Mountain Bike Reviews
Giant Talon
The Giant Talon is a hardtail mountain bike that offers a perfect step into MTB. With multiple frame size, wheel size, and specification options the Talon is available to all budding MTB riders.
Read Review | 13th July 2022
Cannondale Trail
For riders who are new to mountain biking, or those who want an easy to get along with bike for cruising the trails, the Cannondale Trail has a model that’ll fit both your riding style and budget.
Read Review | 14th June 2022
Specialized Rockhopper
Available in a wide range of sizes the Specialized Rockhopper is a classic hardtail mountain bike that combines efficient climbing ability with stable handling and a confident, snappy ride.
Read Review | 1st June 2022
Orbea Onna
The new Onna from the Basque brand Orbea brings quality and capability within reach of beginner mountain bikers and those wishing to step it up to the next level. Designed from the ground up as a fun and efficient bike.
Read Review | 3rd March 2022
Specialized Stumpjumper
The iconic Specialized Stumpjumper has been completely redesigned for 2021. With a slimmed down frame design, this is a trail bike that performs as good as it looks. It’s lighter weight than ever yet still capable on challenging terrain.
Read Review | 13th October 2020
Specialized Stumpjumper EVO
In this Specialized Stumpjumper EVO review we look at the rowdy sibling of the Stumpy family.
Read Review | 6th October 2020
Merida Big Trail
With the extra bump soaking ability of the high volume 2.8” tyres, the Big trail gives you a ride quality that is as close to a full suspension bike as you can get with a hardtail frame.
Read Review | 26th August 2020
Orbea Alma
This race ready XC hardtail offers the perfect blend of weight and stiffness with comfort features that offer more performance on World Cup mountain bike tracks.
Read Review | 24th July 2020
Orbea Oiz
This World Championship winning racing thoroughbred is one of the lightest, stiffest and most efficient mountain bikes around. This lightning fast MTB is available with a carbon or aluminium alloy frame.
Read Review | 22nd July 2020
Specialized Enduro
With more suspension travel and revised geometry the Enduro now offers a more confident ride on challenging trails.
Read Review | 8th January 2020
Marin Alpine Trail
Who’s dreaming of a new big-wheel, long-travel full suspension enduro bike. You are? Then wake up and feast your eyes on the Alpine Trail platform from Marin, a bunch of riders who know a thing or two about creating fun off-road.
Read Review | 2nd June 2020
Orbea Occam
Waving goodbye to 27.5” wheels, the Occam in 2020 is now a mid-travel 29er, designed for a multitude of uses. The bike was released to much acclaim in the summer of 2019, so we thought it was high time we got our hands on one to see what all the fuss was about.
Read Review | 20th May 2020
Specialized Chisel
With 29” wheels and 100mm forks, the Chisel is poised to slot right into the XC market as an affordable and capable race bike. It’ll keep up with the carbon featherweights, as even though it has an alloy frame, it’s plenty light and the modern geometry puts it square in line with competitive race bikes.
Read Review | 18th December 2019
Scott Ransom
In the ten years that the Ransom has been away from Scott’s line-up, the mountain biking world has changed. Part of the new breed of long travel 29ers this new bike has taken all these changes on board.
Read Review | 29th November 2019
Giant Stance Review
Giant has completely redesigned the Stance for 2020. There are four models in the range, two 29er's and two 27.5 bikes. With 130mm of front travel and 120mm rear, the Stance is Giant's entry-level full-suspension bike.
Read Review | 12th November 2019
Ragley Blue Pig
Ragley has been designing hardtails with progressive geometry since 2008, often from steel and with the emphasis on fun. The Blue Pig is no different. Ragley has built a reputation on good handing, bombproof construction, and modern angles showing what good quality hardtails can really do.
Read Review | 24th October 2019
Giant Fathom
With short stems, wide handlebars, tubeless tyres and dropper posts both these hardtail MTBs are ready for some serious trail fun straight out of the box. Prices around the £1,000 mark make the Fathom an affordable alternative to a full suss MTB.
Read Review | 17th October 2019
Liv Intrigue
A long-travel trail bike designed specifically for women, the Intrigue sits between the cross-country oriented Pique and the enduro focused Hail in Liv’s full suspension mountain bike line-up. The Intrigue offers capable performance on every type of trail, so is ideal for riders who want one-bike-to-do-it-all.
Read Review | 1st October 2019
Giant Trance
The Giant Trance and Trance 29 are very capable full sus MTBs that are ideal for trail centre loops and light enough for cross country adventures. It’s the do-it-all trail bike for every ride.
Read Review | 7th Oct 2019
Marin Pine Mountain
Here we review the all-new Pine Mountain from Marin, a classic steel hardtail that packs modern trail riding ability in with a lot of versatility. This year sees two models in the range.
Read Review | 4th September 2019
Kona Process 153
The 2020 Kona Process 153 reviewed here is the latest evolution of a platform that has won applause from the MTB press for its grin-inducing ride characteristics and build kit.
Read Review | 3rd September 2019
Marin Rift Zone Review
The new Marin Rift Zone is an excellent example of a short travel 29er. The entry level models are very affordable while still offering a capable component spec to go with the great frame geometry.
Read Review | 27th August 2019
Marin Mount Vision
Building on the heritage of the Mount Vision, Marin take things to the next level with the Naild R3ACT 2 Play system.
Read Review | 17th July 2019
Lapierre Zesty
The Lapierre Zesty we review here has been completely redesigned for 2019 with help from 10 time DH world champ Nicolas Vouilloz, along with the longer travel sibling the Spicy.
Read Review | 17th April 2019
Cannondale Habit
The Cannondale Habit has been completely redesigned for 2019. This new bike has the poise of a hardcore trail bike while maintaining the fast efficiency of its predecessors.
Read Review | 4th April 2019
Marin San Quentin
Marin offers the San Quentin in three different builds. From entry-level to high-end, labelled simply as the 1, 2 and 3 Marin has created a thoroughly modern and exciting hardtail.
Read Review | 17th Jan 2019
Merida One-Twenty
A trail bike to spend all day in the mountains. We review the Merida One-Twenty range, finding a mountain bike in its purest form, and made for you to just get out there and ride. These are versatile full sus mountain bikes.
Read Review | 22nd October 2018
Specialized Pitch
When adventure comes calling, the Specialized Pitch mountain bike promises an exciting and reliable ride to take on the trails with. The Pitch is designed for both new and experienced riders who want a bike with real off-road capability at an affordable price tag.
Read Review | 22nd October 2018
Giant Reign
The 2019 Reign does not disappoint. The bike now has better all-round ability than ever before, featuring SRAM eagle 12-speed groupsets on all but one model, and a lighter, stiffer Carbon fibre rocker. There are five models in the 2019 range.
Read Review | 19th Sep 2018
Giant Stance
The Giant Stance full suspension mountain bikes, are built around quality aluminium frames, with RockShox or Suntour suspension that offers the kind of performance that is usually reserved for bikes at a higher price point.
Read Review | 11th September 2018
Mondraker Dune
The Dune is Mondraker’s dedicated Enduro MTB & features 170mm of suspension travel front rear. Mondraker actually class this as a Super Enduro bike as it is at the long travel end of the Enduro category when compared to its Trail / Enduro sibling, the Foxy.
Read Review | 15th August 2018
Mondraker Foxy
A long travel trail mountain bike, the Mondraker Foxy straddles the line between Trail and Enduro. The Foxy combines 150mm rear wheel suspension travel with a hard-hitting component spec that will appeal to aggressive trail riders who like to ride a variety of different tracks.
Read Review | 7th August 2018
Orange Crush
A true hardcore hardtail, this is a bike that comes alive when the going gets tough, yet is happy to cruise around mellow trail all-day-long. While not as quick up the climbs as a lightweight cross-country hardtail, the Crush makes up for this by offering much more fun on the descents.
Read Review | 12th June 2018
Cube Stereo 140
Sitting between the Stereo 120 and the 160 in Cube’s full sus MTB range, the 140 makes for a great all-rounder.
Read Review | 6th June 2018
Orbea Rallon
Lightweight for such a capable machine, the Rallon bikes we review here are all built around a full carbon frame, with 29” wheels for rapid rolling on rough tracks.
Read Review | 22nd November 2018
Nukeproof Mega
Tried and tested at the very highest level, these bikes are built for all-day-long rides on the most technically demanding tracks in the world.
Read Review | 15th November 2018
Merida Big Nine 2018
A cross-country focused hardtail mountain bike, the Merida Big Nine is available in a wide range of models.
Read Review | 14th November 2018
Merida Big Seven
From entry level bikes that are ideal for recreational riding, right up to full-on cross-country bikes built for racing, we review the full Big Seven range.
Read Review | 14th November 2018
Merida One-Sixty
An enduro bike that won’t break the bank, the Merida One-Sixty is a properly capable mountain bike that’ll take on any trail that you want. Coming into 2018 with a completely revised frame, the One-Sixty is firmly planted into the realms of enduro.
Read Review | 14th November 2018
Merida One-Forty
A versatile do-it-all trail bike the Merida One-Forty has been completely redesigned for 2018 and is now one of the best alloy framed trail centre bikes on the market.
Read Review | 14th November 2018
Giant ATX
The Giant ATX is a perfect entry into the world of mountain biking. It offers a comfortable riding position for long days in the saddle and components that will inspire confidence and help build your skillset.
Read Review | 14th November 2018
Cannondale Trigger
Cannondale have made the Trigger for riders who want that one bike to do it all, from back country rides, to hitting the jump trails.
Read Review | 31st October 2017
Cannondale Jekyll
Developed on the enduro racing circuit, yet approachable for everyday riding, the Cannondale Jekyll stays true to its name and delivers a dual personality riding experience.
Read Review | 31st October 2018
Cannondale Cujo
With plus sized tyres, trail-focused geometry and 120mm of front suspension travel, the Cujo soaks up more of the bumps on the trail so you will feel more confident on technical terrain than you would on a regular XC hardtail MTB.
Read Review | 31st October 2018
Cube Stereo 120
The Cube Stereo 120 is the ideal companion to take with you on long, all-day tours and marathon mountain bike rides. Engineered in Germany, using advanced materials and the most up to date manufacturing techniques, the Stereo 120 brings that force to the crosscountry mountain bike scene.
Read Review | 3rd April 2017
Cube Stereo 160
Taking on inclines and descents with ease, the Cube Stereo 160 is an enduro mountain bike that’s capable of taking on the toughest tracks. With a large range of models to fit most budgets, the Stereo 160 caters to riders wanting a capable mountain bike to ride where ever they want.
Read Review | 28th March 2017
Specialized Fuse
Combining a longer travel suspension fork with high volume 6Fattie (27.5+) tyres, the Specialized Fuse is one of a new breed of hardtail mountain bikes that delivers more capable performance on challenging terrain.
Read Review | 17th March 2017
Giant Anthem
Lightweight and versatile, the Giant Anthem is billed as an XC racer, but seconds as a fun, short travel trail ripper. For 2017, Giant have completely redesigned the Anthem to be a more capable bike in every regard.
Read Review | 3rd March 2017
Specialized Demo 8
A downhill trail dominator, the Specialized Demo 8 was race bred on the most extreme DH mountain trails on the planet. Equally at home being ridden heals down and tucked on technical downhill trails, or pumped and jumped at the bike park.
Read Review | 8th March 2017
Cube Acid
The Cube Acid is a versatile hardtail mountain bike that offers capable off-road performance with an efficient and comfortable ride. In this review, we will be looking at the Acid 29er as well as the 27.5” (650b) wheeled model.
Read Review | 18th Oct 2018
Cube Aim
The Cube Aim featured in this review is a versatile hardtail mountain bike that blends capable off-road performance with a comfortable, efficient ride.
Read Review | 18th Oct 2018
Orange Alpine6 Pro
A big hitting enduro bike the Alpine6 will relish the challenge of steep hand cut trails and downhill sections.
Read Review | 11th Jul 2016
Orange Five
Hitting that sweet spot between nimble flickability and high speed stability, a trail bike perfect for British trail centres.
Read Review | 11th Jul 2016