Fox Racing Shox 32 F100RLC
We tested the 100mm travel version and the first thing you notice is how good they look – we were amazed. This version also has a full lockout and lockout force adjustment, they work using the air spring pressure and come in at around 3.38lbs.
When fitted on the bike (they still look good) we found the forks to be very stiff even why going round corners. We found the lockout threshold to work really well it has 12 levels so you can really find what suits you and what terrain you are on. We found them plenty hard enough on the climbs but responsive enough on the descents it also coped with the small stuff really well.
Overall this is a great fork its got all the functionality needed and its light enough to use for XC and looks fantastic. The only negative they might be out of the price range for some people.
Shimano MW80 Shoes Gore-Tex
When the winter starts taking hold having cold wet numb feet is not nice on those long rides. There have been Shimano winter boots around for years but these are the latest and we recon the best they have to offer.
They feature a Gore-Tex liner which works well to keep out most of the smaller splashes but inevitable the weather does seep in though the Neoprene cuff eventually. The shoes also have an insulated liner and Polyurethane coated leather uppers which makes them comfortable right from the start. There is also the usual toe and heel protection for when you have to walk. The Sole offers enough grip to stay upright on the rock and mud with a reinforced sole offering a good response while peddling.
If you are fed up with wet feet on winter rides these are a bargain!
Buy Mountain bike shoes here -
Evans Cycles
Kinesis XC 120 £299
After looking at this frame is clear that a lot of work has gone into the design, every tube seems to have been individually designed including hydoforming and curving. This all works together to produce a very stiff frame and using Kinesis own Kinesium alloy it is very light too tipping the scales at around 3.5lb. The frame is designed to work with longer travel forks and even with 130mm travel forks it can be set up to have suitable frame angles.
It is obviously designed for use on single track short sharp climbs and technical descents and in our tests worked very well and tailoring the riding angles it feels a very fast frame.
Overall this is good value for money but we would have preferred to see a more standard headset and it to also include bottle cage bots and a seat post clamp.