While Kylie was knocking out 'I should be so lucky' we were inishing up issue one

Founding editor Tym Manley came up with the idea for MBUK in 1988, not long after the first mountain bikes hit UK shores. They were brought back from the States by pro windsurfers, who were looking for something else to do when the waves or wind weren’t quite right – which was often. The early scene mainly revolved around the race season, and so too did MBUK. This was a time, after all, when magazines were the only way to get the latest results. The internet, as we know it today, wasn’t even invented back then (yes, we really are that old!).

Intrigued by this new stylish and fun mode of transport and keen to show how versatile it could be, we quickly embarked on what would become an early MBUK trademark – riding bikes in highly inappropriate places. So off we went, over cars, through tin mines and off 80ft cliffs into the sea, naturally. We were young, experimental and just wanted to have a damn good time!

The magazine’s Wrecking Crew was soon formed, building our reputation as the leading authority in product testing, as we looked at Shimano’s Deore II groupset and bikes for £250. It’s still regarded today as the voice you can trust, after being spearheaded by the late Steve Worland, among others. Steve started out as our technical editor, developing our methods of testing over the years and feeding back our findings to the industry and, ultimately, to you, the readers, in the fairest way possible (read more about Steve on page 96).

The pro scene was different back then, with two World Championships titles up for grabs – a US version and a European one. We had a British team in the Euro version, which included loads of names still heavily involved in the scene today, including Tim Flooks (SRAM), Rory Hitchens (Upgrade Bikes) and Jo Burt, creator of our very own Mint Sauce (more on him later). It was ultimately won by US duo Mike Kloser and Sara Ballantyne.

The latest kit is something that we've always drooled over and spent all our cash on. Back in the late ’80s, we were all talking about getting a pair of the latest AXO Pony boots, Grab-On grips and the new Shimano Deore II, which was revolutionary with its two-finger brake lever design! Iconic bike brand Kona made their first appearance on the UK scene, and everybody was mesmerised by Pace’s dazzling RC100 – and still are today!