Orange Seal Tubeless Tire Sealant

SO GOOD
Orange Seal’s thick latex solution contains particles of varying sizes, which really makes a difference.

Even after wiggling our 6mm screwdriver back and forth, the tyre was sealed after just two wheel revolutions and held 40psi without leaking. When we put a pick straight through both sidewalls, the holes were sealed after a little encouragement. The provided tube allows easy topping up too.

NO GOOD
It’s pricey and only works at its best for a claimed 30 to 45 days in the tyre, so it’s best kept for the race season or regular tyre swappers.

Price 19$ for 227ml (=85$ for 1l)

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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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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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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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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