100% Aircraft Full-Face Helmet

NOT ONLY IS the newAircraft one of the sweetest looking lids to ever grace a downhill racer’s noggin, it’s also got a spec list full of tech.

With 25 vents and channels in the carbon/Kevlar composite shell, it claims to the best ventilated DH lid on the market. It meets theASTM Downhill,CPSC and CE safety standards, is neck brace compatible and comes with emergency-release cheek pads and a secure titanium D-ring buckle.The shell is made in two sizes and the EPS foam liner comes in three sizes to help ensure a perfect fit, and it’s lightweight too – our medium sample weighs 991g. If, after all that, you still need to know where your pennies are going, you get a posh-looking helmet bag included in the price.

Price 450$

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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