Anti-cycling tirades in the mainstream press are a tediously common occurence. It’s particularly splendid, therefore, to see a big piece in Saturday’s Guardian reporting on IMBA‘s assessment of mountain biking facilities in the UK.

The story, by Alf Anderson, is upbeat and enthusiastic. He’s included information about key MTB destinations in the UK and we’d be amazed if the whole thing didn’t attract some new riders to the trails.

Unfortunately another piece in the Observer is considerably less upbeat, being as it is about the decline of cycling as a mode of transport. But at least the stance taken is that the decline is a bad thing, which we guess is progress of a sort.

Certainly makes a pleasant change from the usual “Lycra lout” nonsense, that’s for sure…