WTB Vigilante TCS Tough/High Grip 27.5x2.3in tyre

AT 1,112G, THIS soft-rubber version of the Vigilante with WTB's new Enduro casing really is hefty, meaning you'll probably want to run it tubeless. Luckily the Tubeless Compatible System bead makes fitting it a breeze.

Designed with sloppy/loose conditions in mind, it can feel draggy on climbs thanks to the sticky Gravity DNA rubber - we found it worked best paired with a faster-rolling tyre at the rear. The weight gives you some inertia to overcome on flatter sections too, but when it comes to hooking up ruts and catch berms on steep hand-cut terrain, the soft compound comes into its own. The widely spaced, tread clears well too, and after several months of abuse, there's still plenty of meat on the bones.

PRICE 70$

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

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Chromag HiFi 35 (50mm) stem

This is a seriously solid stem. Chromag use 5mm Allen bolts throughout, which makes it that bit easier to fit because you don’t have to swap tools. Once torqued up to the recommended 6-8Nm, it clamps both steerer and bar solidly, with no appreciable flex. We couldn’t get it to twist on the steerer, either in our static test or when riding. It’s also available in a 35mm length and three other colours. At 204g the HiFi is the heaviest stem on test by some margin, despite being one of the more expensive offerings here. Price $112

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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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CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

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Trek Session Evolution

In this series we’re looking at the evolution of three bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders. Each fits into a different category – we’ve had a hardtail and a full-suspension trail bike, so for this final feature it’s the turn of the long-travel bike. And few ‘big bikes’ have undergone such a transformation as the Trek Session, which had a bit of a confused birth at a time of overlapping disciplines but has evolved into a sleek, lightweight race bike with multiple World Cup wins to its name.

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All Arround MTB

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