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 401–420 of 898

nukeproof scout

The Nukeproof Scout 275 Sport's slack head angle and long wheelbase gives it stacks of stability when the going gets steep and rough.

£999.99
Score 9

ragley marley

Absent from last year’s test after taking top honours in 2016 and pushing close in 2017, the Ragley Marley is back with a bang for 2019.

£999.99
Score 9

sonder transmitter

With slackest head angle, longest reach and shortest stem, the Sonder Transmitter is built for bombing, inspiring confidence to fully attack descents.

£999.00
Score 8

Decathlon Rockrider AM 100 HT

French outdoor pursuits supermarket, Decathlon, has listened to what the British rider wants and delivered this, the Decathlon Rockrider AM 100 HT.

£949.99
Score 8

merida big trail 400

Rocking a burly 34mm Suntour fork, and rolling on the biggest, stickiest rubber on test, the Merida Big Trail 400 feels solid and well built.

£1,000.00
Score 7

Saracen Zenith

With its double-butted aluminium frame, the Saracen Zenith Pro is one of the lightest bikes in the whole 2019 Hardtail of the Year test.

£699.99
Score 9

Kona Mahuna

Kona Mahuna doesn’t feel as bomber as the Shred, it’s just as much fun to ride with great shape, excellent standover and a lively and forgiving ride.

£749.00
Score 8

cannondale trail

The Cannondale Trail 5 is a new addition to the £750 category and features a Smartform aluminium frame, which is one of the most comfortable here.

£699.99
Score 7

trek roscoe 6

Trek Roscoe 6 is a plus bike with 120mm travel fork, a bolt through axle, and an aluminium frame that wouldn’t look out of place on a £1,000 hardtail.

£675.00
Score 7

scott aspect 930

At the heart of the Scott Aspect 930 is a lightweight aluminium frame making this one of the lightest bikes in the Sub-£750 Hardtail of the Year test.

£699.99
Score 6

saracen traverse

Saracen Traverse 29er sports a modest 100mm rear travel via a pivotless ‘Flex Stay’ carbon rear triangle, this combined with an aluminium front triangle.

£2,999.99
Evil The Offering

140mm 29er Evil the Offering addresses past issues, and also adds more reach to each frame size so you no longer need to upsize to get a good fit.

GT Aggressor Sport

With an excellent four sizes in the range the GT Aggressor Sport should suit pretty much every rider’s size, lanky old me included.

£349.99
Score 6

pinnacle kapur 2

With progressive geometry and a top quality frame the Pinnacle Kapur 2 has a really nice feel to it – direct and efficient without any jarring.

£475.00
Score 9

calibre rake

Though all of the bikes in the sub £500 category L, the Calibre Rake is by far the biggest; and not simply because it has 29in wheels and meaty WTB

£450.00
Score 8

trek marlin

The first of two 29er to make it into the sub 500 category, the Trek Marlin 6 certainly didn't behave like a fish out of water.

£499.99
Score 7

specialized pitch sport

Specialized Pitch Sport underwent a round of revisions – updates to the geometry and layout that dramatically improved handling and standover clearance.

£500.00
Score 6

ktm chicago classic

In its black and orange livery, the KTM Chicago Classic makes you think of motorcycles blasting though the desert at events like the Dakar rally.

£499.99
Score 5

norco storm

The Norco Storm 4 is our only 29er on test and as such it gets off to a good start, rolling over rough ground more easily than the 27.5in wheel

£350.00
Score 9