Issue 42

Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine June 2008

In this Issue:
Rachel Atherton Interview
Sicily
The Cotswolds Route Guide
Local Bikes for Local People
What Women Want

Cover Picture: Mark Weir demonstrates how to corner flat out. By Colin Meagher.
Contents Picture: Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon any motel room, any where, any time. By John Gibson.
Spineline: Games without frontiers wars without teas.

Editorial

Chipps gets jealous about your riding and your friends. He hopes you’ll reciprocate.

Sicily

Our Italian correspondent Simon Cittati reports back from the lushness, lava and world-class riding of Sicily.

Springtime

Benji waxed lyrical about springtime and lambs.

Interview – Rachel Atherton

One of the fastest women in the world, and cheerful with it, is tracked down and quizzed for our interview.

Bike Test – Alpine Hardtails

It’s an unapologetically British thing to ride a hardtail with a big fork. Ben looks at three from Dialled Bikes, DMR and Orange.

Dialled Bikes Alpine

DMR Exalt

Orange Sub Zero

Column: Blame the Dog

Once again Mike Ferrentino steamrollers his way through principles that people hold dear. This issue it’s riser bars…

Through the Grinder

Nine pages of products that have been laundered through the finest Calderdale mist and grit and then reviewed for you.

Gore Ride On Sealed Cables

Halo Freedom Disc 29er Wheels

Panaracer Rampage 2.35 Tyres

Fox Forx 36 Talas RC2

Topeak Mini 9 Tool

Funn Soljam Pedals

Pragmasis Protector 16mm Chain

Green Oil

Pedros Chainj

Sealskinz Road Cycle Glove

Fiveten Imapct2 Low Shoes

Banjo Brothers Waterproof Backpack

Smith Interlock Trace Glasses

Park Barbeque Tools

Shimano MT70 Shoes

Bionicon Golden Willow O

Howies Long Way Home Jacket

Joe Blow Ace Floorpump

Fish Out Of Water – Corners

Just how hard can it be to go round a corner? Depends on how quick you want to be. Nigel Page shows that it takes a lot of skill to go round a corner fast.

Grouptest: Summer Gloves

A look at 19 pairs of full fingered gloves that are light enough for all-summer use.

Azonic Terrain

Dainese A Class Evo

Gusset IF Stealth

Kona JC

NC17 Freeride

Polaris Detox

Race Face Deus

Race Face Evolve

Scott Freeride

Scott Ridance

Scott XC

SixSixOne Raji

Sombrio Prodigy Cuffless

Specialized BG Gel Long Finger

Specialized BG Ridge Long Finger

Specialized Enduro Long Finger

Thor Phase

TSG Melbourne

TSG MTB Beam

Column: Roly Lambert

Too much coffee has once again got Roly thinking. This time it’s about a bike that adjusts to your terrain – with clothing to match.

Head To Head – Tomac Snyper vs Pace 506

Two bikes aimed squarely at the all-mountain rider pitched head to head on the same terrain.

Column: Phillip Diprose

Phillip Diprose shares his guilty midweek secret: he likes to go out into the deserted woods on his bike and… camp.

Local Bikes for Local People

Just how differently do riders from the south set up their bikes compared to riders from the north, or Wales, or Scotland? Benji investigates.

Fitness – Peaking for an event

Matt Hart guides you through the steps needed to be on top form for your chosen event of the season.

Long Term Test Bikes

A regular look at the chosen bikes of the editorial team. This issue looks at Chipps’ Yeti ARC and Turner Flux, Matt’s new Strange Alpine Five, Sim’s Anthem and Dave’s black Kona.

Column: Jon Woodhouse

Jon Woodhouse is a capable rider, but even he gets visited by The Fear every now and again.

Wheels

Chipps looks at the tools you need to maintain and build wheels at home and then goes off into fluffy waxing about how beautiful handbuilt wheels are.

Column: Faye Stewart

Our girl on the ground, Faye has been off doing sneaky practice on the BMX track.

Competition – Win Tickets to Fort William

We have a Jiffy bag of tickets to the Fort William World Cup to give away. Which means you have a good chance of winning!

Gallery

Sim’s excelled himself this issue with some gorgeous images from around the world to inspire you to ride – photos from Ben Haworth, Sheldon Attwood, Richard Starkie, Jordan Manley and Harookz.

What Women Want

Chipps and the Singletrack Women’s Test Squad have some sage advice about buying bikes for women – aimed mainly at men, so listen up at the back. There are six bikes tested too from Kona, Orange, Scott, Titus, Specialized and Trek.

Kona Four Lisa

Orange Diva

Santa Cruz Juliana

Scott Contessa FX15

Titus Motolite

Trek Fuel EX8 WSD

Route Guide – The Cotswolds

More than just home to twee thatched villages, the Cotswold Hills have some great, and quiet, trails within spitting distance of Bristol, the M4 and M5.

Easy: 17km (10.6 miles), 1.5 hours

Medium: 22km (13.7 miles), 2 hours

Hard: 29.8km (18.5 miles), 3 hours

Members’ Club

Subscribe to Singletrack. Get great discounts all over the place. Simple.

Outro

Mental pictures and crazy ponderings as usual. Who writes this stuff?