Mick Kirkman

Contributor/tester

stif squatch pro

Stif Squatch Pro is a progressive hardtail with a steel frame and super-low bottom bracket height, 29in wheels with 2.6in tyres enhance grip and comfort.

silt all-mountain

Silt All-Mountain wheelset is sorted for price and gives you the extra zip of lighter wheelset, yet remains tough enough for proper UK riding.

Sweet Protection Hunter jersey

Sweet Protection’s Hunter Merino jersey is a thin long-sleeve wool top with a bike-specific fit. This means the waist and torso are slightly tapered in, while the arms and shoulders…

SRAM GX Eagle DUB Alloy

SRAM GX Eagle DUB Alloy crank is SRAM’s massively popular, best quality and priciest aluminium crank. It was completely overhauled last year and uses the brand’s relatively new DUB axle…

SRAM X01 Eagle DUB carbon

SRAM X01 Eagle DUB Carbon chainset is rated for enduro and uses carbon arms with a structural foam core and the forged and machined X-Sync 2 chainring.

Shimano XT M8100 crank

The 12-speed Shimano XT M8100 crank profile is derived from the latest Shimano XTR chainset and uses a direct-mount chainring.

SHIMANO SLX M7100 crank

Shimano SLX M7100 crank is the lowest-tier crank using Shimano’s top-level manufacturing technology and comes in a swish gunmetal blue or black colourway.

RACE FACE NEXT R

The snazzy, fat-armed Race Face Next R cranks are plenty stiff enough, impressively low weight and not overly expensive

Hope Evo

The Hope Evo is Hope’s second-generation mountain bike crank. It’s lighter and stiffer and uses a totally revised design at the axle/ arm interface.

E*THIRTEEN XCX RACE

The E*Thirteen XCX Race crank arms are made by a patented compression moulding process and bonded to an oversized 30mm alloy axle.

Cane Creek eeWings

High-end Cane Creek eeWings weigh about the same as leading carbon cranks, but enjoy the advantage of superior impact resistance, stiffness and durability.

Hope Carbon Handlebars 35mm

The Hope Carbon Handlebars 35mm 224g weight is respectively light and the bar lives up to claims of good damping and comfort. We loved the ride quality.

praxis 1x direct

Where most rivals use alternating thick/thin teeth, Praxis’ T6 aluminium chainring has a special ‘wavy’ offset tooth pattern to improve chain retention.

O’Neal Trailfinder Pants

Riding trousers for colder/wetter conditions are currently all the rage, which means O’Neal’s new Trailfinder pant joins a burgeoning segment with a lot of competition.

evil wreckoning

Evil’s introduction to the new Evil Wreckoning sums it up perfectly: “Up, down, and upside-down, the Wreckoning doesn’t care which way it’s going. It just gets there fast in classic,…

Sensus Lite grips

With a dense, ribbed profile, these Sensus Lite grips came on a test bike and I’ve seriously fallen for them. They’re pretty skinny at 29mm diameter, but feel way more…

Peaty's Tubeless Valves

Peaty’s valves already come recommended, but the latest versions are even better by incorporating a spoke key for standard 3.4mm nipples in the threaded dust cap. Read more: Buyer’s guide…