BEST OF BRITISH CALIBRE
THE INDUSTRY DEPENDS ON NEW RIDERS; IT CAN’T CONTINUE IF IT’S ELITIST
Mountain bikers are magpies. We are drawn to shiny stuff and the bike industry is more than happy to oblige us with eye-catching offerings. As bikes incorporate ever more exotic materials and clever technology, prices have crept up and, while bikes are still better value and better performing than they have ever been, the price tags on the range-topping models are enough to make even the most well-heeled rider wince.
Look past the high-end bling though, and it’s the bikes much further down the price list that have to put the really hard work in. Entry-level mountain bikes are the unsung heroes of the sport. They provide the gateway into mountain biking that the industry depends upon to turn an occasional bike rider into a passionate enthusiast. To achieve that, these bikes need to produce a smile in the showroom first, the trails next, and be able to do it reliably, ride after ride.
For bike brands this means tough decisions have to be made on where to spend money when building the bike — looks, performance and reliability all making demands on the budget. There’s
