The 2009 version is the latest generation of the well established Xen helmet from Giro. It has its style drawn from the skate style so may look a bit odd if you are used to more classic style mountain bike helmets. However this heritage means that it offers more protection coverage going lower down the neck than traditional designs. The upper and lower are hard moulded which again adds to the protection it offers as well as stops it getting damaged by small day to day knocks. The upper has 17 vents that are channelled to help keep you cool even on the climbs. There is also a visor to keep the sun out of your eyes and held securely on with Giro's patented POV system. The overall weight for it is 300grams so its hardly noticeable on your head. Depending on what you go for there are standard black and grey colours but also look out for some great detailed designs that really stand out.

The helmet has plenty of adjustment to allow it to fit to anyone’s head once adjusted it does feel secure and comfortable to wear. However we did find that the sizing for these was slightly different then normal, obviously it is different for each rider so its worth trying on one before you buy just to be sure. Overall we are not totally blown away by the design, especially if you have a larger head, but if you are into some serious enduro or hardcore XC in may be worth taking a look as seems to offer more protection than some helmets we have seen and some style too (if that’s your cup of tea).

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The 2009 version of the Mavic Crossmax wheels have a few improvements over the many previous versions. According to Mavic they offer a more dynamic ride thanks to the introduction of Zicral alloy spokes that are apparently 10% stiffer for the same weight as stainless steel. There are also Fore drilled rims and Isopulse lacing and a few other new features that don’t make much sense to most people. Over all the wheel has been upgraded and aimed at the XC rider who wants a wheel that can cope with all situations but while still weighing as little as possible.

We put them on a bike and headed out to see how they actually preformed. While fitting them we did notice that they seem light but still have a solid robust feel. Hitting the trails we found they were responsive while cornering but we did find they flexed a little more than we would have expected. This flex however didn’t seem to be detrimental to the overall performance of the wheel set, so we are not too worried, but it may have long term problems. Overall these wheels are not bad but they are not that great either.

The 2009 version of the top cross-country fork form RockShox is the SID it comes it at a very respectable 1485g working on a Dual Air spring system and comes in a striking black or white design. They supply either 80mm or 100mm of travel which should be plenty for most cross country riders. They also offer an external rebound adjustment and a low speed compression lock.

Testing this fork out on the trails we noticed straight away how responsive it was into the corners there was none of the flex you get with cheaper forks even when cornering hard. The weight is low enough to make most XC riders drool slightly but its nice to see that this is not at the compromise of the functionality. Hitting some frozen rocky terrain the 100mm of travel soaked them up with no problems at all and we are sure the 80mm version would be plenty for most riders. We had the slightly heavier version that has the remote lockout but found this easy to use and gave us the ability to very easily tune it to the terrain on the fly. This is a great fork very comparable to the FOX offerings but if you seek out the deals coming in at a lower cost.

Anyone who has used Fox forks has come to know them as stiff and light but this all come at a price. The 2009 Fox racing shox 36 Van-RC2 comes in at around 2360 grams (or 5.21 pounds) but costs around $900. They have 160mm of coil sprung travel takes in all the bumps with ease. The compression damping is all adjustable to allow you to set it up just the way you want and they feature a 20mm stepped thru axel.

These forks are defiantly very stiff and feel really responsive out on the trails. We took a while to set them up and it made a real difference to the ride quality. Fox was living up to their reputation by supplying 3 springs for different rider weights not something most companies do. This fork is perfectly suited to single track but also at home if you want to fit in a few jumps. It’s a fantastic fork… as long as you can afford it!

These tyres are designed for general use and also aimed at XC cycling. The main thing that sets this tyre out form a lot of the others is the tread pattern continues right round to the side wall, Continental calls it an Endless Edge tread block design. But in real terms this extra tread gives better cornering and also helps on those slippery roots. There are wire ones that come in at 570g and 515g for the Kevlar version.

They come as 2.1inch wide but are closer to 2 which we prefer any way. On the road they are not the smoothest of tyres and have quite a high rolling resistance however they are off road tyres so what do you expect! Off road the extra tread on the sides gives great corning performance and on the rear gives impressive traction when climbing. They were good in the muddy sections but on dryer rocky rides they did not perform as well.

Over all these tyres are good in wet muddy conditions but don’t give the overall performance if you ride in lots of different conditions and on the road.

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When your out on a ride and something goes wrong having a decent tool that can get you home can be a life saver. The Topeak Alien has 22 functions in a compact design.

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If your looking for new components its hard to avoid Shimano, if you have the money and worry about the weight you go for XTR but we though its would be worth testing out the XT versions to see if the cost saving is worth it.

Straight out of the box we found them very easy to install and set up except for the 'free-stroke' adjustment which seems to do nothing. The design of the leaves feels good and places them right where you want them. The stopping power is great and gives excellent performance for most XC riders.

We thought these were great until the cold weather came, then there is a bit issue. The cold seems to make them stick like the pads are not releasing we took a look at them and even tried lubeing them up but they still had the same problem. They are great in the summer crap in the winter. We are not sure yet if XTR have the same issue but se will find out.

Its important to keep hydrated while out on the bike we always hate taking bottles out so though we would put the camelback mule through a test. The version we tested has a 3 litre capacity which should be plenty for a decent length ride.

We filed the bladder up to its full capacity, the bag keeps it snug but there is still enough space for a few essentials. The back panel is padded and grooved that makes it comfortable to wear and gives some ventilation. All the straps are adjustable and comfortable to use.

It also features a large opening that helps when refilling and cleaning and the bite valve stops it leaking. Overall it offers lots of liquid, the ability to carry a few tools and is comfortable to use, say no to bottles.

This offering form Giro gives 27 vents and comes in several sizes form XS to XL. The upper and lower sections have a hard body for strength and lightness. The fit of the helmet can be changed with the adjustable AcuDial 2 snap in anchors which make it feel very secure when properly adjusted.

We like the look of this helmet and once set up we found it fitted snugly. There is an optional snap fit visor if needed, we left it on as we think it looks better with. The vents give more than adequate air to keep you cool but the main two advantages are the price and the weight. It comes in at only 290g which makes it almost un noticeable on your head and at around £49.99 we think its hard to beat in this price range.

These are available in a range of colours including black, red, white, light gray, hot pink yellow, blue, green, orange, , clear, and purple. It doesn’t really matter what colour you get them in they all look great.

These are some of the softest grips we have used they are very comfortable even if you ride with no gloves, this really helps absorb the vibration and stop you getting numb hands. They are best suited to larger hands but that is good for us and offer good grip even when they get a bit wet and muddy. The only problem we fond long term was that the colour does start to fade apart form that they rock!