FSA Afterburner brakes

FSA INTRODUCED THEIR disc brake range last year and the Afterburner is the more affordable brother of the K-Force, which offers a carbon lever and titanium bolts for 120$ more. Both use the same angular mid-size lever body with twin-bolt clamp and ambidextrous design. Reach and bite point are adjustable without tools, though the latter only gives a subtle change.

The cam-assisted ‘Quick Draw’ action means the pads contact the rotor early in the stroke anyway, and the forged single-piece calliper adds a precise contact feel. The hose attaches with an angle-adjustable rose for clean set-up and the user-friendly top-loading pads are Avid Elixir/SRAM XX/X0 pattern so finding spares is easy. FSA even use different compression ratings on the hoses in a bid to even out front and back brake feel.

The brake itself is fairly priced for its features at 225$ and rotors are a bargain at 19$. We’d recommend going at least a size bigger with the disc than you normally would though, because despite a sharp initial bite the Afterburner is noticeably lacking in power if you carry on squeezing. Our long-term samples haven’t weathered that well either, needing regular bleeding of the mineral oil system in order to stay consistent.

Weight: 443g

Price 256$

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

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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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Chromag HiFi 35 (50mm) stem

This is a seriously solid stem. Chromag use 5mm Allen bolts throughout, which makes it that bit easier to fit because you don’t have to swap tools. Once torqued up to the recommended 6-8Nm, it clamps both steerer and bar solidly, with no appreciable flex. We couldn’t get it to twist on the steerer, either in our static test or when riding. It’s also available in a 35mm length and three other colours. At 204g the HiFi is the heaviest stem on test by some margin, despite being one of the more expensive offerings here. Price $112

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CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

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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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All Arround MTB

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