The Dakine Anthem Knee Pads offer a good level of protection and great coverage in a midweight package. They’re comfortable and super convenient thanks to a wraparound design, but they’re also warm on the bike and bulky off it.

Set to be another of the lightest XC frames on the market, Mondraker aims to give XC racers the best possible advantage with the new 2021 Podium.

The Dakine Shuttle 6L is designed for carrying the essentials and a good amount of fluids during short rides. It’s light, carries weight well and can hold a surprising amount, however, there are just a few niggles that hold it back from a perfect score.

The Millibar mini-pump from Fabric is designed to inflate high volume mountain bike tyres quickly and with ease. It’s well built and has the best auto-select head I’ve tried – about the only thing it lacks is a pressure gauge.

After what's been a tough year for so many people, cycling events are set to return with the Gritty 130 being the first off road cycling event to return in Wales after lockdown.

The Dakine Thrillium gloves are designed to offer a no-glove feel, and get pretty damn close with their breezy fabric and clever seams. They fit perfectly and the leather palms feel great, but the Thrilliums can be tricky to put on, and get tatty fast.

The EVOC CP 26L is a camera-focused (ho ho) pack designed to protect your kit from the rough and tumble of mountain biking. It’s packed with useful features for the professional or hobbyist media squid, and makes light work of a lot of weight, but you do have to get creative with spares and tools.

Canyons Grail sees an update for the 2021 gravel season. Built around the same, much loved, frame, this year's model gets an updated drivetrain, new saddle, and new colourways.

The MT500 Full Face Helmet from Endura is very light and fits well, and offers excellent levels of protection. It can get hot when you're riding fast and hard, though, and it’s not the plushest of lids to spend time in.

The time has come for the update of Canyon's race-winning, podium proved XC rig, the Lux. Unlike many of the recent XC bike launches, the new Lux doesn't come with any bold weight claims but Canyon has gone extremely far to make it as light as possible, also adding some neat tricks to make the bike easy to live with.