Alan Muldoon

Bike Test Editor

best cheap mountain bikes

The new Calibre Line 10 hardtail sports aggressive geometry and spot on sizing. All mod-cons catered for here, including a dropper.

norco charger 2

When we unboxed the Norco Charger 2 we thought it was a commuter bike, due to the skinny 2.1in WTB Nineline tyres.

polygon xtrada 6

For our Hardtail of the Year test we picked the £750 Polygon Xtrada 6 model with the smaller wheels and single chainring drivetrain.

voodoo wazoo

Voodoo Wazoo brings two firsts to the sub £500 category: first bike to sport 2.8in Plus tyres and to benefit from the extra stiffness of a bolt-thru fork.

ohlins rxf 36

Taken together, Ohlins claims that the Ohlins RXF 36 suspension fork chassis is stiffer than the equivalent RockShox Lyrik or Fox 36.

Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro V2

Put the Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro on, the first thing you notice is now light it is. At 757g it’s only marginally heavier than the one-piece Fox Proframe.

bell super dh mips

The Bell Super DH MIPS takes the removable rap-around chin bar first introduced on the Super 2R to a whole new level of protection.

Merida One-Sixty

The switch to aluminium not only expands the range, it also means the Merida One-Sixty now comes in four frame sizes rather than being restricted to three.

saracen ariel

New Saracen Ariel Elite has suspension and character influenced by the Myst downhill bike and it’s gained a new sense of purpose.

Ancilotti Scarab Evo 29

The Ancilotti Scarab Evo 29 is the mountain bike equivalent of Savile Row and takes customisation a step further than most.

giant trance 2

There’s a directness to the ride of the Giant Trance 2 that makes it feel very efficient and fluid. And it doesn’t trade big hit capacity to achieve it.

merida one forty

Modern geometry and 2.6in tyres make the new Merida One Forty 700 trail bike a delight to ride. Joins a line-up featuring One Twenty and One Sixty.

Canyon Spectral CF 8.0

Make no mistake, the new Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 isn’t just a facelift with a nip here and a tuck there to extend the shelf life of an existing platform.

merida big trail 500

The Merida Big Trail 500 frame certainly looks modern, with its compact rear triangle, Boost 148mm dropouts, hourglass head tube and low-slung top tube.