GO Outdoors brand revives Bossnut trail bike with 29in wheels and RockShox Deluxe Select shock
Calibre has resurrected its Bossnut mountain bike after a four-year hiatus caused by pandemic production problems.
The new trail bike runs on 29in wheels and features 5mm more travel than the previous model, with suspension up to 135mm on the rear, matched to a 140mm fork.
Spec highlights include a RockShox Deluxe Select rear shock and serious Maxxis tyres front and rear.
The GO Outdoors brand says the new Bossnut provides the same value proposition as the original bike, offering riders an entry-level full-suspension build at an affordable price.
Like most of the store’s offers, the bike is cheapest when bought using a GO Outdoors Discount Card, which brings the price down to £1,499, although the card will cost you an extra £5.
Cult comeback
The original Bossnut became a cult classic in the UK when it was launched in 2015, opening up serious mountain biking to many without a huge budget.
Calibre has aimed to replicate this recipe with its latest iteration, with the new Bossnut looking to be a competitive proposition for those buying their first mountain bike.
The new design is said to be more capable than the previous bike, while retaining playfulness and reactivity.
This has been achieved by updating the geometry and upping the suspension travel from 130mm front and rear to 135mm at the rear and 140mm at the front.
Calibre says it has focused on creating a solid frame worthy of adding upgrades to as the rider’s ambitions grow on the bike.
The brand says it has made a “custom clunky tubeset” with redesigned forgings to ensure the bike stands up to a beating, stating no one has been able to break a frame during the testing process.
The silhouette is reminiscent of the old bike, although there appears to be a strong resemblance to Cannondale’s aluminium Habit.
Unlike the previous bike, the Bossnut now uses Boost spacing hubs, enabling you to use the latest and greatest mountain bike wheels, while increasing rigidity.
Cable routing remains external, which while not as refined-looking as other modern trail bikes, offers easy replacement and servicing.
The front triangle has space for one bottle cage on the down tube and two tool mounts under the top tube.
Slacker geometry
Calibre offers the Bossnut in five sizes, from XS to XL, with the S to XL bikes rolling on 29in wheels and the XS using 27.5in wheels to lower the standover height for smaller riders.
Head angles have been slackened from 66 degrees to 64.5 degrees, which should make the bike more stable when the trail gets steep.
The effective seat angle measures 78 degrees and is said to give the bike a composed climbing position.
Calibre Bossnut spec and price details
Calibre has specced some seriously impressive components on the new Bossnut. RockShox takes care of the suspension with a Recon Silver RL fork and a Deluxe Select R shock.
Shimano’s Cues U600 groupset is used for shifting gears, matched to the Japanese brand’s BL-MT401 brakes on 180mm rotors front and rear.
For the first time, the Bossnut comes with a dropper post as standard, with the length of the X-Fusion Manic LC changing through the size range.
Sizes S and XS come with a 125mm drop, M with 150mm, and L and XL with 170mm of drop.
Calibre has specced a 2.5in Maxxis Minion DHF tyre on the front and a 2.4in Maxxis Forekaster on the rear, which should give you enough grip to test the bike’s capabilities.
All this appears to make the new Bossnut great value for money on paper.
- Fork: RockShox Recon Silver RL, 140mm
- Shock: RockShox Deluxe Select R
- Drivetrain: Shimano RD-U600 Cues
- Brakes: Shimano BL-MT401
- Wheels: 30mm ID (rims), Shimano (hubs)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in (front), Maxxis Forekaster 2.4in (rear)
- Price: £1,499 (with GO Outdoors Discount Card)