You’ve likely read it on several cycling message boards already: Bike scales are just glorified fishing scales. But that’s only partially correct. Hardtails can be thrashed as hard as any bike How do I get my new hardtail mountain bike set-up? 1. Inflate your tyres Trek has been building XC race bikes for over 30 years, and it currently boasts the Olympic XCO women’s champion and world champion on its books, so it knows a thing or two about building a great race bike. Don’t worry too much about things like grips and saddles, as these can be changed relatively cheaply at a later date to suit your personal preference. Look for modern geometry Doesn’t roll as fast as 29in, but easier to turn and accelerate. Generally stronger and lighter than big wheels too. Paired with big volume tyres (2.5in and upwards) you get a more comfortable ride and improved grip.

You’ll need tighter reins compared to a true down-country bike, but the Epic Evo is more than capable of winning on Sunday, shredding on Monday. Sure, but that measurement won’t be quite as accurate as a dedicated bike scale's read will be. A bike scale is sensitive enough to provide the true weight of your ride, with many providing that measurement in pounds, grams, ounces, and kilograms, for easy conversions. Because they’re hooked, a bike scale can also account for anything that’s off-balance while weighing with a regular scale. They’re also more practical to use than holding your bicycle while standing on a scale at home. How We Evaluated Wheel size: 29in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.31kg | Suspension travel: 120mm front | Rating: 9/10 Firstly, it’s critical you get the saddle height sorted for seated pedalling. As a rule of thumb, your leg should be straight, with your heel on the pedal and the crankarm in line with your extended leg. This allows for a slight bend in the knee when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal at your maximum saddle height. And taken with the dialled geometry and finely tuned flex in Whyte’s alloy frame, the 909 X is the closest thing here to riding a soft-tail.Jamis bills the Highpoint A2 as a true all rounder and it’s easy to see why. With big 29in wheels to roll over bumps better and a 120mm travel coil-sprung Suntour XCM 32 fork to take the edge of the harshest impacts, it’s designed for speed, but not at the expense of comfort.

Like all survivors, XC racing has prospered by evolving. Long gone are the three-hour mud-fests on non-challenging terrain. Courses are now shorter and more demanding, challenging riders and equipment, while pushing the visual aspect to make it more appealing for spectators. If the Highpoint A2 is to truly deliver on its promise of being a true all rounder though, it’s going to need calmer steering geometry, better standover clearance, a broader range of gears and a wider range of saddle height adjustment. Wheel size: 27.5in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.47kg (31.9lb) | Suspension travel: 130mm front | Rating: 9/10Who said Plus size tyres were dead? Clearly Whyte doesn’t think so and after testing the 909 X we wholeheartedly agree that they still have a seat at the wheel size table. Combine the high quality frame with the high volume 2.8in Plus size Maxxis tyres, and the Whyte 909 X offers unparalleled levels of comfort, grip and control. Now, we’re not talking full suspension levels here, as it’s only the difference between a 2.4in tyre and a 2.8in, but it is a noticeable improvement and it’s really appreciable in rougher trails. Reasons to buy: Ditching the chainstay pivot has only improved its speed. No more Brain makes suspension set-up easier. A hardtail is a mountain bike that has suspension at the front (a suspension fork) but has a rigid un-suspended main frame and rear wheel. The term hardtail differentiates it from full suspension bikes – with suspension at both wheels – as well as fully rigid bikes – which have rigid forks as well as rigid main frames. What size frame should I buy? Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Most brands will provide an online size guide, that will give you a recommended size based on your height. But be careful with these online size calculators as they’re not always that accurate. If in doubt, we’d recommend you go for the largest size you can get away with that still provides adequate standover clearance. Wheel size: 26in (XXS), 27.5in (XS, S), 29in (M, L, XL, XXL) | Frame sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Weight: 13.2kg | Suspension travel: 100mm front | Rating: N/AThere are two main sizes of wheel on the market. They are 29in and 27.5in. So what are the pros and cons of each? We tested the Trek Procaliber 9.7 a couple of years ago and it blew the competition away to take the top step of the podium in our grouptest, and the current model uses the same OCLV carbon frame with effective, trail-smoothing IsoSpeed decoupler. The Nukeproof Scout started life as a burly, dirt jump/4-cross bike. But over the years the Scout has broadened its horizons, maturing into a capable trail bike, without ever losing sight of its more playful past. And with the latest round of frame revisions in 2022, the Scout is more capable than ever before. It’s also bang up-to-date. Wheel size: 29in| Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 13.9kg | Suspension travel: 130mm front | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to avoid: Old school XC geometry with steep head angle and short reach means it’s a handful on technical terrain. As XC courses have evolved, so too have the bikes. As such, modern XC races will probably see very few races won on a hardtail, with lightweight full-suspension bikes proving to be the most efficient over the majority of race courses. Even at the highest level of World Cup racing, the pros have realised that effective suspension and confidence-inspiring geometry can bring bigger gains than just weight saving and efficiency alone. Ultimately we want a bike to put a smile on our face every time we ride it, and the Vitus passes this test with flying colours. Ignore the recommended tyre pressures printed on the sidewalls and aim for around 28psi front and 30psi rear – adjusting either way by a few psi if you weigh more or less than 75kg. Wide tyres can be run slightly softer than narrower ones, too – as low as 15psi for a 2.8in model.Either way, too hard and they’ll be harsh and offer little grip; too soft and you’ll be more prone to pinch flats and you may even roll the tyre clean off the rim. 2. Adjust your handlebar controls Wheel size: 29in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.88kg | Suspension travel: 120mm front | Rating: 7/10 With the latest round of revisions, the Nukeproof Scout 290 Elite is a seriously accomplished trail bike. And even though it was the cheapest bike in our group test by quite some margin, it still managed to hold its own on the descents while nudging ahead on the climbs. So in that respect it makes for a seriously good allrounder, especially if you’re looking to cover some serious ground with minimum effort. If ever there was a true all rounder, it’s the Bizango Pro. It’s the consummate professional, a modest 29er hardtail that’s strong in every department. The ride quality is superb and it has a blinding specification, with every component part selected for performance and durability.