It’s refreshing to ride a bike that does everything well

Our test winner’s stablemates TREK RAIL 9 GX TREK SLASH 8

£6,600

£3,700

For £600 more than the test winning Slash, you could be blasting around on the Rail 9 GX. It’s got the same 170/160mm travel as the Slash, the same suspension components and the same wheelset, but forgoes the down-tube storage in favour of a removable 625Wh battery to power the Bosch Gen 4 motor. Yes, the frame is aluminium, not carbon, but who’s going to notice a 500g weight saving on a 25kg bike? For 10% more cash you get 100% more ride time.

The Slash 8 isn’t the entry-level bike in the range, but it’s where the magic happens as it gets a Rockshox Super Deluxe shock just like the test winning Slash 9.8 XT. The alloy frame also benefits from the down-tube storage that’s normally reserved for carbon bikes. A SRAM GX 12-speed drivetrain replaces Shimano XT so the shifting will still be on point too. Even the 170mm travel Lyrik retains the more sophisticated Select+ damper, where the 35mm chassis will favour lighter riders.