FINAL VERDICT
The question you need to ask yourself is “what type of rider am I?” The answer will help you decide which of these four capable but inevitably compromised (given the budget) and ever-so-slightly-different bikes you should spend your cash on.
For us, there’s a standout winner. While it’s not the best-specced bike on test, the Saracen Mantra Trail LSL wowed us with the way it rode. This is largely down to its confidence-inspiring geometry – which puts it leagues above the rest in terms of handling – but also its forgiving ride and the sensible choice of parts bolted to it. We found we could ride it fast and hard with greater control, especially on the descents, but without any discernible loss of pedalling efficiency when cranking it hard, or any trade-off in terms of it being harder work on the climbs.
There are some compromises. The Schwalbe tyres are thin and puncture-prone, the Suntour fork is less than perfect, there are no parts fitted above Deore level and it’s missing a dropper post. But the rest of the
package more than makes up for these shortcomings, and that’s why it’s come out on top. How do the other bikes fit in, then? The GT Zaskar Alloy Comp 29 has a great spec, with geometry that’s XC-focused but doesn’t hold it back on the descents too much. For riding fast on flatter, twistier trails – not the steeper terrain where its head angle will become precarious – it’s a solid bike for the money.
The Cannondale Cujo 1 is also well-specced – with a Shimano XT mech and dropper post – but it has the most conservative geometry here and its plus tyres are a bit of a Marmite thing. If you enjoy slashing and bashing your way down the trail rather than picking precise lines, it’s worth considering.
Finally, the Giant Fathom 2 comes closest to the Saracen in terms of being a sorted overall package. It has a dropper post, a solid drivetrain and tubeless Maxxis tyres, but its geometry isn’t quite as sharp as it should be – an area in which the Mantra excels, which means it ultimately runs away with the prize.