Topeak PanoComputer bike computer

SO GOOD
A single Bluetooth sensor detects both cadence and speed, making Topeak’s offering relatively painless to set up. It displays up to five metrics simultaneously, and it’s easy to toggle through the other data. An optional smartphone app adds GPS tracking, without shortening the computer’s superb battery life.

NO GOOD
It’s pricey for what’s essentially a non-GPS computer without a heart-rate monitor (75$ extra). GPS aside, Topeak’s app offers little advantage over Strava other than cadence data. The wheel magnet can get dislodged on rough ground, and the mount is slightly flimsy.

Price 127$ (with cadence sensor)

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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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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