O’Neal Appalachee knee pads

These pedalling-friendly offerings have no side padding, with coverage being limited to the knee cap and surrounding area. A stretchy mesh sleeve keeps the pad in place, with a wide cutout at the back to help keep things cool.

There’s a soft lining for comfort and the SC-1 knee cup is nice and malleable. With no straps to hold them up, the Appalachees don’t feel all that secure but they do stay in place with no need for readjustment as you ride. The cutout means they bunch and splay a little as you flex your knees. On long rides we found the bottom of the pad dug into the top of our shins a little too.

Price 51$

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.

READ MORE >>

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.

READ MORE >>

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

READ MORE >>