Surly Wool Jersey

If you are still feeling the chill, but wanting to dispense with the heavy winter layers then you might be interested to know about the Surly Merino Wool Jersey for women.

It is not cheap, but then this is a seriously high quality fabric. In fact, I think this is cycling’s equivalent of the little black dress; it’s the little black top that looks great, will never be out of style and is made with quality materials that will last and last. Performance: 9 Full review >>>

Thor Phase Freeride/DH

On the heels of the likes of Specialized and Fox, Thor have taken the move to try and tempt us ladies with a “women specific range”. At long last though, we now have some downhill kit designed with an extra hint of female attraction. Reason being, Thor has bravely styled its new addition with a hint of pink. Some of you may be thinking “pink” sounds a bit loud and maybe even a bit girly for the gravity fuelled, but the design has a Neapolitan style that is pleasing to the eye and the chocolate brown contrasts well. The new Phase range will turn heads whether you are out on the downhill track, or simply going large on your local trails. If pink isn’t your thing then there are blue and grey options too. Performance: 7 Full review >>>

Trek 6700 WSD

It wasn’t so long ago that women were offered bikes that may have had a fancy pink colour finish, but rarely did they offer a specific design and components selected for a woman’s needs too. Luckily for us, Trek have a massive WSD (Women Specific Design) range of bikes for 2005, with 23 models on offer in the UK, ranging from commuter bikes to full suspension mountain bikes, and all in sizes to suit even the smallest of female riders. Mountain bike frame sizes range from 14” to 18” giving even sub 5 ft tall women a bike with loads of stand-over room and a comfortable reach for the bars. Performance: 8 Full review >>>

Beyond Mountain Bikes ride at Peaslake

There are two reasons why I love going along on group rides with a bunch of like minded girls (and boys) that I’ve never met before to a place I’d never heard of either. The first is that within half an hour you feel like you’ve been riding with the group for years, and there’s the hope and probability that all these new mates will be riding partners for years to come. Read article >>>

Jenny Copnall interview

Jenny Copnall has been racing mountain bikes for years, we catch up with her to see how she manages to stay focussed and motivated and still hitting the podium!.
SC – What made you start riding mountain bikes? Having been 100% commited to competing horses since the age of nine I had made the difficult decision to take a break from that in order to go to university. I had always been really sporty at school and was on the lookout for something to direct my energies into. I met my then boyfriend, who was a cyclist, went for a mountain bike ride and found that my (then) completely fearless nature suited mountain biking very well! I think I am drawn to any sport which involves getting muddy. Read interview >>>