THE BEST BIKES & 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.
OAKLEY DROP IN GLOVES
£34 www.oakley.com
These velvety-feeling gloves have a similar appearance to the Oakley freeride attire of the early 2000s, but things have definitely got better since then in terms of design and construction. They have a snug fit and feel silky as they’re slipped on. The spikey PVC knuckle protection gives them an ‘S&M gauntlet’ look, but should provide ample protection from bumps and scrapes (although a well-aimed stick will find its way through). Just make sure you use the snot wipe on the thumb, rather than the back of your hand, to mop any sweat off your face, because the spikes are actually pretty harsh on the skin! There’s plenty of ventilation, thanks to the mesh fabric on the back of the hand and between the fingers. A Velcro fastener keeps things tight, and the fingertips are touchscreen-compatible. Ours still feel nice and tight, with no bunching of the palm and not a single thread having come loose.
ÖHLINS RXF38 M.2 FORK
£1,450 www.ohlins.com
HIGHS
Fluttery and smooth off the top – Exceptional mid-stroke support – Tunable bottom-out
LOWS
Negative spring volume reducer needs to be removed – Rebound damping retune may be needed – Pricey
The RXF38 m.2’s 38mm-diameter stanchions make it Öhlins’ biggest single-crown fork, aimed at trail, enduro and e-bike riders. In the left-hand leg is the TTX18 twin-tube damper, where oil can flow both ways during compression and rebound. This is claimed to improve damping-valve response, creating great mid-stroke support and deep-travel control. The damper has 15 clicks of low- and four clicks (one a lockout) of high-speed compression adjustment, plus 15 clicks of low-speed rebound. A ‘setting bank’ where custom-made shim stacks can be installed extends adjustability.
Öhlins’ three-chamber, twin-piston air spring has self-equalising positive and negative chambers, plus an additional ramp-up chamber so you can add more progession. The spring can be adjusted further using volume spacers, but from stock, only the negative chamber has a spacer pre-installed. Initially, our RXF38 lacked sensitivity in the first part of its travel. We decreased the positive spring pressure, but this increased bottom-outs and slowed the rebound too much. After discussing the issue with Öhlins, we ditched the negative spring’s volume spacer. The fork then came alive, with off-the-top smoothness that was as good as, or better than, the competition. It absorbed trail chatter marvellously, providing huge levels of grip and comfort.
The damper soaks up medium-sized hits effectively, significantly enhancing bike stability. Mid-stroke support, once we’d dialled in the low-speed compression and bottom-out resistance, was impressive, too. We frequently used 95 per cent or more of the fork’s travel while descending, but it didn’t feel like it was diving under braking or when hammering into sharp, steep, on-the-brakes hairpins. It was the same in high-speed, high-load berms or compressions, where our bar height remained stable, helping to improve control and speed.
Öhlins’ 38mm chassis is marvellously stiff in situations where you need it to be, without being harsh and fatiguing. The fork has a subdued and damped feel on rough, fast tracks, but resists twist and flex in high-load situations, aiding steering accuracy.
Arguably, the rebound damping tune was too hard for our tester’s tastes and weight, which could be an issue, particularly for lighter riders. However, Öhlins offer a range of tunes, so finding the right one shouldn’t be too hard. It’s a shame the factory-installed negativespring volume spacer has such an adverse effect on performance, and that its removal isn’t communicated in any of the manuals or tuning guides. If you make sure the spacer is removed, the RXF38 m.2 is one of the best-performing forks on the market.
VERDICT
Virtually infallible performance across the board, but you’ll need to ditch the negative air-spring volume spacer
ACROS CLIPLESS PEDALS
£109.99 www.oxfordproducts.com
HIGHS
Plenty of adjustment to help you find your preferred set-up – Lots of mud clearance
LOWS
Quite expensive
Known for their headsets, Acros have a new set of clipless pedals, which use an SPD-compatible mechanism. What sets these apart from others is that you can adjust the stance width (how close the pedal body sits to the crank arm) by 5mm. Rearranging a spacer on the pedal axle allows you to bring the body in closer, for more trail-obstacle clearance. However, we settled on the standard width, to take advantage of its extra stability. There are reinforced nylon skid plates on the pedals, designed to help you clip in. These are removable, and we preferred them off, as we found our cleats often slid over the top of the mechanism with them installed. There’s plenty of mud clearance, and the bearings are triple-sealed, so should stay grime-free. The platform is amply-sized for trail and enduro riding, and offers plenty of stability when riding unclipped. Float, release and entry feel identical to other SPD pedals, providing a secure attachment without feeling trapped. You can adjust the mechanism’s spring tension, too. These are good pedals with a neat trick to help you find your ideal set-up, but they aren’t cheap.
VERDICT
Decent pedals for trail and enduro riding with lots of set-up options and a tried-and-tested SPD mechanism
PATAGONIA BLACK HOLE GEAR TOTE BAG
While highly structured and organised bags exist for a reason, sometimes you just want a big sturdy one to chuck your kit in. And, if you’ve got deep pockets, the 61l Black Hole Gear Tote will fit the bill. The recycled polyester fabric is sturdy, and we’ve had no issues with pedal pins or other sharp objects digging in. When carrying the bag, sharp edges are dulled before rubbing against your body. The two carrying handles are just long enough to sling over your shoulder. We’d like to see a padded handle on one, though, to gather the other in, or the option to run a longer shoulder strap. There’s a zipped sleeve pocket on the front, plus daisychain loops running down both sides. A pair of slipped straps can be used to help prevent it splaying open when fully loaded, too. It’s very pricey, though.
FIDLOCK TWIST 590ML BOTTLE AND BASE
£39.99 www.ison-distribution.com
The Fidlock TWIST bottle snaps easily back onto its magnetic base when you’re done drinking. A hinged lid keeps the mouthpiece nice and clean, too. We’ve found the Fidlock design ideal for compact front triangles where regular cages don’t fit that well. The bottle itself is soft and squeezy enough to produce a decent flow, but unlike a regular bottle it needs to be correctly orientated in your hand to do so (it’s not exactly comfy to grip it by the base, for example). Arguably the biggest downside of this system is that lost bottles are pricier to replace than regular ones, if you’re forgetful like us and leave them in the car park.
RAPHA TRAIL LIGHTWEIGHT PANTS
£110 www.rapha.cc
HIGHS
Great cut and fit – Very comfortable – Rear-facing pockets work really well
LOWS
Fairly pricey – Not as robust as some
These pants come in six sizes and are made from a four-way stretch, abrasion-resistant nylon fabric with a DWR coating to help keep splashes and light showers out. And it works, although you’ll still get wet in heavy rain. There’s a twin-popper and fly closure, plus two lockable buckle adjusters to help tailor the fit. The rear of the waistband is raised a little to help keep your lower back covered, and there are two rear-facing zipped pockets, which sit high on each thigh. One has a small fabric divider to help protect its contents.
Both ankles get a discreet reinforced panel to improve durability, and enough elastic to ease getting them on and off. We really like the tailored fit, with the tight, functional cut around the lower leg preventing material from bunching up or snagging on the cranks. There’s plenty of stretch, too, helping to make these seriously comfy and easy to pedal in. They aren’t as robust as the brand’s heavier Trail pants, though, and a couple of minor crashes left small holes in ours. (Rapha supply repair patches for such an event, and a repair service for bigger issues, too.)
The rear-facing pockets are great for essentials and Rapha have positioned them incredibly well, so it’s easy to forget you’re carrying anything. At £110, these trousers aren’t cheap, but they fit great and work well, though aren’t as tough as some of their cheaper competitors.
VERDICT
Seriously comfortable, well cut and offering some useful features, there’s a lot to like about these pants
HELMETOR STORAGE SYSTEM
£9.99 www.helmetor.com
The Helmetor is a simple wall-mounted plastic clip system for storing your helmet safely, and even securely. It attaches with two screws, to brickwork or your vehicle. The pronged plastic arms then squeeze together and clip through either a single helmet vent or a pair of them. They’ll work with air intakes between 30 and 65mm wide, which covers the majority of trail and enduro lids, except those with Koroyd or WaveCel safety tech. Many DH lids won’t have enough ventilation. It’s easy to mount helmets on the Helmetor. In fact, with a bit of practice it’s possible to get your lid on there single-handed. A locking loop integrated into the clip extends into the helmet. Putting a padlock through there offers cursory security (as long as it’s big enough that it won’t pull back through the helmet vent). If you have limited space for storing your bike kit, or your helmet suffers regular knocks and bumps while left lying around, the Helmetor is a quick, easy and cheap solution.
100% AIRMATIC PANTS
£99.99 www.silverfish-uk.com
HIGHS
Great fit – Good features
LOWS
A minor struggle to get on – Price disparity between men’s and women’s versions is silly
Available in black or charcoal, 100%’s MTB-specific Airmatic pants are designed to offer all-day comfort for any type of riding. A DWR coating opens up year-round performance, while the lightweight four-way-stretch woven fabric means they’re still usable most of the way through summer. The adjustable closure offers ample adjustment, and the waistband has silicone grippers to reduce slippage. Heavily-tapered legs mean you can wear pads underneath yet the pants won’t foul your drivetrain, and multipanel articulated knees increase the comfortable range of movement. There’s a well-placed pocket on each thigh, the right-hand one of which has an extra sleeve to securely hold most phones. While the cut is comfortable and makes sense on the bike, the closure doesn’t open fully (as a zipped fly would), making it tricky to get the waist over your thighs. Once on, there’s ample room for knee pads and armoured shorts. The Airmatic pants are well thought-out, comfortable and have worn well so far. Ours have kept out most water on damp rides, too, but haven’t seen a full downpour yet. There’s no obvious reason why the women’s version should cost 10 per cent more than the men’s, though, which is a shame, considering how much we like the Airmatics.
VERDICT
Great all-rounder pants suitable for use all year, but the questionable pricing structure does affect the score
GORE FERNFLOW SHORTS
£129.99 www.gorewear.com
The GORE Fernflows aren’t the cheapest MTB shorts, but could be the most comfortable. A panelled construction, easy but not baggy cut and four-way stretch Cordura fabric combine to allow maximum freedom of movement, and the well thought-out design details really deliver. Security comes from a back waist that’s cut high, features silicone gripper and can be dialled for fit via side adjusters, so you’ll stay covered no matter what. The fabric is lightweight yet tough. Even though it’s water-resistant rather than waterproof, there’s additional protection from taping on the back seam, which helps keep out the worst of the usual water ingress at that vulnerable point. The legs drops over the front of the knee, without bulk at the back, making the shorts effortless to pedal in. Our overdraft wishes we didn’t like them quite as much as we do!
SERIOUS BIKE CLEANER
£7.99 (500ml spray) www.seriousbikes.co.uk
This bike wash is said to be safe for frames with matt finishes, e-bikes and carbon fibre components. It’s also biodegradable and presented in recycled packaging. Made in the UK, it’s proved to be among the best detergents we’ve used, helping to loosen some of the particularly baked-on filth that our test bikes have been collecting recently. It smells better than most of its competitors, too. The downsides are all in the packaging. Firstly, the trigger is a little flimsy and leaks consistently, although still gets plenty of spray where it’s being aimed. A bigger problem is that the hose stops 25mm shy of the bottom of the bottle, so there’ll always be a small amount you’ll need to transfer to the next bottle when you’ve used the rest of the first one. There will be another bottle, though, because it’s a well-priced, effective cleaner.