Race Face Next SL Cranks

HAILED AS THE lightest production carbon cranks available, the new-for-2014 Next SLs utilise Race Face’s proprietary hollow arms and new Cinch interface – an interchangeable spider design that lets you run a single, double or triple chainring set-up.

They certainly look the part, and weight lives up to the claims, with our set coming in at 517g (including BB and 34t ring). With appeal for both XC whippets and enduro pinners, and BB options to suit all frames, versatility is surely at their core.

PRICE: 730$

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

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KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

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SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge

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