STICKY SITUATION
I recently read your latest edition and really enjoyed the article about the effect of lockdown on trail systems. I was also inspired by one of the mailbox letters to do the same challenge and ask for stickers from great Mtb-related companies. I would love it if you sent me a sticker which I would put on my mudguard. However I understand that you cannot send everybody stickers and are very busy, so thank you for your time and producing a high quality magazine.
Ed – Thanks for your letter Harrison. Sadly we don’t actually have any stickers or I would put one in the post to you. Sorry.
MULLET MAKEOVER
I read your article about the Whyte E-150 RS 29er. I thought the review was great and I wanted to get one ASAP as I’m used to riding a 29er. I bought the bike from Edinburgh Cycles about a month ago and I love it. Not the best looking bike and the battery would be a pain, but I’m lucky enough to be
able to charge it in my workshop. The reason I am contacting you is regarding changing it to mullet. I know you tried it in your review and you thought it was a good idea, however you noted that you can get a Shape It Up link to compensate for the lower BB. This is not the case as Whyte doesn’t make one compatible with the E-150.
We spoke to Whyte about this and it confirmed that the Shape It Up link is not compatible with the E-150 due to potential interference between the chainstay bridge and the motor casing. It worked on our test bike because the geometry was not to spec. Fortunately you can still run it with a 27.5in rear wheel without the Shape It Up link.
NO SHOP STOCK
Is it possible to buy one copy of your Summer women’s issue? I completely missed it; I looked in loads of shops but I didn’t realise it was subscription only!!
Ed – Yes Christina, it’s possible to buy a single back issue through the Magazines Direct website. Just visit magazinesdirect.com/single-issue/ and scroll through to mbr. And while we’d love you to take out a subscription while you’re there, we are still available in many retailers such as WH Smith, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s among others. You must have been very unlucky to have missed a copy!
GREEN MACHINES?
I am a 14 year-old rider and love reading your mag. For my GCSE project I am writing an essay evaluating the carbon emissions of mountain bike production and distribution to the UK. To better understand the energy consumption the production requires and therefore its CO2 emissions, I was wondering if you could tell me some of the methods used to build mtb frames, and any other details on their carbon footprint. The article on how green the industry is was also very useful, but I would like to know more about the production specifically. Any details would be greatly appreciated.
Ed – you’ve certainly picked a complex topic for a GCSE essay; sounds more like a thesis to me! But seriously, the principle methods of mtb frame manufacture are Tig-welded aluminium or steel tubing and handlaid carbon sheet, which is then baked in an oven. In the UK specifically, both these techniques are used. Brands such as Orange, Cotic and Starling weld their frames in the UK with tubing generally sourced from other parts of the world, while Hope moulds carbon frames at its factory in Lancashire. Again, the carbon itself is sourced from outside the UK. For a more detailed insight, I would suggest contacting the brands mentioned and start from there.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Over the last few months I’ve been putting together a video to raise awareness for mental health and try to break the stigma around it in the hope to help people. It features a lot of people including some well known faces from the mtb world, some brand owners, pro riders, Youtubers, inspirational people and more. It shows exactly what the mtb community is about with them all being diverse, different genders, age, races, religions, skill levels etc
It would help massively get the video and message out there: youtu. be/5exjhtuyedo