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Contents

CONTENTS

9. Editorial Chipps draws an obscure link between Pernod and summer switchbacks.

10. Classic Rides:The Edale Loop. Everybody knows where Edale is. Jon and Jenn venture out to make sure it’s still where they left it.

20. UK Riding: Living the Dream Ever watch a riding video and think ‘I want to ride there too!’? Well, Sim and Dave Flynn did just that and made a pilgrimage to Ben A’an in Scotland to ride a distant trail glimpsed once.

30. Blame the Dog Mike Ferrentino’s regular look at the bicycle world from the other side of the pond.

32. Interview: Oli Beckingsale Benji catches up (it wasn’t hard, he was on crutches) with one of the UK’s most enduring cross-countr y racers and top bloke too.

42. Bike Test:Thousand Pounders Benji rounds up three full suspension bikes around the magic ‘bag of sand’ price.

54. Fitness Answers Singletrack has a newly expanded panel of fitness exper ts and they’re already being tested by your questions.

58. Destination X Where do Alpine tour operators go when they want to ride bikes for fun? Jon follows a secret trail of breadcrumbs to a lesser known par t of the French mountains.

70. Singletrack Premier Subscription Got a subscription? Got an iPad (or an iPhone, Android, Kindle, etc…)? Get them linked up by upgrading to Premier. No idea what we’re talking about? Get a £2 sub.

72. Mini Grouptest: Lights Dave A tested ten handlebar lights, then picked his three favourites. All ten are featured on www.singletrackworld.com

74.Through the Grinder Eight pages of real products tested to tearing, breaking or just breaking in by our team of paid thugs.

86. SRAM Factor The other Big S company has a whole facility in a corner of Germany. But what do they all do? Dave and Sim get personal, photographic and pally.

100. Grouptest: 2012 Disc Brakes Benji tests ten of the newest disc brakes in time for your Christmas shopping.

108. Column: Roly Lambert If you think that you have a cluttered shed, you’ve not seen Roly’s. Or heard his excuses - sorr y, ‘reasons’ - for more bikes.

110. Propaganda It’s Christmas time at Singletrack Towers. We’re uncelebrating in our usual style.

112. Route Guide: Caldbeck Fells Benji has an adventure on some lesser known Lakeland trails ‘round the back of Skiddaw.

122. Premier Club Subscribe to Singletrack? Then you get all sor ts of discounts with these folks.

126. Outro Chipps recalls meeting the real Evel Knievel - at a bicycle show.