MUDDY FOX .sx SORCERER MEGA .sx Call a bike a Sorcerer and what do you get - 'Hubble , bubble , toil and trouble' or a potent off-road brew ?sx Test :sx Trevor Rankin .sx Photography :sx Dave Smith .sx When I started mountain biking the choice of machine was more or less limited to either a Muddy Fox or a Specialized .sx Since then both the market and choice have grown enormously , and being trendy dictated that good old Muddy Fox Couriers were no longer seen as being the best MTBs around .sx " You're not testing a Muddy Fox are you ?sx " has been a common cry this month .sx Well I'm sorry trendies , but the Sorcerer Mega is a very attractive bike , and at pounds499 has many good features to offer .sx The off-road scene is full of hype , catchy names for pretty ordinary components , wading through the jargon takes a strong head .sx So what are the Sorcerer's main features ?sx Outer butted , cuboid , ovalised , cro-mo mega tubing , with SLR , HG , STI , SIS , SG components .sx See what I mean ?sx The frame is unique in that the tubing changes from a round to square cross-section where the top tube and down tube meet the head tube , and at the down tube to bottom bracket joint .sx Muddy Fox call it " cuboid " tubing , I prefer to describe it as " squarecular" .sx Anyway , the idea is that the square tubing increases the frame's stiffness at these points .sx Another unusual feature is that the tubing is outer butted .sx Normally the change in tubing thickness - butting - is invisible as it occurs inside the tube while the outside diameter remains constant .sx However the seat tube butting on the Sorcerer is plainly visible .sx It may not really achieve anything in terms of performance , but it does look 'different' .sx The rear triangle follows a wishbone design because - yes , you've guessed it - stiffness is the aim .sx Finally , the seat tube is ovalised at the bottom bracket , again to increase stiffness and prevent loss of pedalling power .sx It takes a keen eye to detect the ovalisation , I'm sure the advantage is minimal .sx The frame finish is an attractive deep metallic , blue-black blotchy coat , a similar look to oil on water , which seems quite durable .sx Little gold stickers on the main tubes ensure that you don't forget all the frame's special tubing features and add to the bike's overall impressive appearance .sx Forks are of the beefy persuasion .sx Constant taper cro-mo forks , a la Tange 'Big Forks' , are of good quality on a bike at this price .sx There's nothing unusual about the frame geometry , 71 degree head angle , 73,5 degree seat angle , 22.28 inch sloping top tube and 16.73 inch chainstays , all safe , sensible and functional , except perhaps for the shortish top tube .sx The marked slope of the top tube allows for the seat quick release to be mounted on the front of the seat tube , well away from flying mud and water - a nice touch .sx Shimano provide the cryptically initialled gear and brake systems , all Deore LX ( does 'Deore' actually mean ) .sx Cables run through slotted stops , with the rear brake cable routed along the top of the top tube .sx Gear indexing was flawless .sx Internal changes have been made to STI levers this year , so hopefully the LX units on the Sorcerer will prove more durable than last year's LX STI kit , which didn't handle sustained , regular off-road use all that well .sx The gearing matches 24/36/46 chainrings to a 13-30 cassette cluster , low enough for climbing trees and high enough to scare yourself on a downhill .sx Full marks to Muddy Fox for a non - lycra covered saddle , which has one very unusual feature - or 'feet'ure .sx It looks like loads of furry little beasties have walked through grey dye and left their footprints on it , very distinctive , and comfortable to boot ( or paw rather) .sx The narrow design wasn't appreciated by women MTBers who tried it , though a good dealer should change a saddle to suit a purchaser's bum needs .sx This record of British wildlife is clamped to a black Kalloy 300mm seat post .sx The stem on the test bike was a 135mm internal roller type , which seemed OK , but the design tends to put the cable out of sight and out of mind in terms of maintenance .sx You can't really see what sort of state your cable is in and it's easy to overlook parts that can't be seen when it comes to taking care of MTBs .sx Taking this point up with Muddy Fox , they told me that the stem has been changed to a different design for production models and this potential minus point is no longer a problem .sx But the handlebars are graced with hard rubber grips , similar to some recently discovered on stone age cave paintings , i.e. they're dated and uncomfortable .sx The wheel package consists of 36 hole Araya RX7 rims fondled by Muddy Fox Grip Trax 2.0 tyres , more than adequate for off-road use .sx The metal and resin Wellgo pedals were equipped with toe clips and straps , something to be expected on this level of bike .sx Out on the trail the Sorcerer showed its stiff frame by responding quickly to pedal pressure , bottom bracket flex was undetectable - if you enjoy fast forest track and gravel pit sprinting you'll enjoy the Sorcerer .sx Sluggish it isn't .sx On climbs it performs well , the tyres are fairly good on most surfaces , and you aren't too cramped in the cockpit .sx Slow technical riding is no problem , the bike feels lighter than it is , and is easy to flick around .sx However when it comes to high speed descending the Sorcerer casts a nasty spell on novices , its high speed handling is as sharp as an expert would want .sx This is most likely due to a combination of the shortish top tube , and steep seat tube angle .sx A 22.28 inch top tube is not a lot on a 19 inch bike .sx Another half inch would help to cool it down a touch .sx As it is though , it just feels unstable and very twitchy at high speeds .sx Either exciting or scary , depending on your outlook on life .sx Inexperienced riders should take care on the downhills .sx Overall , the Sorcerer Mega is an attractive machine which shows that Muddy Fox are still turning out good bikes despite the desertion of trendies to other makes .sx However , the potential of a very good frame and component set is let down slightly by the frame geometry .sx Its downhilling performance is a little bit on the lively side for most riders let alone novices , unless they rarely venture onto extreme off-road descents .sx Half an inch more top tube , that's all it needs .sx As a city MTB its good sprinting and slow speed flickability would be an asset for keeping one step ahead of the traffic .sx CROSS OVER .sx As part of her preparations for the long , hot summer ahead , this winter Deb Murrell kept racing - local cyclo - cross events on her MTB .sx For the first time since I began mountain biking I supplemented my winter training this year with the odd race or two .sx Not mountain bike races , but cyclo-cross races .sx I am not sure how I came to the decision .sx Cyclo-cross has long been a dirty word in some MTB circles , where it stands for boring , lots of running , tons of mud and the development of a bike that teeters precariously on the edge of being suitable for real off-road riding .sx In part , the decision came from a realisation that most of the top male mountain bikers in this country are very accomplished at 'cross - many riders devoting their winters to it .sx The other reason for having a go was plain curiosity .sx I must admit I had a few prejudices - particularly about the courses and the length of the races .sx But , quite simply my first outing , at a race in Liverpool , was a shock .sx To say the pace off the start was fast is an understatement .sx It is extremely easy to get caught napping on the line .sx The short , sharp nature of cyclo - cross courses doesn't favour mountain bikes .sx With one , you are at an immediate disadvantage , since 'cross bikes are often lighter and riders may have a spare , clean bike just waiting to be picked up .sx However mountain bikers can still gain a lot from a tough race in such adverse conditions .sx I saw it as training , rode hard and had a good time .sx As far as I can gather , there is a swing to more rideable courses , but many still include some running and an almost compulsory pile of logs to jump over .sx Many of the courses would be practically one hundred percent rideable in dry conditions , but unless there had been a heavy frost we were unlikely to find them like that during the past winter .sx Most 'cross races use a circuit between one and two miles , often in parks and rough ground in towns and cities .sx This means that in the Seniors , Junior and Veterans race , which lasts an hour , riders can complete anything between eight and thirteen laps .sx All the cyclo-cross events in which I competed featured extremely technical sections , certainly hard enough to keep any mountain biker amused , and , because of this , they were an excellent way to practise technical skills .sx The high number of laps gives plenty of time to experiment with these sections , with loads of chances to try different approaches .sx I was amazed how much I learned .sx In a race , it is highly likely you will get lapped and it soon becomes difficult to tell who is where , as riders become spread out all around the course .sx Getting lapped provides you with another chance to learn .sx Watching the best riders carefully as they passed me I sometimes found they took a line that had not occurred to me .sx All the courses I rode were a varied mix of tricky descents , steep climbs , awkward off-cambers and tight corners .sx Only if you counted the laps did tedium set in .sx The technique was to think of each race in terms of time to go .sx How long an hour can seem when you are riding hard , in tough conditions in the middle of winter !sx .sx Mentally , cyclo-cross is tiring .sx I found it difficult to find a rhythm in the short laps .sx Add to that the speed of other riders , the curt time-scale of the race and it becomes impossible to pace yourself .sx By far the most rewarding way to ride was with a go-for-it attitude .sx You thrash as hard as you can for the full hour .sx If you blow up before the end then you know you have at least had a good work out .sx If you don't , then you know your fitness is coming along nicely .sx Next year , if you intend using 'cross either as training for mountain bike racing in the summer , or just for fun , then do it on your mountain bike .sx There is no need to pay extra money kitting out a cyclo-cross bike since most race organisers are happy to see mountain bikers race .sx If you can get hold of any decent 1.5 " knobblies then use them .sx The reason cyclo-crossers pick narrow tyres is to cut through the mud .sx Fat mountain bike tyres possessed an amazing ability for turning into mud balloons , slipping , sliding and adding half a ton to the weight of the bike .sx A shoulder-pad for the bike was also useful .sx Even if there was only one slope which forced riders to carry their bikes , it could be repeated up to twelve times in the course of a race .sx The mountain bike has some advantages in cyclo - cross , particularly on descents , and in its durability .sx In the five races I attended , there were nearly as many broken 'cross bike frames .sx Finally , I basked in the luxury of not needing to travel far for a race .sx Cross events tend to be small-scale , local and with a very relaxed atmosphere .sx .. well , at least until the starter yells " Go !sx " .sx Cyclo-cross is without doubt a completely different sport to mountain biking .sx It is short , sharp , fast and - apart from the National Trophy - quite low key .sx