Ragley Tracker trail saddle

SO GOOD

The Tracker is a sleek proposition with its matt finish and gloss logos. At 257g it’s pretty good weight-wise considering the price.

It’s slightly softer than average, with a small cut-out on the underside. We found it comfy on all-day rides (it’s been designed with hardtails in mind) and the lack of a textured surface means it won’t cheesegrater your shorts when covered in grit.

NO GOOD

There really isn’t much to fault here. The slightly concave shape makes sliding up the nose for steep

efforts trickier than on some flatter saddles, but not by much.

PRICE 60$

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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