The Bird Forge is a steel hardtail designed around 29in wheels and 140 to 160mm travel forks, and has an excellent ride quality across terrains. Whilst your budget is probably going to be main thing you’re thinking about at first, it shouldn’t be. First, you need to decide on the type of mountain bike is going to suit you best. Then you can look at what your budget will get you.

It is also important to consider different types of mountain bikes others than a “typical” men’s model. There are some that are designed with teens and junior users in mind. This means a good all-round performance for less experienced users. An XC bike, like the Canyon Lux, is fast and efficient, but you’ll need good skills to make the most of it Without the room needed for a linkage, chainstay lengths can be made much smaller than full-suspension bikes, giving hardtails a more playful and responsive ride. We never take a product at face value and manufacturer’s claims are always probed. That’s why we measure the weight, travel and geometry on all our test bikes (the numbers we publish are our own figures unless specified). In group tests we always try to fit control tyres to create a more level playing field and help isolate critical differences in handling and suspension performance. What sort of riding are you going to do?With the latest round of revisions, the Nukeproof Scout 290 Elite is a seriously accomplished trail bike. And even though it was the cheapest bike in our group test by quite some margin, it still managed to hold its own on the descents while nudging ahead on the climbs. So in that respect it makes for a seriously good allrounder, especially if you’re looking to cover some serious ground with minimum effort. The best e-mountainbike is made up of a combination of good components, geometry, and kinematics, with a suitable motor and software ecosystem. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link – and this also applies to e-mountainbikes. It’s not isolated parameters but the harmonious interaction of all components that matters. Of course, the design, practical accessories, available service network, and detailed solutions also play a key role. Many reviewers will judge a bike based on a short test ride or on spec sheets and geometry tables. But not us, which is why the future of our jobs is secure: AI can’t test bikes and fit them into the overall context – or have you seen ChatGPT ride the trails? Like the final model in the Voodoo range above, this is a 29er bike with those extra wide wheels for greater stability on the trails. Those wheels have that great combination of Mavic XM319 aluminium rims and reliable Continental Mountain King tyres for great weight and handling. Hardtails can be thrashed as hard as any bike How do I get my new hardtail mountain bike set-up? 1. Inflate your tyres The YT Decoy Core 4 offers a ride quality that’s every bit as peppy as the sharp clean lines of the full carbon frame. And for a bike that’s three years old, it still looks and feels contemporary.

Conversely, don’t be tempted to get a bike for the extreme 1% of the riding that you’ll do on it. A burly gravity-fuelled bike is fine and dandy for an annual uplift day, but you’ll have to pedal that thing around for the other 51 weekends of the year. We’ve also got a list of the best cross-country bikes, covering both hardtail and full-suspension designs for XC racing. You may also be interested in our round-up of the best electric mountain bikes. Specialized’s classic four-bar suspension delivers on its promise of 160mm travel Specialized Status Affordable mixed wheel fun factory Wheel size: 27.5in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.47kg (31.9lb) | Suspension travel: 130mm front | Rating: 9/10 In fact, the limiting factor here, other than the EXO casing tyres, is the 132mm rear travel. It’s just not enough for how fast this bike can be ridden.The difference between the long and short settings is subtle, but we found the short setting preferable because it gives the bike a fun-loving personality. Hardtails usually feature a sloping top tube, which keeps the weight of the bike lower which helps to keep it more stable. Reasons to buy: Poppy, playful and efficient. Available in six frame sizes. Internal down tube storage. Mino Link flip chip allows geometry tweaks. There are many mountain bikes from the brands listed below that can all look quite similar on face value. The frames may come in a variety of sizes and colours, but they generally have a similar make-up. Once consumers look a little closer, the differences become clear.

The interface between man and machine is taken care of by the Giant RideControl GO control unit in the top tube, paired with the minimalist RideControl Ergo 3 remote on the handlebar. The control unit isn’t a display as such, indicating the support mode as well as the battery level via 5 illuminated bars. GIANT refrain from installing an additional display on the handlebar. The inconspicuous remote sits flush against the left grip, where it’s within easy reach of your thumb. In general, the operation of the Giant SyncDrivePro2 system is quite straightforward. You’ve got three buttons to shift through the 5 support modes from Eco to Power or activate the progressive Smart Assist mode. Due to the minimalist display in the top tube, you don’t get much information, but it also saves you from having to navigate a maze of menus – the pared down functions of the remote are entirely sufficient. Those who want a little more information can access it via GIANT’s Ride Control app. The app also lets you assign the functions of the remote buttons. We weren’t without quibbles when testing this bike, though. The air-sprung front fork doesn’t offer great small-bump sensitivity, and a fork upgrade isn’t viable at this price. It would be nice to see Boost spacing too. Tolerances between the seat tube and seatpost are quite large, which leads to the saddle dropping on occasion, though this was solved with application of some carbon assembly paste. Basically, bike companies have got most of the kooky, bad designs out of their system now. The differences between them are now extremely subtle. Learning about suspension theory and setup is more important. Despite the seat tube not being that steep, the long rear-end helps keeps your weight centred and makes climbing easier.

Haibike was probably the first mainstream brand to start designing long travel e-bikes and equipping them with dual crown forks, but the spotlight really swivelled onto this category of bike with the introduction of the Specialized Kenevo. With coil-sprung suspension, heavy-duty tyres, four-piston brakes and masses of travel, it was part shuttle vehicle, part downhill bike. Reasons to avoid: Battery can’t be removed easily. Limited seat post insertion. It’s a decent deposit on a house. With its triple-butted aluminium frame it offers a fast engaging ride without the rider being exposed to every single bump on the trail. Which makes it great for longer rides. To give you an idea of what to expect in the real world, for a rider weighing 70-75kg with dry trail conditions, we get around 1,800m of climbing from a 600-700Wh battery in a middle power setting. Why metres climbed instead of distance traveled? Well, the motor puts a much higher drain on the battery when climbing, and theoretically the battery would last forever if you rode along the flat above the speed limiter. Should I charge my e-bike outdoors? A bonus debate for you. Sorry! Although there’s less hype and grand claims made about different suspension frame designs these days (compared to the slanging matches and OTT marketing of yore, anyway) there is still a valid interest in how the designs differ from each other. The mountain biking market is now mature and experienced enough to admit that there is no single Best Suspension Design. The four-bar (or Horst Link) used to be the Holy Grail. Single pivots used to get ragged on for being crude. Neither of these stances are correct.