There’s all sorts of good stuff in MBUK 287. Here’s a few highlights…

Best buy full suspension bikes – which gives you the best performance at a bargain price?

First rides on the Ragley Marley, Scott Gambler 10 and Giant Anthem X 29er 1.

How to stay in control – be a pilot, not a passenger, with these skills and drills to keep you in charge on the trail.

New rides! Big Ride route around the Malvern Hills, and a Wrecking Crew ride around Kinlochleven.

Best holiday ever? Cal Jelley takes the ultimate tour of Northern California to ride the birthplaces of mountain biking!

Snow Patrol! Ric puts fat bikes to the test in the wintry Scottish Highlands.

The Coastal Crew – you’ll want their jobs once you’ve read our feature!

We meet the Coastal Crew – the mountain bikers, film-makers and photographers with the most enviable jobs in the world!

The plans for BikePark Wales are revealed – we’ve spoken to the developers and it’s looking amazing!

Awesome shots of the Athertons going massive on home turf!

15 sets of disc brakes tested – which are the superior stoppers?

Plus you get a free karabiner keyring and pull-out route maps!

MBUK 287 is in the shops now – or why not subscribe so you never miss an issue?

Fat bikes – just another fad? Ric finds out in the Highlands

Hannah Barnes shows the Wrecking Crew around her favourite Kinlochleven trails

Then mosey on down to your local newsagent and pick up the brand new issue of MBUK.

It’s packed with all the usual news, features and reviews goodness, but this time we’re bringing you even more!

Yep, every issue comes with an exclusive supplement featuring the Sexiest Bikes and Kit for 2011.

Lovingly compiled by our genius tech ed Weavs, we’ve got flippin gorgeous shots of the bikes of the year. We’re talking the Nuke Proof Scalp DH, Mondraker Factor RR, Cannondale Jekyll Ultimate, DMR Omen and every single bike that matters for 2011.

We’ve got all the juiciest kit, and a look back at the trends that have stuck over the years. And the ones that haven’t.

Not only that, we’ve gotten into a huddle with all the industry bods who matter to find out what’s coming over the next year.

And our own Wrecking Crew team give their predictions for what we’ll all be riding in 2011. And last, but not least, a pic of a very large tortoise.

Don’t miss it!

Our last day in the desert was a bit more relaxed after the epic shift we put in the day before. Guy and I caned it on some 29ers for a bit,

Gert flag

which was good craic as I’ve never spent much time on them. After that we went for a ride with new World Champ Tracy Moseley and got a couple of shots before I blagged myself a new Ibis Mojo HD 140 to take for a razz.

I was pinning it trying to keep up with Weavs on what turned out to be our last trail of the trip when the world’s slowest man got in our way. Weavs got past him and he wasn’t happy about it so made his ample frame even bigger and blocked me off for the rest of the run. Brilliant.

Actually, we found a lot of American riders to be pretty grumpy – in a scientific survey we conducted only one in twenty five riders responded to a traditional British “HIIIIYA!”

Today was our first full day in Vague Arse and it’s a weird place. Everything as you’d expect, is that little (read; “stupidly”) over the top. For example, our hotel has a full-size mechanised pirate ship gun battle outside it every night… A bit much.

We’ve had a bit of a ‘mare with our kit too – our trusty MBUK wind/water/Jamer-proof camera had a break down in the desert and wifi in the new hotel isn’t great but we’re back in business now so will hopefully have loads of tasty bikes and kit for you tomorrow. In the mean-time, here’s a picture of an American flag…

The 2010 UCI World Cup – if I had to describe it in one word it would have to be ‘wow’! After a bullish start to the season by Greg Minnaar, Gee Atherton clawed his way back after a disappointing 2009 to take his maiden World Cup overall crown.

The venue for the final show-down was World Cup debutant Windham, NY. From the point of view of a swotty bike journo, this is exactly how you want the final round of a championship to end up. Two guys at the top of their game, seven points in it and an unproven track which neither had ever ridden before.

After an eventful qualifying session the margin was slimmer again with Minnaar coming home in fourth and Gee in fifth. That was it down to four points…

The two were now set-up for a back-to-back shoot out come Sunday afternoon – a straight fight for the crown.

All three Monster Energy Specialized riders had spells in the hot seat along with various other World Cup regulars but the real meat in the pie was yet to come.

From the first split on it was clear that Gee was giving it everything. He wasn’t going to waste time on a gamble of Minnaar having problems, nor was he simply riding for a podium – he was in this to win.

Minnaar’s run on the other hand never looked as fluid. He’d injured his elbow earlier in practice and was down at the opening two splits. He began eating back into the deficit during the third but it was just too much to ask – he crossed the line 0.37 secs down on Gee.

Fastest qualifier, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Steve Peat, was hauling on his run and was eating time out of the already celebrating Atherton before a big off at speed in the final split put the brakes on a disappointing 2010 for the big lad from Sheffield.

Yeti’s Aaron Gwin had qualified second and was in the mood to give the home-fans something to shout about whilst securing third spot overall. It wasn’t to be however, Lapierre’s resident Kiwi Sam Blenkinsop tonked home in third earning himself the same spot overall and leaving Gwin in fourth in both the race and the overall.

So, what will a maiden overall World Cup crown do for Gee’s confidence on the way into this weekend’s World Champs? What do you reckon?

A wet start to the day and a tyre change was in order straight away. I headed up for my first run and the track was fast and fun but it was clear things were going to be tight come race day.

By the time I hit hill for my third run I was keen to get the speed up. I hit the second step down into the berm and had a big over the bars. I knocked my head pretty hard which resulted in a nasty lump and completely wrote off a new Mavic Deemax Ultimate wheel.

All I can say is thank God for the Troy Lee D3 helmet and Leatt neck brace. Those things are life savers. With a headache, a very broken wheel and dented pride, I gave the racing a miss, which was gutting.

Remember kids… play safe, wear a helmet and don’t do nose dives!