O'Neal Appalachee knee pads

THESE PADS HAVE a well ventilated, strap free design, with a large open area at the back of the knee to help keep you cool on hot rides.

The material is designed to wick sweat, and the front lining is comfortable against the skin. This, and the reasonable 260g weight, should make them easy to live with on long rides. The padding itself is soft and pliable so as not to inhibit movement, yet is quite thick and is designed to harden on impact, so should provide ample protection for trail riding.

PRICE 50$

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

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Merida Big Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.

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GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

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TREK FUEL EX 6 29

Ever-popular trail bike gets bigger wheels for 2014 T rek’s full-suspension range has been given a bit of a rejig for 2014, with a long-awaited 29er version of the ever-popular Fuel EX taking the place of the Rumblefish that was inherited when Trek took over the old Gary Fisher line-up. It’s worth noting that the Fuel EX is still available with good old 26in wheels too – something that’s suddenly not very common any more.

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DRC X-Monitor SP1 lap timer

While smartphone apps such as Strava can be a useful way to keep tabs on your mountain bike rides, sometimes you just can’t beat the simplicity and instant feedback that a good old-fashioned stopwatch style lap timer provides.

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All Arround MTB

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