Still no dropper post but the new Calibre Bossnut Evo has some excellent upgrades over previous ‘Nuts. Calibre still pushing the VFM barriers.

>>> Interview with designer of the Calibre Bossnut and Beastnut, Mike Sanderson

Calibre Bossnut Evo press release

In 2015 we released the original Calibre Bossnut, the first real contender in the sub £1000 full suspension category, with reviews to back it up…

“10/10. Cons? None that we can think of.” – MBR

We went back to the drawing board in 2017 and refined the geometry and spec, pushing our already high standards further still. The Bossnut v2 was born and went down a storm with the mountain bike press.

For 2018 we’ve taken on board all the feedback from the last few years and put together a spec package to address every upgrade suggested by reviewers and customers alike.

Introducing, the Calibre Bossnut Evo, available now for £999 at GO Outdoors with £10 international shipping.

People’s first upgrade tended to be going 1x so for 2018 we’ve added a 1×11 drive train to bring in the 11 speed gear range whilst decluttering the bars, saving weight and reducing chain drops.

Dropper posts are a luxury but we’ve provided routing for an internal post when you’re ready to make the upgrade.

Feedback from our customers was that they’d like some more aggressive rubber to work with so we’ve switched to a trail boss rear tyre from WTB to maximise grip during the wetter months, these coupled with new, wider i29 WTB rims make for a significant performance upgrade on the previous model.

Other upgrades include a stiffer fork from Rockshox and a new handlebar courtesy of Kore.

All these changes and still under £1000, even we aren’t sure how we’ve managed that. We’re excited to keep pushing what’s possible in terms of value in the mountain biking world and can’t wait to share with you news on our upcoming projects, we think people might be a bit excited come Autumn.

>>> Check out this gloriously OTT Calibre Bossnut makeover

Calibre Bossnut Evo product description

Evolution can take a long time, thankfully the Calibre team are quick to act – let the fun begin!

Lots of small changes have come together to make one big change and produce a new class killer, the Calibre Bossnut Evo.

Having listened to the many magazine reviews, team riders, and customers, Calibre have updated their Bossnut V2 with a view to making the best even better.

The frame stays with its superb geometry but now features both internal and external stealth dropper post routing, letting you choose whichever suits your style.

Rock Shox Recon RL forks are now fitted, still with 130mm travel and 15mm bolt through, but they are stiffer than the previous forks and give greater control in changes of direction and tracking your lines.

A 1×11 SRAM NX drive chain provides simplicity for the rider, yet still gives a huge range of gear ratios to clear any climb. Like everything in life, what’s better than 10? That’s right, turn it up to 11!

Each Bossnut has proven to be a fast bike, so powerful and responsive braking is now even more important. Covering this, the Evo has been fitted with Shimano MT500 brakes – a proven stopper.

Handlebars are a personal choice but several reviews sighted the originals as needing to change, so it now comes fitted with a Kore Durox 780mm bar with 5 degree up and 8.5 degree back sweep.

The WTB ST rims now have an increased internal width of 29mm, giving greater strength but also a much better tyre profile which also offers more compliance.

Giving much more grip that lets you ride faster and harder, the Vigilante front tyre is now paired with the WTB Trail Boss tyre, making the Bossnut Evo even more of a trail weapon.