challenge: to see how many trail centres I can ride in the next 12 months. According to a new guidebook we've been involved with (see page 121), there are now 63 dedicated venues, plus a handful of smaller bikeparks — so it's no mean undertaking, at more than one per week on average.

KITCH
(MBR editor)

JAN ISSUE:
in the shops on 3rd Dec

JUST GET OUT AND RIDE
Our new series Just Get Out and Ride (or JGOR for the catchy acronym form) kicks off this month – it's pretty self explanatory really, it's about riding your bike anywhere, anyhow. This month we feature a night time epic in the North Downs, riding from Dorking in Surrey to Brighton, before hopping back on the train in time for work the next morning. Just because winter's arrive with a snap doesn't mean we all have to hang up the riding gloves.

UK TRAILS
The Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales are deserted, even by rural Wales' standards. With the Brecon Beacons to the South and Snowdonia to the North, the Cambrians have been hiding some of the best singletrack in the UK.

BIKE TEST
On the rack this month are four 150mm travel bikes from Felt, Giant, GT and Specialized. The extra suspension travel doesn't add any weight over their less well-endowed 140mm brother bikes, but do they ride as well? As manufacturers up the ante on suspended lengths we ask if enough is enough.

GROUP TESTS
We've got two for you this month: nine of the best finishing kits out there, with bars, stems and seatposts reviewed; plus five sets of knee pads to keep your joints looking as they should.

HOW TO
We all want to ride faster and smoother, with less effort and fewer stacks – in our new How To series we show you in simple, visual steps how to ride like Ruaridh Cunningham. First up, Chris Ball, director of Dirt School, talks us through how to tackle steep switchbacks.

PLUS
• FOUR PULL-OUT RIDE GUIDES with Ordnance Survey mapping.
• Pages of advice on maintenance, consumer, route and health issues.
• Step-by-step workshop guide to replacing a broken spoke.
• Shedloads of new products ridden and rated.

IMPORTANT NEWS - In 2009 we're continuing to publish 13 issues rather than the usual 12. This means there'll be a new mag every four weeks, rather than one per month. And instead of popping into your local newsagent on the first Wednesday of every month, you'll need to get down there every fourth Wednesday. The January issue's out on December 3rd, then every fourth Wednesday following - you get the picture.