Cycling journalist Steve Worland has died of a heart attack while running in Ashton Court, Bristol earlier today.
The doyen of British mountain bike technical journalists, Steve started writing for Mountain Biking UK in the early 90s and was instrumental in building that magazine’s reputation for fair bike testing based on real-world riding.
He went on to edit What Mountain Bike magazine and was technical director of the mountain bike magazines at Future Publishing from 2005 until being made redundant in 2011.
In the last couple of years Steve became a valued contributor to road.cc. He may have helped invent British mountain bike journalism, but Steve loved all types of riding and was a noted road racer and time triallist in his youth. He was also an accomplished expedition cyclist and outdoorsman who rode all over Europe. With Keith Bontrager he took part in the TransRockies in 2005.
Steve on the cover of MBUK in 1991
Steve also wrote or contributed to books including ‘The Mountain Bike Book’ for Haynes and ‘The Complete Book of Mountain Biking’.
To say the road.cc team is in shock is an understatement. Steve was a fixture in the cycling media, always willing to talk bikes or go for a ride. Despite his formidable knowledge of bikes and the reputation that went with it, he was a modest, generous, self effacing man who was always happy to share what he knew.
Steve will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with all his friends and family, especially his partner Jo and their daughter Holly.
53 thoughts on “Steve Worland 1954 – 2014”
He’ll be sadly missed – I
He’ll be sadly missed – I always enjoyed his writing
Condolences to his family
Sad news……….
Sad news………. 🙁 =D> Good honest writer….. RIP..
Oh no. Shocked and saddened
Oh no. Shocked and saddened to read that. Sympathy and condolences to his family.
Oh no. Shocked and saddened
Oh no. Shocked and saddened to read that. Sympathy and condolences to his family.
So so sad. There are names
So so sad. There are names synonymous with UK cycling and Steve will always be one of them.
RIP.
Memorable as the calm voice
Memorable as the calm voice of reason and knowledge from when I started reading MBUK some 23 years ago and ever since.
Ride in Peace, Steve.
I have enjoyed Steve’s
I have enjoyed Steve’s contribution to the cycling world since I was a snotty little kid picking up my first MBUKs in the early 90s. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Hell! Shocking sad news. Read
Hell! Shocking sad news. Read Steve’s articles off and on since the 90s. His opinions always came across as well balanced and considered.
A very sad loss to UK cycling, but even more so to his family
Awful news. Remember his work
Awful news. Remember his work for MBUK in the 90s.
Condolences to all who knew him.
Steve loved bikes, he was a
Steve loved bikes, he was a great rider and an excellent writer, but what really matters is that he was simply a fantastic bloke. It’s a privilege to have known Steve and called him a friend.
My sincere condolences to his
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Wow, such sad news. I had the
Wow, such sad news. I had the pleasure of riding with Steve a few times, John’s eulogy describes him perfectly, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to write.
Thoughts are with his family, everyone at Road.cc and everyone else who will be touched by his untimely passing.
Another good guy taken too soon.
Oh no!
I too, as with many
Oh no! 🙁
I too, as with many of the above, remember Steve’s writing in MBUK and MTB Pro from the good old days of purple anodising and one bike that did xc, downhill, uphill and everything in between. Happy days of skinny steel tubes, flat bars and titanium worship that in themselves are much missed.
Having seen his name on here recently it was nice to see that despite all the changes in the media and bike industries he was still plying his trade in the here and now – surely a pretty damned good way of making a living, and living a life.
My condolences to the road.cc crew and his family.
Shocking is an overused word,
Shocking is an overused word, but I am truly in shock. Steve’s writing from 1991 is partly responsible for getting me back into cycling after the motorcycle/car years of late teens, and thereby responsible for my current good health over 20 years later.
Godspeed Steve, keep the rubber side down.
This is so depressing. Steve
This is so depressing. Steve was a great writer, and that is only how I new him. I’m deeply saddened.
Such sad news. I’ve enjoyed
Such sad news. I’ve enjoyed his work for many years. I’m sure he’ll leave a massive hole for his family, friends and colleagues – my thoughts are with them 🙁
So sad, so so sad.
Read his
So sad, so so sad.
Read his articles since the early days MBUK and read his article in Singletrack today.
Whenever I see his name I still read ‘rugged and windswept’ as a middle name!
Such sad news. RIP Steve.
Such sad news. RIP Steve. Thoughts and best wishes to those he leaves behind. A life well lived, I’d like to imagine.
His articles have inspired me from childhood, and continued to do so to the present day. His work has just always been there, through my entire cycling life.
When you saw Worland’s name at the top of the page, you knew you were in for a treat.
So sad. Thoughts and prayers
So sad. Thoughts and prayers with family at this time.
So sad, have respected
So sad, have respected Steve’s journalism since the early days of reading MBUK in my teens. RIP Steve and condolences to your family, a legend has left the building x
MTB legend.
Shit and
MTB legend.
Shit and crap.
RIP.
Very sorry to hear this. I
Very sorry to hear this. I was enjoying one of his reviews just a few hours ago, so a bit of a shock.
Very sad. RIP Steve.
Very sad. RIP Steve.
My condolences.
My condolences. 🙁
I still can’t believe the
I still can’t believe the news. Steve was a proper nice guy, super chilled, fun and possibly the most knowledgeable person on the subject of bicycles bar none. Gutted he is no longer with us.
< Gallows humour >
“Whilst
< Gallows humour >
“Whilst out running”, well, that should serve as a solid reminder to all of us to not get off the bikes then.
< /Gallows humour >
Top fucking bloke, made me aspire to do stuff and want to do even more as a teenager, which lead to almost everything I do now.
Whilst I understand his family and friends sense of loss, I truly hope they can recall and retain all of their amazing memories of him.
I grew up with and respected
I grew up with and respected Steve Worland’s name. Been reading Steve since I was a kid. Never knew him. I’m sorry for that. He seemed like a proper decent bloke. Bye chap, you made British cycling a better place.
Really sad news, I learned so
Really sad news, I learned so much from Steve’s writing. He first gave me the confidence to try fixing and building bikes, and his objectivity was always clear. I will miss his writing, and my thoughts are with the friends and family he leaves behind.
Sad news, RIP Steve….his
Sad news, RIP Steve….his name was a mtb legend.
Lost for words, RIP Steve.
Lost for words, RIP Steve.
Bad day … Condolences to
Bad day … Condolences to family and friends.
I too am stunned and shocked
I too am stunned and shocked by this news, he was a great journalist and a cracking rider, he will be missed, my condolences to his family and friends.
Sad news. Met him a number of
Sad news. Met him a number of times through mbuk on bike tests.
Was also responsible with freeborn for pushing Tony Ellsworth into making the Ellsworth ‘moment’ which was a genre defining full-suspension mountain bike.
Great guy and huge contribution to UK cycling.
Keep on riding steve….
Keep on riding steve….
RIP Steve… sad day.
RIP Steve… sad day.
The loss of a absolute legend
The loss of a absolute legend RIP Steve
My thoughts and good wishes
My thoughts and good wishes to his family and friends at this very difficult time.
I became friends with Steve
I became friends with Steve way back in the very early 90’2 I used to love visiting his house near Howarth in Yorkshire to drop off bikes for test with him. Always found him one of life’s genuine nice people and was always interested in what you were working on for the future. Such a sad loss to the cycling world and my most sincere condolences to his family.
Very sad. I cycled past him
Very sad. I cycled past him about 2 weeks ago when he was jogging near Leigh Woods. Also met him a couple of times, however it was his reviews and slightly dodgy neon lyrca, that fuelled my MTBing in the early days.
ride on dude.
Spent this morning’s ride
Spent this morning’s ride thinking of Steve and all the lives he’s touched, which is evident through the tweets, reports of his death and comments on threads like this.
Holds up a piece of purple
Holds up a piece of purple anodised.
Thank you for all the good reads. This one is for you!
Sad news indeed. A reminder
Sad news indeed. A reminder to all to live for the day. A true cycling legend. Sadly missed.
So sad Thoughts with all
So sad 🙁 Thoughts with all his friends & family.
I’m shocked and stunned
I
I’m shocked and stunned 🙁
I can’t imagine the MTB press without Steve’s writing, he’s been such an important part of it for the twenty odd years I’ve followed the sport. He’ll be missed very much. Such sad news. RIP Steve
May his wheels forever spin.
May his wheels forever spin. Condolences to his family, friends and work colleagues. His words will be missed. A true stalwart of the two wheeled brigade.
A talisman for UK MTB scene
A talisman for UK MTB scene has left us. I’ve read many an article that Steve put out there and I’ve no doubt that he influenced me and others to take up fatter tyres. =D>
What a sad loss.
RIP Steve W.
Condolences to his family and
Condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed.
Sad and shocked.. A real loss
Sad and shocked.. A real loss to UK cycling and anyone that knew him in person, in writing or having met him in the bike world. Credibility as well as totally genuine and passionate about the subject. He’ll be missed.
Very sad news indeed. He
Very sad news indeed. He reviewed my bikes a few times and always put so much thought into a balanced and well written article. A real loss to our industy, our thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP Steve.
RIP, Steve. ‘Ride and find
RIP, Steve. ‘Ride and find where all the freedom has gone’. (Mint Sauce)
Mountain biking got lucky
Mountain biking got lucky when Muddy Fox hired Steve to design their bikes in 1985. He was quiet, measured and knowledgeable. And he was kind.
I’m So Sad. I spent a lot of
I’m So Sad. I spent a lot of the 90’s with my head in a Mountain Bike magazine if I wasn’t out on the bike. You knew with Steve’s articles you were going to learn something useful. whether it was bike handling skills (riding ruts) or a maintenance issue. You could guarantee it would be a solid piece. After a 10 gap for me from bikes due to getting into Beer and Live Bands. To come back and see him still up there at the top of his game was very heart warming. So today I mourn you Steve, from the bottom of my heart. Ride in Peace mate x
One of our number invited him
One of our number invited him out on the Saturday ride out to Clevedon, last year. A couple of the mountain bikers in our number were in awe of him but he just rode along as one of the lads, lovely fellow, chatting away at the coffee stop.
I know some people who were close to him and they’re devastated.
Thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.