The dos and don'ts of MTB trail riding Are you guilty of any of these trail sins? Read Story. But with the style of bike gaining popularity the world over, many bigger companies now offer a trail hardtail in their line-up.
Here are eight of the best trail hardtail mountain bikes you can currently buy. Pace RC Pace Cycles has been a staple of the British mountain bike scene since the s and, although the company has seen surges and lulls in its prominence, it has always stayed at the core of the sport and remains a family run business. The RC features The Zaskar's 'Triple Triangle' design is still going strong.
The dropper seatpost and mudguard are seemingly small details but they are areas where other brands might have cut costs at this price point. The Origin model pairs solid components with a robust frame for less.
The Origin model is the cheapest Meta HT AM but it offers a solid components package and robust frame for the modest price tag. This latest incarnation of the bike features a lower seat tube height, meaning the seat can be slammed lower for descending and longer-travel dropper seatposts can be installed.
A mm-travel fork and Kingdom Vendetta X2 Always dreamed of a Ti bike? This gives you the most leverage and the most secure grip on the bars. Now slide your shifters against the brake clamps to make them accessible. As a rule of thumb, your leg should be straight, with your heel on the pedal and the crankarm in line with your extended leg.
This allows for a slight bend in the knee when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal at your maximum saddle height. For technical singletrack climbs, drop your saddle by cm to make balancing on the bike much easier.
Slam the saddle all the way down for descending, and for the next step; setting your suspension…. Instead, focus on setting your sag correctly. With an air-sprung fork start by using the recommendations printed on the leg. RockShox and Manitou have them, but not Suntour. Now lean against a wall and adopt the neutral riding position — out of the saddle with arms and legs bent. Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position.
The sag is how much the suspension compresses under your weight. Use the rubber O-ring or a zip tie on the leg to measure this. Be sure to set the sag in your full riding kit, with backpack and water included. Finally, adjust your stem height. Raising your stem will give you more confidence on the descents, by making it much easier to shift your weight rearward.
Skip to content ». Home Reviews Featured Review. Product Overview. Product: Best hardtail mountain bike: classic trail shredding machines.
The steep head tube, low bars, and mm fork tell you what this bike is for: racing cross-country. The 3-Star build kit is great for budding and experienced racers. Step-Cast forks are extra light, and the Kashima coating just screams speed. The GX Eagle drivetrain is a step up from many of the other bikes on this list, and will provide great performance while cutting weight. The only thing that seems like an oversight on this bike is the lack of a dropper post.
But many cross-country racers prefer a standard post to save weight, so it could be forgiven this time. Yetis are very light compared to similar bikes, and the ARC is no exception. Of course, you get a fantastic Yeti build kit — this company never skimps on components. Beyond that, what do you need to know? Start with the carbon frame. Then check out the Fox 34 Performance fork with mm of travel a great alternative to all the mm forks on this list. Or the threaded bottom bracket. The modern 35mm handlebar.
The dropper. The trail-ready tires. Diamondback has clearly consulted real riders in creating their new bikes. When it comes to performance, the Big. The bike is also a competent climber, with the Shimano Deore t cassette providing a low enough gear to get you up steep inclines.
There are plenty of nifty features too, such as internal cabling and mounts for mudguards, and the bike will take a tapered steerer tube if you ever want to upgrade the fork. The Pipedream Moxie Mx3 is made from chromoly steel tubes and adaptability is put front and centre. When climbing, the The difference between the long and short settings is subtle, but we found the short setting preferable because it gives the bike a fun-loving personality.
At the time of testing, Pipedream only offered the Moxie as a frameset with no off-the-shelf builds. This means you can customise your build however you want, but we would say be prepared to play around with stem length to get the right handling. The relatively short and steep geometry puts you in an aggressive position and forces you to push all your effort through the backend. The frame is slightly longer than the previous Exceed, and feels a touch more composed as a result.
As you might expect from the price, the spec is top. Canyon provides its own one-piece bar and stem, which is aero but lacks adjustment, and its carbon seatpost can be a bit of a hassle to set up. The steel BFe has long been a feature of the hardtail scene, with 26in, b and 29in wheel versions offered since Built with meaty WTB tyres and a top-end RockShox Pike Ultimate mm travel fork, the bike flies down sketchy, loose trails at speed, with the slack geometry bringing stability and the Reynolds steel smoothing out the ride.
Despite the seat tube not being that steep, the long rear-end helps keeps your weight centred and makes climbing easier. The high bottom bracket helps prevent the pedals from hitting obstacles, but we found this also means the bike is less willing to chop and change direction than some.
The result is a bike that can bomb through the woods with ease, providing plenty of stability on flowing descents. You can push the wide bar into the 2. The fairly low bottom bracket also aids cornering. Uphill, the degree seat tube angle centres you nicely above the bottom bracket for comfortable pedalling, but you need to pay attention to rear tyre pressure otherwise the bike can feel draggy on climbs.
The spec on the bike is decent and the mm RockShox 35 fork is good for this end of the market. Radon uses a direct-to-consumer business model and, as a result, the Cragger 8 has a spec sheet that offers excellent value for money. Things are pretty good when it comes to the frame too, with the smooth aluminium looking like carbon and the option to route cables internally or externally.
The geometry is fairly progressive with a degree head angle and degree seat tube, but a long seat tube and a relatively short reach make the bike feel a little confused, mixing elements from hardcore trail bikes and XC features.
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