SRAM DB5 brakes

SRAM'S NEW AFFORDABLE DB5 is actually a mix of the DirectLink lever and body of their entry-level Guide R brake and the twin-piston calliper of the old Avid Elixir.

The hinged clamp gives all the usual Matchmaker (SRAM's integrated control mounting system) shifter and fork/ shock/seatpost remote syncing potential. There's no tool-free reach adjuster knob on the lever though and modulation is adequate rather than amazing. The twin-piston calliper drops power significantly lower than the four-piston Elixir Trail and Guide brakes. The unique power-boosting lever swing geometry compensates slightly but a 180mm rotor is still recommended for aggressive riding. The fixed hose exit means an awkward fit on some bikes and it's relatively heavy too.

WEIGHT 485g

POWER 95m/s^-2

PRICE 190$

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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