“As preparation for the 1995 XC World Cup races in Mammoth Mountain, California, and Vail, Colorado, I raced the Tour of the Gila road stage race in New Mexico. During the big mountain stage, I managed to get into the breakaway group and I was going well. As the lead group of eight riders came howling down a twisty road alongside a creek, a dog came running out of a driveway. “We were all lined out in single file, and I was sitting in the middle of the group. I had the dog in my sight and wasn’t too worried at first. But, as we got closer, it became obvious he had an issue with us. It was an ..read more

For this week’s MBUK video, Will and Max hit BikePark Wales for some uplifted fun to celebrate the venue’s 10th birthday and ask the big question – what’s the best bike for this popular riding spot? Is it a downhill sled? A park bike? An enduro machine? Or an e-bike? Could it even be a hardtail? Check out our MBUK playlist on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel ..read more

Catching up with Tom Isted reminded us how much we’d love to have a slopestyle bike in our riding arsenal. But what exactly is slopestyle? What makes events such as Red Bull Joyride and Swatch Nines so much fun to watch? And what sets these bikes apart? In this week’s MBUK video, Will brings you the full lowdown and picks his top five bikes for aerial acrobatics… Pic: Trek Bikes ..read more

The nominations are in, the shortlists have been drawn up and now it’s time to vote for your MBUK Rider(s) of the Year 2023! This autumn, we’ll be handing out our inaugural awards, presented by Lezyne. We’ve got three categories; Rider of the Year and Newcomer of the Year are both being put to a public vote, while the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award will be decided by a panel of expert judges. All three winners will be revealed at an exclusive ceremony in November, supported by Wiper and True brewery, and in the December issue of the mag. Click on the images below to view t ..read more

This month, MBUK subscribers have the chance to give their bike a colourful makeover in our latest Subs Zone competition. Sussex-based DMR Bikes have provided us with bundles of kit for six lucky winners, comprising a pair of V11 flat pedals, a set of matching Grid grips and a Deathgrip-handled pedal spanner. The prize DMR V11 flat pedals Based on the supremely grippy DMR Vault pedals, these have a durable glass-reinforced nylon body, 11 replaceable steel pins per side for rock-solid grip and spin on a hardwearing 4130 chromoly axle. DMR Grid grips DMR reckon the new push-on Grid grips ..read more

For this week’s MBUK video, Will and Max hit the GT Bicycles Malverns Classic and sample everything the festival has to offer, from racing to retro bikes, prototypes to partying. Pics by Steve Behr   ..read more

“In 2016 I was up in Dharamshala in the Indian Himalayas, which is the city where the Dalai Lama lives. There was a hike into the mountains, and I thought I’d take my bike up it. It was about 10km, up to a ridge at 3,000m. “At the entrance gate, the park rangers said I couldn’t take my bike because it was too dangerous. But I was up for the challenge, and so I rode up to the ridge top, which was on a really gnarly hiking trail that turned out to be about 50/50 hike-a-bike. “Coming down, I figured that the higher speed would mean I’d be able to ride most of it. There were steps and big rocks ..read more

Hailing from Liskeard in Cornwall, Tom Isted has been a slopestyle rider for many years, but it wasn’t until this spring that he bagged his first major podium, at Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand, where he beat slopestyle icon Nicholi Rogatkin. Tom then topped that at Darkfest in South Africa, where he shook the establishment with a monster 120ft backflip to become a household name (in MTBing circles, at least) and world record holder. We thought it was about time we caught up with him, for this week’s MBUK video… Pic: Monster Energy ..read more

The action-packed GT Bicycles Malverns Classic returns to its spiritual home at the foot of the beautiful Malvern Hills this summer – and we’ll be there, riding, racing and checking out all the action! Festival fun Known as the ‘Glastonbury’ of mountain biking, the Malverns Classic is the biggest party of the year, where everyone camps and has fun. Taking place from 24-27 August at Eastnor Deer Park in Herefordshire, this year’s event is jam-packed from start to finish, with something for all ages and abilities – merry-go-round or dodgems, anyone? So bring your bike and ride! Competitive typ ..read more

Known for his entertaining YouTube channel, thirst for going fast downhill and big smile, this former Royal Marine Commando has been hooked on bikes since getting his first hardtail aged 14. A past national champion in DH, ‘The Deakinator’ can now be found travelling the world to ride, making fresh content for us all to enjoy, or designing kit with his clothing brand OiOi. He can still be seen on the race circuit around the UK and is often featured in MBUK. We can’t get enough of his bike stoke and endless, infectious energy.   What are you up to in 2023? I’ll once again be riding for ..read more