Race Face Ambush shorts

We liked last year’s Ambushes but updating the styling for 2016 with a higher back has made a good pair of shorts great. The cut is neat on the hips and, combined with a longer than average leg length, gives a perfect balance of fit and movement.

The details are well thought through too, including angled pockets that can be accessed easily on the bike, inner waistband adjustment and long easy-grab zip pulls. You’ll need the mesh leg panels because the abrasion resistant, DWR coated fabric is a heavier weight material that does get warm as the mercury rises, but it affords useful protection when riding typical UK woodland trails filled with brambles and branches – and the odd OTB.We’ve got the tiniest of moans – the hip pockets could be deeper – but they’re still a great pair of shorts.

Liner: No

Price 105$

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 >>

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.

READ MORE >>

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.

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 >>

All Arround MTB

Search This Blog