We’ve just returned from Core Bike Show, a trade-only show that sees a gathering of half a dozen distributors looking after some of the nicest brands in the mountain bike world.

Here’s some of our highlights. Let us know which products you’re most interested in by commenting below the article.

Fox importers Mojo Suspension showed this, the Powa Products D-Fender. The ‘fender’ is claimed to offer the best mud protection of any mudguard currently on the market. It achieves these supposed claims due to its length, longer than any other similar front mudguard we’ve ever seen.

Is it OK to get so excited by something so small? This is Hope Technology’s new diddy chain device. It’s essentially a front mech clamp with a small knuckle that should be enough to prevent the chain coming away from the chainring.

Check out this cool one-piece chainring and bashguard. Available in a range of sizes, this one should be hitting the shops soon. Combined with the new chainguide, it could be the perfect 1×10 setup.

Hope’s 10-speed cassette and integrated cassette body is nearing production. It adds five titanium sprockets to reduce the weight. Don’t expect it to come cheap however.

New POC kneepads use the company’s own VPD material. It transitions from soft and flexible during normal use, but in the event of a crash it becomes firm, and therefore more protective.

POC wins the award for most colourful products on display, this is just a small selection of the available hues.

These glove from POC jumped out at me. No, not because of their wild colour, but because of the lightweight and thin material they use to construct a glove that has summer trail riding written all over them.

BBB have released the Varallo helmet, that not only looks good but is packed with feature for £50. A retention device with a rotary adjuster, mesh lining over the front vents, and an adjustable peak.

Upgrade Bikes move their Kinesis FF29 nearer to production.

The bike was fitted with the company’s new wheelset. A 23mm wide rim is tubeless compatible and the hubs use a DMR design, with various axle options front and rear.

Kinesis also now offer complete build options on its XCPro3, XC3 and KM-200 frames, with a choice of SRAM X5 and X9 to suit different budgets. We’ve always been fans of Kinesis frames, and they have long been popular as a starting point for bike build projects. Building your own bike isn’t for everyone though, so it’s good to see them adding this option for 2012.

New Zealand brand Avanti being brough into the UK courtesy of Paligap. This is the Vapour, a tidy looking 120mm full-susser.