Contents 73.

Cover: After breaking my back on a motorbike covering the 2010 Cape Epic, I have a bit of leverage with the organisers. So much so that they willingly provide a helicopter for all eight days of racing, for me to play the photographic version of Apocalypse Now. Minutes prior to this I had been shooting above the singletrack in the trees, struggling to get a definitive shot of singletrack & riders due to the dense foliage. Then I remembered we were coming up on some open trails - knowledge I had from riding at Oak Valley a while back. So we waited for about two minutes in the air above the track for Christoph Sauser and Burry Stander to come into shot. The shot with just the two of them on the singletrack was good - but when the TV helicopter came into the bottom of the frame I knew it was just going to get better. Hanging out of the helicopter - there are no doors for better shooting – and looking through the viewfinder trying to direct the pilot - up, down, backwards forwards, left right, nose back, spin round etc. - gets a bit tricky compared to just shuffling your GoreTex boots in the mud of a World Cup ... but I think you’ll agree the end result is worth it. Photo by Gary Perkin.

Opposite: We like to think that every day working on Singletrack is an education of some kind. For Chipps, this issue saw him learning all about how the other half live – at the other end of the day. Dawn raid, very early, somewhere above Rochdale. Photo by Chipps.

9/ Editorial. Chipps is a hoarder. He’s not ashamed.

10/ UK Riding: Gnar Where You Are. Riding from your doorstep is fab. Matt and Sim make the most of their concrete-clad surroundings.

22/ Column: Inconvenient Truths. Benji’s figured out how to be a winner, and he’s going to share the secret.

24/ Stat Of The Art. It’s not the length – it’s the girth that matters.

26/ Column: New. But Not Too New. Everybody likes a new bike, right? Wrong. John Pensink is contrary.

28/ Tech Talk: The Third Way. 650B. Answer to a question that nobody’s asking, or the Emperor’s new wheel size?

32/ Jewel of the Isle: Leith Hill Tower. They have cafes down south, too. Often on top of hillocks.

36/ International Travel: Bikepacking in Big Bend. Cass Gilbert saddles up the iron horse and sets off across a Texan desert in search of nothing but nothing.

46/ Interview: Wes Williams. Adam P. Hunt talks to the real godfather of the 29in bike.

54/ International Travel: One Man And His Bike. Brendon Tyree heads off to Majorca for some springtime island fun.

66/ Classic Rides: The Devil’s Staircase. Jenn rides to hell and back, via Kinlochleven.

78/ The Big Feature: Getting On A Bit. Steve Worland gives us the bike rider’s perception of degeneration and how to deal with it.

88/ UK Riding: The Other Six O’Clock. Chipps tries getting up early to see if he likes it.

100/ A Question Of Fitness. Our experts talk you through blood donation, how to kick-start your metabolism and the pro-racer’s daily strength workout in a tree.

104/ Bike Test: Vertically Challenged Full Suspension. Three big fun bikes for little people from Orange, Trek and Scott.

114/ Grinder. We’ve been out riding our bikes in the name of testing things again.

120/ Grinder Bike: Cannondale Jekyll 3. Jamie and the Magic All-Mountain Bike.

128/ Grouptest: 140mm (or thereabouts) Forks. Seven springers for the front of your bike.

138/ Next Month. Issue 74 might look something like this; new puppies and unseasonal snowstorms permitting.

140/ Premier Listings. Proud owner of a Premier Member’s card? This is what it gets you…

146/ We Just Work Here. Who does what, how to get in touch, what helped this issue on its way and who we’d like to thank.

7