Race Face SIXC 35 bar

The sixc riser is an old favourite, winning the ‘best carbon bar’ accolade in our last group test. Upping the clamp diameter to 35mm has enabled Race Face to make this new version 15mm wider but even lighter (220g for our 10mm rise sample).

On the bike, the extra chunkiness disguises the fact it has a full 800mm span. It’s a comfortable shape, with eight degrees of backsweep and five of upsweep, and higher 20mm and 30mm rises are available if required. The 10mm version suited our 29er test bike just fine though, keeping the front end low and providing plenty of steering leverage to offset the extra inertia of the big wheels. It feels slightly stiffer than the 31.8mm version, though still with that trademark carbon buzz absorption. In fact, we ended up fitting thicker grips after a particularly rocky ride to provide a bit of extra comfort.

Price 163$

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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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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Anthony Messere’s Morpheus Vimana Slope

A flying chariot built with one thing in mind – slopestyle domination

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All Arround MTB

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