Avid X0 Trail brakes

THE ULTRA NEAT design of Avid’s four-pot brake family means the extra pair of cylinders and longer pads only add a handful of grams over conventional X0, yet the increase in sketchy conditions control and reduction in arm pump on long techy descents is dramatic.

Avid’s unique lever geometry and cartridge-bearing pivot gives supersubtle feedback and modulation, and the bite point adjust works OK too. You never feel short of control even if ultimate power is average.

Bleeding requires patience but setup is easy. Shifter/fork/post remote syncing is seamless, and separate brake packaging (280S) lets you dodge the 86$ bracket and rotor cost. It’s not massively powerful, but it’s a fantastically controlled, lightweight all-rounder anchor.

WEIGHT 406g

POWER 109Nm

PRICE: 366$

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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