SR Suntour Auron RC2 fork

SUNTOUR’S CONTINUED EVOLUTION of the Auron makes it a genuine rival to premium forks at a fraction of the price. Seal and bushing changes, compression damper remapping and improvements in quality control meant last year’s fork blew us away – but only after Suntour’s technicians cut the volume elastomer down to 11mm. For 2016 there’s no need to get the knife out – the elastomer has been replaced with reversible spacers that can be added or removed.We found a single spacer gave spot-on progression for reliable mid-stroke ride height but still left the fork sensitive enough off the top.

There’s wide range, totally independent high- and low-speed compression adjustment via crown-top knobs and it’s extremely rare you’ll notice any difference in consistent control compared to the most expensive forks here.Rebound isn’t quite as sophisticated, but it’ll be a very long and lairy descent that makes it skip a beat.Weight is reasonable, and while the 34mm legs deflect slightly more than most under light loads, they lock down impressively against proper bar-twisters.

Our long-term forks have been totally reliable, even when ragged for months. The unique Q-LOC expanding rose 15mm QR axle is super-fast to use and can be flipped from left to right too, literally securing theAuron RC2’s place as the best value fork on test.

WEIGHT: 1,980g
TRAVEL: 150, 160mm (tested)

Price 570$

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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Nukeproof Vector AM Comp Cro-Mo saddle

The Vector AM is pretty race focused, with minimal padding. There’s a deep (if narrow) pressurerelief channel to keep the blood flowing where it’s meant to. Used with bib shorts, we found it pretty comfortable for shorter rides and suffered no pain or discomfort in the central region. On steep climbs the slightly downturned nose provides a reasonable forward perch, while the svelte profile and smooth edges make it particularly unobtrusive when moving about on the descents. It’s quite stiff though, and can feel harsh on long rides or bumpy ground. We definitely wouldn’t want to spend much time on it without a chamois. It’s heavier than we’d expect for such a lightly padded perch too. There’s a lighter Pro version with titanium rails for $105, but at 241g it’s only 10g lighter. Weight 251g Price $67

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GT Zaskar Evolution

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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 Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.

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All Arround MTB

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