Mountain Bike Rider

Published by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd mbr is the UK's leading magazine for trail riding, mountain bike enthusiasts. Published since 1997, mbr aims to inspire readers to just get out and ride! with every issue, by providing the very best expert advice about where, what and how to ride. Every edition delivers the ultimate mix of inspirational riding features, with extensive bike and product reviews, along with superb advice and reader involvement - plus free pull-out route guides.

Smart bombing • Does intelligent suspension make a better trail weapon?

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NEW PLACES TO RIDE IN 2022 • Now is the time to put together your mountain biking hit lists for 2022; what better place to start than our pick of six new, off-beat or improved places to ride in the UK

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED • Valentino Rossi launches signature e-bike

HOT STUFF • WHAT WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH

WET AND WILD RIDES • Whether we like it or not, water plays a huge role in our riding. Here are five routes that make a feature of the stuff – getting wet is purely optional

THE KNEES • Five exercises to prevent your knees becoming your nemesis

CANYON TORQUE CF8 • Canyon’s new Torque CF8 is a brilliant excuse to spend more time in your local bike park

SCOTT PATRON eRIDE 900 TUNED • Its stealth profile is a futuristic tour de force, but will Scott’s new e-bike offer a rocketship ride?

SALSA BLACKTHORN CARBON • Salsa’s Blackthorn is a hot proposition: a trail bike that you can dress up or down

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Mountain Bike Rider

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MEDIA MENTOR PLEASE

27.5 AIN’T DEAD? • We said: 29in might be stealing the headlines but 27.5in wheels aren’t dead yet

ADAM STALLARD, ELAN VALLEY • If Mid Wales is mountain biking’s faded classic, one man is on a mission to give it a makeover and turn it into a masterpiece

THE WHYTE STUFF • We hit the trails with elite downhiller turned bike designer Sam Shucksmith, the engineering muscle behind Whyte’s acclaimed machines

RIDE WITH CONTROL • Get the basics right and your skillset can grow on solid foundations. Here’s how to set up your body and your bike

JAMIE’S SPECIALIZED TURBO KENEVO SL COMP • MONTH 1: Risk taker Jamie likes to roll the dice when it comes to his annual longtermer

SEAN’S NUKEPROOF SCOUT 290 PRO • MONTH 10: Sean discovers why the Brand-X dropper on the Scout is still functioning flawlessly after nearly a year

JAMES’S FOCUS JAM 6.9 • MONTH 5: James is looking to sweeten up the rear suspension feel

BEN’S KONA PROCESS 134 SUPREME • MONTH 9: Nine months in and Ben finally broaches the delicate subject of money

PB’S HAIBIKE ALLMTN 6 • MONTH 13: PB is prodded into the black leather chair for his longtermer debrief

Tested SR SUNTOUR AXON-WERX34 FORK

GIRO LATCH FLAT-PEDAL SHOE

TERAVAIL HONCHO TYRE

BIRZMAN BOTTLE-CLEAT

OXFORD VENTURE JACKET

KALI MISSION 2.0 KNEE GUARD

7MESH FOUNDATION BRIEF

JULBO FURY REACTIV GLASSES

SRAM HS2 BRAKE ROTOR

MINI-PUMPS • A good mini-pump can make the difference between a frustrating, arm-numbing let-down and a quickly forgotten inconvenience; we put a dozen leading brands to the test

FUTURE SHOCKS! • Intelligent electronic suspension promises exciting performance gains but are they worth the extra weight, complexity and expense? We find out

GIANT TRANCE ADVANCED PRO 29 1

YT INDUSTRIES JEFFSY UNCAGED 6

Our test winner’s stablemates

MY BEST TRAIL • Mtb’s movers and shakers select their favourite places to ride