Acre Hauser 10L hydration pack

The Acre pack oozes style and will appeal if you look for a bit more craftsmanship in your riding gear. Handmade in the USA, it’s fully waterproof and features an unusual roll-down top for the main compartment.

The pack has three zipped exterior pockets, straps for pads, and we really like the tucked-away tool roll. The Aeroprene back panel covers a lot of your back but the perforations help manage your sweat. Because of the pack’s malleable design, lumpy items can poke you in the back if you simply stuff them in. The handmade attention to detail and waterproofing make up for these niggles though, and the aesthetics make the Hauser just about as cool as hydration packs come. Right down to the stitching, this is a pack we don’t think we’ll ever get bored of.

BLADDER? No

SPINE PROTECTION? No

Price 247$ (277$ with bladder)

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

READ MORE >>

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

READ MORE >>

Merida Big Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.

READ MORE >>

Gusset Magnum stem

SO GOOD Gusset’s 50mm stem is nicely CNC machined from 7075 alloy and the faceplate and internal steerer clamp are available in a range of five anodised colours to complement the black body. The hidden steerer clamp keeps sharp edges to a minimum and removes stress from the body of the stem. Out on the bike, the stem proved flex free and bombproof.

READ MORE >>

Marzocchi 55 CR fork

MARZOCCHI’S 650B/27.5IN fork wasn’t ready for testing, but the 55CR is a hard riding 26in bargain.

READ MORE >>

All Arround MTB

Search This Blog