FULL CONTROL FOR LESS CASH

How much do you need to spend to get a sorted full-suspension bike? We’ve tested four, from £999 to £1,599, to ind out

We test four full-suspension bikes, from £999 to £1,599, to ind out which one comes out on top

We tested two full-suspension bikes and two hardtails for just under £1,000 last issue. While the hardtails were great and one of the full-sussers – the Jamis Dakar – was a sound all-rounder (albeit not as good a buy as the next model up), the VooDoo Canzo was too compromised by its cheap fork and tyres for us to recommend it. So, how much do you need to spend to get all the benefits of full suspension?

The great news is that, despite all the doom and gloom about the economy, you can get a better full-sus on a tight budget than ever before. That’s primarily due to new brands and designers, who are actually riding the stuff they produce and spec, rather than just choosing kit on price. Smaller firms can also respond to feedback quicker than big brands tied to model years.

That’s why we’re seeing affordable bikes with good geometry, wide bars, short stems and suspension that actually works. Cheaper parts are often good enough to go really hard on these days, whether they’re from big names like RockShox (Recon fork), SRAM (NX1 transmission) and Shimano (Deore gears and brakes) or big-value brands such as Samox (cranks) and SunRace (cassettes). Many budget frames now come with tapered headsets, proper pivot bearings and decent alignment, too.

So, what are you likely to take a hit on? It depends on the bike. Frames with the latest Boost spacing, metric shocks and through-axles eat into the parts budget more than just reusing an older chassis. Some areas of the spec are bound to be compromised too – maybe you’re getting a dropper post and really good tyres but only 10-speed gears and basic brakes, or perhaps you’re getting crap tyres but the brakes are ace and the price is awesome. You just need to work out which mix works best for you.