Issue 43

Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine August 2008

In this Issue:
Colnago Ergon Interview
French Pyrenees
Scottish Rails and Trails Route Guide
Yak Attack Part I
Bivvi Gear

Cover Picture: In the sun. By John Gibson
Contents Picture: In the roost. By Dan Barham
Spineline: Crispy Shredded Chilli Beef

Editorial

Chipps gets a good whiff of the sport.

International Travel – French Pyrenees

How best to spend a short week in the Pyrenees? Winch and plummet, that’s how!

Bike Porn – Bamboo

A clever homemade bike that uses bamboo, carbon fibre and – a Hoover?

Interview – The riders from Team Colnago Ergon (and Singletrack… )

Amy, Gareth and Robin ride for Colnago Ergon. They also ride for us. Ben gives them a quiz.

Bike Test – A Question of Integration

140 and 150mm bikes from Bionicon, Cannondale and Trek with suspension integration.

Bionicon Edison II

Cannondale Rize Carbon 2

Trek Remedy 7

Blame the Dog – Mike Ferrentino

Mike emerges from his bunker long enough to ramble on about bombing the wrong target. It’s not all his fault apparently. Bikes are great!

Through the Grinder

Nine pages of mountain bike products dragged through the summer grit.

Rock Shox SID Team 2008

Look Quartz Pedals

Gore Arm Warmers

Halo Hex Key Skewers

DaKine Bike Bag

DaKine Split Roller Large

Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream

Gore Bike Wear Alp-X Pro Shorts

Endura Burner Baggies

Cyclus Headset Removal Tool

Ice Toolz Twin Head Wrench Set

Ice Toolz Magnetic Parts Tray

Ice Toolz Chain Hanger

Knolly Endorphin

Keen Commuter Sandal

Met Kaos Helmet

Ibex Wool Jersey

Shimano MP66B Shoes

Ritchey Torque Wrench

Commencal Ti Flame

Fish Out of Water – Wheelies

Can’t wheelie? Don’t have the ‘wheelie gene’? Neither do we, but we thought we’d try to learn anyway with tuition from David Webster from Transcend Trail Academy. Matt, Mark & Sim from the magazine get some lessons along with readers Cathy Shaw, Emily Sharp & Jo Kennedy.

Column – Phillip Diprose

Does shaving your legs mark you out as a ‘true’ cyclist? PhillyD reckons there are plenty more tell-tale signs.

Column – Danny Blackburn

Taking it seriously? That’s the last thing that Danny wants to do with mountain biking. Quite the opposite.

Grouptest – Race Shoes

Benji tests a dozen stiff soled shoes that make you walk funny and ride fast.

Scott Ltd MTB Race Shoes

Lake MX170

Specialized S-Works BG

Adidas Adistar XC Ultra

Polaris MR5000

Sidi Dragon 2 Carbon

Answer XC-1

Shimano Women’s WM80

Carnac M1 MPS2

Specialized Womens BG Motodiva Comp

Northwave Raptor SBS

Shimano M300

Head to head. Pace 305 vs Whyte 19 Trail

Two designed in, and intended for, the UK bikes tested in the UK. Needless to say, they did the job admirably.

The Luncheon Lap

Can you get a true, testing mountain bike ride in in your lunch hour? Edd Kenny-Herbert reckons you certainly can.

Long Term Test Bikes

Matt, Chipps, Sim and Dave open their sheds to show what’s new on the Singletrack staff bikes this issue.

Yeti ARC

Orange Alpine 5

Bianchi P.U.S.S. Singlespeed

Kona Project Black Singlespeed

Dialled Bikes Prince Albert

Grouptest Article – Lightweight camping.

I may be some time… The team get truly rained in order to test the latest in lightweight bivvy and camping gear. Now it’s your turn.

Alpkit Gourdon 20 Backpack

Alpkit Pipedream 400 Sleeping Bag

Alpkit Wee Airic Sleeping Mat

Alpkit Hunka Bivvy Bag

Alpkit Mytimug

OMM Classic 25 Backpack

OMM Mummery Sleeping Bag

PHD Minimus Sleeping Bag

Marmot Hydrogen Sleeping Bag

Rab Superlight Bivvy Bag

Osprey Talon 33 Backpack

Trek Mates Bivvy Bag

Generic Sleeping Mat

Thermarest Prolite 3 Sleeping Mat

Thermarest Z-Lite Sleeping Mat

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove

MSR Titan Mug

White Box Alcohol Stove

Duo Tarp

Deuter Trans Alpine 30 Backpack

Snugpak Softie Merlin Sleeping Bag

Eurohike Solid Fuel Stove

Topeak Bikamper EXP Tent

Terra Nova Laser Competition Tent

Gallery

If it’s not sunny at your house, you can look at our gallery and remember that it once was (and still is, somewhere).Photos from Marco Toniolo, Sim Mainey, Ben Haworth and Simon Cittati

Column – Faye Stewart

Girls go downhill. With much squealing, Faye overcomes the downhill Fear…

Roly Lambert

Roly is retiring. Not from writing, but from his unsuccessful career as a solo 24 hour race hero. You mean you’d not noticed?

Competition – Win Alpkit stuff!

Win over £300 of camping gear from Alpkit. Rugged riders and softies alike can win something to suit them.

Yak Attack

It’s the tallest race in the world, racing over the world’s highest pass in the Himalayas. We sent Matt Hart off to get high and breathless.

Route Guide – Scottish rails and trails

Three routes based around the theme of Scottish railway stations, great riding and food. Ideal!

Easy: 21.5km (13.4 miles), 1.5 hours

Medium: 48km (29.8 miles), 3.5 hours

Hard: 36km (22.4 miles), 3.5 hours

Outro

Matt appears to have gone through the shrinkeriser…