All Arround MTB

Crankbrothers couldn’t have had a worse reputation for dropper posts a few years ago, but the Highline has proved a truly outstanding option, in terms of user-friendly operation and reliability.At just under 700g, it’s no lightweight. There’s a lot of post south of the collar too, which could cause fit issues if you have to run it slammed to fit the 160m stroke between you and the bike. The nipple sits inside the post and it comes with the cable already installed. That makes fitting a breeze, as you just have to thread it through the outer, pull it tight and clamp it into the shifter-style remote. Just make sure to line up the arrows on the mechanism and main body.We had issues with cable tension on the first bike we tried it on, which had tight internal routing, and marked it down accordingly. But further use involving multiple samples, bikes and testers has thrown up no such problems, so we’re confident in raising the score. The hinged bar mount clamps onto a spherical section on...

As you’d hope at this price, the f15 exudes quality and offers an array of beautifully machined tools. The metal case is great – it acts as a protective sheath, retaining the tools using a strong magnet, while also housing a chain tool and bottle opener. You can even use it to extend the tool for extra leverage. While the selection of tools is appropriate for most trailside tasks, you don’t get that many functions for your money. Also, it’s difficult to tension the bolts holding the multi-tool together so that the individual tools pivot smoothly past each other but don’t flop around. Price $60

CrankBros’ distinctive-looking Iodines are a stiff and strong – if laggy – mid-width option for high-torque riders. By shifting spoke attachment from the rim bed to barrels that slot into fins on the underside of the deep triangular rim, they’ve ensured there are no worries about easy sealing. It took us several months of battering at home and in the Alps to finally dent them, and even then they stayed sealed and straight. The unique centre-threaded spokes have shrugged off sticks without damage too. At 27mm, the rims are wide enough to handle low-pressure 2.4in tyres, and the wheels accelerate better than their overall weight would suggest. The steel freehub removes any spline damage worries for powerful pedallers, although pick-up can be slow and clunky. Weight 840g+1,030g= 1,870g Width 27mm/32mm Freehub lag 17° Sizes 650b, 29in Price $750

SO GOOD CrankBrothers have laid out the Allen keys (2mm to 8mm) in ascending order and they’re easy to access and use. The tool’s robust 90mm-long body lets you get plenty of torque down, making the 8mmAllen key the most useful on test.

HERE’S AN INTERESTING concept from CrankBrothers – their new flat pedals are available in two sizes, and which one you should go for depends on how big your shoes are.

THE CHEAPEST OF the six Candy models and the only ones to use a composite body, the 279g Candy 1s are actually lighter than the two pedals above them in the line-up. They come with the same brass cleats used across the CrankBrothers range, which can be swapped to provide a 15 or 20-degree release angle.

Gravity maniacs everywhere swear by the Mallet, and it’s easy to see why. The large platform affords ample support to the foot whether clipped in or not, and adjustable pins allow you to tailor the grip to your preference. We chose to run the pins pretty far in to prevent them getting in the way when clipping in.

Striking a balance between the Eggbeater and Mallet pedals is the Candy, which offers a small cage for added support, but saves a sweet 120g over the Mallet. The mechanism is shared with the mallet – offering a choice of a 15° or a 20° release angle. We stuck with 15° which gives ample to give room to manoeuvre. Even in this setting, the fairly narrow 52mm q-factor makes careful cleat position essential to prevent the toe fouling on the crank arm when unclipping.

Machined stems might be pretty but you can’t beat a cold forged body for solid strength and stiffness. Despite the main difference being microscopic metal grain realignment it’s a difference you can actually feel on the trail. That means the Iodine didn’t flinch or flex obviously even when running 800mm wide bars and it’s covered by a five-year warranty.

IF RED WAS never your cup of tea you're in luck, because you can now get CrankBrothers' increasingly popular Mallet DH pedals in black too.