Howies MTB shorts

These ‘stealth’ riding shorts from Howies are still getting picked for off-bike duty now our testing has finished thanks to their well cut, minimal design, which definitely sits at the smarter end of casual. But does it work when you sling your leg across the top tube? Happily, yes.

The back of the waist, which is often overlooked on ‘hybrid’ short styles, is still properly high, so it stays in place and keeps you covered when you’re in the saddle. The MTBs have all the features you need – including a DWR coated fabric, zipped pockets and strategically placed leg vents – and none that you don’t. The quality of construction is high and they feel like shorts we’ll be wearing for a long time.We’ve got just one quibble – the front rise was a tad high for our tester.

Liner: No

Price 88$

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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