Mick Kirkman

Contributor/tester

Madison Target glasses

Madison sells some excellent value own-brand eyewear with sharp, clear lenses that we’ve rated highly in the past. They’ve impressed when tested in range of weather conditions and have gone…

Dainese Linear 03 MIPS+

This 03 is the open-face model and it shares some design attributes with Dainese’s Linea 01 – currently the world’s lightest DH-certified full-face helmet. Available with or without MIPS, it…

Schwalbe Tacky Chan

Only coming in a 2.4in width for both 27.5in and 29in wheel sizes, the new Tacky Chan from Schwalbe focuses on all-out speed for racing. The majority of its rivals…

Hope Dropper Lever 

One look at this new dropper lever and you’ll see there’s everything you’d expect from a Hope component. It’s a shiny, feature-packed, CNC aluminium product that’s made in the UK…

Rapha MTB Trail Hip Pack

When Rapha branched out into mountain biking a couple of years ago, it was tempting to think a brand whose image revolved around stylised monochrome images of noble suffering on…

7Mesh Slab shorts

There are five different shorts in the 7Mesh range, with this 7Mesh Slab model being aimed at the enduro end of the spectrum.

7mesh Glidepath shorts

This Glidepath is a lightweight, super breathable trail short made with a four-way stretch fabric and six different size options. It’s exceptionally cool and comfortable, and offers more stretch than…

Alpinestars Drop Algorithm shorts

These Alpinestars shorts are made from a mid-weight fabric mixed with 15% spandex to allow extra conformity while pedalling. While the material isn’t as thin and aerated as some we’ve…

Endura Singletrack Lite short winner logo

This Singletrack Lite short is, guess what, Endura’s thinner, summery take on its long-refined Singletrack model. The fit is close without being restrictive, and Endura has mixed in enough elastane…

Rab Cinder Crank shorts

Rab says one reason it has launched the Cinder range is because many of its cyclist employees were using garments from the rest of its line up anyway. Perfect sense…

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…