We have a big haul of cool trail hardtails in on test at the moment with bikes from Stif, Ribble and Ragley. Aside from the mountain bikes in for review, we have a range of tools from SKS and slick looking thin pedals from Deity. Dig in….

Stif Squatch
£2,500

2021 Stif Squatch pro 200 hero straight.jpg
2021 Stif Squatch pro 200 hero straight (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

After the success of the Morf, a 650b steel hardtail designed to be a companion to a full-suspension bike, Stif has answered the calls for the same ride quality and progressive handling on 29″ wheels. We introducing the Stif Squatch and take a first look a the bike here….

Ragley Marley 1.0
£1,400

2021 Ragley Marley 1.0 hero hori.jpg
2021 Ragley Marley 1.0 hero hori (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The brand new 2021 Ragley mountain bike range has just been launched. Rather than going for a full overhaul, the brand has stuck to what it knows and has introduced a few specification tweaks for the new year. We’ve got our hands on a new Marley 1.0, the top spec 130mm trail hardtail for test. 

Ribble HT 725 Sport
£1,400

2021 Ribble 725 HT hardtail-20.jpg
2021 Ribble 725 HT hardtail-20 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The cover star of this week’s ‘5 cool things’ is the Ribble HT 725. You might remember that we tested the HT Ti back in 2019 and we rather liked it. It’s now time to test the cheaper steel version of this bike, sporting the same geometry, a steel frame and more keenly priced components, how will the new bike fair? 

 

SKS Airboy mini pump
£26

2021 SKS Airboy XL mini pump-1.jpg
2021 SKS Airboy XL mini pump-1 (Image Credit: Rachael Wight)

Small and sleek with smooth edges and no protruding parts the SKS Airboy pump looks like a good option for chucking in a jersey pocket or the bottom of a backpack. It’s good for Presta or Dunlop valves and will pump tyres up to 115PSI. 

SKS Airchecker 2 
£27

2021 SKS Airchecker tyre pressure guage-1.jpg
2021 SKS Airchecker tyre pressure guage-1 (Image Credit: Rachael Wight)

We are fully-fledged tyre geeks here at off-road.cc, barely a ride goes by when we don’t check our pressures. This digital tool will be right up our street, its got a dual head, a large display and will measure in PSI or bar. 

 

Rennkompressor Floor Pump
£70

2021 SKS Renkompressor floor pump-2.jpg
2021 SKS Renkompressor floor pump-2 (Image Credit: Rachael Wight)

This track pump has been around a while now, about 50 years in all, and we thought it was high time that we put it to the test. Rennkompressor means Race Pump and SKS says this pump is designed to be used and worked hard in workshops around the world. Can our tester work it even harder?

SKS Sam Shock Pump
£45

2021 SKS SAM Shock pump-4.jpg
2021 SKS SAM Shock pump-4 (Image Credit: Rachael Wight)

SKS says S.A.M. means Suspension Air Mechanic rather than a pump with a boy’s name. This shock pump, like any other, has a threaded Schrader valve and will pump up to 315PSI.  There’s a large handle, a rotating hose, plus a release valve to let air out too. 

Deity Bladerunner pedals
£110

5 cool things deity-1.jpg
5 cool things deity-1 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Deity says these Bladerunner pedals are the thinnest ones they’ve created. At 11mm, they are pretty thin too, Deity’s TMAC flat pedals come in at 14mm deep. We liked the TMAC pedal when we reviewed it, will the slightly, thinner, lighter and cheaper Bladerunners be just as good?

You might also like: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sdf