E*THIRTEEN HELIX R 12-SPEED CASSETTE £320

There’s something satisfying about e*thirteen’s new Helix, aside from the fact it can deliver the biggest gear range of any drivetrain out there and boasts 12 sprockets from 9-50t. It’s the sheer brazen nerve of e*thirteen that we find so gratifying, tweaking the noses of the drivetrain greats – SRAM and Shimano – and producing a cassette that purportedly works in conjunction with both and bests them at their own game.

How so, you ask? SRAM uses a 10-52 cassette, giving it better low-end range than the Helix R, and Shimano’s 12-speed cassette spans 10-51t. Helix R offers a greater range though, or the difference between the biggest and smallest sprocket. If you’re worried about the top end range being smaller, the idea is you fit a smaller chainring on the front to gain your crawler gear back, and lose weight into the bargain too. On paper then, it’s a win for e*thirteen.

Made from three separate clusters, the

42/50 cluster is aluminium, while the other two are steel. The softer, aluminum cluster is replaceable for £160 (or £130 if you don’t want the more durable Intergalactic oil slick colour) and the inner steel cluster costs £160. There’s another element to this too – if you’re looking to upgrade to a 12-speed Shimano system you don’t need to buy the fancy Shimano 12-speed driver, because Helix works with XD. Naturally, e*thirteen says Helix works flawlessly with SRAM Eagle and Shimano 12-speed drivetrains. Just as naturally, SRAM says its products work more seamlessly as a package. In our experience the best shifting comes from SRAM’S X01 groupset in its entirety – we’re not saying it can’t be beaten, but Helix will have to be going some to do better.

SHROPSHIRE - MINTON BATCH 33.3KM (20.7MILES)

If only all hills had as many great trails as The Long Mynd. This humpback range on the English/welsh border has some of the finest singletrack in the UK along its flanks. This route is a greatest hits of Shropshire’s finest and it’s all about the downhills. Fast and flowy, you have to be comfortable navigating a tight line at speed to get the most out of these trails – it’s more Leogang than Andorra on the roughness scale. The climbs serve purely as a way of getting to the top again for another run, they are endured rather than enjoyed. Uphill effort is rewarded again and again though, each run back down the Mynd ending with the question of whether you have the legs to get back up for ‘one more run’.

GPS download bit.ly/longmyndride

HIGHLANDS - STOB BAN 5KM (3.1 MILES)

Fort William is synonymous with DH in the UK and the track on Aonach Mòr has become a staple of the World Cup race circuit. It’s not just for racers and pro riders though. Anyone can turn up at the Nevis range, catch a gondola and ride the same track as the world’s elite do on race weekend – it’s a must-do for any rider. If you want to earn your turns though, this corner of the Scottish Highlands still has plenty to offer. Stob Ban just outside Fort William is an out and back ride, but think of it more like a track walk as you’ll want to know what you’re dealing with on the descent. Steep, plenty of exposure and committing – it’s just as much of a thrill ride as any DH course.

GPS download bit.ly/stobban