Author James Costley-White
James Costley-White

James Costley-White

Group editor, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus

James is the group editor of the best-selling magazines Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus, and their associated digital editions and websites. He has worked on MBUK since 2013, became editor in 2019 and took over at Cycling Plus in 2024. An NCTJ-qualified senior journalist with a postgraduate diploma from Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, JCW joined the cycling media world in 2012. Previously, he’d worked as a reporter and sub-editor on daily newspapers. After a stint as operations editor on BikeRadar, he worked for Triathlon Plus and the ahead-of-its-time ChopMTB. JCW has been an avid cyclist his whole life, progressing from a Chopper-style Raleigh Commando to a Raleigh Sprint road bike before discovering mountain biking in 1992. Since then, he’s amassed a huge amount of knowledge and riding experience, in the UK and abroad. He can often be found riding the trails of South Wales on his latest long-term test bike or custom-built RAAW Jibb, hitting North Somerset cycle paths with his kids, scything down the Cheddar Gorge on his road bike or heading to work on his mutant e-commuter. As well as editing MBUK and Cycling Plus, JCW contributes regular product reviews and other articles.

  • Height: 6ft 2in (188cm)
  • Bike size: XL

Recent articles by James Costley-White
Nick Craig of Great Britain in action during the Men's Cross Country Mountain Biking on Day Nine of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia

"Flat pedals, a football shirt and my mum's gardening gloves… helmets weren't worn then" – 5 things we learned about Nick Craig

XC and CX legend looks back on the exciting early days of UK mountain biking
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Sam Shucksmith of Whyte Bikes

"The way I like a bike set up seems to translate to the masses" – 8 things we learned from Sam Shucksmith

We caught up with Whyte’s head of MTB design for the MBUK Podcast as the brand launched their Kado e-bike, to find out what it takes to develop and test a new bike
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Rider of the Year 2025

Rider of the Year voting closes today – don't miss out!

Have your say and help pick the winners of our coveted annual awards
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Hattie Harnden female mountain biker

"I'm still getting the hang of enduro" – 10 things we learned about Hattie Harnden

The 2024 Enduro World Cup champion explains how she's done so much in so little time
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Ethan Graik riding during the fourth round of the 2024 DH World Cup Series. Val di Sole, Italy

"Someone punched me at the finish line" – 7 things we learned from Ethan Craik

The Scott-sponsored downhill racer talks BMX punch-ups, his secret love of Lego and more
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Male mountain biker in red riding through woodland

Andrew 'Doddy' Dodd: I landed a career in mountain biking by breaking wheels, forks… and my nose

Former MBUK staffer and GMBN presenter Andrew ‘Doddy’ Dodd recalls how it all started
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Dan Stanbridge , team mojo wearing skinsuit

Chris Porter: downhill racing's skinsuit ban is a sham

When the Mojo Suspension team shocked the downhill establishment by racing a DH World Cup in skintight Lycra
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Georgia Leslie during interview

Meet the woman behind Specialized's mountain bike marketing

Georgia Leslie gives us the inside track on life at one of the world's biggest bike brands
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Mountain biker fallen off bike

I've never ridden mountain bikes before, but I took on a terrifying black trail and here's what happened

We challenged a lifelong road cyclist to tackle one of BikePark Wales’ toughest trails. Here are five things he learned
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Trek Slash+ with Get into MTB week banner

The anatomy of an electric mountain bike explained

Check out our eMTB jargon buster with all the key components and terminology explained
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Seasucker Talon 1 bike rack

The SeaSucker Talon 1 is a compact, stable bike rack – once you learn to trust it

Suction-cup rack that’s surprisingly stable
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Five mountain bikes we'd buy with our own cash – and five money-no-object dream machines

From budget buys to dream builds, these are the bikes our MTB team would spend their own money on
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BikeRadar's John Stevenson is appearing on the BBC's Watchdog programme

Loud and frequently right: former BikeRadar and MBUK editor-in-chief John Stevenson dies from cancer

Passionate, opinionated and a stickler for detail, John Valentine – aka John Stevenson – helped shape MBUK for 20 years
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Male rider in blue top riding the Norco Fluid VLT C1 130 full suspension electric mountain bike

JCW gets acquainted with the Norco Fluid VLT C1 130

Can the Fluid VLT make James a lightweight eMTB convert?
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Collage showing man riding mountain bike, anodised bolts, and handlebar button controls.

These are the worst mountain bike upgrades we've ever bought

We share suspension fads, shin-munching pedals and pointless accessories
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Mint Sauce (mountain-biking sheep) illustration

Three decades of Mint Sauce: how a humble sheep became mountain biking's favourite cartoon character

A long-awaited book charts the history of MBUK's ovine hero
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Building a £3.5k mountain bike

I built a custom MTB for £4,000 – it's perfect for me and beats the major brands for value

James Costley-White finds out how the bike he assembled from scratch compares to the best trail bikes
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Ronan Dunne celebrates at Red Bull Hardline 2024 in Dinas Mawydd, Wales.

Rónán Dunne is MBUK's Rider of the Year – here's why

You voted for your favourites – now it’s time for the big reveal!
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Rider of the Year 24 from Cycling Plus, BikeRadar, MBUK and Lezyne.

MBUK Rider of the Year 2024 – the wait is nearly over

A look at the incredible riders shortlisted for our coveted awards
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STANLEY FATMAX Walltech Pro air compressor

Stanley FatMax Walltech Pro air compressor

Pricey but powerful tyre inflator that makes tubeless seating struggles a thing of the past
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Aimi Kenyon's Santa Cruz V10 DH bike with a Iron Bru colour scheme

10 stand-out downhill bikes from the World Championship

We take a look at some of the most striking tech and paint schemes from Fort William
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Stashed SpaceRail bike storage system for ceiling

Stashed SpaceRail bike storage system review

A space-saving solution for storing your bikes
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Amazfit GTR 4 smartwatch

Amazfit GTR 4 smartwatch

Smart-priced cycling watch from Hong Kong brand
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Male cyclist riding the Orbea Rise H10 full suspension mountain eBike

Orbea Rise H10

Stripped-back electric bike that doesn’t sacrifice any of the fun factor
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