BBB Scope 1500 light

BBB’s Scope 1500 is a good no-nonsense helmet light if you’re clever with your run time rationing. As it’s designed primarily as a head light, the twin LEDs create a very focused round beam with an impressive long-distance reach that’ll shame a lot of more powerful lights in high-speed use. The narrow beam and sharp edge can be eye-tiring on more technical terrain, and while a bar mount is included, it’s best saved for simpler trails. Amplified effective brightness means you can make more use of all four power levels than on most similar lights. With no battery indicator and not much over an hour’s run time at full chat in the cold, you need to be conservative on longer missions. The price is also slightly high for the basic design, but the Scope we’ve been running since last year is still going strong.

Weight 310g
Run time 1h 20mins

Price $330

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.

READ MORE >>

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.

READ MORE >>

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

READ MORE >>