LAURENCE MACKINreviews Mountain Biking Britainby Chris Moran, Footsteps, £14.99
According to Chris Moran, Britain has some of the best mountain-bike riding to be had anywhere, all within easy reach of most towns and cities, and this guide goes a long way towards proving his case.
The book begins with sections that novice riders or those thinking of getting into the sport will appreciate. An opening section will help you identify what type of rider you are (and therefore which track will suit your level, ability and preferences), and there is an explanation of terrains, terminology and the type of bike you should be riding.
The meat of this book, though, is a track-by-track guide, with entries under locations, facilities and conditions, with useful links and references for shops where you can hire gear – especially important for Irish readers.
The writing is sharp, concise and, more than anything else, relentlessly enthusiastic, with break-out panels on the best rides in each location, nuggets of local history – what could be better than riding tracks near Drumlanrig Castle, in Scotland, where the bike was invented? – and question-and-answer articles with local riders, who give up their secrets on the best tracks, gear shops and foodie pit stops in their area.
Vibrant photographs provide the finishing touches to this exhaustively researched, elegant book.
The only downside? There are no listings for Northern Ireland, but here’s hoping Footsteps will see fit to launch a future version that will include Irish tracks, north and south of the Border. (In the meantime, check out mountainbiking.ie and coillteoutdoors.ie.) There are no maps, either, which is sensible given the number of entries, but there are plenty of links to sites where you can find guides to each track listed.