BOUTIQUE BRITISH HARDTAILS
Back in the October issue we tested four of the best British hardtails for under £1,700. All had alloy frames and all were designed right here in the UK. This month we’ve upped the ante with three boutique British hardtails from Pace, Cotic and Ribble.
The Cotic and Pace are manufactured from high-end steel tubing, while Ribble’s first mountain bike in over 20 years boasts a raw titanium frame. And with price tags in excess of £3k, all come smartly dressed with top-end kit.
Aimed squarely at riders who crave the unadulterated connection to the trail that only a hardtail can provide, the top-level specifications should really showcase the ride quality of the frame materials and geometry, as the parts certainly aren’t the limiting factor here.
Top-level specs should really showcase the ride quality of the frame materials
Our trio also reflect how 27.5in hardtails haven’t been immune to the longer, lower, slacker enduro trend that has swept through the full-suspension category. So, just as suspension bikes adapted to the discipline’s racing needs by becoming more stable, the best hardtails have done the same.
These rangier rigs are easier to ride fast, because the extra stability makes it harder to get bucked off line, and helps counter any pitching you get on repeated hits. And, guess what? That’s even more useful when you don’t have rear suspension to iron out creases in the trail.
It’s no surprise then, that all three of the brands here know that a little extra ‘give’ goes a long way on a hardtail frame, which is why they use steel and titanium instead of aluminium. Used correctly, these materials tend to have greater compliance and different damping characteristics to aluminium, which can help absorb vibrations while still maintaining the raw, reactive ride that’s unique to a hardtail.
Rolling on 27.5in wheels, and with nothing more that a tyre’s width of rubber and air to comfort you from rock and root, these rigid frames feel more direct under power than any full-suspension bike, injecting life into even the
