For the April issue’s First Rides we’ve thrown legs over the Kona Hei Hei Supreme, Trek’s Lush WSD SL, Rose’s Dr. Z 8 and Starley’s S M1.

If you’re starting out we show you what you can get for £700. A small step up from proper entry-level steeds can get you a truly fun and capable hardtail.

Looking for a new fork? We’ve tested 15 of the best cross-country/trail forks to see what can soak up the trail trauma with ease.

For out Ride Guide, we head into the wild of mid-Wales for our three routes around Llanwrtyd Wells.

We’ve got our usual blend of kit reviews in our Trail Tested section, which includes a chance to meet some of the team’s new long-term bikes. Give you 20 reasons to get back on the trails if you’ve taken a break over winter. We test three-quarter baggy and bib shorts to keep your knees toasty on the trail. We answer your tech questions show you how to service the lower legs on a RockShox Revelation fork. Plus loads more…

The Trek Remedy 9, Ghost AMR Lector 9500 and GT Zaskar Elite 9R get the first ride treatment.

If you want to cram as much singletrack and as many summits into every ride, we test six long-distance, high-speed trail bikes that will do the job.

Short on stopping power? We test 15 of the best disc brakes for 2013

For this month’s ride guide, we’re checking out the manmade trails of Queen Elizabeth Country Park and beyond.

Fi Spotswood ponders the place of women in mountain biking.

Plus a look behind the scenes of Orange Mountain Bikes, the usual mix of news, opinions and in-depth reviews from our team of WMB testers.

The March (145) issue is in the shops now!

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

First rides: We’re in the saddle of the big-wheeled Scott Genius, Genesis’s first full susser – the Grapil – and Trek’s Cobia to bring you our first impressions

Do materials matter? We consider how what your frame’s made from, whether it’s steel, titanium, aluminium or carbon, affects your ride.

Bike test: We test six 26in-wheeled full sussers that won’t break the bank

Group test: Want to build your own truly custom steed? We test 10 tasty hardtail frames

Ride Guide: We’re discovering the delights of the South Downs on three rides to suit all abilities.

Plus the usual mix of news, reviews, tech advice and loads more… On sale now!

We’re testing the new generation that are getting ready to take on 2013 and win! Our test of big-wheeled trail full sussers include the Giant Trance X 29er 1, Santa Cruz Superlight and Specialized Camber Carbon Comp.

Confused about what wheels should grace your next steed? We ask what the heck is going on with wheels, chatting to industry figures to find out where there wheel size loyalties lie.

We ride the local trails of Yeti Cycles to find out how the routes help inspire its designs.

If you want to keep your toes toasty on the trail, check out our winter riding boots grouptest.

Three routes to inspire and encourage you to get out and ride in the Surrey Hills.

Plus the usual mix of news, reviews, opinions and more. On sale 18 December

The Cannondale Trail SS goes head to head with Trek’s 4500 in First Rides, plus the new Marin Mount Vision XM8, Swift’s first foray into mountain bikes with the Detritovore and a spin on Cotic’s Soul.

We’ve tested six carbon framed superbikes to find out if spending £6000 really makes you faster. If you prefer going back to basics, we also test five rigid forked steeds ranging from £350 to £1250.

The Yorkshire Dales is our ride guide location this month, with three awesome routes for all abilities.

Plus the final part of our skills guide shows you how to tackle technical climbs and clean them, tips to protect your bike from the perils of winter, waterproof jackets and winter shorts group tests and loads more!

What Mountain Bike 142 (December 2012) on sale now!

MBUK 283 is in the shops today (although lucky MBUK subscribers will have it all ready). Want to know what’s inside it? Read on…

Jake Ireland and Olly Wilkins show you all the techniques you need to ride a pump track effectively – these skills translate directly to the trail, so you’re gonna want to learn them!

Chris Smith and Clinton Johns experience the dirt jump and freeride wonderland that is The Track in Cornwall, and we go on a Big Ride on the Dark Peak. There’s free pull-out maps of routes in Powys, the Pennines and Oxfordshire too.

Can buying direct from a manufacturer bag you a bargain hardtail? Find out in this month’s Biketest, when we put four big value steeds to the test.

Chris Smith visits The Track in Portreath

There’s also a Grouptest of 15 waterproof jackets, and six of the best riding glasses.

Doddy got to go to the World Champs without having to work for the first time (so we made him write a feature on it when he got back), plus Dan Milner goes off-piste at alpine festival of biking, the Pass’Portes du Soleil.

Ric and Rob went to race gravity enduro the Irish National Champs (where the luck of the Irish failed to show).

There’s also a 2013 new gear mega preview, tons of kit tested, words of wisdom from Troy Lee (he of Troy Lee Designs fame) and the Cube Stereo is crowned out latest Super Bike.

Plus! A column from Sam Reynolds, our pick of the top five mountain bike movies of all time and a look at gravity biking – downhill mountain biking with a twist…

Don’t miss out – get your issue today!

Check out the best new gear than 2013 has to offer

MBUK 281 is in the shops today! But what’s inside it we hear you cry? Well, this lot for starters!

We go gravity enduro racing with Jérôme Clementz, and Jake Ireland tackles enduro, downhill and 4X all on the same bike at the iXS Dirt Masters. Doddy and the Wrecking Crew gang also get some 4X action in at the Leamington Spa 4X course and pump tracks.

In the south of the country, Jack Gear shows us how his portable ramp set-up can transform coastal street riding in Bude, Cornwall, and in the North, Andy MacCandlish takes the Santa Cruz and ENVE boys into the wild in back country Scotland.

Words of Wisdom from Fabien Barel

Ric goes Yeti hunting in Shropshire, to discover why this turquoise wonder brand captures the imagination like no other. Also in Shropshire, we go on a Big Ride to discover the amazing trails of Long Mynd.

There’s also tons of new gear tested, as well as a look at Specialized’s brand new 2013 bike ranges.

It’s double World Champion fest as multiple DH World Champ Fabien Barel shares his words of wisdom, and former 4X World Champ Brian Lopes gives us a close-up look of his Ibis Tranny Super Bike.

Want to learn new skills? You’ve got it – Joe Rafferty shows you all the essential techniques you need to ride alpine-style terrain. Plus we’ve got a complete guide to drivetrain set-up and maintenance.

Plus you get a free ‘dirt box’ wallet and pull-out route maps!

Don’t miss out – get your issue today. Or why not subscribe and never miss an issue?

Jack Gear gets some air in Cornwall

Jérôme Clementz shows us how gravity enduro is done!

As ever What Mountain Bike is packed full of bike and gear reviews to help you make the right buying decisions.

For First Rides we’ve taken the Devinci Atlas RC out for a spin to see how packing 29in wheels into a 26in-style frame works out. Hint: the results look positive. Considering the potential for wheelsize hype, we test the Jamis Dakar 650b Comp to find out if the middle wheelsize (27.5in) is indeed where things should be at. Plus tests on the Stevens Fluent ES and Silverback’s Storm 1.0.

First Rides - Devinci Atlas RC

First Rides - Jamis Dakar 650b Comp

First Rides - Stevens Fluent ES

First Rides - Silverback Storm 1.0

Our bike test concentrates on homegrown big wheelers, pitting five UK cutting edge 29ers against each other – Singular Swift, Cotic Solaris, Kinesis FF29, Pace RC129 and Genesis Fortitude Adventure.

Genesis Fortitude Adventure and Pace RC129 battle it out in our bike test

Our look at the best UK trail centres finds its way to Scotland to bring you our top 10 centres of excellence north of the border.

There are trails to suit all abilities at Glentress

More series continue with the second part of WMB‘s Ultimate Skills Guide -  this month our expert advice shows you how to scrub off speed safely and stop on a dime. Our ‘Brief History of…’ continues with a look back at how mountain bike wheels have evolved over the years.

Expert advice on where and when to haul on the brakes

Fancy a challenge? We show you how to put the mountain back into mountain biking with a ride/push and carry up North Wales’ Cadair Idris and a fun blast back down.

What goes up has fun coming down - descending Cadair Idris, North Wales

If you want adventure, but on a slightly smaller scale, our route guide riders and writers head to Dartmoor to bring you three routes over the moors, taking in the scenery, myths and magic of the area.

Take in the tors as you traverse the terrain of Dartmoor

What Mountain Bike 136 brings you all this plus grouptests on trail helmets, 1×10 chain devices, £1000 women’s hardtails, technical advice and workshop knowhow, and loads more.  On sale now!

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!