MBR November 2017

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The latest issue of MBR is out now, packed full of inspiring ideas and route maps to help you find new places to get out and ride.

What about the magazine itself? Here’s a taste of what you’ll find inside…

Features

Urban Fringes, Yorkshire

It’s easy to get hung up on the ‘mountain’ side of mountain biking, so we go in search of riding right on the doorstep, to discover if there really is good riding in the urban fringes. Welcome to world of steps, cobbles and dirty drops.

Bike Of the Decade

As we close the book on our 20th year, we thought the time was right to reflect on a decade of mountain bike development. With that in mind we chose three of our favourite and most influential models of the last 10 years.

Bikes and gear

First rides

We ride the coil-sprung carbon Giant Reign Advanced 0 and Bird’s latest Aeris 145 with big geometry and a small price tag.

Longtermers

Time to say goodbye to the Ragley Mmmbop hardtail Benji’s been running for the past year and see if it’s as brilliant as the Hanson hit, plus updates on the Commençal, Calibre and Nukeproof.

Product testing

We test the GoPro rival Olfi One.Five camera, there’s a Giro and Ion head-to-head shoe-ff, Leatt’s new DBX 3.0 is reviewed, plus pedals from Crank Brothers and OneUp tested, and loads more.

Group test: lights

Winter’s coming, so do what Dylan Thomas might have done (had he ridden a mountain bike) and rail against the dying of the light by buying a set of your own. We test six bar-mounted light and half a dozen helmet-mounted options to get the best set-up.

Bike test: Bike Of The Year 2017

Of the 66 bikes we’ve been lucky enough to test in 2017 only 10 have scored full marks. It’s time, then, to pit them against each other and find the best of the best: if this was TV it’d be called The Bikeoff, but we like to call it Bike of the Year.

Routes

Would-be classics

Here are our favourite trails that have never achieved the status they deserve.

  • Conwy Mountain, North Wales
  • Duddon Valley, Lake District
  • Bowderdale, Howgill Fells
  • Beinn Fhada, Scotland
  • Lustleigh Cleave, Dartmoor

Pull-out routes

  • Cissbury & Wepham, South Downs
  • Goyt Valley, Peak District
  • Bredon Hill, Cotswold Hills

Skills and technique

Braking Bad

Skidding the rear wheel? Washing the front? Overrunning corners? Here’s how to stop braking bad and sort out your finger control.

Skills: step it up

Expert coaching advice from Andy Barlow from Dirt School, with a comprehensive skills upgrade to take your riding to the next level.

Workshop: fix a tubeless tyre

A tubeless set-up stops most punctures but it’s not infallible. Here’s how to fix a hole that’s too big to close with sealant.

Regulars

  • Big Pictures
  • Buzz
  • Real-world riding
  • Born-again rider
  • Mailbox
  • Reader photos
  • Ride guide
  • Afterimage

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