Goodridge brake hose kit

Goodridge has been making top performance hydraulic brake hoses for all applications for decades.

As most original brake lines are rated to higher pressures than your fingers can create any perceived increase in brake performance is a placebo or the result of better bleeding after hose swapping. They're more flexible than most hoses and a braided steel cover makes them more resistant to damage.

The screw in connectors make them easy to fit, remove and refit if you're working with internal routing but at nearly 120$ for both brakes they're very expensive.

PRICE 58$

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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