Race Face Agent jacket

Race Face are good at the sort of details that you don’t realise you want until you get them. The inside of the collar has a soft lining, which not only feels more comfortable but also absorbs stray drips when it’s torrential out. There’s a zip garage, waterproof zips and extra-long zip pulls. The two-layer fabric has a slightly rubbery feel but is smooth against bare skin and we were happy wearing it over short-sleeve jerseys on warmer wet days. As you’d expect at this price, the fabric isn’t the most breathable, but vents on the front and a full-width floating yoke across the back promote good airflow. It’s not the lightest jacket on paper either, but it doesn’t feel heavy when you’re wearing it. The Agent is rounded off with a peaked hood (which fits over a helmet), hand pockets and adjustable cuffs.

Weight 398g

Price $225

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 >>

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.

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 >>

Anthony Messere’s Morpheus Vimana Slope

A flying chariot built with one thing in mind – slopestyle domination

READ MORE >>

All Arround MTB

Search This Blog