Mick Kirkman

Contributor/tester

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…

ION 3-layer Traze Amp short

If you want to continue enjoying your riding you need good waterproof kit like this ION 3-Layer Traze Amp short from German brand Ion.

Transition Spur joins the downcountry mountain bike wave. Sporting modest amounts of suspension travel but not shying away from aggressive geometry.

Evil Following

Third-generation Evil Following includes a jutting jawline that’s sharper-edged, a seat tube brace for improved standover clearance and internal cabling.

SRAM GX Eagle groupset has been flawless. Extra range proved a welcome surprise, plus it’s smoother pedalling than rivals, silent with positive shifting.

Editor’s Choice 2020 Read more: Best mountain bike stems – go shorter, stiffer or just plain cooler This latest E*Thirteen stem is available in two versions: the Base here and…