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www.singletrackworld.com contents

9. Editorial Chipps suggests you start looking at the world beyond your camera’s viewfinder screen.

10. Orange Staircase Were those late ‘80s mountain bike pioneers as rugged as they looked in the magazines? Chipps retraces a route and reckons so.

20. The Moment Have you experienced a perfect moment of skill and balance on the bike? It’s rare, as several of our regular contributors attest.

28. Column: Blame The Dog Mike Ferrentino’s regular column centres around a controversial Scrabble game and the need for cheap, sealed bearings.

30. Interview – Chris Porter Ben talks to Mojo Suspension’s main man. The ex-bike journo, suspension expert with an opinion on everything.

37. Bike Test – Sub 100mm XC bikes A bumper FIVE bike test this issue with bikes from Giant, Iron Horse, Kona, Litespeed and Tomac

50. Gallery Six pages of stunning pictures to remind you that there was a summer somewhere this year.

56. Column: Selling Up Roly Lambert talks himself up from brake pads to a complete new bike in a mere few bike shop visits.

58. Grinder Real world testing of new components, including our first take on new Shimano XT and Orange’s belt-driven bike.

68. Column: Back to the Future Philip Diprose chances upon some old magazines and ponders if the sport has really changed that much in the intervening years.

71. Grouptest: Clipless pedals Everyone needs pedals, so Mark has rounded up a dozen or so clipless pedals to see what’s out there.

78. Column: Empire of Dirt Julian Birch reckons that you might know many trails around the world, but you’ll never know his trails as well as he does.

80. Fitness: A Big Day Out Our new fitness guru Matt Hart tells you what you need to do to prepare to fuel yourself on a big day out, whether it be race, enduro or just a monster ride.

86. Living the TransAlp Peter Walker talks us through the hidden world of the TransAlp competitor – including the eating, snoring, naked German aspects that are best not thought about.

92. Fish Out Of Water - Taking Back Adventure Sim goes on his first overnight bivvy and discovers an affinity with the rugged, minimal life of the free camper.

100. Bike Porn – Santa Cruz Easy Rider This is what happens when the Santa Cruz engineers have a spare afternoon in the workshop with a couple of beers.

106: Fitness: Fitting In Edd Kenny-Herbert details what happens when you go for a full evaluation and bike-fitting at a top London outfit. Apart from them laughing at his saddle height. . .

114: Column: For the Glory Matt describes his fear of slowing down. He wants to go out with a bang, not a whimper – but the whimpering (or at least the whingeing) is starting now.

116: Column: Going Out With a Bang Alex Leigh reckons that if you’re going to give up mountain biking for good, the only place for it is at the bottom of a perfectly-ridden Porcupine Rim trail in Moab, Utah.

119. Grouptest: Grips Like pedals, everyone needs a pair of grips on their bike, so our resident Dr Rubber, Benji has ridden and rated 36 pairs so that you don’t have to.

128. Mark’s Toolshed Mark rates two contrasting but essential tools – the shiny chain tool and the very unshiny bench vice.

130. Route: Shropshire Benji and Sim show you round some of the best mountain biking in the country. It must be, Ben says so.

143. Outro Silly pictures and a stern warning to take life easy in order to speed up.