Focus SAM Pro

Focus’s SAM has been around for a few years now and its keen pricing and solid spec mean it’s hard to overlook if you’re in the market for a 160mm-travel bike. Its geometry isn’t too bad, although a slightly lower BB (it currently sits at 350mm) would be an improvement. As it is, it can feel a little nervous in loose turns or when hammering through high-speed chop – and this is only accentuated by the rear end, which uses its travel up too easily and lacks support when you’re trying to load the pedals and drive your weight down through them. The RockShox Yari RC fork is a spec highlight and great considering the price, but we’d swap the Continental Mountain King II tyres out for something a little more supportive and surefooted.

Price $3300

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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