In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
1 Sunrace MZ 12-Speed
Alternatives on the mountain bike gear market are as rare as Californian porpoises, and no manufacturer has yet been able to really shake the dominance of Shimano and Sram. Could Sunrace be such a candidate? Since supply chains were disrupted and the supply of components came to a standstill, the Taiwanese company's inexpensive cassettes have been seen more and more frequently in the wild. Now Sunrace has expanded its range and supplies a complete twelve-speed drivetrain with matching crankset for MTBs. At 1913 grams, the groupset weighs between Shimano's SLX and Sram's NX. The crank in particular contributes a large part to this at 722 grams. Like the competition, the rear derailleur has a selectable friction damper. A display on the rear derailleur cage helps with setup. The cassette weighs 505 grams with its 11-51 teeth and is mounted on a Shimano HG freewheel, which should be of particular interest to eleven-speed converts.
The shifting logic on the somewhat cheap-looking lever takes some getting used to: the chain moves up a maximum of three gears at the touch of a thumb, down only by pulling with the index finger and then only sprocket by sprocket. This is not only unfamiliar, but also not entirely safe. To shift downhill, you have to take your finger off the brake. Apart from a slightly delayed shifting response and a less defined shifting feel on the small levers, the chain climbs surprisingly smoothly over the sprockets, even under load. Only on the largest sprocket does the chain take a bit of a break, as the limit of the shifting stop ends too early. Whether the Sunrace MTB drivetrain establishes itself as an alternative to the market leaders may also depend on the price. An upgrade kit (without cranks) for the tried and tested SLX is currently available for 300 euros. Beyond the entry-level sector, the Sunrace MZ 12-speed drivetrain so probably won't see it for the time being.
- Price: 485 Euro
- Weight: 1913 grammes
2 Wolftooth Resolve dropper post
If you don't pay attention once, lift the mountain bike by the lowered saddle, and the telescopic seat post has already drawn air. Bleeding the air is then the only way to restore its function. Wolf Tooth wants to avoid this problem with the new Resolve Dropper Post and has devised an automatic bleeding function. Any air in the system is automatically pressed out of the cartridge each time it is lowered. This has worked surprisingly well in tests so far. If you pull the dropper post out of the saddle, it returns to its original position after a few lowering operations. The Wolftooth Resolve Dropper also impresses with other clever details: the distance between the saddle mount and the dropper post is only 32 millimetres, which ensures a low overall height. This means you can get a lot of travel even on small frames. The stroke can also be adjusted in five millimetre increments using spacers. Wolftooth offers all individual parts separately so that a defect can be easily rectified. The stylishly milled and ribbed Light Action Lever is buttery smooth and is available as a direct mount lever for the most important brake manufacturers. The Wolf Tooth Resolve Dropper Post also scores highly in terms of weight and is a good 30 grams lighter than comparable models from Fox and Rockshox.
- Price: from 419.99/89.99 euros (support/lever)
- Weight: 512 / 37 grams (support / lever)
3 Rudy Project Spinshield White Matt Multilaser Gold
With the Spinshield, the Italians are taking up the style of the 80s. The mirrored panoramic lens with the slightly sloping frame is reminiscent of the classic Porsche design, provides optimum protection against draughts and offers a huge field of vision. The workmanship of the Rudy Project Spinshield goggles is also excellent. However, Rudy Project has skimped on the features. Although the temples and nose bridge are comfortably rubberised, they are not adjustable. This means that the Spinshield sunglasses mainly fit faces with narrow noses and a large distance to the ears. Otherwise, the MTB sunglasses slip over the bridge of the nose due to the long temples. The lenses shown here are only suitable for really sunny days. However, the Spinshield is available in five other tints and in a photochromatic version.
- Price: 139,95 Euro
- Weight: 23 grammes
4 Stans M-Pulse wheels
In order to design the latest generation of hubs to be as durable and smooth-running as possible, Stans relies on the power of magnets. Instead of the usual springs, neodymium magnets in the Stans M-Pulse hubs ensure that the pawls engage with the teeth of the ratchet ring. Pulling instead of pushing is the motto here. The good thing about the magnets: They can neither fatigue nor break like springs. In addition, their attraction force is lowest when the distance to the ratchet ring is greatest, which in turn should reduce friction. Equipped with high-quality seals and enduro bearings, the hubs are designed to withstand the test of time.
Stans completes the wheels with the tried-and-tested Flow MK4 rim with a 30-millimetre rim width. The asymmetrical design allows spokes of the same length on both sides - which is convenient in the event of defects. This results in a solid base for trail and enduro use. The 216 points of engagement of the Stan's M-Pulse hub enable a pressure angle of just 1.66° - which is reflected in a very direct drive. Loss of power when pedalling? Not here. The rim rides inconspicuously in a positive sense, neither too soft nor too stiff. The aggressive but not too intrusive whirring of the freewheel comes free of charge with the 949 euro wheels. The hubs are available with XD, HG and Microspline freewheels.
- Price: 949 Euro
- Weight: 1921 grammes
5 Haig Rip custom pedals
MTB pedals are available in all designs and price ranges. Made of aluminium and plastic, for 50 euros or twice as much. What has never been seen before: Made-in-Germany pedals with a customised look. The man behind the new Haig Rip label is called Hubert Ruff, is a master toolmaker and lives in Baden-Württemberg. His pedals are milled from aluminium and come with double-sealed needle bearings and twelve pins per footprint. The six possible anodised colours can be freely combined for the aluminium body and each individual pin. The pedals made a good impression in the test. However, the selling points are not so much function and weight, but the custom options and the 100 per cent Made in Germany production. They are currently only available via the Instagram account to obtain.
- Price: from 200 Euro
- Weight: 370 grammes
6 Eyerex eShades E1
A Swiss company, Eyerex, wants to revolutionise sports glasses with the help of a light sensor and a photoelectric lens. The sensor measures the available light and passes the information on to the lens. The lens then darkens within a tenth of a second - continuously and without any additional power source. Previously, self-tinting glasses needed several minutes for this process, but the Eyerex eShades manages it in the blink of an eye. While driving, this happens so unobtrusively that you only notice it if you are looking directly into the sun. Otherwise, the tint automatically adapts to the surroundings - fascinating. Even if the 300-euro glasses cannot compete with the best on the market in terms of appearance and quality, the function of the lenses is a real innovation.
- Price: 329 Euro
- Weight: 33 grammes
Conclusion from Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor:
The photoelectric technology of the Eyerex glasses finally makes self-tinting lenses interesting for rapidly changing light conditions. Other manufacturers have also recently introduced similar systems. The sticking points of the eShades are currently still optics, quality and the high price.
7 SQlab 614 Ergowave Active 2.1
The gravel bike is something of a hybrid of two-wheelers - half road bike, half mountain bike. The new SQlab 614 Ergowave Gravel saddle is such an in-between creature. It has the slim shape of the road bike saddle to offer the legs maximum freedom of movement, but at the same time has a little more padding to effectively absorb shocks on easy terrain. The classic SQlab step and a recess in the centre relieve pressure on the perineal area. Sounds to us like the perfect saddle for intensive hours on the race bike. And this proves to be the case on the trail: The special Active damping in the saddle frame noticeably increases comfort, the raised rear end provides good support when pedalling hard, and even massive racer thighs don't grind unpleasantly on the saddle flanks. So perhaps the SQlab 614 Ergowave is not a hybrid after all, but simply a pretty good racing saddle.
- Price: 159,95 Euro
- Weight: 235 grams (14 mm width)
8 Abus YouDrop ff
Children want one thing above all: fun and even more fun. Whether in the bike park, on the trails or the pump track. Because safety is crucial, Abus now offers the right helmet for every occasion with the You-Drop ff. At less than 450 grams, it is light enough not to strain the kids' neck muscles. The chin guard provides optimum protection in an emergency. From personal experience, children particularly like to fall head first! For safer adventures, the bar can also be removed at the touch of a button. This transforms the Abus YouDrop ff into a lightweight open-face helmet. Clever: The visor is attached with Velcro and simply flies off in the event of a fall. It would be nice to have a magnetic fastener that even small bikers can operate reliably. The one-size-fits-all 48-55 fits easily up to teenage age.
- Price: 120 Euro >> available here
- Weight: 438 grammes
9 Silva Spectra A
Swedish premium manufacturer Silva promises an incredible 10,000 lumens with its new Spectra helmet lamp. Thanks to the eight power LEDs in the large housing, the extreme spread of the light, which can be dimmed to five brightness levels using the remote control, is particularly impressive. However, the Spectra could do with a little more power in the distance. Due to the large lamp head, which is quite high and heavy with the bracket (253 grams), the Spectra A is only suitable for use on MTB helmets to a limited extent. Due to its exposed position, it is easy to get caught on branches and the helmet must be closed extremely tightly for a wobble-free fit. With the optional handlebar mount (25 euros), the Spectra A is much better positioned on the handlebars. With the 96 Wh battery, the light lasts up to three hours at full power.
- Price: 800 Euro
- Weight: 795 grammes
10 Syncros Revelstoke 1.0 S
The Syncros engineers claim to have lightened the new Revelstoke wheels by a full 19 per cent compared to their predecessors. The carbon rim was a particular focus here. A flatter design and reinforced, hookless flanks are intended to increase the lateral stiffness of the 30 millimetre wide rim and make it more resistant to punctures. Incidentally, this should also reduce the rotating mass, which is crucial for acceleration. However, the lightweight 240 mm hubs and Aerolite spokes from DT Swiss also play their part. At 1540 grams, the sinfully expensive Syncros carbon wheels are just above the manufacturer's specification, but still ensure agile handling in the intended range of use. Despite the fitted 2.6 inch wide Maxxis tyres, the round wheels, which are only available in 29 inch, still accelerate well. Does the slight gain in agility in this bike category justify such an expensive investment? For most riders, the slightly cheaper version with DT Swiss 370 hubs and Syncros spokes, without the S at the end, is probably the more sensible choice. Here, 150 grams of extra weight are offset by a price advantage of 800 euros.
- Price: 2599 Euro
- Weight: 1540 grammes
Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
There's no question that the Syncros Revelstoke wheels are really light for the intended use. However, many people only spend this much money on a complete bike. What's more, the DT Swiss hubs and spokes may be high-quality components, but they're still just bar stock. If you calculate the individual prices, you are left with almost 2000 euros for the rim. The gain in ride quality is disproportionate to the price.
11 Wolftooth Waveform
Classy, colourful and above all snappy - that's Wolftooth's new Waveform pedal collection in a nutshell. Two different sizes are available. Our test sample is the larger version. The key data: 106 millimetres wide, 112 millimetres long and weighing 384 grams. Eleven pins on each side line the edges and the axle. The aluminium pedal body is milled concave, so that the lower height in the middle creates the feeling of putting your foot in the pedal and not just on it. Coupled with the generous footprint, the Wolftooth Waveform pedals offer first-class grip and enough space to reposition your foot. Good for winter riding: Thanks to the minimalist design and smooth surfaces, neither mud nor snow will stick between the pedals and shoes.
- Price: 200 Euro
- Weight: 384 grammes
12 Osprey Raptor Pro
Osprey's first protector backpack, the Raptor Pro, scores points with its high level of comfort, secure fit and clever details, such as the Lid-Lock helmet holder, the extra hydration bladder compartment with magnetic holder for the hydration tube and clean-running compression straps. In addition to the large main compartment with further compartments, the pockets on the hip wings can also hold a lot of accessories. Ergonomically shaped straps and the structured back panel fit snugly to the wearer, which results in a secure fit in the terrain, but somewhat less ventilation. The storage of tools in the bottom compartment is refreshingly different from the usual candidates on the market, but not quite thought through to the end: the integrated tool roll lowers the centre of gravity, but does not offer enough space for comprehensive touring equipment, let alone a mini pump. Thanks to the robust materials, the Osprey Raptor Pro should survive many a fall and, with its D3O level 1 protector, also protect the wearer from injury. At a price of 240 euros, we would definitely have liked to see a rain cover included in the equipment.
- Price: 240 Euro
- Weight: 1308 grammes
