Your letters and photos, including the importance of putting your feet up and your devices down, an enduro newbie aged 56 and more of your best riding snaps
Never go full digital
“I may have been furloughed, but you’re not taking my magazine!” I know it sounds counterintuitive, but as a multimedia graphic designer I know the importance of stepping away from the screens, putting the devices down and giving our eyes a break from the autocratic, all-consuming digital tech. Now more than ever, there’s a lot to be said for escaping the news, making a brew (yes, with a biscuit) and opening the pages of this stalwart magazine, while naturally adopting the allimportant ‘feet up’ position. So, it saddens me deeply to think that this legendary publication could succumb to the financial pressures that recent events may impose and go, dare I say it, fully digital.
As one of the OG whose first mountain bike was a Raleigh Mustang (yes, I’m that old), I appreciate it’s an expensive process to produce a magazine. The special inks, the perfect binding, the staffing and delivery costs. MBUK has always been there, through it all. Ask the pros, ask the non-pros – this is more than just a magazine, it’s the very fabric of the scene, for young and old alike. An oasis to escape to from the comfort of our (now very familiar) homes.
They can cap the broadband speeds and lock us down to keep us safe, but you’ll have to prise my fingers from the high-quality A4 glossy print and glorious Mint Sauce escapades!
David Ashworth, via email
Don’t worry, David – we’re not going to let a little thing like a global pandemic get in the way of us producing MBUK! As long as there’s an audience for us, like yourself, we’ll continue to pull out all the stops to get a magazine out to our loyal subscribers and to the shops. There’s some great content on our online channels too – BikeRadar.com and MBUK. com – but print remains our top priority. Besides, no paltry pixels can beat Jo Burt’s painstaking Mint Sauce paint and pen work! So stop fretting, turn that screen off, grab a cuppa and a biscuit, and get stuck into this issue!
Old dog, new tricks
Just thought I’d drop you guys a quick email to say thanks for the riding tips, which came in handy when I entered my first mini enduro race (see photo below), just before lockdown – at the ripe old age of 56! Sadly, I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped, and the other events I’d entered this year have all been postponed or cancelled, thanks to good old COVID-19. Even so, it hasn’t put me off and I’m making good use of the woods behind my house to get in some practice. Thanks again for your excellent mag, which is helping me stay sane and feed my mountain biking addiction ready for when this madness is over. John Rickard, via email
Hats off to you for entering your first race, John, and we’re happy to hear we could help. That’s a great photo! Mini enduro is definitely one of the more fun and relaxed disciplines, and a great way to dip your toes into racing. Fingers crossed you get to attend a few more events this year – and stay safe while practising!