10 of the best mountain bike gadgets

Garmin Edge 800
£350, garmin.com/uk
The touchscreen Edge 800 is the ultimate bike GPS: 1:50,000 OS mapping, sat-nav functions, heart rate monitoring and the ability to race a virtual partner.

Shimano PD-M980 XTR
£120, shimano.com
For efficient power transfer, XTR pedals are hard to beat. They weigh just 310g a pair, and their sealed cartridge bearings mean they’ll stay silky-smooth for years.

Continental X King RS
£43, conti-tyres.co.uk
At just 460g, the new X King RS is extremely light and accelerates quickly, while its Black Chili rubber compound grips in all but the slimiest conditions.

Rockshox Reverb seatpost
£240, sram.com/rockshox
Ideally, you want your saddle up high for climbs and lowered for descents, but changing mid-ride it is a right faff. This takes care of it with hydraulics and the flick of a switch.

Giro Gauge shoes
£170, madison.co.uk
With carbon fibre-stiffened soles, ultra-comfy footbeds and a secure ratchet closure system, the Gauges are perfect for XC racing. You can even add toe spikes.

EVOC Freeride Trail backpack
£140, evocsports.com
Body armour is essential for downhilling, but so is a pack if you plan to ride for very long. With an integrated back protector, this Red Dot Design Award-winner combines both.

Crank Brothers Multi 17
£24, crankbrothers.com
A multi-tool is vital, especially if you’re venturing far from help or may need to fix something mid-race. This is one of the best: sturdy and equipped with hex wrenches and a chain splitter.

Straitline SC Pedal
£110, straitlinecomponents.com
The SCs look awesome in machined, anodised aluminium and will keep your feet planted on the gnarliest descents.

Royal Victory gloves
£22, royalracing.com
UK downhill legend and World Champion Steve Peat wears Royal gloves. And if you need another reason, these have a comfy synthetic leather palm and handy snot-wipe.

POC Cortex Flow helmet
£180, pocsports.com
POC has turned helmet design on its head with a series of innovative, stylish designs. The Cortex Flow is DH-tough, but with enough vents for all-day Alpine excursions.

You can find Stuff's Guide to Mountain Biking inside the June issue of Stuff, on sale now.