Art Director

I entered 2019 on a steel hardtail with a modest amount of travel and a mash of components that if I wasn’t a beggar, I wouldn’t have chosen. But it saw me through winter and it filled in the blanks in my skill set that I had failed to learn early on, having jumped straight onto a full suspension. Time spent rattling a Ragley Piglet through the steep rocky trails of Calderdale has upped my confidence and control (most of the time…). Enjoying rides more and managing longer ones has led me to perfect my kit for ultimate comfort and convenience, and make better decisions when it comes to ride locations. I’ve explored more, I’ve left my comfort zone, and I’ve said ‘yes’ a lot.

Juliana Maverick

This might get edited out, but I’m going to say it anyway – I was so disappointed when I fell in love with a Santa Cruz. I didn’t want to; I wanted to continue my frugal ways, carry on loving my cheap steel hardtail. But I rode this and the inevitable happened. To date I haven’t ridden a bike that has had such a positive impact on both my riding and my general attitude towards riding. I get excited about every descent, there’s none of the previous ‘err I might give that a miss’ or ‘I’ll sweep, I’m not feeling great’. I just want to get stuck in.