Hope Cranks crankset

HOPE’S METICULOUSLY UK machined cranks are big on long-term durability and security but low on stiffness and dependent on proprietary tools.

The solid, sculpted arms are available in a wide range of anodised colours, with extensive laser etching keeping high-wear areas raw so they don’t show scuffing. The extra security plug that fixes the cranks in place is designed to stop creaking or movement even after repeated removals. There’s a choice of double or single-ring spiders or the six-arm ‘spiderless’ ring option we tested, which saves 70g and 30$. Hope’s BBs are super-smooth and allow the 30mm axle to fit in any shell. The cranks are physically flexy under power though, and depend on three different tools for crank and spider removal.

WEIGHT: 654g
ARMS: 165, 170, 175mm

Price 405$ (spiderless)

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 >>