RACE FACE ERA CRANKSET £429

Scuffed crank arms are the bugbear of many a duckfooted rider, and one Race

Face claims to have eliminated with the new Era crankset.

Replacing the flagship Next line-up, the Era crank is laid up by hand from carbon, but now features a stainless steel wear plate, and the promise that it’ll always look boxfresh. It also comes with seven different colour highlights and crank boots so you can style up your bike appropriately.

It’s not all about good looks though, the new crank is claimed to be stronger, stiffer and more durable than anything else Race Face has engineered. That’s an impressive claim, given that the Atlas crankset is designed for downhill, freeride and bike park use. By contrast, the Era is built for anything from enduro to trail or XC racing. The complete crankset weighs 483g, making it light enough to rival the likes of SRAM X01, at 481g.

If there was a flaw in the old Next design it was the pedal eyelets, or in layman’s terms the hole where you thread the pedal into. On the lighter SL version those eyelets could become loose over time. Now Race Face has redesigned the inserts, bonding them directly into the carbon layup of the crank arm. So confident is Race Face of this new system, it’s offering a no-quibble lifetime warranty that includes crash protection.

The Era crankset comes in 52 or 55mm chainline options; it still uses the Cinch technology to join the crankarms to the 7055 alloy axle, and you can opt for 165, 170 and 175mm crank lengths. Strong, light, cheap: pick two. So said Keith Bontrager. Race Face has gone with the first two. silverfish-uk.com

TIME SAVER

The Speciale 12 Enduro pedal is pricey by clipless pedal standards – more money than the Shimano or Crankbrothers benchmarks. In part this is down to the production methods: the Speciale 12 body is fully machined from 6061-T6 alloy, rather than simply forged, and SRAM says this makes it 20% more durable. There’s also a heck of a lot of adjustment available to you: uniquely, the release tension is adjustable, and you can opt for a 10, 13 or 17° release angle depending on which cleat you pick. And then there are adjustable-height pins to fine-tune the grip.

Time has always been a brand associated with performance in crap weather, and the Speciale 12 goes one step further. Clip in with the brand’s ATAC wide-angle design and gunk is automatically scraped off the engagement mechanism, it’s claimed.

£260, sram.com

KIT BAG

Changeinbag provides you with the privacy to undress in a freezing car park without breaching section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Just step inside and relax. Version 2.0 here comes with a backpack, double-sided zipper, and dirty clothes hatch. £64.99, changeinbag.co.uk

SILVER LINE

Santa take note, the Horizon stem now comes in silver and fits nicely into a stocking. It’s available in 35 or 50mm lengths, both clamp diameters, and has a Cnc-machined finished that Nukeproof reckons will give you better knee clearance. £50, nukeproof.com

RED PIKE, THE LAKE DISTRICT 11.5KM (7.1 MILES)

There’s no disputing that the

Lake District is home to England’s gnarliest trails, but what might be up for debate is which one is the gnarliest. For your consideration we put forward this route. The spin alongside Buttermere is the only easy part of this ride. The climb is a Lakeland hike-a-bike. In the finest tradition it starts hard and then gets harder; summiting involves a scrabble over scree with a bike on your back. The descent is stunning in its brutality. From top to bottom you’ll be dealing with all manner of rock – some moveable, some very much not. By the time you are back on the shores of Buttermere you’ll likely be battered, maybe bruised but definitely buzzing.

GPS download bit.ly/redpikeride

NAN BIELD, THE LAKE DISTRICT 24.4KM (15.1 MILES)

There is no easy way to get to the top of the Nan Bield Pass. There aren’t any easy ways down it, either. If you are in search of a gnarly route this is a good thing. Starting off next to Haweswater, it’s a proper bike-on-your-shoulders grunt up to the top of the pass before a rough and twisting descent drops you down to Kentmere Reservoir. Here you have options for the return leg, but if you are after maximum gnar then your best bet is to turn around and retrace your steps. That rocky grunt up from Haweswater now becomes a mega-tech downhill trials event – one which will test nerve, tyres and brakes.

GPS download bit.ly/nanbield

DOCTOR’S GATE, THE PEAK DISTRICT 59.3KM (36.8 MILES)

The Peak District is strewn with challenging trails, but not all of them are descents, so if you thought gnar was the preserve of downhills then this route will prove you wrong. At 59km this is a properly big ride, and while not all of it is will push you to the limits, that’s very much a good thing. Even so, the cumulative effect of a lot of consistent tech is enough to tire even the most daring of riders. Throw in a few Peak favourites, some unfamiliar climbs, unexpected diversions and you’ve got the making of a gnarly ride, just not one you might be expecting.

GPS download bit.ly/docsgategps

DEVIL’S STAIRCASE, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS 32.7KM (20.3 MILES)

Any trail that has the word devil in it is going to be a little bit, well, evil.

And if we take that to mean gnarly then it’s hard to think of a route that is so unrelentingly hellish as the Devil’s Staircase. Be under no illusion, this is a tough day out. Starting at the bottom the Devil’s Staircase, the vicious clamber out of the Pass of Glencoe rewards with a mega descent down towards Kinlochleven. Make the most of it as you’ll be pedalling back up it later. Wild, testing and more than abundant in gnar, it’s a ride good (or bad?) enough for Beelzebub himself.

GPS download bit.ly/devilsride