Avid Elixir 3 brakes

AVID’S ELIXIR 3 is low on features but high on control for its cost. It uses the most basic ‘humpback’ Elixir lever body and a fixed-hose calliper that has to be aligned using pain-in-the-arse cup and cone washers. It runs on less heat tolerant DOT 4 fluid too, though you can upgrade to DOT 5 easily enough.

You do get a two-bolt clamp for easy bar fitting though, along with the latest, quieter, pulse-free HS1 rotor to keep weight reasonable. Avid’s unique close-in lever pivot gives a natural sweep that boosts adequate power and improves already decent feedback levels.

Bleeding is OK if not brilliant, and the basic Elixir lever has always been the most reliable. It’s a decent high control, low price XC/trail option. There’s no brake-only option though.

WEIGHT 442g

POWER 100Nm

PRICE: 148$

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

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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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