For many people, the title of this guide must seem like an oxymoron but then for most people West Yorkshire means the conurbations of Leeds, Bradford and Halifax. However, as Benjamin Haworth ably demonstrates in the latest Vertebrate Publishing guide, in more ways than one you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

For while West Yorkshire does encompass a lot of chimney pots, it’s also home to some superb mountain biking. The very topography that led to the industrial revolution also means steep sided valleys and trails – lots of trails. Packhorse trails, quarry trails, salt routes in abundance, many too steep to become roads, others left to decay as the horse was replaced by the canal, train and lorry.

Which is great news for the modern mountain biker, and in this guide Haworth has pulled together a diverse collection of trails that will tickle even the most jaded palate. For instance, how many guides include a route such as Pennine Bridleway and M62? That’s the West Yorkshire conundrum in a nutshell, a bizarre combination of bleak yet beautiful moorland through which runs the busy M62.

At the other end of the scale, Marsden and Willykay Clough while providing many reminders of the area’s industrial heritage is a picturesque romp through classic Pennine country.

The Calderdale area around Todmorden and Hebden Bridge is a hidden gem, so far off most people’s radar yet a real aficionado’s delight. The riding is typical of the area, only more so – steeper climbs, crazier descents and head-turning scenery around every corner. It is a near unavoidable invitation to step outside your comfort zone.

As usual, it’s all wrapped up in a typically efficient and precise Vertebrate guide package. Clear maps, concise directions and inspiring photography from both Haworth himself and the ever reliable John Coefield – the picture of Willykay Clough on page 85 alone is worth the cover price. This guide is a superb introduction to a little known mountain biking mecca. Get to it.

The guide costs £14.95 and is available from www.v-publishing.co.uk

Enduro racer Rob Lee is well known in the UK mountain bike scene for his victories in races like Sleepless in the Saddle, Bontrager Torchbearer 24-hour, 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships and many more. On the back of this he’s penned a book, Endurance Within. But he needs your help to get it published.

“I first started work on Endurance Within in the hope of understanding the void that exists between the reality of my life, my riding, and me as a person, and the perception that others have,” says Rob. Through it’s inception I found the key to changing from the person I was when I started, to the person I had always wanted to be. When I read it back to myself now I find I am inspired, yet somewhat appauled, to find that the act of putting it down on paper was almost as evolutionary as the events it describes.”

In an unusual publishing twist, Rob has chosen to use, Crowdfunding, a social solution to funding a project, to put his book into print. Rob tells us the reason why he’s made this decision: “After some debate and consideration I have decided that if it is to be published then I would like it to be as a limited edition.”

“…I’m under no illusion that endurance mountain biking is a small niche market within the broader spectrum of world cycling. I have decided to let the question of supply be answered by the audience by allowing the final push of the production button to sit under their hands,” he continues.

So, it’s now over to you. If enough funding is offered through Crowdfunding, then the book goes ahead. If you want to see the book published, simply head to www.crowdfunder.co.uk and invest.