Race Face Next R cranks

Race Face’s Next SL carbon cranks are some of the lightest on the market. Now they’ve combined some of the best features of those and their burly SixC DH cranks to make these, the Next Rs. The ‘R’ stands for ‘rally’, and Race Face say these “aggressive, ruckus-ready cranks” are light but still strong where it matters most. When it comes to the first of these claims, these Canadian-made carbon fibre beauties certainly deliver, weighing just 495g (170mm arms, 32t ring, no BB). Race Face’s tried-andtested Cinch system means they can be used with both threaded and press-fit bottom brackets, and the direct-mount chainrings are easily interchangeable.

Price $675 (w/direct-mount ring)

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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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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Anthony Messere’s Morpheus Vimana Slope

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

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All Arround MTB

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