Buy Now: Calibre Sentry enduro mountain bike from Go Outdoors for £1,999

Buy Now: Calibre Sentry Pro enduro mountain bike from Go Outdoors for £2,799

With 29in wheels, cutting-edge geometry and 150mm of travel, the £2k Calibre Sentry race bike looks set to transform the entry-level 29er enduro category.

>>> The best enduro mountain bikes

Calibre Sentry need to know

• Race-ready 29er enduro bike for £2k
• Alloy frame with cutting-edge geometry and sizing
• RockShox Deluxe R shock pumps out 150mm travel
• Travel is increased to 160mm up front with a RockShox Yari RC fork
• Tough casing WTB tyres add weight, but fit the intended use perfectly
• Four frame sizes, including an XL with a generous 506mm reach measurement
• Sentry Pro gets a RockShox Lyrik fork and coil shock for £2,800

Think race-ready 29er enduro bike, and I bet the Canyon Spectral, Yeti SB150, or even the new Santa Cruz Megatower spring to mind. But what happens when I say you ‘only’ have £2k to spend on your new weapon of choice? And that’s for the complete bike, not just the frame. Now you’re probably rubbing your chin and looking thoughtful, because even the YT Capra 29 AL Base model costs £2,299 plus shipping.

But there is a bike that has the geometry and attitude to rival the best boutique builds, and it’s available at a fraction of the cost from Go Outdoors… It’s the new Calibre Sentry. The Sentry race bike looks set to shake-up the enduro category with the same vigour that the Calibre Bossnut changed everyone’s expectations of a £1k full-suspension trail bike.

And when we say cutting-edge geometry, we’re not using a blanket term like longer, lower, slacker, which is often applied to bikes that aren’t that long, low or slack. So lets get down to brass tacks. We measured the head angle on the Sentry at 64.1°, the BB height at 331mm and the reach measurement on the size L at 485mm. All pretty close to the 10-rated Yeti SB150 we tested at the end of last year. The Sentry even gets a short 42mm offset fork, which stops the bike feeling overly large and unwieldy on tighter trails, the 160mm-travel RockShox Yari RC proving time and time again to be one of the best forks in its class.

The 69.6° seat tube is offset forward of the BB, so you’ll have no problem getting the saddle in the perfect position for climbing. And thanks to the 442mm chainstay length, you won’t need to jack the saddle forward on the seatpost to prevent the front end from lifting, even on the steepest climbs. In fact, the Sentry has a really neutral riding position, which is exactly what you need for long days in the saddle, or if you’re racing and struggling to making your way from one timed stage to the next.

And the new Sentry doesn’t just represent a big jump up in terms of travel and price for Calibre, the frame finish is on another level to anything it’s produced to date. The clean lines and hydroformed aluminium tubing profiles make it a much more polished product, while the subtle logos will no doubt broaden its appeal.

It’s a good thing then, that it comes with the superb Guide RE brakes, as you certainly won’t be afraid to let this bike run.

Given the price tag it’s hardly surprising that a bike this capable isn’t going to be light. And Calibre isn’t trying to hide that as it’s one of the very few brands bold enough to give claimed weights, out size L test bike coming in 0.1kg lighter than claimed 16.1kg.

The Calibre Sentry has got your back.