Pedro's Chain Pig chain cleaner

The affectionately named Chain Pig makes cleaning your chain that bit easier thanks to a hook that slips over the lower jockey wheel on your bike's rear derailleur, removing the need to physically hold the cleaner while you cycle the cranks.

While the hook won't fit inside a short cage downhill mech, it can be slipped over the lower guide wheel of some chain guides (with the bike upside down). The Chain Pig is solidly constructed and its array of brushes means you only need to use a small amount of degreaser to deliver a shiny chain ready for some fresh lube.

PRICE 38$

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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