All Arround MTB

Orange’s new steel trail warrior has big tyre and wheel capability and a rock-solid, damped ride feel. Its handling balance is grounded rather than giddy though, and the tyre and brake spec don’t help first impressions. The frame Unsurprisingly, the Orange’s steel frame ($825 separately) looks a lot more traditional than those of the alloy bikes here. The 44mm head tube relies on an oversize externalbearing headset cup to handle a tapered fork. Gusset plates reinforce the junctions with the stout, round down and top tubes. The tapering, swerved chainstays and straightgauge seatstays are much skinnier. Add a long 445mm back end and there’s space for 2.6in tyres in 29er format or 27.5x3.0 rubber if you go plus-size with some fresh wheels. Neat cloverleaf dropouts house a Boost rear axle. Brake and gear lines run through bolted guides under the top tube, while the dropper seatpost cable exits at the base of the seat tube and runs up alongside the down tube bottle bosses. There a

These are the priciest goggles on test, but they’re worth it. Fit, comfort and field of view are all excellent. They’re a touch narrower than some, but there’s nothing distracting in your peripheral vision and they sync well with a wide range of lids. The ChromaPop lens offers HD-like clarity in bright conditions, while the included clear lens is ideal for darker days. Best of all, the quality lenses and open-vented frame keep fog at bay better than anything else here. Replacement clear lenses cost just $13. At speed and on chilly days they can feel slightly draughty – a small price to pay for the fog-busting design. Price $127

The small frame works well with almost any helmet, open or full-face. Good ventilation means the lens rarely fogs up, even on muggy days. Clear and tinted versions are included, along with 20 tear-offs for muddy racing. Replacement lenses can be found easily, from $12. All this makes the $90 price good value. We liked the fit for the most part, although the frame is a bit narrow. We found the Racecrafts pinched our noses just a little. The field of view isn’t the best – the tear-off tabs can be seen in your peripheral vision – although we didn’t find this much of an issue when riding. Price $90

If you don’t like the retro look, these come in less seizure-inducing colours too. The field of view is the best on test, with nothing to distract you on the trail. We liked the fit and comfort – there’s plush foam and a generous nose groove. A deep strap and wide outriggers hold the goggles neatly in place on full-face helmets, though the frame is too bulky to fit snugly under some open-face lids. Tinted and clear lenses are included. Both have proven impressively scratch resistant and generally stay fog-free. Replacement lenses aren’t easy to come by online and are pricey ($34 standard, $41 light sensitive). Price $112

We reckon these are the nicest looking goggles here, and a wide field of view means they’re nice to look out of too. They stay in place well and work great with open-face lids. Generous padding makes them particularly comfy, and there’s no pinching of the nose. The pre-curved lens has minimal distortion. They’re not the best ventilated, so they can get a tad sweaty and the clear lens fogs up easier than most on muggy rides and at slow speeds, despite its anti-fog coating. Only one lens is included and replacements are fairly expensive ($24 clear, $34 tinted). Price $97

TSG’s tinted lens works great in bright conditions, and a clear one is also included. Glare is minimal even in dappled light. The lenses aren’t bad at resisting fog, though not quite as good as Scott, 100% or Smith’s. We found the fit spot on, with comfy foam and no pinching around the nose. The field of view is ample too, and the narrow profile worked with all the helmets we tried. Our lenses got scratched up pretty quickly and replacements are hard to find and not cheap ($30 clear, $34 tinted). You wouldn’t know these goggles cost $105 to look at them. Price $105