Mountain Biking UK

Adventure is a word that means different things to different people. For some, it might mean a multi-day ride into the unknown. To others, an overseas trip of a lifetime. For many of us, though, it could just entail looking beyond our nearest trail centre or local woods, whether that’s to visit a bike park for the first time, test out our skills on some more challenging terrain or simply soak up some new scenery. Whatever constitutes an adventure for you, a good one is guaranteed to get you buzzing – and we’ve got plenty of inspiration in this month’s mag. In place of our usual berm and jump-packed Trail Crew visit, we head to Wales’s Brecon Beacons for more natural thrills on the classic Gap descent. Nils Amelinckx waxes lyrical…

VICKY BALFOUR BIKE MECHANIC & MORE The woman-on-the-spanners behind our Grimetime page has just got back from the notorious Megavalanche (p12) – an adventure for every MTBer’s bucket list RACHEL ATHERTON THE REAL G.O.A.T. Five-time DH world champ and six-time World Cup champ Rach tells us what it was like returning to top-flight racing after having her first child – p30 NILS AMELINCKX JACK OF ALL TRADES Nils mixes work for Lyon Equipment (7mesh, Julbo, Ortlieb) with big-mountain epics (p48) and a passion for photography, all while doing his best to #f**kcancer CORY WALLACE 24-HOUR WORLD CHAMP Think the UK lockdowns were hard? Cory was stranded in a Tibetan monastery and then the African desert, taking a spin up Mt Kili to pass the time! He tells all on p57…

ACCESS ALL AREAS MASS APPEAL How does the infamous Megavalanche keep being so darned Mega? Since 1995, thousands of riders have lined up at the top of the Pic Blanc glacier each summer to race the notorious Megavalanche Alpe d’Huez. This crazy mass-start descent begins at the lift station, 3,300m up, and plummets down to the valley floor in Allemont (713m), covering a total of 20km. On the way, the terrain goes from ice, snow and rock to loam and dirt, following a mix of high-altitude goat tracks and tight, steep forest singletrack. It’s not just the mountain that the competitors have to conquer, either – with hundreds of riders on the trails at the same time, fighting for the best line, crashes are all too common and the event has a reputation…

1 DMR Sect dirt jump frame Now’s the prime time for hitting the dirt jumps or pump track. With its old-school but ultrachuckable 26in wheels, double-butted chromoly tubeset and super-short rear end, this frame looks killer. £400 www.upgradebikes.co.uk 2 Fabric Gripper bottle ‘Bikes, Bikes, Bikes’ – says it all, really! Add a grippy textured surface and choice of four colours, and staying hydrated never looked so cool. £9.99 (750ml) https://fabric.cc 3 100% Aircraft Composite full-face helmet Available in a range of great colour combos, this fibreglass version of 100%’s former top-end carbon DH lid delivers decent protection and top styling at an affordable price. £249 www.silverfish-uk.com 4 Fox Speedframe Pro Divide open-face helmet This eye-searingly bright version of an MBUK fave boasts MIPS protection, dual-density foam and a Fidlock magnetic buckle. Question is, do you have the…

Back in MBUK 406, we revealed that World Cup star Tahnée Seagrave had a secret passion for making her own clothes. Now she’s worked with sponsors Fox to bring out her own ‘capsule collection’ of riding gear. The TS57 range was inspired by a top Tahnée had in her earliest riding days, which sported a fiery take on the Fox logo. She’s put her own stamp on the ‘flame head’ design, adding some trademark pink and tie-dye to the Flexair jersey and Defend pants. We particularly like the matching colour-fade Ranger socks and gloves, and the Vue goggles, too, with their pink-mirror lens and retro flames on the strap. The kit isn’t just for women; there are men’s sizes, too. It’s a limited run, so get them before they’re gone.…

Gary Fisher has always been what you might call a rebel. From hanging out with the Grateful Dead in the psychedelic Swinging Sixties to being instrumental in the birth of mountain biking (after the road-racing authorities took offence at his long blond hair), and from pioneering longer top tubes and shorter stems in the early ’00s to rocking his ‘dandy’ look, he’s always done things his way. After 40 years of living the high life, you might think you know him. But Gary has a secret – over the past couple of years, this legendary free-thinker has become somewhat of a domestic god! Everything changed a few years ago when he got married and had kids. The enforced isolation of lockdown brought a new purpose in life and, aged 72, it…