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.

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It also has some nice touches, like the Crud Catcher mounts under the down and Chip Slot dropout, which is basically a modular design that lets you fit other axle standards.

A big reason the Zenith Pro is rapid is the 120mm travel RST Omega MLC 29 fork. Yes it’s only coil sprung and friction damped but at least you’re not blowing through the travel riding down a kerb.

With Saracen looking to future with the shape and attitude of the Zenith Pro it’s odd to see a front derailleur and double chain rings fitted from the past. The Side-Swing design is neat but we’d rather see a single ring to reduce complexity and cost.

The Zenith Pro is a modern hardtail with up to date geometry but one thing stops it getting top marks – sort that fork and Saracen could be looking at a test winner in 12months time.