Mick Kirkman

Contributor/tester

7mesh Roam SS jersey

Designed and tested in Canada, 7mesh’s Roam short sleeve shirt is the brand’s staple trail riding top, in what it calls a mid-weight fabric. It’s actually lighter than many other…

Alpinestars Drop Meta Jersey SS

One of Alpinestars’s key summer riding jerseys is this ultra-lightweight Meta top, using a 92% polyester/8% elastane main fabric. The material is perforated all over in a reasonably fine tea…

Endura Singletrack Core 2 Tee

Scottish brand Endura has built a reputation for reasonably priced, well-made kit over the last couple of decades. More recently, it’s also become well known for its commitment to reducing…

Rab Cindercrino jersey

Legendary UK outdoors brand Rab has a huge reputation for making long-lasting kit that can handle the worst of UK conditions. It recently launched the Cinder cycling range, with over…

Leatt Airflex Hybrid Pro knee guards

Extended coverage The long (35cm) cylindrical tube has Leatt’s perforated Airflex padding cupping the knee with a kind of memory foam style impact gel padding. On top of this are…

Poc Oseus vpd knee pads

The POC Oseus VPD pads are a compact design, fairly short in length with the main coverage only extending to the front and sides of the knee cap. This is…

Spank Spoon 35 Handlebars

Spank Industries offers loads of MTB handlebars including its test-winning Vibrocore range with vibration-damping foam cores. This Spoon model is the brand’s more affordable bar using the same proprietary 6-series…

Hope XC Wide Wheels

Hunt has made a name for itself over recent years by offering MTB wheelsets, suitable for multiple disciplines, at a killer price. Its TrailWide wheelset impressed us and scored a…

Abus Mo Drop mountain bike helmet

This extended coverage MoDrop helmet is part of Abus’ latest line-up of three open face lids. The German brand might be better known for protecting bikes from thieves than noggins…

All Mountain Style Cero

These All Mountain Style lock-on grips are designed in Spain by Cero Designs. Cero is a design team led by top ex-World Cup downhiller Cesar Rojo, a man who’s responsible…

Industry Nine 1/1 Enduro wheels 

This complete enduro wheelset comes from American brand Industry Nine, whose reputation was built making its hubs in-house in North Carolina. The 1/1 model here is the brand’s more affordable…

American Classic Tectonite EN

Founded around 40 years ago in the infancy of our sport, American Classic has been around a good while. Initially making frames and lightweight components, its reputation in this country…

Continental Argotal Enduro Soft tyres

This Argotal is one of Continental’s latest range aiming to bring the brand back to the top of the gravity tyre game. After a period of not having quite the…

Michelin Wild Enduro Racing Line

French brand Michelin has a big presence in the enduro scene, bolstered by the successes of top racers like Sam Hill and other Nukeproof-sponsored athletes. The Wild Enduro here is…

Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M

Italian car tyre giant Pirelli has been hustling into the cycling tyre game for the last few years, but its mountain bike tyres have yet to find the marketplace traction…

Vee Snap WLT GXE tyre

Part of Vee’s four model tyre range for gravity rigs and e-bikes, this Snap WLT is the pointier model for looser conditions. Thai tyre company Vee has been around the…

E*thirteen Grappler Enduro MoPo tyre

We tested this E*thirteen gravity tyre last year and it blew us away with its performance. The Grappler is available in two casing and compound options, including a thick dual…

Vee Attack FSX GXE tyre

Based in South East Asia, it’s logical Vee Tire Co makes a lot of tyres for the mopeds that are popular in that part of the world. You might be…

Maxxis Forekaster II 3C Maxx Terra tyre

The Maxxis Forekaster has been around for years, but isn’t normally seen on complete bikes, where the Minion, Dissector or Rekon usually feature. With a low profile, fast-rolling spikey tread,…

Maxxis Assegai Maxx Grip EXO+

Wherever you ride, Maxxis’s Assegai is a totally safe bet for aggressive riding. With its recently updated EXO+ casing proving more reliable and a better match for how hard you…