The best bikes and MTB kit given a thrashing
WHY OUR TESTS ARE THE BEST!
Our technical-editor-in-chief Rob Weaver gets new products in as soon as they’re available and coordinates all the testing through our team of tech experts, who have unrivalled knowledge and experience. Every test starts with a detailed product check in the workshop. Next, we hit the trails… hard! We test in real riding conditions, incorporating feedback from multiple riders, and don’t stop until we have the complete picture, no matter how long it takes. Our testing is staunchly independent and not influenced by PR or advertisers (sometimes to their great discomfort). We’re never afraid to tell you the truth.
MADISON ROAM WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT PACKABLE JACKET
£79.99 www.freewheel.co.uk
This jacket lives up to its name, weighing just 130g and being highly packable. The featherweight material shields you from the wind, and while it’s not waterproof, the PFC-free C0 DWR coating offers protection from showers or trail spray. If it does get damp, it dries swiftly, making it ideal for those unpredictable days when showers interrupt sunny moments. It’s comfortable to ride in, thanks to its well-proportioned arm length, elasticated cuffs and dropped rear hem. The zipped chest pocket is practical for storing valuables, and the chunky zip is easy to handle even with gloves on. However, there are a few drawbacks to note. Like other items in Madison’s women’s range, the fit through the body is quite boxy, which may not be flattering for all body types. The hood can be pulled over a helmet, but felt a bit snug for us. Additionally, it’s disappointing that women don’t have the same range of colour choices as their male counterparts.
SRAM MAVEN ULTIMATE BRAKES
£599 (Expert kit) https://zyrofisher.co.uk
The Maven is SRAM’s most powerful disc brake yet, designed for downhill, enduro and e-MTB riders and racers. Thanks in part to an all-new calliper and larger-volume lever, it’s said to produce a whopping 50 per cent more power than the Code, the brand’s current DH offering. It’s their first high-end brake to use mineral oil (also used in the cheaper DB8), which promises to keep it feeling more consistent for longer, as well as being safer to work with. The Maven isn’t cheap, with prices starting at £200 for a single Bronze-level brake and going all the way up to £599 for the Ultimate Expert kit tested here, which includes two brakes, four rotors, multiple sets of pads, a bleed kit and spares.
While the Stealth lever and SwingLink technology are familiar from the company’s other brakes, the calliper isn’t. SRAM have moved to using four calliper body bolts, to help reduce flex under braking, and have also upped piston sizes to 18mm and 19.5mm (compared to 15mm and 16mm on the Code). This new design means you have to access the pads (which are larger and a different shape) from the underside of the calliper. The bleed process is well-explained and straightforward to follow, although care is needed during the ‘piston massage’ stage.
SRAM advised us to replace the 220mm rotors we’d been using with our Codes for 200mm ones. We also swapped the organic pads that come fitted for the sintered ones included in the Expert kit. Even with a reduction in rotor size, our pair of Mavens felt superbly powerful, letting us scrub off speed in a split second.
They’re way punchier than Codes – and just about every other brake we’ve tried, for that matter.
The initial lever stroke retains the Code feel, but as soon as the pads contact the rotor, things become more binary. It takes a little time to recalibrate how much force you need to put through your braking fingers. At first, it’s almost too easy to lock the wheels, especially on damp tracks or when trying to hold a manual. But you soon learn how light you can be on the lever, and it doesn’t take long before you’re shaving off pace, rather than brutally killing it with every squeeze.
While the feel isn’t as frictionless as with Hope’s impressive Tech 4 lever, we’ve had no issues with hand pain on longer descents. That’s largely down to the sheer power on tap, which means it doesn’t take much effort to stop the bike. On long, brake-dragging descents, the bite-point is consistent, with no wander or fade. In fact, it’s when they’re warm, on long downhills, that the Mavens come into their own, offering superb power and a reliable feel, and keeping your hands feeling fresh for longer. At 366g (lever and mount plus calliper), the Maven is 61g heavier than the Code – a small price to pay for the boost in performance.
Rob
HIGHS
Seriously powerful
Consistent, easy-to-tune lever feel
Little effort required to scrub speed
LOWS
Quite expensive
Careful set-up required
SHIMANO DEORE XT M8100 10-45T CASSETTE
£159.99 www.freewheel.co.uk
This 12-speed cassette is compatible with Micro Spline freehubs only. It tips the scales at 467g. The smallest two sprockets are aluminium, and are pinned to an alloy spider, along with five steel cogs. Also steel, the remaining five sprockets attach individually. The 450 per cent gear range is smaller than that of SRAM’s 10-52t Eagle cassettes (520 per cent) and Shimano’s own 10-51t XT option (510 per cent). However, the first five gears have closer ratios – 28, 32, 36, 40, 45t, compared to SRAM’s 28, 32, 38, 44, 52t and wider-range XT’s 28, 33, 39, 45, 51t. This reduces the need for significant cadence changes when shifting, resulting in a more consistent pedal stroke. The smaller jumps between sprockets also mean smoother changes up and down, with reduced chain shock when upshifting, and quick and efficient sprocket pickup when moving to easier gears. This delivers more confidence and good performance when changing gear under load, too. If you find yourself consistently grinding up to the top of the trail in first gear with a 50t+ largest sprocket, this cassette won’t be for you. However, if you only ever use that top gear as a bail-out option or last resort, running a smaller cassette might bring some on-trail advantages.
Luke
HIGHS
Comfortable
Well-considered safety features
Beneficial on mellow climbs and undulating trails
LOWS
Steep ascents are harder work
No weight saving for smaller size
N
FUNN EQUALIZER STEM
Funn’s Equalizer is an enduro-capable stem with a 10mm drop or rise, depending on which way up you run it. This has the same effect on handlebar height as removing or adding a 10mm stem spacer, but, unlike that change, doesn’t lengthen or shorten your bike’s reach, and also gives a cleaner look. The stem is forged from 6061 aluminium, then CNC-machined to achieve its final form. It features a low 34mm stack height, which is useful for short fork steerers. We opted for the 42mm-long version with 35mm bar clamp. The twin face clamps give plenty of stiffness on the trail, and we never noticed any noise. Steering feels precise, and the design is reassuringly robust but, at 149g, it’s a competitive weight, too. If you want to maintain reach yet increase bar height, or simply can’t get your bar low enough, the Equalizer can help.
PRO TEAM DIGITAL TORQUE WRENCH
£249.99 www.freewheel.co.uk
Better known for supplying cockpit and finishing kit, Shimano’s parts division PRO also offer some top-level tools, including this Team torque wrench. With a digital readout, a range from 2 to 20Nm, and both audible and visible warnings when you reach the desired torque, it’s a useful addition to any workshop, albeit an expensive one. Included in the protective case are 2mm to 6mm Allen key heads, T25 and T30 Torx bits, a 1/4in adapter and a reach extender to help with accessing awkward bolts. Presetting torque values is a simple process, and the warnings when you reach the desired tightness are hard to miss.
SHIMANO DEORE XT M8100 10-45T CASSETTE
£160 https://7mesh.com
The Glidepath pants have been refined slightly, but continue to offer the same impressive all-day riding comfort as before. To get a better fit around the waist, 7mesh have tweaked the integrated belt system, which now runs around the circumference, rather than pulling from anchor points on either side. This helps to achieve a more even tension, with less bunching. The same twin lockable clasps are used as before, which snap shut and hold securely.
A new double-popper-and-fly arrangement ensures that the trousers stay closed. At the bottom end, the ankle cuffs get a small elasticated panel, which makes the pants noticeably easier to pull on and off than the older version. There are hand pockets on the hips, which are useful when off the bike, plus two zipped thigh pockets for essentials. Due to how lightweight the Glidepath pants are, we’d recommend not overloading these pockets. A phone or a car key is totally fine, though.
There are six sizes to choose from. We tried the small size, which fitted well and only required a minor amount of waist adjustment. The 32in inseam offered us coverage down to our ankles, while the tapered legs stayed well clear of the cranks when pedalling. A DWR coating helps keep the splashes off when it’s raining, but the light make-up of the Glidepaths means that water does soak through the fabric pretty quickly. They do dry rapidly, though.
Comfort is seriously impressive, they work well with knee pads and feel great on long days in the hills. And although they’re seriously pricey, we know they last well.
HIGHS
Seriously comfortable
Great shape and cut
Lightweight and articulate well
LOWS
Expensive
Not the most protective on really wet days
N
FEEDBACK SPORTS TEAM EDITION TOOL KIT
£380 https://saddleback.co.uk/
Feedback’s 26-function kit is designed to be chucked in your car/van as you head to the races or trails, and includes a range of tools to tackle most issues. These are held in a compact, weatherproof case, which is designed to be hung from a workstand and has a tent-style mini pole to ensure it doesn’t close while in use. The tools are decent, if not top-end, quality. Most have rubberised handles, which are comfortable and grippy. The Allen keys fit in bolt heads without too much wriggle, the chain splitter and cassette pliers are effective, and the wrenches long enough to offer decent leverage. It’s good to see a rotor-truing tool, valve-core remover and quick-link pliers inlcuded, too. The triple-ended Allen and Torx keys don’t fit in tight spaces, though. Neither are they ball-ended, which limits access to brake lever adjustments and bottle cages. We’d prefer a set of individual, L-shaped tools, which would also offer better leverage. The larger 6mm and 8mm Allen keys are L-shaped, but the L-extension is longer than ideal and can leave you pushing on them off-axis if the interface with the bolt or pedal axle isn’t totally tight. Given the kit’s race-weekend design goals, the lack of smaller Torx keys – often required for brake bleeds – is frustrating, although there are spaces in the case for more tools. The included T27 and T30 bits aren’t particularly useful.
HIGHS
Good quality tools
Compact carry case
LOWS
Missing a few MTB essentials
Three-way Allen keys are limited in use
N
WOLF TOOTH B-RAD MEDIUM STRAP AND ACCESSORY MOUNT
£27 www.wolftoothcomponents.com
This accessory mount and strap bolts onto a dedicated frame mount (if you have one), or you can combine it with Wolf Tooth’s B-RAD base (sold separately) and add it on below your bottle cage. The mount attaches easily (bolts and washers are supplied), but you do need to thread the strap in first, because it’s a tight fit once on the frame. There’s a textured print on the back of the flexible strap, plus a foam pad to help grip and secure the load. It works, too. We were able to comfortably fit a tube and tyre levers into ours, and could have got more in, if frame space allowed. While it sits wider than some when loaded up, it has never interfered with our riding and the contents have stayed firmly in place, despite rattling down some seriously rough downhills.
RENEN MTB PANTS
£145 https://renenusa.com
£145 https://renenusa.com
These pricey trousers aren’t packed with features, but have a top-notch fit and impressive cut, which work incredibly well on the bike. There are a staggering 11 sizes to choose from. Unsurprisingly, the fit around the waist is bang-on. A ratchet buckle gives a little adjustment, while a zipped fly helps keep the pants secure. There’s a single pocket high on the left thigh, which has enough space for a phone and holds its contents tight, so there’s no flapping while pedalling. The legs taper towards the ankle, making for a racy, athletic fit, although we’re not talking spray-on tight here and there’s ample room for knee pads beneath. When pedalling, articulation is great, with no issues with the pants pulling or snagging on your pads as you flex your knees. The fabric does a decent job of soaking up sweat, but these aren’t the airiest pants we’ve tried, so on milder days things do heat up quite quickly.
Rob
Well-considered safety features
Good value