Singletrack Magazine is an independent publication, supported by the UK’s most popular mountain bike website: www.singletrackworld.com It is still owned, written and published by people who love to ride. Not that we bang on about it all the time or anything. . .

Chipps Chippendale – Editor, Publisher, words, pictures, lost luggage, desert riding, dodgy pies chipps@singletrackworld.com (Last went to the dentist: Today after a 13 year absence)

Mark Alker – Publisher, CFO, online shop chief, Facebook addict, parking ticket collecting. mark@singletrackworld.com (18 months)

Ben Haworth – Staff Writer, Reviews Editor and Web Reporter, stem swapping, trainer buying, glittering socialite, swift driving. ben@singletrackworld.com (1999)

Sim Mainey – Art Director, scribbling, head shaking, making us look pretty, colouring-in, Italian culture and cuisine. sim@singletrackworld.com (18 months) Matt Letch – Advertising Sales, Northerner with a southern twang, random Capitalisation, birthday shirking. matt@singletrackworld.com (Seven years ago, but no fillings ever...)

Dave Anderson – Director of Flowery Wank. Bivvy professor. dave@singletrackworld.com (A year ago)

Tom – Financial Controller, statistical number cruncher and database fiend. Geiger counters. (It’s a secret)

Andy Armstrong – Web Ruler (Three years ago)

Bert The Jack Russell – office dog. (Last bonfire night, under influence of Dog Valium)

Editorial address: SINGLETRACK MAGAZINE MOVED, ages ago to: Lockside Mill Dale Street Todmorden Lancs OL14 5PX

(Coffee times around 11am and 3pm. The Wega is now plumbed in and warmed up.)

Subscriptions and subs enquiries: 01778 392037 Editorial enquiries: 01706 813344 Singletrack Fax: 01706 813356 Singletrack Shop: 01706 814797

Advertising: matt@singletrackworld.com

Distributed by: Warners Group Publications. Tel: 01778 393313

Issue forty (yay!) will be out around February 6th 2008

Singletrack welcomes submissions of stories and pictures. If you have an idea or a story, please contact chipps@singletrackworld.com or the office before doing anything rash. Please also check before sending pictures or manuscripts in. (And if we don’t reply in a week, then hassle us, as it’s buried under some tyres or guitars or something)

Singletrack would like to thank: Sharon Anderson, Faye and Ross, Roly Lambert, Ed Oxley, Chris Garrison, Dave360, Rob Fisk, Tim ‘Fingers’ Kershaw, Craig Woodhouse, Ali and Sue, Simon D Barnes, Jo K, Julian Birch, Ferrentino, Jazzy Brian, Emily, Claire Cox, Shaggy, the Diproses, Albert S., Pat and Chris Adams, Jamie Campbell, Betty Bingo, Jayni Devol, Guy Kesteven, James and Peter, Crazylegs. Plus a big thanks once again to all of our advertisers, and to anyone that has ever done us a favour. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.

No thanks to: Food poisoning, Middle age madness. Texts, ‘comedy’ ringtones and Facebook, broken teeth, strained rotator cuffs

This issue brought to you by: Gingerbread Santas, Mesa/Boogie, Panda eggs, Justice, M.I.A., The Ohio Players, Von Sudenfed, the Devlins

Cover picture: Sicily, Simon Cittati

Contents picture: Somewhere in Scotland. Rob Sutherland.

CANNONDALE KONA COVE SURLY TITUS SANDERSON FLOW WHITE INDUSTRIES THOMSON MARZOCCHI MANITOU FOX FORKS BLACKSPIRE

USE GORE BIKEWEAR CONTINENTAL AVID HOPE PEARL IZUMI CAMELBAK TIME CRANK BROS EASTON RACEFACE SIDI LUPINE MAVIC

Prophet X

also available: Prophet 3

Cannondale Prophet X

● Prophet 140 frame

● FOX 36 Float RC2 Air 160 fork

● Fox DHX 5.0 Air shock

● SRAM X-9 triggers

● Shimano LX front mech

● SRAM X-9 medium cage rear mech

● Avid Juicy 5 brakeset/levers

6&7 NEW WRITTLE STREET CHELMSFORD ESSEX CM2 0RR MOUNTAIN BIKES 01245 605070 ROAD BIKES 01245 287600

sales@chelmercycles.co.uk www.chelmercycles.co.uk
Ihad to replace some grips the other day: some well-worn Lizard Skins Moabs. They’d been on my hardtail for a while. Thinking about it, they’d been on a few years. I bought a new pair of the same grips at a race in the summer and had never got round to swapping them on. It was only looking at the new grips, with the same pattern, that I saw how worn down my old grips had become. They’d seemed perfectly youthful before the comparison. The markings were indistinct and the grip was all but sanded down with use over the years of riding. And that got me wondering how many of us use things until they actually wear out. There are the obvious, mechanical casualties, like chains and chainrings; they live in the dirt and are the early casualties of bad weather and hard riding. But some other bits take some wearing out. Grips can do a fi ne job for 80% of their wear, as can shoes and saddles, and then – just as they’re wearing into you like a favourite pair of jeans – the wear accelerates and it’s all you can do to get to the bike shop in time before they wear out completely. At that time, though, when it’s time to chuck away a favourite pair of shoes, or a trusty Camelbak whose leaky bladder and fraying edges transcends innuendo or those threadbare, peekaboo shorts... at that

time, you’re rushed with memories of the good times you’ve shared – that ‘I should just get one more ride out of them’ feeling. You can’t easily accelerate wear on a grip, it can only be done by the constant pressure and friction of your glove, or hand. And as those two mutually wear themselves away, you’re covering the miles and you’re soaking in memories. Some will be wet, cold epic rides where those grips will hardly have any traction, some will be doom-laded night rides where slippy roots and technical issues will dump you on your arse more than your tyres and some will be those endless rides of summer, where it’s too hot for gloves and your bare hands wear away at the rubber, raising calluses that’ll be your only reminder of those rare days. Until, that is, you come to chop off your old grips. It’s funny how yesterday’s tyres don’t seem to work with today’s rocks if all your mates have new rubber. And it can be surprisingly easy to talk yourself into new gear. But does your old stuff work its way down the food chain, onto your winter bike. Or your Dad’s bike? Or the neighbour’s kid’s bike? Or does it just go into a box of forgotten bits? Don’t forget the joy there is in a well worn-out bit of kit. Any fool can break something, but it takes trail time to wear something out. And that’s only ever a good thing.

the food chain, onto your winter bike. Or your Dad’s bike? Or the neighbour’s kid’s bike? Or does it just go into a box of forgotten bits? Don’t forget the joy there is in a well worn-out bit of kit. Any fool can break something, but it takes trail time to wear something out. And that’s

www.singletrackworld.com 9

www.singletrackworld.com 9