MEET THE TESTER
SARAH BEDFORD
TESTER
Sarah has been riding mountain bikes for 20 years and living on the doorstep of Scotland’s Tweed Valley trails – some of the best in the UK – the whole time, so she’s perfectly placed – literally – to put these base-model full-sus bikes through their paces.
After several years of soaring prices, it’s good to see you can still buy a trail-worthy mountain bike with suspension at both ends for around £1,000. The second-hand market may be flooded with barely-used steeds that, on the face of it, represent better value for money. But there are benefits to buying brand new, in-store – not least in terms of bricks-and-mortar customer service and the ‘lifetime warranty’ (always check the terms and conditions!) many of these bikes come with – especially for buyers with less mechanical know-how.
Despite their modest price tags, all three of the entry-level full-suspension bikes tested here are impressive quality for the money. That’s not to say they can compete with bikes at three times the price, though – with their more basic frames, drivetrains, brakes and suspension, each has a significant pitfall or two for buyers to be aware of.
At this price, we aren’t expecting tip-top performance, but rather a bike that offers the novice rider a basic but sound platform on which they can have fun and progress their skills. It should be ready to go, straight off the showroom floor, and of reasonable quality, but also be worth upgrading for increased performance when the time comes, as your confidence grows and the technicality of the trails you’re riding increases. Ultimately, we’re looking for a machine that’ll inspire future weekend warriors and racing talents, not put them off.
These bikes are aimed at all-round, trail and cross-country (XC) style riding, and in particular, the kind of ‘trail centre’ loops that are the perfect place to give off-road biking a go, because they’ve been expertly sculpted and graded for a specific skill level, to keep everyone safe. The renowned trails of Scotland’s Glentress Forest were the perfect testing ground to see what they’re capable of, and all three proved a force to be reckoned with as they easily took on all the twists and turns.
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