uying a good-quality hardtail is often the first step on a rider’s mtb journey. And to ensure that you set off on this amazing adventure with your best foot forward, we’re always tweaking our Hardtail of the Year test in search of the best-performing bikes for the money. Pre-Covid, that meant a bumper haul of everything on the market below £1,000, bottom feeders and all. Post-Covid, it became whatever we could get
