Endura Singletrack Shorts No Liner

Advantages: Will enhance riding confort and performance by untold amounts
Disadvantages: Quite expensive at c.£50

...Being an increasingly keen participant in cross country mountain biking, I decided to kit myself out with the necessary clothing to ease the pain of those long rides. Not being one who is easily conned by clever marketing, and of course being a lifelong sceptic, it was out of character for me to follow recommendations to buy the Endura MT500 short. These may initially seem expensive at around £50, but believe me, for the money you will not be able to find any better. Long climbs become suddenly more comfortable, and you don't get the chafe around the seams as you would with cheaper shorts. The kevlar seams are fully flatlocked, giving the short superb flexibility, and removes the embarrassing worry of the short giving way when the going gets a bit rough (see gorse grass and bramble attacks!). Further durability is provided by the dual... Read review

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Advantages: Singletrack, Marathon Machine
Disadvantages: Don't try jumping on it

...I already owned a Kona Kula, but the rocks of Glyncorrwg had finally wrecked my ageing body, and I needed a full suspention bike. I loved the sharp handling Kula, and so The King seemed the obvious choice. I wasn't to be dissapointed. I'm about 5'11" tall, and went for the 19" size. It fits like a glove. With "only" four inches of travel there are plusher bikes out there, but The King loves twisty singletrack, and that was the main reason for me going for it. This bike loves singletrack. There's enough travel to get you through the rockiest sections of Afan Argoed, and it climbs very well. It's by no means superlight, coming in at about 26lbs, but the bike rides light, and is a great marathon machine. I swapped the FSA wheelset, fo a Chris King wheel set I had lying around, and put the FSA set on the bike I ride to work. They've ridden... Read review

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Advantages: Great handling, climbs like a mountain goat
Disadvantages: Can be a handfull on rough, fast decents

...To date I've owned three Kona Kulas, spanning a perod of nearly ten years. I've ridden 100km marathons on one, ridden the trails of South Wales on one, and commuted on one, so from that you could surmise that I like the bike. Well yes I do, but as technology has moved on is there still a place for the Kona Kula in todays market place? When it comes to riding fast, smooth singletrack, either up hill or down, the Kula is superb. The bike climbs very, very well, and the twistier and tighter the singletrack gets, the more the bike excells. Fireroad climbs are eaten for breakfast, and the geometry of the bike is such that it can be thrown back down with gay abandon. However, once a few rocks start appearing, you'll need to sharpen up. There's no ploughing headlong through rock gardens on this bike. The back end will give you a swift kick... Read review

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