Conclusion
Trail hardtails have come a long way since the early days of mountain biking. But if there is one thing that’s obvious from this test, it is that there’s still plenty of room for improvement. And, at the risk of sounding like a disgruntled teacher scribbling an end-of-year report for a child who clearly has talent, the bikes in this test all show potential, but must try harder if any are to achieve a distinction.
And the crazy part is; we think the blueprint for success is glaringly obvious. Design your trail hardtail around a 29in front wheel and a 120mm-travel fork to improve rollover and maintain stability in the geometry, then fit a 27.5in rear wheel with a Plus size tyre for better traction, comfort, strength and control. It really is that simple. And it’s not enough to just go MX, the Plus-size rear tyre is essential to make it work.
With that in mind, brands could even use interchangeable dropouts to make the MX Plus frame compatible with
29in rear wheels. That way you could change the wheel size and tyre width depending on the season or terrain. More mud clearance in winter with 29in when the trails are softer and slower, more comfort and traction with 27.5in Plus come summer when the trails are rock-hard and rolling faster.
And there are other features from this test that we’d like to see included. Like the adjustable dropouts from the Identiti AKA that allow the rider to tweak the weight distribution of the bike really easily, rather than being locked into one predetermined set-up. Yes, we are aware that the main reason most brands don’t use adjustable dropouts is the increased cost involved. So we’d settle for the size-specific chainstays lengths on the Nukeproof Scout.
Testing the Identiti also highlighted the potential to go shorter on the chainstay lengths rather than matching them to full-suspension bikes. And that’s because hardtails pivot around the rear axle as the suspension compresses, making it much easier to load the front end, so even with shorter stays the bike can still feel really balanced. Also, we found the responsiveness of the shorter stays on the AKA to be really fun, so there’s an argument for keeping the rear wheel tucked in tight to the back of the seat tube, at least on the smaller frame sizes.
Riding the three bikes back-toback also highlighted the need for a rapidly engaging freehub. With no rear suspension and the associated pedal kickback to contend with, the faster you can get on the gas, the better to maintain speed as the lack of rear suspension means that even small bumps are constantly chipping away at your momentum.
And while smaller wheels and tyres still have their place for more dirt-jump style riding, on an out-and-out trail bike their day has long since passed. 29ers dominate XC and trail riding for good reason, but hardtails are a unique case. With no rear suspension, you need more tyre volume on the rear, so Plus size is the way to go. You can literally feel this in your bones when you ride the Whyte 909 X; its high-volume tyres give it a distinct advantage here, while the geometry, frame feel and handling are all on point too, making it the winner of this test by a small but appreciable margin. At £3.5k though, you could easily buy a very capable full-suspension bike that would out-ride the Whyte in almost every department. Food for thought, if you’re thinking of having one bike to rule all trails.
The Whyte 909 X’s high-volume tyres give it a distinct advantage