Mountain Bike Hard Tails Reviews
Stanton Bikes Switch9er Ti
Described by Stanton as the twentyniner that doesn’t act like one, the Switch9er sports a progressvie geometry for playful handling and technical riding. The frame is available in steel and titanium, comes with swappable dropouts, ISCG05 mounts, stealth dropper routing and the Ti version weighs in at 1.9kg while its steel brother puts 2.65kg on the scales. Price: from 2099...
Transition Bikes PBJ
The bike industry is a bit strange these times, with availability of any type of bike a major challenge. How it normally works is the media requests a bike model to test with the brand. They’d be happy to send the bike out, and after a few weeks of riding, razzin’ and evaluation the bike is returned to the brand....
Canyon Bicycles Stitch360
German bike brand Canyon has three different dirt jump bikes in their range, we take a look at the entry level Stitched 360. Built around an alloy frame and single speed setup it is perfect for riding dirt jumps and pump tracks. About the brand In 1985 two brothers started a bike shop called Radsport Arnold in the German town...
Merida Bikes Big Trail 600
Striking, that is the word that came to mind on first sight of the Merida Big trail 600. A gorgeous forest green set off with bright red forks and decals. The 2021 model is an equally alluring purple affair that also catches the eye. This is the top of the range Big Trail, with 2 lower models for 2021. Beyond...
Ragley Bikes Big Wig
Ragley is back! After a short break they are back with a full range of bikes and have lost none of their hardtail swagger. With a range of models in both aluminium and steel, Ragley has all the bases covered with a hardtail for everyone. The Blue Pig, Piglet, and Big Wig represent the steel side of the family, each...
DMR Bikes SECT
DMR was born from the world of dirt jumps and messing about in the woods. Recent bike releases like the Trailstar and the Sled represent how far DMR has come over the past couple of decades however the Sect bridges the gap between old school and new school with a modern steel hardtail for dirt jumps, pumptracks and skatepark fun....
Commencal META HT AM Essential
Commencal has long been of the belief that “it’s better to have a good hardtail than a bad full suspension bike.” The Commencal META HT has very similar numbers to the full bounce version and even sports a similarly aggressive looking silhouette. As hardtails go, this one looked from the off like it was going to be fun. The AM...
Vitus Sentier 29 VR
At a penny short of a grand (currently just £899.99on CRC), Vitus' Sentier 29 VR sits on that price point on which mountain bikes really start to get good. It's also at this price where a decision is made about hardtail versus full suspension. Full suss rigs can be bought around this price, but the level of quality kit on...
Merida Bikes Big Trail 900
When Merida announced their 2017 lineup, I thought it would maybe feature a few new models or a colour change here and there. What I wasn't prepared for was an almost complete overhaul of the range, changes to style, geometry, specs and nearly everything else. Hidden amongst this brand new set of machines was the Big Trail, an aluminium hardtail...
Commencal Meta HT AM Race
Hardtails are still very much commonplace around the world, but there are only a few countries in the world that produce the type of bike we have here. The UK, Canada, they've been at it for years, but the Andorran brand have also been on the same page for some time. What I'm referring to is the idea of a hardtail,...
Marin Bikes Nail Trail 7
Marin are gradually re-vamping their range of bikes, and this year we see the new Hawkhill, the Pine Mountain, and this, the Nail Trail. Available in 2 models, this is the Nail Trail 7 and sees a few key upgrades over the lower spec 6 including a dropper post, SLX shifting, but most notably a Yari fork to dish out...
Ragley Bikes Blue Pig
The UK is the home of hardcore hardtails, and Ragley’s offering in the form of the Blue Pig stays faithful to that with this beast of a steel hardtail. For those that don’t know them, Ragley Bikes are a UK company who specialise in the gnarlier end of the hardtail market, and the Blue Pig sits at the top of...
Pipedream Cycles Moxie
British brand Pipedream are back with a hardtail to truly get the pulse racing. Launched at Eurobike, the pink machine was hard to miss, and certainly got lots of media attention throughout the week. It's reassuring to know that a steel hardtail can still turn heads at a trade show overflowing with enormous tyres and e-bikes. The Moxie is currently...
Sonder Transmitter Carbon
Sonder is a relatively new bike brand from British outdoor experts Alpkit; they have been turning heads since launched at the London bike show in 2015. The well-reputed Brant Richards was involved at the beginning, and now Neil Sutton holds the reigns of this exciting brand as it brings with it a rapidly expanding line up. The Transmitter has been...
CUBE Bikes Reaction GTC SL 29
The Reaction SL is a race ready full carbon 29er with speed on its mind and not much else. Aimed at the rider looking for a fast XC bike that isn’t going to break the bank it sits just below the Elite models in their XC race range. Two sizes are available in 27.5 wheeled guise, 16” and 18” and...
DMR Bikes Trailstar
Arguably the first hardcore hardtail ever produced, the DMR Trailstar has a solid place in mountain biking history. This new version aims to bring it firmly into the 21st century while retaining the characteristics that made it such a classic in the first place. The update obviously sees a wheel size increase to 650b and can even take tyres up...
Commencal Meta HT AM 650B Race
Everyone needs a hardtail in their life, fact. Not only do they teach you how to ride properly, but they also provide endless amounts of fun and excitement, at any speed. With the recent, frenzied developments in full suspension bikes, an opportunity has risen for bike manufacturers to take a seat back at the drawing board and create a modern...
Trek Bikes Stache 9
The world of wheel sizes and widths is no longer simple, not only do we now have three 'standard' wheel sizes, the advent of 'plus' sized tyres and fat bikes have given us a multitude of wheel and tyre options. Perhaps one of the more niche combinations is in the form of the 29er plus option, and here we have...
Rose Bikes The Bruce 3
The Bruce 3 is the top model in the Bruce line up from German direct sellers Rose. Designed for 'brave deeds' and the 'best moments in life' it's a bike that certainly promises a lot. The small frame and massive diameter tubes suggest a very stiff and strong chassis, and combined with 26-inch wheels (shock horror!) give an air of...
Ragley Bikes Big Wig
Ragley have been through a few changes behind the scenes in recent years, but at their core has always been the desire to make hardtails of a very British persuasion. Originally from Yorkshire and the brainchild of Brant Richards, they were some of the original “hardcore hardtails”. Times have moved on, people and locations have changed (they’re now based in...
ONZA Jackpot
Onza have been around for 25 years, and in that time have been pioneers of mountain bike components and tyres, as well as manufacturers of trials bikes good enough to win world championships. Now, after a spell away from the sharp end of the industry they have returned to the mountain bike scene with a duo of steel hardtails. Their...
Nukeproof Scout Comp
Hardtails are great fun to ride, especially when they come in the more “aggressive” guise such as the Scout Comp on test here. All too often riders skip the learning curve of riding a hardtail and jump straight onto a full squizzer. Honing your trail skills on a less forgiving bike though will make you a better, faster rider and...
Stanton Bikes Sherpa 853
I know it’s meant to be all about the carbon nowadays, but there’s something about the clean crisps lines of a steel hardtail that are just so appealing and once the Sherpa was unboxed, it didn’t disappoint. Stanton are a brand known for their aggressive trail and 4X hard tails, in short they make fun play bikes. With the addition...
Orange Mountain Bikes Crush AM 27.5
When I started racing, the Animal Orange Team was in full flow, with Greg Minnaar, Steve Geall, Tim Ponting and the Kitchin brothers. Despite racing at the top level, they also made regular appearances at races in the south of England, so their bikes were never far away. Often I would get to see strange prototypes, but the bike that...
Ragley Bikes Blue Pig Custom Build
Ragley describe themselves as a hardcore hardtail company with the design ethos of “long front centre, slack head angle, steep seat angle and FUN”. As soon as the bright yellow Blue Pig left the box it was obvious that it more than met their ideals. With a steel frame, slack head angle, long travel fork and dropper post, there was...
Trek Bikes Stache 8
The Stache is a new bike this year from Trek, aimed at anyone who likes having fun on the trail. It’s a hardtail 29er with a more playful geometry than an XC bike designed to be fun and lively. It should appeal to the hardcore hardtail fans out there, although it is only a 120mm travel bike those wheels are...
Genesis Bikes Core 26.4
At first glance Genesis are a British brand that have been building decent bikes and a decent reputation so I was looking forward to a chance to see if the positive buzz about the company and their bikes was well earned. A combination of clean lines and an eye pleasing Cyan Blue paint job make the Core a very pretty...
Evil Bikes Sovereign
The Evil Sovereign has been at the top of the hardcore hardtail pile for sometime now and there have been some changes that have bought the price down from very, very expensive to just very expensive! There was a scuffle when the Sovereign arrived as we were all keen to get out on it and see whether it could live...
Genesis Bikes Alpitude
Genesis are building a reputation for thoughtful and well designed bikes so it is fair to say that there had been a sense of expectation once we knew the Alpitude was winging its way to us. There has been much talk about the Alpitude and the clear design ethos behind it, which was to make a bike that you could...
Marin Bikes Rocky Ridge
The Rocky Ridge has built a steady following over the past few years and it is particularly popular with heavier riders that still want light weight and performance from their tough frames. The combination of low weight, strength and value make it an attractive proposition and we were more than happy to give it a good thrashing to see if...
Norco Bicycles Bigfoot
We let Mike the Bike loose on a test rig, and although at first we live to regret it, he comes up smelling of roses with a new found friend! Hirsute Beauty - The Legend of Bigfoot In the dead of night, a distant phone rings. Struggling from my slumber I manage a muttered response. “Get round here Mike! I've...
Ragley Bikes mmmBop
A classic looking frame that reveals a number of clever features the harder you look at it the Ragley mmmBop is striking in its Quick Lime finish. Brant Richards has been at the forefront of common sense based design for sometime now and his latest Alumimum offering looks to be a hard hitting no nonsense bit of kit. Tech heads...
Trek Bikes Gary Fisher Piranha
The Gary Fisher comes in a matte Root Beer colour that looks considerably better than it sounds. Big beautifully formed tubes host bold decals that give the Gary Fisher a look of quality and the bike has an air of promise that had us dying to get out on the trail. A little surprising is the fact that the fork...
On One Inbred
At first glance There are a number of things that strike you when gazing at an Inbred for the first time… It is not a good looking bike and the super wide wiggly bars will draw a rye smile but look closer and you will start to understand that function is the key here. Richard Brant has now left On-One,...