THE BACK END HAS A CONFIDENCE INSPIRING ‘DAMPED’ FEEL THAT MAKES IT EASY TO PUSH THIS BIKE WAY BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF ITS FORK, TYRES AND BRAKES

On the Cycle to Work scheme? Or just have a max budget of £1,000? We ind out which hardtail will help you dominate the trails

Amid the current political and economic uncertainty, budgets are getting squeezed and for many of us, the desire for a new bike has to take a back seat to paying the rent/mortgage. The goods news is that if you can scrape together £1,000 or your employer is registered with a Cycle to Work scheme, then you can still get a whole lot of bike for just under a grand.

When choosing the line-up for this test, we were looking for trail-ready bikes that promised exceptional levels of performance for the money. All four bikes here have a 1x drivetrain with at least 10 gears, plus an airsprung suspension fork with some form of compression and rebound damping adjustment. Two have dropper seatposts, too – something that used to be reserved for more expensive rides. They sport a range of different wheel/tyre sizes, from 650b (aka ‘27.5in’) and 650b+ up to 29in. Frame features such as tapered

head tubes and internal dropper post routing make them ripe for upgrading as your riding progresses. Of course, at this price point you’ve got to expect compromises somewhere. Parts from big brands like Shimano, RockShox and FSA are combined with own-brand or more budget-focused kit, such as SunRace cassettes and X-Fusion or Suntour forks, to keep prices down. Tyres are generally made of hard-compound rubber, with thin casings. Forks will have simplified damping and flexier chassis. Brakes can be pretty basic too. Don’t fret though, because clever design and spec choices can still deliver a bike that’s a ton of fun on the trail.

As ever, choosing the right bike is a personal thing. Does having a flash-looking fork matter to you? Or is confidence-boosting geometry all you care about? Our reviews can help you make those choices and land you with your dream ride.