Lowe Alpine Lightflite Hydro bumbag

This bag gives you 4l of storage, which is enough for racing and even longer days in the saddle if you pack light. There are two exterior mesh pockets, where you can stash smaller items such as energy gels and multitools within easy reach. It comes with a 500ml bottle, and the slightly-angled bottle holder makes it easy to grab on the go. At $42 it’s by far the cheapest bag on test and for the price it’s hard to find much to fault.

It’s not a bike-specific pack and its less figure-hugging shape means it tends to move around a little more than the others here when fully loaded.

Price $42

EVOC Bike Bag Pro

While Ryanair or Easyjet will never be bywords for glamour, at least your bike can fly in style with the new EVOC Bike Bag Pro.

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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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ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

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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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