Editors’ Choice

Job: Staff Writer and music critic

Bio: I’m genuinely into pretty much all aspects of mountain biking. From all-day ‘Proper MTBing’ to DH racing to social night rides to solo exploration to Enduro Events. I consider myself a decent bike handler and like to test myself on technical trails both up and down.

Best Bits Of The Year: Endorfin Speed-R. Beauty and performance, the hardtailer’s hardtail.

Pipedream Torero 5.5. Ugliness and performance, cheap and very, very cheerful.

Fox 36 Float RC2. The best damped fork I’ve ever ridden, never put a foot wrong.

EDITORS’ CHOICE

Hope Moto V2 Disc Brakes. Insane power + loadsa feel = faster riding. I struggle when riding other brakes now.

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www.singletrackworld.com

Even riding to the shops is an adventure with Ben

Rudy Project Rydon ImpactX Photochromic Red Glasses. An ideal combination of lens colour and tint range (they’re currently under several inches of Mountain Mayhem earth!)

Royal Racing Cargo Bag. Been with me on several weekends away, no-nonsense, wellmade bag that looks as good as day one.

Event Of The Year: Riding With The Rough Stuff Fellowship (Singletrack issue 32) - reminded me to look up from my front wheel and consider the bigger picture.

Trail Of The Year: ‘Rim Dinger’, Finale Liguria - unknown gamble of a trail that paid off handsomely (even though it cost me a front wheel!)

Looking Forward To In 2008: Short XC Racing - sub-two hour blasts of lung-vomiting racehead ‘tude.

GT Zaskar Carbon. Following an all-too-brief play on one at a Press Launch I can’t wait to throw one of these around my local trails.