Mountain Biking UK

editor’s letter

Nineteen years and four MBUK front covers later, Akrigg is still at the top of his game and an inspiration to riders everywhere We don’t very often get star-struck here at MBUK, but that’s just how our features editor Ed felt when he met up with Chris Akrigg for this month’s cover feature. Not just because Chris is one of the world’s best bike handlers, demonstrating incredible precision whether he’s sticking a complex trials move or stomping a technical climb. But because when Ed picked up his first copy of the mag back in the year 2000, it had none other than Chris on the front. Nineteen years and four MBUK front covers later, Akrigg is still at the top of his game and an inspiration to riders everywhere, and Ed…

bowl cuts

If the ‘mullet’ is the current wheel-size fashion, maybe the ‘bowl’ is where it’s at if you want to get creative. In the quarry at Revolution Bike Park – which has seen tons of boundary-pushing action, from the Athertons’ huge jump lines to the Red Bull Quarter Master BMX comp – the 50to01 boys have teamed up with the guys there to create a crazy dirt skate park of bowls, rhythmed doubles, spines and more. Sculpting concrete-style shapes out of soil isn’t new in MTB – we were there back in 2005 when Charge Bikes did it with the ‘Radstock Recreation Ground’. But it happens so rarely, it’s always cool to see how the next generation have interpreted the idea. As you’d expect, the video of the 50to01 boys getting fruity…

more of that please!

We can’t have been the only ones glued to our screens watching the Les Gets round of the World Cup last month. The French alpine resort is a classic in the world of DH racing and, after a 15-year hiatus from the circuit, it was good to see a whole new guard of contenders (with the exception of the everlasting Greg Minnaar) battling on these hallowed slopes. And what a track! An old-school affair, with flat-out grassy turns, steep wooded sections and pinball berms. The speeds were so high we could almost feel the wind in our faces, and the tight racing made it one of the most exciting rounds in years. Hype levels were increased further by the Brits smashing it, with Brendan Fairclough drifting his way to sixth (his…

wire-free technology

We’ve just taken delivery of one of SRAM’s Eagle AXS drivetrains – mountain biking’s first cable-free electronic shifting system. Once paired, the rear mech and shifter ‘talk’ to each other wirelessly. They also connect to SRAM’s AXS app via Bluetooth, letting you control how the system operates. That’s some smart – and expensive – technology, which is why SRAM have taken steps to protect the mech. It uses a 10mm shorter cage than its mechanical counterpart, wraps around the cassette more and sits further inboard, to help it avoid knocks. When the inevitable does happen, An ‘overload clutch’ lets the mech move on impact, before returning to its last shift position. The shifter is new too and features a single paddle on a central pivot, instead of a traditional twin-trigger design. While…

hell of a masterclass

If you follow downhill or enduro racing, Ed Masters is a character you can’t miss. The enthusiastic Kiwi isn’t just a loud personality, but a hell of a bike rider too, and 2019 has been a phenomenal year for the Pivot Factory Racing star. Not only has he been smashing top-15 results on the DH World Cup circuit, but he also won his first Enduro World Series race in Les Orres, France, and currently sits second overall in points. “I was only keeping tabs on third place as I really wanted to get on the podium,” he tells us. “With one stage left I knew it was between Richie (Rude) and myself for the win, so I thought ‘f**k it, I’m gonna have a crack at the win!’ I pushed…

a stepping stone to welsh gnar

There’s an unstoppable wave of bike parks spreading across the UK right now and we’ve just been to ride a new one at Mountain View Ranch, near Caerphilly. Adding to the already abundant riding spots in South Wales, this compact skills park is only the first phase of a bigger development, but it’s already loads of fun to ride. Soil-sculpting maestros Trailcraft have been in charge of construction and we met up with one of the main builders, Nikki Whiles, to have a look around. Along with two jump lines of different sizes, a tarmac pump track and a smaller beginner’s track, there’s a 1km green trail through the woods, which is way more of a laugh than its grading might suggest. A blue trail that’ll make more use of the…