ANVL Components Forge Titanium trail saddle

SO GOOD

The Ti-railed Forge is an attempt at creating the ultimate do-anything saddle.

It weighs just 196g courtesy of those rails and lightweight EVA foam yet offers a superb shape and comfort. The Kevlar corners are handy too if you’re a serial saddle scuffer. It’s more of a ‘one position’ saddle for those less inclined to move up the nose on climbs.

NO GOOD

The Forge is on the smaller/harder side, so won’t suit you if you’re looking for something sofa-like. The deep central channel can hold on to dirt on filthy rides. It’s pricey too, though there’s also a cheaper chromoly railed version.

PRICE 180$

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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