THULE FASTRIDE ROOF RACK £150
Carrying your bike on your car’s roof is one of the easiest ways of getting to the trailhead, and Thule hopes to make the process even simpler with the Fastride rack. Remove the front wheel, muscle your bike into position and then use the bolt-thu axle to secure the fork – and bike – to the rack’s own dropouts. The rear wheel then sits in an aluminium wheel tray, and is held in place with a plastic ratchet strap. Easy peasy.
The back end of the Fastride has an extendable security chain you can tether to your bike, although it’s a deterrent rather than a foolproof burglar bamboozler. The rack is pretty much guaranteed to fit your bike and roof rack, thanks to a range of mounting options and multiple fork mounts, from 9mm QR to 110x20mm bolt-thru.
Thule’s Fastride isn’t the only roofmounted bike rack out there, but it’s probably the best mix of convenience and affordability. Mounting your fork to the rack means nothing needs to clamp onto your bike’s frame to secure it in place – there’s no chance of cosmetic or frame damage then. Using the fork mount also drops the bike closer to the car, so there’s less chance of scraping it on a low- hanging branch and more chance of getting decent fuel economy. Thule also makes a posher mount than the Fastride – called the Topride, it uses its own clamp and lever to grab your fork’s thru-axle and secure it to the frame. It’s probably a hair quicker to use, but it’s also £50 more expensive. freewheel.co.uk
PAPER MATE
Get your copy of mbr delivered directly to your door every four weeks with a six-month subscription. And for a little extra seasonal benevolence, there’s currently a free Cateye AMPP800 helmet light to brighten up your night rides. £24.99, see page 48
DOUBLE HEADER
Specialized has not one but two new helmets out, to keep you safe and stylish this winter. The Tactic 4 is an open-face design for e-bikes or regular bikes alike, and conforms to the new NTA 8776 European e-bike standard for pedelec bikes. In short, the Tactic 4 is built tougher than a traditional open-face, with more coverage and foam. It uses a fixed visor (which Spesh says is actually better because it’s always in the right place), MIPS liner, and gets the top rating from Virginia Tech. The Tactic also has extended coverage at the back and its Integrated Fit System is adjustable to allow for different head sizes and shapes.
Then there’s the Gambit, a lightweight, full-face built for downhill. It uses the same Integrated Fit System as the Tactic to fit your bonce, the shell is made from carbon-fibre and polycarbonate, it’s backed up with EPS foam inside, features adjustable cheek pads, that fixed visor again, and a MIPS SL liner for oblique impact protection. It weighs a scant 640g, which is lighter than the Fox Proframe, our current category fave.
£100 Tactic, £295 Gambit, specialized.com
IN THE FLOE
Alpkit’s moving into mtb territory, with a whole wardrobe of kit including the Floe trouser here. Made from double-weave, four-way-stretch, waterresistant fabric, it’s cut loose enough for kneepads but tapered at the cuff and comes in five sizes and three independent lengths. £63.99, alpkit.com
bottle, so even if you’re getting to the trails via Vespa you’ll still be able to port some water.
The Power Washer pushes out an impressive flow rate, 182 litres per hour – 62l more than the Worx Hydroshot. The pressure looks good too, 22 bar should be powerful enough to wash your bike without scouring out your hubs.
We’re praying for a less-sodden winter than last year, but if the weather gods pour cold water on our hopes then a portable pressure washer is going to make it a whole lot easier to deal with. Move over SPD sandals, make way for the Ryobi Power Washer.
LOCH LOMOND AND THE TROSSACHS 38.7KM (24 MILES)
Scotland’s two National Parks are relative newcomers, being formed in the early 2000s. Where the Scottish Highlands starts is open to some debate but Loch Lomond and the Trossachs marks the end of the lowlands and the beginning of the terrain that makes a visit to Scotland worth the journey. This ride takes you past three lochs, through a glen and beneath a ben – perfect for those looking to complete their Scottish Mountain Biking Eye-spy guide.
GPS download bit.ly/trossachsride
DARTMOOR 39.9KM (24.8 MILES)
The most southerly National Park, Dartmoor is currently reviewing its byelaws around cycling and looking to limit where mountain bikes can go. We’re pretty sure Benny Rothman wouldn’t approve. Still, for now this is a corker of a route through a wild landscape littered with history, intrigue and great riding. Across open moors, up to windswept tors and deep down into cleaves, there’s never a dull moment. Just watch out for big cats, which are said to prowl the National Park.
GPS download bit.ly/dartmoorride