WTB Vigilante TGS 29x2.3in tyre

WTB'S ENDURO INSPIRED all-rounder has consistently impressed us.

With a relatively chunky 56.6mm width it can bounce you around a little at higher pressures, but drop it to 25psi and the grip from the split-top Dual DNA compound knobs increases dramatically delivering confident adhesion in arangeofwettoloose conditions without noticeably increasing rolling resistance. Like all of WTB's

TCS tyres, it blows up tubeless easily and securely. The standard tyre weighs 810g and there's also an AM version with a tougher -albeit 100g heavier - casing for the hard-hitters out there. It comes in 26in and 650b diameters too.

PRICE 61$

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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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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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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