About MBUK
MBUK is for anyone who loves riding a mountain bike. It doesn’t matter about age – we’re all big kids at heart here. We want to help you ride wild and free, pushing the limits on your bike. We’re for those who ride with tons of attitude and aggression but mainly like riding a bike for the sheer hell of it. That’s what we try and reflect in everything we do.
We’re a team of passionate mountain bikers and want to bring you the most exciting, interesting and insane things from the world of mountain biking. Every month in MBUK we aim to bring you the best places to ride, help you to fix your bike, show you the right products to buy, improve you riding skills and be inspired to go out and ride your bike more. Our years of experience as the market-leading UK mountain biking title makes sure you know that you’re looking at information you can trust.
Our testing team has been at the forefront of the industry for over 35 years, testing bikes, components and kit at every price point across a range of mountain bike disciplines. Here’s how we do it…
How we test
Our process starts with a detailed product check in the workshop. We strip and rebuild bikes and products, checking for any problems. Next we hit the trails… hard! We test in real riding conditions for the complete picture. And finally we re-test with another tester.
Why our tests are the best
Our test team is made up of the most respected bike and kit testers in the world. We have unrivalled knowledge and experience, and spend a vast amount of time making sure we get it right. We tell you the truth and aren’t influenced by PR or advertisers.
About our test team
Our Technical Editor in Chief, Rob Weaver, gets new products in as soon as they’re available and coordinates all the testing through our vastly experienced band of reviewers.
A brief history of MBUK
Launched back in 1988 by our founders Tym Manley and Chris Turner, Mountain Biking UK has built itself on being at the forefront of the UK mountain bike scene, pushing the boundaries of how and where mountain bikes can be ridden but always with a big emphasis on having a good time doing it. Through the sport’s glory days of the ’90s, sales were at a high and the profits it made were pumped into helping to promote the sport – launching the successful Bike Show Live, Team MBUK (the magazine’s own professional downhill and cross-country team), MBUK Urban Tours and MBUK.com, which later became part of the now hugely successful BikeRadar.
MBUK’s done some mad features over the years, including riding a bike out the back of a plane at 6,000ft, landing and riding away; jumping through a massive ring of fire in an MBUK skinsuit; taking on the Marines… and getting well and truly whooped; creating a huge ramp for 30ft lake jumps – and always being pestered by an ever-present bike-riding sheep!
It’s a heritage we’re proud to continue, and more recently we’ve gone mountain biking in underground caves, e-biked the height of Everest in a day, fatbiked across frozen lakes and ridden down active volcanoes, to just skim the surface. We wouldn’t still be going strong without the support and following of our loyal fanbase – so why not join them and see what you’ve been missing out on over the years? You can subscribe to MBUK here.
Meet the MBUK team
James Costley-White Editor
A stickler for detail, JCW fine tunes everything we do. He’s our chief wordsmith and fact checker, and keeps the whole MBUK crew in order. But don’t be fooled by his calm, disciplined work structure because when he hits the trails he really lets rip! JCDubs loves to pick out the rough lines and then smooth them out into a well-paced, flowing ride. Er, a bit like he does with the words you find in the pages of MBUK, maybe…?
Contact: james.costley-white@ourmedia.co.uk
Julia Broussier Creative Design Lead
Our chief designer hasn't been riding long, but has really thrown herself into it, and JCW is secretly worried she'll soon be way faster than him. Her creativity and organisational skills are unmatched – just watch out if she starts muttering in her native French, because it means she's not happy about something!
Contact: julia.broussier@ourmedia.co.uk
Chris Barnard Production Editor
Chris is in charge of spelling, grammar and copy flow – both in terms of how our articles read and making sure our various contributors submit them on time. More of an adventurer than a shredder, he's never happiest than when exploring the great outdoors, whether on two wheels or two feet.
Contact: chris.barnard@ourmedia.co.uk
Rachel Bennet Staff Writer
Qualified coach and mechanic Rach is the newest member of the team and main writer. Passionate about bikes, her dog and her native Scotland, she's recently switched focus from trail/enduro riding to XC, after a string of injuries.
Contact: rachel.bennet@ourmedia.co.uk
Robin Weaver Technical Editor in Chief
A riding encyclopedia of bikes and kit, Rob spends one heck of a lot of time travelling the world for the latest product launches and organising how and where all our gear gets tested. Super-stylish when it comes to riding, and indeed beard grooming, Rob has no fears when it comes to hitting the trails with the industry’s best.
Contact: robin.weaver@ourmedia.co.uk
Tom Marvin Senior Technical Editor
XC/trail/enduro wizard Tom gives his gear a proper hammering.
Contact: tom.marvin@ourmedia.co.uk
Luke Marshall Technical Writer
Downhill racing to World Cup level and multiple seasons ski-instructing in the Alps mean that Luke is flat out at everything he does. He’ll ride any type of bike and ride it fast.
Contact: luke.marshall@immediate.co.uk
Will Soffe YouTube Presenter
Moustachioed air ace Will worked as a mechanic and suspension technician for the likes of Atherton Racing, Fox suspension, British Cycling and others before joining MBUK, so he knows a thing or two about bikes and how to ride them.
Contact: will.soffe@ourmedia.co.uk
Max Wilman Videographer
Before joining the BikeRadar video team, Max enjoyed the cushy life of an overseas bike guide and then photographer. When he’s not staring down the barrel of the lens, he can be found trail building, riding laps or working on converting his big yellow van.
Contact: max.wilman@ourmedia.co.uk
Mint Sauce Legendary sheep
The longest-serving member of MBUK. And he’s a cartoon sheep. Says it all, eh? Mint has been with us right since the early days. Loves riding the patchwork landscapes of the South Downs on a continual search for his beloved Summer, while nonchalantly avoiding the clutches of Death. Not one to be swayed by the fads and trends of the mountain biking industry, Mint (the creation of illustrator Jo Burt) serves as a monthly reminder as to why we all love to get out and ride.
Max Darkins Route guru
Was almost christened ‘Maps Darkins’ for his love of plotting a good route. If there’s a patch of the UK to be ridden in the best way possible, our routes guru Max will find it. Max does all the wrong turns, nasty uphill sections, getting lost and caught out in the weather for you, so you can be sure you’re taking on the best route possible when it comes to your next big ride. Hurrah for Maps, sorry, Max!
Regular Contributors
Steve Behr • Sarah Bedford • Russell Burton • Nick Clark • Alex Evans • Tom Law • Andy Lloyd • Dan Milner • Steve Thomas • Kari Young