All Arround MTB

Specialized’sWU post has a unique saddletipping action that some riders might like but it has a lot of downsides, including cost,weight, height, rattle and only a single fit option. The big “wooo!” with theWU is that, while the main shaft only drops 115mm, a secondary shaft inside drops another centimetre, tipping the back of the saddle down by another 35mm.This is designed to give support under braking and extra thigh control on steep/fast descents, and some of our testers liked it. Because the nose doesn’t lower, Spesh’s “effective 150mm drop” claim is stretching it, though, and theWU mechanism adds extra height under the saddle. The head soon starts to wobble and rattle on the shaft too, which isn’t helped by the savage return speed and slamming top-out even on its slowest setting. It’s also heavy, expensive and only comes in a 34.9mm diameter, making the simple but effective $375 Command Post IRcc our recommended Spesh dropper. Weight 767g Stroke 115mm Diameters 34.9mm

This coil-sprung dropper promises “simplicity, reliability and durability”, but doesn’t deliver. While the price is reasonable, it’s 100g heavier than some of its rivals. It’s a lot longer than most 150mm posts too, so fitting it between you and your bike may be an issue. Because the cable nipple is at the post end, it’s a no-brainer to set up. The SRAM-mount shifter-style lever is gorgeous, complete with silk-smooth bearing and grip patch.With no airtight seals to cause drag, initial operation is super-smooth. Getting the mechanical catch to lock into the two intermediate height settings requires practice, though, and the soft top-out means you don’t always know it’s extended. The screw-on saddle clamp can come loose, and within a few months our sample started sticking down or failing to return to full height on filthy rides. Stripping it down and replacing springs and sliders doesn’t refresh performance for long, so even with a five-year warranty it’s hard to recommend. Weight

Weldtite’s comprehensive kit works as well as the Dynaplug Pill but at a much lower price. It includes a reamer, forked insertion tool, five large plugs, a blade for trimming them and a tube of rubber solution. Puncture repair is straightforward, with plug insertion aided by the lubricating solution. It seems to achieve a more robust seal quicker than the other kits, due to the bonds formed between the glue and rubber. It’s bulky compared to the Dynaplug, although no larger than a traditional puncture repair kit. Price $12

As the most expensive kit on test,we expected the Pill to be a bit special – and weren’t disappointed. Housed in a compact, sealed aluminium capsule are two tubular insertion tools, five brass-tipped tyre plugs, a temporary air plug (used to reduce initial pressure loss) and a small knife. There’s also space for three more plugs. This is the easiest to use kit on test. It’s expensive compared to functionally equivalent competitors. Fixing larger punctures isn’t as straightforward as with tools that fold the plug in half during insertion. Price $60

MaXalami’s kit comprises a forked insertion tool and eight tyre plugs in two sizes (3x 3.5mm, 8x 1.5mm), which can be used to repair a range of different size punctures. It’s stored in a plastic tube, which can be easily stowed in a jersey pocket or pack. The applicator is larger than many on test, which allows you to apply a reasonable amount of force when trying to insert a plug into smaller punctures. More comprehensive kits are available at lower prices. The tube isn’t as robust as the Blackburn or Dynaplug cases. Price $21

The simplest and lightest repair kit on test only contains a small forked needle insertion tool and five small tyre plugs. Despite this minimalism, we were able to successfully repair punctured tyres with it, at a fraction of the price of its competitors. A range of plug sizes would be useful and less fiddly than inserting multiple plugs into a single large puncture. It can be hard to get purchase and apply much force to the small insertion tool when repairing small holes. Price $9

Sahmurai supply a forked insertion tool and a reamer, both mounted on expanding bar end-plugs, allowing you to carry the kit discreetly. Six tyre plugs are provided. They’re fairly wide and among the longest on test, so you can cut them in half to double the number of repairs. The reamer opens up smaller holes nicely, allowing the plugs to be inserted.Once in place, they bond well. There’s no tool to trim the free ends of the plugs. It’s expensive compared to its competitors. The bar end-plugs aren’t compatible with all grips. Price $37

Housed in a plastic tube and supplied with a Velcro strap, the Plugger can be slipped into your pack or attached to your bike. The insertion tool is a slim metal tube with a chamfered end, which is easier to load and use than the forked versions in other kits. Inside the handle are 10 5.5cm-long tyre plugs – enough for multi-day trips. The large insertion tool can widen small punctures, stopping the small plugs from being as effective as others on test. It'd be good to have some thicker plugs for larger holes. Price $27

With a thin perforated palm and ventilated elastic back, theses gloves are aimed at riders who favour feel over cushioning and protection. Therefore, they don’t feel very substantial. But for what they’re designed to do, they excel. The pre-curved shape makes for a comfortable grip on the bar. Because the backing isn’t overly stretchy, we never ended up with bunched fabric in our palms (a common problem with thin, very stretchy gloves). The finger length felt good for our testers, and the small wrist opening stops them feeling sloppy, like cuffless slip-on gloves can. The downside is that it makes them a bit trickier to get on, and could lead to the stitching getting damaged in the long run. It’s good to see a microsuede thumb panel for wiping eyewear or snotty noses. Price $30

The full-frame design of the Renegades won’t be for everyone, but if you don’t find the bottom of the frame poking into your eyeline distracting, then we found they were a good fit and didn’t allow any light to leak in. Despite the lack of venting, the anti-fog coating stands up to both humid and cold slogs well, and the ‘Reactiv’ photochromic lenses transition from light to dark and back again quickly. The lack of an adjustable nose bridge means you should try before you buy, but testers with a range of face shapes found them comfy. Grippers on the arms eliminate any slippage. Our only niggle is with the supplied case, which can be compressed, potentially damaging the glasses. While they’re pricey, the urban styling of the Renegades means you can wear them around town too and get more use out of them than you would a regular pair of riding glasses. Price $165 (with Reactiv Zebra Light lenses)

If you’re looking for a good way to keep mud out of your eyes, the ProGuard should definitely be on your shopping list.With a choice of 24 holes on top to thread the supplied zipties through, it’s easy to get it to fit snuggly on your fork arch. Each side is then secured to the fork’s lower legs with another two zipties. The length of the fender means you need to crank the zipties up tight to prevent it dropping down towards the tyre once caked in mud. In the slop, the ProGuard’s extensive coverage means its performance is seriously impressive. While the odd fleck of mud did make it onto our goggle lenses, it does a superb job of keeping your vision clear (and the crud off your fork’s wiper seals) even in swamp-like conditions. There’s plenty of clearance between tyre and mudguard too, which is useful when things get sticky. On seriously heavy landings where we bottomed the fork out, we did buzz the guard on the fork crown, but this only happened a couple of times and didn’t kn

While these slide-on grips won’t break the bank, it’s worth noting that they work best if you stick them in place with Renthal’s Quick Bond Grip Glue, which will set you back another $10. On the bike, we love the soft, super-grippy feel of the Push-Ons. The ‘Ultra Tacky’ rubber isn’t just grippy, it also helps to take the sting out of chattery sections of trail. Not everyone will like just how narrow they feel – we’re talking roughly 30mm in diameter – and, used with a stiff bar, the outer edge of your palms can start to feel a little battered on really rough trails. This is no worse than with other slim grips though, and we reckon it’s a price worth paying for the damping and grip on offer. Since gluing (not wiring) our test grips in place, they haven’t lifted or slipped, even in the sopping wet. The downside is that it’s unlikely we’ll be able to remove them without cutting them. Price $18

At just 266g , The Cloud is competitive on the scales, especially considering the price. It only comes in a single width, which won’t suit everyone, and the firm rather than luxurious padding is better suited to more seasoned riders. Marks on the chromoly rails and the near-flat profile make it quick and easy to get the saddle feeling comfy. A shallow cutaway in the middle of the foam helps to relieve pressure on your nether regions. While the thin, firm padding on the nose isn’t the comfiest when clawing up steeper pitches, it’s forgiving enough providing you’re not perched there for too long. The sleek looks and neat finish add to its appeal. Price $52 (chromoly rails)

Getting the right amount of sealant into your tubeless tyres to start with is easy. The problem is knowing how much it has dried up or leaked out after a few months, without stripping the tyre off. This simple but effective syringe kit lets you ‘dipstick’ the sealant level in your tyre by unscrewing the valve core, slipping the pipe into the valve and sucking out the juice. If you need to add more, then simply suck extra out of your sealant bottle, lock the flow off with the mid-pipe valve, and inject it into the tyre. The press-fit connections are less secure than screw-in fixtures, and you don’t get valves with a sealing ‘mouth’ like you do with MilKit’s similar-looking (but considerably more expensive) kit, so there’s a risk the tyre will unseat when you deflate it. That means there’s no danger of blowback, though, and we like the fact you get a spare pipe to use if/when the first one gums up. Price $15

The SingleTrack gloves have quickly become some of our favourites. This is down to the well-shaped, thin palm, which ensures you get plenty of feel and feedback from the grips. It doesn’t bunch when you’re gripping on for dear life either, and gets some useful reinforcement on the thumb. There’s silicone print on the palm (though not much of it) and some on the index and middle finger too, which can give a bit of extra purchase in the dry, but gets a little slippery if your brake levers are wet. The back of the glove is a robust affair, with some added TPU strips to protect your most exposed knuckles. These are flexible, so go unnoticed while riding. The thick neoprene cuff has a small Velcro tab to keep things feeling secure, though it can get warm on hot days. Considering the level of quality on offer, the price is good. Some riders may miss having a snot wipe, though. Price $40