Lezyne Digital Pressure Drive mini pump

This little alloy pump has a detachable hose, which screws neatly into the handle when not in use. A bleed valve on the hose makes it easy to unscrew the pump from the valve without removing the valve core or twisting the valve stem in the rim – a great feature, which saves faff on the trail. Its real selling point, though, is the in-built digital pressure gauge. Although we did get the odd high or low reading, for the most part we found it to be very accurate, which meant we didn’t need to carry a separate digital gauge.

This is the all-rounder version of the pump, capable of inflating tyres to a whopping 120psi – useful if you have a commuter or road bike too, but the higher-volume Digital Alloy Drive ($105) will get mountain bike tyres up quicker. With the Digital Pressure Drive, it took us 120 strokes to inflate a (tubed) 29x2.4in tyre to 29psi. Our only real gripe is the 174g weight – we wish it were a touch lighter.

Price $105

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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CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

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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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All Arround MTB

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