During the run-up to Christmas (read, that time when we all vacate the office and forget we have jobs for a week-and-a-half), the MBUK team have been looking back on our favourite things of 2011, and looking ahead and making plans for 2012.

Last but not least, here’s fast-talking Art Editor Jamer.

MY BEST THINGS OF 2011…

Best thing of 2011 was riding the Megavalanche in Alpe d’ Huez. It was such a challenge, but I loved it!

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS FOR 2012…

Denzel the office polecat will be getting a new stuffed friend next year…

Try out a 29er!

Enter more races and events

Watch less trash TV

Try to get naked in the office less often (Jamer may have been forced to make this resolution)

Get Denzel a stuffed friend!

All that’s left to say now is happy new year from all at MBUK!

During the run-up to Christmas (read, that time when we all vacate the office and forget we have jobs for a week-and-a-half), the MBUK team have been looking back on our favourite things of 2011, and looking ahead and making plans for 2012.

New boy Coxy (Deputy Art Editor) only joined MBUK this year, but he’s now a fully fledged member of the Wrecking Crew. Here’s what he’s loved about 2011…

MY BEST THINGS OF 2011…

Joining MBUK was a massive highlight of 2011 – I’d been reading the magazine for ages, so to get to work on it is a dream come true.

Nick on his new Lapierre Spicy 516

Having my beloved Orange stolen was a lowpoint, but getting it retuned after the police caught a Bristol scally riding it was brilliant.

In the meantime, I got my Lapierre Spicy 516 – it does everything I need it to – perfect for everything from downhill runs to trail blasts!

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS FOR 2012…

Do more bike races!

Try not to get road rage when I get cut-up by vehicles while riding to workk.

To still not buy or ride a road bike even though I’ll be 30!

More from the MBUK team next week!

During the run-up to Christmas (read, that time when we all vacate the office and forget we have jobs for a week-and-a-half), the MBUK team have been looking back on our favourite things of 2011, and looking ahead and making plans for 2012.

Next on the stand is Features Ed, Doddy…

MY BEST THING OF 2011…

I finally got round to building my own trail this year, in an area I’ve been scoping out for years. And it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Other than a few essential features, I kept it as natural as possible, and spent time making sure that the start and finish of the trail were hard to find.

Doddy finally built his own trail this year, and is now loving riding it

The start of the trail is so steep that it doesn’t even look like a rideable trail, which is perfect to stop walkers taking a look.

If you’ve not built a trail before, I can highly recommend it – there’s nothing like riding something you’ve built.

But make sure you keep it on the down low. Don’t build big jumps or features that will get your trail noticed – make it blend in and keep quiet about it.

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS FOR 2012…

My new year resolution is to get myself really fit and strong, and to race more.

More looking back and looking forward from the MBUK team tomorrow – stay tuned for Coxy!

Sam Blenkinsop might not have had the start to the season that he was hoping for, but a podium place at the Worlds was a perfect way for the Lapierre rider to end it.

The video below sees Blenkinsop dissect his year – enjoy!

During the run-up to Christmas (read, that time when we all vacate the office and forget we have jobs for a week-and-a-half), the MBUK team have been looking back on our favourite things of 2011, and looking ahead and making plans for 2012.

First up, here’s Senior Staff Writer Ric.

MY BEST THINGS OF 2011…

Pivot Mach 5.7 – Unless you race XC or DH, you only need one bike and this is about as good as it gets.

The Mega - I finally ticked it off the ‘to do before death/die as a result of’ list.

RockShox Reverb post - Trail bike, downhill bike. Trail bike, downhill bike. Trail bike/downhill bike…

The Kashima-coated Fox RP23 rear shock was one of the best products Ric tried in 2011

Stella Cidre - Lager-like cider which thrashes the tits off the rest of that sickly sweet rubbish.

Fox Kashima-coated RP23 shock - Game changing bouncer that makes great bikes unstoppable.

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS FOR 2012…

Race more – I want to have a crack at one or more of the Irish Gravity Enduro series and/or a UK round.

Get as fit as I was for the Mega – I’ve kept up the cardio but the spare-room gruntfest weights sessions have disappeared. I need to get my engine back!

Ride in new places – I want to ride my bike in a few countries I’ve never been to before.

We’ll have more from the MBUK team over the next week or two – next up, it’s Doddy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWe_sQFF38I

Think big. It’s a bike show in widescreen. Eurobike would swallow the London Show into the dark end of one of its 12 show halle. Just getting round and seeing everything means literally jogging past rows and row and rows of brand new shiny hi-tech bikes, components and software.

There were two things which became obvious as the week wore on. Firstly there was no one single killer product or bike on show, bad for those wanting a banner headline. However, the reason for this lack of a standout product was that EVERYONE has raised their game for 2011.

New technologies were mostly refinements in material rather than new ways of making the bikes function, meaning lighter, stronger, but essentially familiar looking bikes for next year. The second was that design and more specifically aesthetics are the golden rules for all 2011 kit. Actually you might not recognise your favourite bikes in 2011 as most brands seem to have hired new graphic design teams in the last year. As the power of Apple’s iPod design and styling continues to leech out into practically all utility items, so brands are realising that it’s no longer acceptable to have a brilliantly engineered frame and then just kit it out in cherry-picked components. You’ll end up with a bike that rides well, but which looks disparate and a bit clunky. Saleable for sure, but not sexy.

For 2011 if you aren’t working with you suspension supplier to custom colour match your fork, tweak the graphics on your chosen wheels to match those of your frame, finding cleaner, prettier and more efficient ways to style your bike then you’re way off the pace…The best at this game are Cube, Scott, Trek and Specialized who continue to put out bikes styled to within an inch of their drop-outs.
If this all sounds a bit too much like window dressing over substance, then it’s you who are off the pace, at least according to the guiding lights of the bike industry. They claim this smooth integrated conceptual look is what consumers want, and the reality is it was hard to resist drooling over bikes which looked so complete or ‘as one’ as somebody accurately described a stunning knobby tyred two-wheeler that was being swamped by lusting bike-o-philes…

After walking 20 miles of aisles, consuming 16 ham and cheese rolls, 14 espressos, and roughly 4lb of steak in the week, it’s time to rest my sore feet and put the best of the show together for you to enjoy. Check out our full report with all that was best from the Eurobike show together with pointers to the hottest MTB kit for 2011 in What Mountain Bike 115, on sale 20 October.