Cheers to the future! – ENDURO issue #047 is out now!

Mountain biking is facing big changes that affect us all. However, that’s no reason to bury your head in the sand. Despite being faced with challenges, there’s a lot of potential too! That’s why the brand new ENDURO Issue #047 is headlined “Cheers to the future!”. We’re very optimistic about the future, have a clear mission and we want you to join us as we broaden horizons, overcome prejudices and make a meaningful contribution to the community. Are you in?

ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine is published in a digital app format in both English and German. Download the app for iOS or Android to read all articles on your tablet or smartphone. 100% free!

When my brother Max and I founded ENDURO magazine in 2012, enduro as a form of mountain biking was still relatively unknown. The Enduro World Series was not yet born and the sport was in its infancy, driven by brave individuals with a pioneering spirit who wanted to push forward the community. It was an incredibly exciting time in which mountain biking achieved a new kind of sex appeal, technological limits were continually being pushed and, above all, the spirit of mountain biking and its image were renewed. Pro-level enduro racing did just as much for the scene as the countless grassroots events. The Enduro World Series brought the top athletes of the mountain bike world back together, allowing XC Olympians to compete against DH world champions in the same race, eschewing a hard-nosed racing focus in favour of collective good times. Local enduro events around the world fostered a patchwork of people in search of trails, campfires and camaraderie. Enduro broadened our horizons and united supposed opposites.

The same did and still applies to our magazine. Technology is developing beyond what we could ever have imagined and the community is also undergoing major changes. This is not least because of the current bike boom, which has brought an incredible number of newcomers to the scene. Mountain biking has become a popular mainstream sport. This offers numerous opportunities as well as challenges regarding trail use, riding safety and education. EMTBs have become incredibly popular and the mountain bike as we’ve known it for the past ten years is no longer the same!

It’s obvious: what was an irrefutable fact yesterday may no longer apply today. As such, it’s critical that we reflect on the developments that have taken us here so that we can open our eyes and ears to what is coming and ask ourselves where we are currently, what the community needs and where we want the scene and industry to go? The future doesn’t demand immediate action or quick answers. Let’s ask the right questions first so that we can find the right answers to let us take the right steps! To that end, in this issue we’re asking a whole series of questions:

What are the most important mountain bike, eMTB, gravel and tech trends for 2021
How is the bike community changing due to the lockdown-induced bike boom? What are the opportunities and challenges
Are eMTBs the better mountain bikes
Do we need categories like all-mountain, downcountry, backcountry, long-travel trail bikes, over-mountain or super-all-mountain? Can an all-rounder unite all of these disciplines instead?
What does the best mountain bike of 2021 have to be capable of? Who defines what a mountain bike is and what should it be
How much do you have to pay to have fun on the trail?
Can a hardtail be just as much fun as a full-suspension trail rocket
How important is weight really and what role do suspension and geometry play on the climbs?
How do you measure value for money? By way of an XT groupset and shiny Kashima stanchions for a bargain price or by way of real-world trail performance
Can riding mountain bikes make us happy?
How do you achieve the best work-ride balance in times of the home office? How will we and how do we want to work in the future?
Is carbon really better than aluminium?

In search of answers, we travelled to Tuscany to test 22 of the most promising mountain bikes for trails, tours and adventures, ranging in price from € 1,699 to € 13,999. For our article on working from home, we chat with the head of HR at Porsche, Stefan Althoff, as well as with freelancers, working parents and of course our own team to answer the question of how to find the perfect work-ride balance. We also attended the Oscars of the bike industry, the Design & Innovation Award 2021, as the jury delved into the latest technologies and the future of the bike world. You’ll find a summary of everything you need to know in the exciting trend report from the Design & Innovation Award!

That’s not all! As part of our annual reader survey, we ask you a series of important questions that will help shape bike development and allow us to further improve ENDURO Magazine. Last year, over 28,500 readers took part, making it the biggest and most representative survey in the industry. Thank you for getting involved and supporting our mission! Speaking of support: a lot of you have asked for it, so we’ve made it possible. You can now become an ENDURO supporter and help fund the work we do with a voluntary monthly donation. By doing so, you contribute to the development of ENDURO as well as the mountain bike scene. You’ll find all the details in this issue.

Even though group tests and tech articles are our bread and butter, we’ve always been about so much more than just bikes. We’re all about making dreams come true and self-realisation. How do we want to ride, live and work as a team? What does the community need and what does the industry need? As such, not just ENDURO, but every magazine at 41 Publishing, DOWNTOWN, GRAN FONDO and E-MOUNTAINBIKE, has a clear mission: we actively shape the scene, set trends and empower our readers to make the right purchases. Why? We don’t just want everyone to have fun on their bike but want to offer inspiration, make a valuable contribution to the sport and share our passion with as many people as possible. A neutral buyer’s guide to help you find the right bike is just as important as setting trends for positive development within the industry. Who better to do so than a magazine, as a meeting point between the scene and the industry with the experience of having tested hundreds of bikes?

With that in mind, let’s go! The sport and the industry are booming, there’s a lot to do and just as much to experience. Right now, every bit of effort and every contribution to the community matters. We wish you a brilliant season and lots of fun-filled adventures! Here’s to the future. Cheers!

DThe highlights of ENDURO Issue #047

Which is the best mountain bike of 2021? 22 MTBs for trails, tours and adventure from € 1,699 to € 14,000 in comparison
Carbon Myths: Is carbon really better than aluminium? Everything you need to know about carbon and aluminium!
Design & Innovation Award – These are the MTB, E-MTB, technology and gravel trends 2021
Original or copy? An essay about the decisions that we make day after day
Work-ride balance – How to boss your home office and bike life

ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine is published in a digital app format in both English and German:

Excited? These (and many more) stories are just a few clicks away. If you’ve already installed our free app, simply open it and download the latest issue right now. If not, first download the free app from the App Store (iPhone / iPad) or the Play Store (Android smartphones & tablets) and then download the latest issue in the app.

Our free, digital magazine is the centrepiece of our work and definitely the best way to experience our content, with interactive features as well as beautiful photography and videos all packed into a unique design. If you like our website, we’re sure you’ll love our magazine app. By the way: the app even gives you access to all of our back issues – hours upon hours of first-class content!

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.

Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: Valentin Rühl

DThe highlights of ENDURO Issue #047

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