Zoic Ether Premium shorts

The ether is an excellent choice on hot rides. While the shell isn’t quite as light as what you’d find on, say, TLD’s Ruckus, Zoic outfits the Ether with large mesh ventilation panels, which run down the inner thighs and along the waistband. That generous venting isn’t immediately obvious, but when you’re working up a sweat, you soon realize that they truly bring in some much-needed breeze. That’s great in the summer months, but isn’t quite so awesome when the mercury drops and the sky is crying.

The Ether features a very nice, detachable chamois and five pockets, one of which, the tech pocket, sports a headphone cord control grommet and loop. Zoic outfitted the Ether with both Velcro sideadjuster tabs and an elastic waistband. Accordingly, the Ether does a great job of accommodating wandering waistlines, though I’m not as keen on how the elastic waistband actually feels. The inseam on the Ether is a bit shorter than average, which is fine if you don’t rock kneepads but sort of unsightly if you do.

Price 120$

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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