All Arround MTB

Designed to give ultimate XC race performance, Fi’zi:k’s flagship mountain bike shoes are both minimal and super-stiff, for optimum efficiency and power transfer. The 1.4mm thick, laser-perforated ‘Microtex’ upper has two BOA dials that adjust the volume of the toe box and mould the shoe to the wearer’s arch for a glove-like fit.A unidirectional carbon fibre sole helps you put maximum power through to the pedals, and the heels and toes have a deep tread for grip in the slop.A pair of UK size 8.5s weighs 703g, making them comparable with other top-end XC kicks. Price $488

The Monte was made for enduro racing, but it’s a good choice for all-round trail riding too. We found that the slightly flexible sides and comfy padding make it particularly kind on the sit bones, even after long days in the saddle. Combine this with a generous channel to keep your sensitive parts happy, and multiple testers found it an agreeable place to sit. It’s quite a supportive shape, but the nose pokes up a little more than we’d like when climbing steep stuff, where it’s not the comfiest. The soft rear parts and sides make it especially forgiving if you slam into it when things go a bit wrong on the way back down. Despite having fi’zi:k’s top-spec hollow ‘K:ium’ (steel alloy) rails, it’s not particularly light. The manganese (another steel alloy) railed version is 15g heavier and $45 less, so that’s the model we’d go for. Weight 245g Price $135

THE M5BS may be some of fi’zi:k’s more affordable shoes but at just under 225$ they still aren’t exactly cheap. Still, they’re handmade in Italy and designed to handle everything from trail riding to cyclo-cross racing or your daily commute.

The Fizik Thar is claimed to be the world's first 29er-specific saddle. Yep, you read that correctly, 29er specific. So what makes it so 29er specific?

I had never described shoes (cycling or otherwise) as 'delicious' until I slipped on the Fi'zi:k M1 shoes. The box arrived, I ripped the shoes out, slipped my foot in, fastened up the lower Velcro straps (high-tech sailcloth fed through titanium loops) and cranked up the micro-adjust buckle. I didn't take them off for hours. I didn't even ride my bike, I was just hanging out. I tried to think of other ways to describe the M1 shoes, but could come up with nothing better than 'delicious'.

Boa-secured shoes are often prone to being tight in the wrong places, and the M5 Boa seemed to suffer with this at first. The uppers felt tight around the front of the ankles, digging in when dropping the heels. After a couple of rides this relented as they softened.

I don’t know how it’s possible to make a 29er-specific seat, but that’s apparently what the Thar is. Really though, it just has super-long rails that allow for a ton of foreaft adjustment. The flat section of the rails measure 95 millimeters–at least 15 millimeters longer than any of the other seats tested.

THE M5 FEELS flimsy at first but we enjoyed its super-light performance the more we rode. While the sole isn’t carbon fibre like many XC price rivals, it’s extremely stiff and puts all your power straight through the pedal and on to the trail. The red tread lugs provide trustworthy traction on foot and there are toe stud threads for extra grip.