Mountain Biking is one of those things that’s great to do with friends- but it’s gives you the much time needed to get away from hectic city life, so can be a great escape to do on your own.

A trip up to Fort William on the Sleeper like this really doesn’t cost that much money, and given you travel in dead time, works out really well- unlike flying or driving which both take up considerable amounts of time.

A basic return train ticket is £145- which entitles you to airplane style reclining seats, and you can take a bike on for free (but there is limited space so you must pre-book them on). You can spend more though by adding a bunk for £40 each way- cheaper than a night in a B+B, and more fun to boot. One night staying in Fort William at a hostel or similar can be as low as £15 a night- and you’ll only need to spend money feeding and watering yourself.

It’s well worth looking in to a trip like this- it was fantastic to do, and a genuine little adventure… Read the full story in MBUK 285, on sale on 14 December. Or why not subscribe so you never miss an issue? There’s some good deals on at the moment!

Our brand new MBUK shop is now online, selling all sorts of official MBUK merchandise!

Remember the awesome Mud&Rocks&Blood&Glory T-shirts we had at Fort William 2011 that sold out really fast? You can now buy them again! You can get the Whip It tees from this year’s Fort William too. All the T-shirts come in a range of sizes (for both men and women).

There’s a ton of other cool designs too, and there’s also mugs, hoodies and phone covers, not to mention a whole range of kids’ T-shirts.

All this stuff would make ideal Christmas presents too. Might be worth giving Santa a nudge in its direction too…

Since then he’s notched up top 10 results at the first two rounds of the SDA, the second round of the Irish Gravity Enduro and the third round of the Fetish Bike Gravity Enduro Series, as well as taking a not-to-be-sniffed-at 52nd place at the Fort William World Cup.

He’s sponsored by Orange, and this videos shows him proving the all-mountain credentials of the Orange Patriot by piloting it down the steep, rocky slopes of Ben A’an in Scotland.

Trek World Racing’s resident mechanic Monkey talks through Aaron Gwin’s race bike, the Trek Session 9.9.

This video was recorded at Fort William last weekend before the American notched up another victory, with Monkey guiding us through the subtle changes to the bike’s set-up.

Fort William is our favourite DH race of the season!

The luckier members of the MBUK team are off to Fort William for the third round of the MTB DH World Cup this weekend, and we’ve been debating what’s going to go down at our favourite downhill race of the season!

Here our are predictions…

Doddy, Features Editor
Clearly Greg Minnaar is always a top three threat. He’s the Iceman on the scene. He flies clean. No mistakes. The same can’t be said for Danny Hart with his on-the-absolute-limit of what can be done on a bike. He’s definitely Maverick, and while he could pull in the run of all runs, he could go down in flames too.

Aaron Gwin though, despite ironing out the course last year, and putting 7.5 seconds into people last weekend, he claims he still has more in reserve. This I have to see. He’s so mentally on it, and has the skill to follow his level-headedness. What’s he gonna do?  Being like the Viper of the crew, he comes across cool, calm and calculated. We might see something special here.

Who do I want to win though? Tough question. It would be amazing to see Marc Beaumont bag it, and likewise Brendan Fairclough. Gee Atherton needs a win too to remind him that he is that damned good. And clearly Rachel Atheron has to stamp her authority down – I won’t be alone ib screaming the house down for her.

For overseas contenders it has to be Andrew Neethling – he’s one of the nicest guys in the sport with outrageous style on a bike. Get it done Needles!

Will Danny Hart ride his Glory to glory at Fort William?

Rob, Technical Editor
Like Doddy said, Danny Hart is a pinner and has proved he’s got form on that track after winning the BDS with drivetrain problems and I think Val di Sole proved that he can still ride fast without getting out of shape. He know’s Fort Bill and loves it there so I think he’s a top three contender.
Greg Minnaar will also be up there – his smooth, speed-carrying style translates perfectly to Fort Bill… hence all the wins he’s had there in the past.

Aaron Gwin will win though. He’s so prepared both physically and mentally. He’s the new Sam Hill and will force all the other guys to re-evaluate who they train and race in order to keep up with him. The track suits his style of riding and he’s ridiculously strong so can handle the big hits. Gee Atherton will be a contender for the top three but understandably, those niggling injuries will play on his mind. If Steve Smith’s hand holds up, he’ll be top five.

Cam Cole could be the one that rocks the boat. He’s always knocking on the door up in Fort Bill and he’s obviously confident and strong.  Brendan Fairclough might be top 15 but I reckon Sam Hill will be up there in the top 10 again.

As for the women’s, this is Tracy Moseley’s first DH race of the year and she’s beyond fit enough to handle the beating up there. She’s won up there enough to know how to do it. Tracey Hannah has done well there in the past too and will look to put last week behind her. Rachel Atherton will make it a close race for the top spot though!

Ric, Senior Staff Writer
I’ve got to say Aaron Gwin for the win really. He classes the run he was on at Fort Bill last year as the fastest of his life and that includes last weekend. He’s supercross fit and on a track this brutal it should shine through. Even if it does get wet, I don’t think it’ll cut up enough to really hamper his pace. In short, it’s his to lose.

I also think Greg Minnaar will be right up there though. He’s the master of managing himself and his riding – look at last weekend. He came second on a track he doesn’t enjoy and this is Fort Bill where he’s had great success in the past. Any mistakes from Gwin will play straight into his hands. He knows what it takes to win here and that counts for a lot.

Marc Beaumont and Gee and Rachel Atherton will be on the hunt for victory this weekend

Gee Atherton is another rider with form at this track but I just get the feeling that he’s trying too hard this year. I think Gwins physical strength and relaxed demeanour has really got to him in the last year or so. If you look at his body language at the finish line last weekend compared to Greg’s it’s obvious he’s fed up with not being on the top-step. I could see teammate and all-round Mr Cool, Marc Beaumont, pipping him to the post come Sunday.

Danny Hart will be up there too, but where-abouts I think it’s tough to call. He got tetchy when called out on practicing the Fort Bill track before the recent national there but then smoked everyone with a knackered drivetrain. The World Champs jersey is definitely a target on his back and now that he’s had a couple of races to get used to that idea, I think it’ll galvanise him all the more. It would be great to see him win a World Cup this year.

My dark horse however would be Andrew Neethling for a podium. He’s been quietly improving all the time and goes well here. We’ve also yet to see his true pace this season and the British crowd seem to really get behind him.

Mixed fortunes for the Santa Cruz Syndicate at the second round of the MTB DH World Cup ahead of Fort William this weekend. Greg Minnaar snared second place – nice work!

Here are some helpful links to allow you, the viewer, to check out our pick of last month’s interweb viewing.

Nico’s X-Factor
The man who ruled downhill for a decade, Nicolas Vouilloz, goes for a quick spin on his new Lapierre X-Flow and tyre-taps a tree.

Crawfy big love
Crawford Carrick-Anderson is a legend – a former Giant World Cup racer, he’s pretty much the man behind Fort Bill. Here, he shreds the Tweed Valley to The Clash.

Spring with Jaws
You know if somebody’s called ‘Jaws’ they’re going to be a pretty serious customer. We like this dark, grimy edit featuring a great soundtrack from Justice.

This Is Peaty: Episode One
This is Peaty’s premier episode and it sets the foundations for what we reckon will be a brilliant series. All the action, including a fight with Sheffield’s biggest man.

Sprung 2
Now this is an absolute treat – Alex Rankin has uploaded the full 52-minute Sprung 2 movie he released back in November 1998 onto YouTube. Get your retro fix pronto!

MBUK 278 is on sale now!

Sam headed to Fort William for his first go at downhill racing at round two of the Halo BDS.

Things didn’t go as well as he might have hoped…

From awesome riding to stunning scenery, from exciting up-and-coming new riders to one of the best World Cup events there is, Scotland has a lot to shout about.

In MBUK 276 we preview the Fort William World Cup and find out why the world’s best racers love it. Steve Peat, Will Longden, Rachel Atherton and more all have their say, plus we tell you all the info you need on how to get there, where to stay, and let you in on who we think will win it!

We also go beyond the 7stanes to ride the incredible terrain of the Lowther Hills in the Scottish Borders, and see what’s to be found when you venture outside of the trail centres.

Ric meets Joe and Hannah Barnes, two of the UK’s most promising riders, and hit their local trails in Fort William with them. And Dan Milner turns pirate as he takes a riding cruise along the Calendonian Canal.

Pirates of the Caledonian

Barnes stormers!

Set up and step up!

There’s also a brand new skills series starting this month, designed to provide you with all the skills and techniques you need to take your riding to the next level, and all the training plans, advice and work-outs you need to get there, with the men behind Pro Ride Guides, Joe and Alex Rafferty.

There’s also 37 whole pages of new gear tested, including a grouptest of 15 trail forks, six lightweight trail bikes for £2,300 and six of the best lock-on grips.

All that, and you get free Rose socks too, plus four free pull-out route maps.

Don’t miss it - MBUK 276 is on sale today, or you can subscribe here – or check the mag for special gift subscription offers!