Mick Kirkman

Contributor/tester

yt capra 27

This YT Capra 27 CF Pro version is entirely carbon (there’s no alloy rockers or chainstays as before) to save grams and refine the look.

Vitus Sommet

This £3,500 carbon Vitus Sommet 27 CRX has the brand’s top-level 160mm enduro chassis that weighs over 300g less than the alloy version.

radon jab

The Radon Jab's stealth carbon chassis uses a 4-bar layout to deliver 160mm travel and sports some seriously sculpted profiles, braces and sharp headtube.

Deity Knuckleduster

Deity’s Knuckleduster blends three patterns in one. Offset chevron ridges comfort the outer palm, fine ribs damp the thumb and forefinger, and a deeper waffle-pattern underneath adds extra finger hold.…

x-fusion manic

The latest X-Fusion Manic is the latest in a long line of X-Fusion droppers and it’s available in 125mm and 150mm drop for only £220.

deity tmac

Red Bull Rampage rider Tyler McCaul’s Deity TMAC pedals are on the bigger side of the spectrum. Well-positioned sharp pins keep shoes totally locked down.

best mountain bike suspension forks

The air-sprung Helm has been around for a couple of seasons and with this Cane Creek Helm Coil, the US brand is one of the few offering a coil-sprung fork.

Giant Reign E

The new electric Giant Reign E is brother to the successful enduro machine with the same name, and the brand’s first real foray into longer-travel e-bikes.

7iDP Project Lite

The 7iDP Project Lite pads are a lighter, more minimal version of the popular 7iDP Project knee. The thin design is more of a ‘compression sock’ for knees.

Topeak Survival Gear Box

Everything often gets covered in crap when mountain biking, so Topeak’s Gear Box wins by stashing 23 tools inside to keep them clean and dry.

Afton Keegan

Afton Keegan looks like a skate shoe, but dig deeper and there’s technology: extra toe protection to a specially designed, mono-directional interior shank.

x-fusion trace

The X-Fusion Trace 36 HLR suspension fork is over £200 cheaper than some other top-tier forks, and, aside from the price, there’s a lot to recommend it.

ion shelter softshell

ION Shelter Softshell jacket is a hooded jacket which comes across more technical hoodie than thick soft shell. It uses double-woven, 4-way stretch fabric.

We got the chance to ride the current 2019 RockShox Lyrik RC2 back-to-back in an ABA test format with the new 2020 RockShox Lyrik Ultimate.

Evil The Offering

140mm 29er Evil the Offering addresses past issues, and also adds more reach to each frame size so you no longer need to upsize to get a good fit.

dvo diamond

The DVO Diamond is a multi-adjustable enduro fork that’s now available with reduced offset. With 35mm legs and big tyre clearance.