Best Hardware | 2020 Singletrack Reader Awards

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Vote for your best hardware product in the 2020 Singletrack Reader Awards. Will be be Rockshox, Nukeproof or Shimano?

It’s time to take on the most important vote of the year! No, it’s not between Trump and Bidden but between the mighty RockShox Zeb, Shimano Deore and Nukeproof’s Horizon pedals! Which one of these items will take home the 2020 Best Hardware Award in this year’s Singletrack Readers Awards?!

Nukeproof Horizon Pedals

If any brand in the world has to be able to make great flat pedals then it’s got to be Nukeproof, longtime sponsors of enduro (and downhill) legend Sam Hill. Sam Hill, is famed for being one of a few pro riders who still races on flat pedals. The Horizon has a fully CNC machined alloy platform large enough to support large feet with evenly spaced pins that could eke Spiderman levels of grip and traction from a tap-dancing shoe. Designed for racing in all conditions and across the World’s most difficult EWS stages, Nukeproof has designed the Horizon to be reliable and easy to maintain when away from a workshop. Pedals are available with either CroMo or Titanium axles, and each pair spins on 4 x Z989 sealed cartridge bearings and 2 x DU bushings. Of course, the pins are replaceable, and the specially designed platform is shaped to avoid rock and root hang-ups. The Horizon pedals come in a variety of colours including a new limited edition oil-slick treatment, and if you take a scan over the staff bikes at STW you’ll find a few well-worn pairs in action.

RockShox Zeb Fork

As downhill bikes have taken a back seat to enduro bikes, yet trails and tricks have grown year on year, it was only a matter of time before suspension makers built a single crown fork burly enough to hit the biggest lines a freerider might imagine. RockShox is hardly new to the world of large diameter single crown forks, they had the Totem back in the day after all, but the new Zeb brings the formula right up to date. RockShox borrows features from the Lyrik such as the updated Debonair AirSpring and Charger Damper 2.1, but the chassis and crown are all new on this monster fork. 38mm stanchions and a new CNC machined crown make the RockShox Zeb one of the stiffest forks on the market and it needs to be because it offers downhill levels of travel, 190mm. Although it’s a big, burly and hard-hitting enduro/freeride fork, the Zeb retains that signature Rockshox simplicity. Set your sag via the air spring, open up the compression and set the rebound and away you go.

Shimano Deore Groupset

Shimano XTR, XT and even SLX get all of the headlines, but this year Deore was one of the surprises from Japanese component maker. Deore has always been a budget-friendly drivetrain, but the newest edition makes it a more relevant choice for many of us mountain bikers. Yes, it is now available as a 1×12 drivetrain, but perhaps, more importantly, it still comes in 11 and 10-speed options. This isn’t just great news for riders on older bikes wanting a great value upgrade, but also for riders who are a little tougher on kit and want a rear mech that will happily keep shifting even after a rock strike or three. Deore doesn’t just stop there though, there’s a new front mech and even a chainset with three, yes three! rings on it meaning you can have wayyyy more gears than any of these modern 1 x setups. In addition to the neat features, new 2-piston brakes and updated rear mech, the new Deore looks great too.

How to vote & enter our Muc Off prize draw

Once you have considered the finalists just click the circle next to your preferred winner below and then hit the submit button. Once your vote has been counted you will be redirected to our 2020 Awards page with the other categories so you can vote again in another category.

You can only vote once in each category and once your vote is submitted you cannot change your mind.

Each successful vote will earn you one ticket in our Muc-Off prize draw. Vote in each of the twelve categories and you will maximise your chances of winning. The winners will be chosen at random from the pool of voters on the 30th November 2020 and all winners will be contacted directly via their registered accounts shortly after that date.

Although the draw is open to anyone with a registered account, unfortunately we cannot deliver prizes to addresses outside of the United Kingdom. Overseas winners will need to specify a UK delivery address for any prizes if they win.

[stw_votes id=”5″ redirect_to=”/tag/STRAW2020/” opens=”27/10/20″ closes=”25/11/20″]

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