DMR Axe £180

It’s definitely been a closer competition this time around, but DMR’s Axes take our ‘best all-round trail cranks’ award for the third year running. They’re outstandingly stiff and now have the World Cup DH credentials (courtesy of Brendan Fairclough’s Scott Velosolutions team) to prove that they’re as strong as an ox, but weight and cost are still very reasonable. The ‘M30’ 28/30mm axle and Praxis BB are a giveaway to their origins, and the high-volume, hollow-forged arms are similar to – but even stiffer than – those of the Girder cranks. They’re not so fat that they’ll knobble your ankles with every revolution, though, and your feet will only start complaining about their rigidity on really long descents. The rest of the time, there’s just loads of useful traction feedback, powerful drive delivery and a sense of the unbreakable underfoot. Despite this excess strength and stiffness, they still come in at a reasonable weight for trail use. The ‘Blade’ chainrings are a straightforward narrow-wide design that we’ve no complaints with. They’re sold separately though (£40), and as the cranks (£140) use a SRAM-style three-bolt fixing, you can fit whatever compatible rings you want, including SRAM X-Sync 2 rings for the ultimate in transmission smoothness. Praxis BBs can be harder to find and need a specific fitting tool (£15) but they last well once fitted and the press-fit version is particularly clever and secure. www.upgradebikes.co.uk