Schwalbe Nobby Nic SnakeSkin TrailStar 2.25in tyre

Looking at the wide-spaced, squared and siped knobs of the Nobby Nic you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a super-grippy mud tyre.

Schwalbe’s cunningly constructed Evolution carcass and a triple-compound rubber mix with a harder base under the tread makes it a surprisingly fast-rolling performer. It’s light too so it’s easy to kick up to speed or flick around on the trail. The siped knobs grip well in dusty, loamy, damp or rocky conditions whether you’re braking, driving or cornering, and they clear quickly too. There’s a PaceStar compound if you want to skew performance further towards speed than grip and it comes in a big range of sizes right through to 650b+. It seals tubeless beautifully too but be wary of low pressures because it can crumple if pushed too hard.

Best for: Front
Weight: 720g
Width: 54mm

Price 75$

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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