We check out the latest kit,

from Specialized’s Butcher and Slaughter plus tyres and DVO’s Sapphire trail fork to Race Face’s Next R cranks and Whyte’s G-170 C Works

The Butcher and Slaughter are a popular tyre combo, with the former’s ramped central knobs and square shoulders providing front wheel grip, while the latter’s lower-profile semi-slick tread cuts rolling resistance. These new 2.8in plus-size versions should offer even more traction thanks to their extra volume and GRIPTON compound, and because they use Specialized’s burly GRID 2Bliss Ready casing, they ought to be less prone to punctures and squirming than other plus tyres. Considering this, the claimed weights of 1,010g and 975g sound pretty reasonable – let’s just hope they work!