It’ s not enough to have the legs of an Olympia north es kill of a slope style pro–if you indy our self braking in every corner and can’ t see any alternative to the fur row down the middle of the trail, it’ s going to hold you back

The word ‘legend’ is overused, but there’s no other way to describe Steve Peat. Downhill world champion. Threetime World Cup overall title holder. Mainstay of the British race scene for over 20 years. And all-round good guy, who’s always had time for his fans and to support up-andcoming riders. It’s been five years since Peaty retired from the international circuit and last graced our cover, so we figured it was high time to head up to Sheffield and find out what the big man’s been up to. A lot, as it turns out – and he hasn’t lost any of his speed either.

On that note, ask any good rider what the secret is to getting smoother and faster, and they’ll talk about line choice. It’s not enough to have the legs of an Olympian or the bike-handling skill of a slopestyle pro – if you find yourself braking in every corner and can’t see any alternative to the rough and rutted furrow down the middle of the track, it’s always going to hold you back. Even if you don’t care about speed, it’s going to make the going harder and potentially put you at greater risk of crashing. So this month we’ve got some great tips from pro coach Olly Morris on how to read the terrain better and find the fastest and safest route through.

Elsewhere, we head to Wales in search of Britain’s best blue route, check out some of the latest spadework across the UK and find out what’s hot on the trails of Swinley Forest. Plus we’ve got tests of downcountry bikes, dropper posts and much more. Hope you enjoy it – see you on the trails!