Bikes

All the latest bikes comprehensively tested. If we don’t think a product is worthy of our hard-earned, we won’t tell you to part with yours for it. That’s the promise we make with our bike and equipment tests. For all our tests we guarantee that:

  • They’re conducted by some of the most experienced and knowledgeable riders in the business.
  • Ratings are awarded only after a thorough testing process on a variety of terrain.
  • Tests are independent, and in no way influenced by our advertisers.

In most cases, we fit control tyres, bars and stems to the test bikes to ensure a level playing field and to highlight differences in handling. Tyre pressures are equalised to keep grip levels identical. We also weigh and measure the bikes ourselves, because this data doesn’t always tally with the manufacturer’s official figures. The numbers you read in the tests are the actual angles and measurements.

Our ratings are awarded out of 10, with 10/10 being the top mark.

  • 1-4  Means something’s wrong. Possibly a design flaw or a major weakness.
  • 5-6  OK – one or two faults but has potential
  • 7  Worth considering
  • 8  Very good – for the money, we’d buy it
  • 9  Excellent – a slight mod or two and it might be perfect
  • 10  Simply the best!
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Showing reviews 181–200 of 910

Whyte 429

You won’t find mounts for a rack or a kickstand on the Whyte 429 hardtail. That’s because it’s been designed by mountain bikers, for one thing and one thing only……

£999.00
Score 9

Kona Mahuna

The latest Kona Mahuna 29er quickly proved to be the class act in the shop bought category of our best Hardtail of the Year test, 2022.From the very first pedal…

£948.99
Score 10

Cube Attention SL

For a hardtail mountain bike that’s had a very recent overhaul, the 2022 Cube Attention SL manages to keep one foot firmly planted in the past. Yes, it has a…

£1,149.00
BMC Fourstroke 01 LT One

Tom Pidcock’s race machine with a bit more oomph, BMC’s Fourstroke LT gives mere mortals a bit of a safety net that takes it into best down-country territory. Need to…

Canyon Torque CF8 Mullet

The Canyon Torque has morphed into a bike park bike over the years, but can this redesign make it a more versatile proposition, that can challenge the best enduro mountain…

£4,399.00
Score 8

Specialized Stumpjumper Expert

The Specialized Stumpjumper Expert is a 29er full-suspension bike with a long history – after all, the first Stumpy came out an impressive 40 years ago! Of course, its had…

£5,550.00
Score 8

Starling Roost

Is handmade really a feature? I suppose it is for an artisan baker and most definitely if you’re having a suit tailored to fit just so. But given that best…

£1,220.00
Photo of the yellow Carbon Wasp Truffle mountain bike

Unless you’ve had a carbon frame repaired or you’re also into time-trialling or track racing, you’ve likely not heard of Carbon Wasp. However, it only took a few metres of…

£2,800.00
Intense Tracer 279

With a carbon frame, mullet wheels, internal storage and 170mm of travel, the new Intense Tracer has its sights firmly locked on the best enduro bikes on the market. Has…

£4,799.00

Say hello to the third iteration of the YT Capra. Since the Mark 2 Capra was hardly a slouch on the downhills, the new Mark 3 YT Capra Core 3…

£4,535.90
Score 8

Vitus Sommet 297 AMP

The Vitus Sommet has been around for long enough to be refined multiple times already. It also happens to be one of the best enduro mountain bikes you can buy.…

£4,599.99
Score 9

The Canyon Spectral 125 CF 9 full-suspension mountain bike

Take a cursory glance at the new Spectral 125 and you could easily mistake it for the full-blown 150mm Spectral. Make no mistake though, the Spectral 125 is a unique…

£5,499.00
Score 9

Photo of the Mondraker Raze Carbon RR mountain bike

The Foxy is probably Mondraker’s most popular mountain bike to date. But as it morphed into a bigger hitting 160/150mm trail bike it left a vacuum in the range. A…

£6,799.00
Score 10

The Bold Linkin 135 Ultimate trail mountain bike in white

The Bold Linkin 135 is a 29er-wheeled, 150mm-travel full-suspension trail bike packed with plenty of interesting features – hello on-board storage and interesting shock arrangement. That it looks damn good…

£7,599.00
Score 8

A rather muddy Nukeproof Scout V3

Nukeproof has just launched the third version of the popular Scout hardtail, and it boasts more progressive geometry, two wheel size options, revised sizing and plenty more besides. But the…

£499.99
YT Industries Capra 29 Core 2

YT launched its new version of the Capra last year, featuring a full carbon frame and top end Fox suspension it quickly became one of the best enduro bikes going.…

£3,199.00
Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Expert

As winner of our 2022 Trail Bike of the Year test, the Stumpy Evo Comp has more than proved its worth. So what, if anything, does the more expensive Expert…

£5,800.00
Score 9

Orbea Rallon M-Team

rbea The new Orbea Rallon will be ripping it up on the EWS circuit this year piloted by Martin Maes. We swung a leg over it to see how it…

£6,999.00
Trek Slash test winner

The Trek Slash 9.8 XT is an enduro bike with progressive geometry and 29er wheels and 170/160mm of travel, and offers a performance that seriously impressive. Good enough to make…

£6,000.00
Score 10