What's the spec and cost?

High Roller II 26x2.4 EXO Folder 60a compound, £39.99

So, if the original is so great, why mess with a winning formula, right? What makes this a better tyre?

Well, firstly the original was a little prone to suddenly washing out sideways when it reached the limit of it's traction - which admittedly took some effort - so this one has slightly angled side knobs which help resist this and give some additional cornering confidence. This is combined with a broader central tread to ensure there's always some bite whilst leaning into corners as you shift weight onto the shoulders of the tyre.You'll also notice that all of the knobs are now more detailed with sipes (the little cuts in the blocks) and slightly concaved edges - this should make the tread more flexible in certain directions by allowing the rubber to flex.The final difference in tread shape is that the braking surface is now more aggressively designed to bite when you throw out the anchor - the central knobs are squarer on the leading edge which should help them dig as you, er, tug.

Secondly, this tyre is noticeably deeper than it's folding 2.35 predecessor. We like a folding tyre here at StS (when you are riding up 1000m climbs it's a sensible place to try to shave a bit of weight)  - but the 2.35 LUST folder was ridiculously lacking in the carcass depth department. Few reviewers have mentioned these differences - but one of the reasons we stopped using High Rollers for guiding was that  the carcass was so shallow - reducing the air volume and therefore the ability of the wheel to shrug off rock strikes.....important in places like Spain and Andorra. 

Despite what you might have read elsewhere it certainly seems a wider tyre too - we don't have an old High Roller kicking around to measure, but it was a well-documented fact that the 2.35 came up as being closer to a 2.2. Well, I have just measured the tread width on a DT Swiss XP1600 rim at 2.38", with the carcass being 2.28". That's a decent sized set of boots.

How does it perform? Is it really better?

In a word, yes! We just spent 9 days riding this tyre in North Wales in all conditions imaginable - trail centre hardpack, wet mud, moist moss-covered rocks, gravelly berms, lethally slippery roots and dry flowing turns (we had a bit of a mixed bag of weather) - and it performed remarkably in all of them. And I don't use the word "remarkably" lightly - these seemed to offer far more grip in the wet than I remember the original High Roller possessing - it was always good for traction and drive, but the older HR never seemed to hook up especially well in the wet...I used to swap to faithful Bonty Jones Muds for the sticky season. In this iteration of the High Roller however, it's hard to see why you need a different summer/winter tyre choice to cope with differing conditions - they just grip and grip and, then, just when you expect them to let go, grip some more.

In corners the Cube Stereo Race was transformed - and the enormous contrast from the outgoing tyres (Schwalbe Fat Albert Triple Compound 2.4's) simply served to even further drive the point home. Suddenly, rather than "just" being a great all-mountain bike the Stereo was transformed into feeling like a rip-snorting mini-DH bike. In part this also came from a cockpit change (more of that in a later review) made at the same time - but from a pure grip perspective I was able to lie the bike down into flat corners to a far greater degree, and I could attack the new berms on Coed Y Brenin's fantastic new blue-graded "Slipway" section without even giving consideration to the brake levers.

Braking power - as always with High Rollers - was fantastic too, but it was the wet weather cornering that was the noticeable step-up from the original, along with an unerring new ability to clear claggy mud. On one particularly soggy section the person I was riding with found their tyres really struggling to clear - not so with the HRII's. What tyres did he have? None other than my previous winter go-to-tyres, the Jones Mud.

How are they wearing?

Well, after 9 days of attacking the rocky, abrasive trails in Snowdonia with new-found-grip-based aggression there's not really any signs of wear at all! (The photos here were taken today, after the trip.) A recent review in MBR mentioned that the 3C version was showing some pretty severe degradation after a 10 day trip to the Alps - well, from what I have seen so far there's plenty of grip to be had from the 60a version - with none of the longevity issues. However, I'll be sticking some 3C's on the Cube Hanzz big rig for uplift duties next summer to see how they go!

VEDICT 9/10

These tyres really smacked me violently about the face and neck with their rubbery loveliness. Go and buy some immediately. And we mean immediately - we've been told by a retailer that Maxxis prices may be about to go up by about 25%...even so, these are gert lush rim huggers.

For a preview of what happened - including the days we rode with our friend Oscar Saiz (coach to brit Danny Hart, 2011 DH World Champion) and Lisbon Downtown hero Roger Gonzalez have a look at our amazing new video!

We think this is the best video we've ever done - and it's a proper moster at 18 minutes! Remember to "like" it please, and share it on Facebook too....

Click here to view the embedded video.

We have only very limited availability for the breaks in Spain (May 26th) and Andorra (July 7th) - so get your bookings in as soon as possible to secure a place!

The Spanish break is based in a fantastic 4 star hotel - making it an incredible bargain at only £365. With an airport transfer time of only 55 minutes this is the perfect short break destination - amazing trails are only hours from your door.....

In Andorra our hotel sits at the foot of the trails - and as you may have seen on pages 12 and 13 of November's MBR magazine it is a stunning setting for a long weekend away! The full article will appear in their pages over the New Year period - so we expect to be heavily booked in 2012...and with 4 nights priced at £370 it's sure to be in demand.

In the Alps our 4 night breaks are based from our hotel in Chamonix - allowing us to ride the world famous trails around the town, and also venture a little further afield for a day in Morzine, Les Gets and the Pass'Portes du Soleil route - a staggering amount of riding for a 4 day break priced at only £380.

For full details of pricing, dates and availability visit our Prices and Booking page.

There are one of two aspects to be confirmed (including some of the special offer and short break prices) - but we felt that getting the dates published urgently was really important!

We already have bookings for Spain and Andorra for 2012 - and we are going to be featured in MBR very, very soon - so we are expecting many weeks to sell out very quickly - even quicker than in 2011!!

In a major development, both Grandvalira Bike Park and former UCI MTB World Cup hosts Vallnord Bike Park have teamed up - to sponsor Singletrack Safari Mountain Bike Holidays in order to promote Andorra as Europe’s hottest new riding destination

Singletrack Safari are the only MTB holiday company operating in Andorra in the Pyrenees, where both bike parks are based – and we have been campaigning hard to promote the profile of the area as an emerging mountain biking destination since last year. The Bike Parks have asked Singletrack Safari to act as ambassadors for riding in Andorra – helping to spread the word about the region within the UK and further afield. The project also has the backing & support of the official tourist authority, Andorra Turisme.

Giant Team coach and former World Cup DH rider, Oscar Saiz, who is also the manager of Grandvalira Bike Park, says:

“I first met Martin and Georgina from Singletrack Safari in 2010, when I heard English voices in the Bike Park – and as we rarely get British visitors we quickly got to know each other! Singletrack Safari are genuinely passionate about Andorra, and are as keen as we are to show what an amazing place it is to ride. We really like the way they offer holidays for all types of bikers – whether you are a DH rider, or someone who wants to get out and ride our amazing natural all-mountain trails, they will really look after you - and show you the very best riding!”

We are incredibly proud to be heading this unique project up - we have loved riding in Andorra for years now, and as soon as we set up the company we knew it had to be one of our destinations. It’s really popular with riders from all over mainland Europe – particularly for DH riding – but most people within the UK have never even heard of it, let alone ridden there! Andorra offers world-class trails, enormous snow-capped mountains, amazing food, really friendly people, fantastic weather, VAT-free prices and – very importantly - a much longer season than you get in The Alps. The weather on this southern side of the Pyrenees mostly comes from neighbouring Spain – which means you can ride in warm, sunny weather pretty much from the end of May until the start of October!

Discussions with Grandvalira Bike Park began early in 2011, however once Vallnord Bike Park heard about the idea of using Singletrack Safari to attract more riders from the UK they immediately wanted to get involved too, and the project grew significantly in its ambitions. Vallnord, which hosted rounds of the UCI DH World Cup in 2008 and 2009 is well known as the home and training ground of MTB superstar Cedric Gracia, and the head offices of bike company Commencal are located at the foot of the trails too.

Top Spanish DH/ 4X rider and head of Vallnord Bike Park’s school, Roger Gonzalez adds:

“Singletrack Safari is a really exciting, professional company, and they want to help all English-speaking riders understand our amazing country. It’s crazy to think that we are incredibly famous as a destination for Spanish and French bikers but remain a mystery within the UK! We want British mountain bikers to try something new instead of simply visiting the Alps or Spain every year. Our Bike Parks are amongst the best in the world – our prices are low, but temperatures are high and the runs are long, but the queues are short! With Singletrack Safari’s guiding staff you can get out and explore our wild, unspoilt natural trails too...and I hear rumours that they are also planning to introduce heli-biking soon, which will open up some incredible riding!”

Singletrack Safari will receive a variety of support and funding through both bike parks and Andorra Tourism to help market and expand the principality’s profile, and bring an ever increasing number of British riders to Andorra. Bookings for Andorra in 2011 are already more than double that of last year, and it seems set to be our most popular destination ahead of The Alps and Spain – to the extent that we have added two extra weeks of availability to their calendar to support demand.

2011 will see a variety of profile-growing activities take place, with Singletrack Safari co-ordinating efforts; from special advertising, to journalists visiting to experience Singletrack Safari holidays, logo sharing on everything from websites to t-shirts and competitions to win holidays in Andorra. Singletrack Safari will be named as an “Official Partner” on the Bike Park websites, and our logos are set to feature on some of the official park clothing and even trail maps. Additionally Singletrack Safari staff will sport both Bike Parks’ clothing as they travel around the trails of Europe!

Additionally guests are set to receive special edition Singletrack Safari Andorra t-shirts, plus exclusive deals on lift passes, and we will establish an extra-special week where clients will receive coaching from local pro riders such as Oscar Saiz at Grandvalira and Spanish National Champion and Top Spanish pro Roger Gonzales, head of the Vallnord MTB School. The week will also include commemorative gifts and nights out with the pros – and lucky guests may be joined by Cedric Gracia too!

From 2012 the partnership plans to be able to offer a choice of budget DH-specific holidays in Andorra via the Singletrack Safari website, in addition to our successful fully guided package. The DH specific holidays will allow gravity-focussed riders to easily and securely book non-guided Bike Park packages inclusive of accommodation, transfers and lift passes.

The current Singletrack Safari holiday in Andorra allows riders to explore everything from incredible natural “all-mountain” singletrack to play days in the Bike Parks, in the company of fully qualified guiding staff - whilst enjoying top-quality hotel accommodation and a range of great extras, such as off-bike guiding to the best restaurants and bars in the evenings, to free mechanical support, free photography and travel in the company’s luxury vehicles – riders even get a free, fully edited video of their week on the trails published on our popular youtube channel!

We’re so excited to be at the head of this initiative – our bookings are clearly showing that the message about Andorra’s amazing mountain biking is starting to get through to the UK market – we are heavily booked right through to September, which shows how keen UK riders are to explore new riding destinations. With this fantastic new support from Grandvalira and Vallnord I am certain that we will see Andorra starting to become a major player in the European riding scene within the next couple of years!

- The best of Chamonix's world famous and well hidden natural trails
- The route of the Pass'Portes du Soleil (with added secret singletrack!)
- A day exploring the interconnected bike parks of Les Gets and Morzine
- Les Deux Alpes - descend (or climb!) 2.3 vertical kilometers on wonderful trails!
- Alpe D'Huez - explore the amazing natural singletrack or play in the bike park
- The Megavalanche route - no introduction required....say you've done it!

We already have several weeks which are either totally or almost sold out, but we have plenty of availability overall - book a trip for 2 or more people and save a fantastic £25 per person, making the best MTB holiday in the Alps amongst the cheapest! It really is an incredible holiday - but don't take just our word for it - see our reviews on BikeMagic!

We are offering a free copy of this fantastic book to anyone who books a holiday with Singletrack Safari during 2011 (whilst stocks last) - so get your reservations in quickly - don't miss out on this fantastic free gift worth £19.99!

The amazing book features 500 areas to ride in England and Wales, with over 700 route ideas to suit all levels of riding ability - with lots of information, maps and glorious pictures - many of which were provided by us here at Singletrack Safari!

The Good Mountain Biking Guide provides detailed information on 500 mountain biking areas throughout England and Wales. With many areas containing several routes, the guide offers thousands of ride options. Wherever you are in England & Wales you are never too far from some great mountain biking. This book will show you where to go, using the natural network of bridleways and byways that cross the countryside or the ever growing numbers of purpose built Trail Centres.

All the popular ‘must do’ destinations are covered such as The Peak District, Lake District, The Dales, North & South Downs, Brecon Beacons... through to many more areas that are not so well known.

INCLUDED

• Locator Maps
• Overview of the mountain biking regions and what they have to offer, written by Nick Cotton author of over 40 MTB and Cycle guides

For Each Area

• Detailed area maps with trails and roads clearly shown.
• Contours, spot heights, parking, pubs & cafes marked along the trails.
• Ride options with references to relevant maps, guides and websites.
• Useful information on pubs, cafes and bike shops as well as drive times from major cities and train travel where appropriate.

A comprehensive index is included of towns and villages in each map area.

We've been making a fantastic movie on a weekly basis for our clients, completely free of charge since we launched - and our youTube channel has become highly popular! As a result  the biggest name in sports video cameras, Action Cameras UK, have joined us as an official sponsor.

We have just received a pair of brand new Drift HD170 Stealth cameras which we will be using to capture all of our onboard riding footage this year. This puts us in great company, as Action cameras are also the official camera sponsor of Steve Peat, who also uses the same camera package.

The Drift HD170 Stealth is a cutting edge unit, which has some truly amazing features in addition to its gorgeous 1080p high definition image - such as a clever 170 degree wide angle lens which rotates to ensure the perfect set up, an integrated colour LCD screen, wireless remote control operation, slow motion mode and even low-light recording!

We are hoping to get the camera tested properly this weekend and we'll post the footage on our youTube channel so you can see the results!

We have been waiting some time to get our hands on the Stereos for some time, such is the demand for Cube's bikes this year - and we also have a Fritzz downhill Bike due to be delivered sometime soon too! Cube are the first German brand we've come across who look set to join the ranks of "Euro bikes that break the mainstream", like Lapierre from France and Commencal from Andorra before them. Following a makeover this year the bikes are now strikingly stylish, with some models - such as our Stereos - sporting a trendy new look.

We have been out on them a few times now - and we're pleased to report that we have lots of extremely good things to say about them, with only a couple of very minor points which might be improved upon for next year.

Both bikes are alloy framed, with extensive hydroforming, and have a super-plush 140mm rear end driving a Fox RP23 Boost Valve shock. The front end is mated to 150mm forks on both bikes. There are bolt through axles front and rear - giving super accurate handling, which combines perfectly with the relaxed geometry perfect for technical trail riding.

The women's specific WLS has tweaked geometry for smaller ladies - and it's one of only two140mm travel full sussers we can think of on the UK market (the other being the Orange Diva). The bike has a shorter top tube and a low standover height - George is small, so the 15" frame with a short reach is a blessing! Too many magazines downplay the usefulness of women's specific bike - but for a shorter rider we think they are often a far better option. The WLS is also tweaked with female specific contact points to further tune the bike to girlies!

The spec of the Stereo WLS is impressive - 150mm Rockshox Revelation 2-Step with Poploc, there's a full 10 speed XT drivetrain, colour coded DT Swiss Wheels shod with Schwalbe Fat Albert tyres, Formula R1 brakes and excellent Syntace finishing kit means that the complete bike weighs in at an extremely respectable 12.2kg / 26.9lbs.

The Stereo Race has an XT Drivetrain with an XTR rear mech, Formula The One Brakes, carbon Syntace finishing kit and the same DT Swiss Wheels as the WLS - albeit in green rather than white! The big difference here is that the Race is specced with a FIT-damped Fox Talas 150 Fork.

We're finding that both bikes love speed - the low bottom bracket makes the bike feel incredibly stable - and that the relaxed geometry makes steep, technical riding a pleasure. The bolt-thru axles really make the bike feel extremely solid - George has mentioned that she in particular feels that the bike is far more capable and solid in its feel than her old Giant Trance W.

The rear ends of both bikes are identical - the Fox shock is driven from both ends, and is fully active at all times. I have to say that this is the least pedal-affected bike I've ever ridden - far more so than the FSR on my 2008 S-Works Enduro or the Contact System on my old 2009 Commencal. Even compared with my old Scott Genuis I am finding climbing on the Stereo a revelation! Even without using the Pro-Pedal the bike clambers up even the rockiest of climbs climb quickly and efficiently.

Point the bike downhill and it really rips - the back end is tight, nimble and the quality of the suspension makes the travel feel far longer than it really is. Riding "The Wall" trail last weekend it was clear to see that the suspension action front and rear is really well balanced - the bike doesn't dive into switchbacks, nor does it wallow at all as the trail rises and falls - but hit a rocky section like "The Graveyard" at speed and the bike simply takes it entirely in its stride.

The only points we'd like to see improved really are very minor - the stems are a fraction too long (maybe 10mm), the conical spacer on the WLS means it's tricky to reduce the height of the bars for smaller riders and the windows on the Shimano XT shifters aren't compatible with the Formula levers - meaning that if (like us) you want to run the brakes inboard of the shifters you'll have to remove the indicator windows.

There will be a full review of the bikes on the Singletrack Safari website once we have put a few more miles in - but for now thanks again to Zero G in Bristol for their support and we're eagerly awaiting the final bike's arrival!

The week will have a heavy emphasis on natural trails, and with our help you'll find the very best of the riding hidden deep in the forests and high on the mountains around Chamonix which evades most of the biking visitors. As usual, Singletrack Safari staff will be on hand to support you at every moment - whether on or off the bike we are there to help!

Because this version of our holiday involves less travel it uses less fuel, and therefore we can reduce the price accordingly to make this one of the most competitvely priced fully supported mountain biking holidays available in The Alps, at only £450!!

Book soon - we only have a maximum of 9 spaces available!