Miche 977 AXY wheels £510.99

Miche’s new 29er wheels have proven impressively tough and trail friendly over the past six months of hammer, putting them right up in the recommended rankings. At 820g front and 1,000g rear, with valves installed and ready to roll, they’re not particularly light, and significantly heavier than Miche claim. But the 12-degree engagement of the red-anodised freehub and the 32 spokes attached to relatively tall flanges mean they feel prompt enough under power. Despite the best efforts of one of our torque-iest testers, who’s been running them long-term, we’ve had no issues with the freehub or build, which is rare for him. Where the 977s really shine is with the floated ride feel that the low (19mm) but relatively broad (25mm internal, 29mm external) asymmetric rims give. This increases traction and comfort over narrower wheels, and means they carry speed better through rocky, rooty sections. The rims are pre-taped for easy and secure tubeless sealing, and they’ve proven impressively dent-proof at lower pressures, making the wheels a decent durability investment. Boost, 650b, hookless 30/34mm and 40/45mm plus versions are also available. Guy www.micheuk.com

Quality wider-tyre-compatible trail wheelset with a particularly smooth but still obediently accurate ride