OneUp Components Sprocket

STRUGGLING TO GRIND up those steep climbs but refuse to bin off your single front chainring set-up? One of these dinner-plate-sized cassette sprockets from OneUp Components could be the answer.

You’ll need to remove your current 17t sprocket to make room for the 40t or 42t cog, but it should make clawing up technical climbs that bit easier, and help you save some energy for the ride back down. If you’re worried about the bigger jump between gears without the 17t sprocket, OneUp offer a 16t sprocket that replaces your 15t cog to smooth out your shifting. The sprockets will fit most Shimano and SRAM 11-36t and 12-36t 10-speed cassettes, and most medium and long cage 10-speed rear mechs.We’ll have a full review soon.

PRICE 90$

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.

READ MORE >>

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.

READ MORE >>

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

READ MORE >>