Exclusive | Calibre bikes is back and the £550 Rake’s geometry looks better than ever

New hardtail with 100mm RockShox Judy fork is first launch from revived brand

By Nick Clark

Published: Friday, 03 March 2023 at 12:00 am

After struggling with supply issues during the pandemic, Calibre has re-entered the market, kicking off with its new Calibre Rake.

The new hardtail mountain bike is available in either 29in or 27.5in wheel sizes, both featuring a 100mm RockShox Judy fork.

The brand says it has tried to provide an affordable entry point to mountain biking, pricing the Rake 29 at £550 and the Rake 27 at £500.

The new frame features modern geometry, with the Rake 29 sporting a 66-degree head angle.

Calibre says we can expect to see the Rake 29 in stores this weekend, with the Rake 27 to follow soon.

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The Rake will be available with 27.5in wheels for the first time.
Calibre

The Rake is the first release in Calibre’s revived range, with more bikes, including a revamped Bossnut – one of the best budget mountain bikes – in the pipeline.

What happened to Calibre bikes?

For those unaware of the brand, Calibre is an in-house bike brand for GoOutdoors, which is in turn owned by JD Sports.

It has been producing well-specced budget bikes for some time, but left the spotlight during the pandemic due to supply chain issues.

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It’s unusual to see a RockShox fork at this price level.
Calibre

The brand says the main factory it was working with cancelled all its orders once restrictions were in place, meaning it couldn’t produce any bikes.

Worse still for the brand was the fact it couldn’t supply any replacement parts, such as bolt kits, rear triangles and bearings for existing customers’ bikes

Calibre says it had to diversify by manufacturing parts in the UK, though this process took eight months to complete.

The brand says it continues to get a majority of its spare parts manufactured in the UK to avoid future difficulty.

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The new Rake’s geometry looks up to date with modern trail requirements.
Calibre

Alongside the Rake, Calibre has said it is working on the return of its cult-classic full-suspension bike, the Bossnut, and there will be new Line hardtail models arriving in summer, ranging from £750 to £1,000.

Revival of the Rake

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The Calibre Rake 29 features trail-ready components.
Calibre

The new Calibre Rake’s frame is made from 6010 aluminium tubing and has been designed around modern mountain bike geometry trends.

The Rake 29 features a 66-degree head angle with a 445mm reach in a size medium, while the Rake 27 has a 67-degree head angle and a 450mm reach.

Calibre says it has steepened seat angles over the previous model to increase climbing ability, with the Rake 29 having a 74.5-degree seat angle compared to 74 degrees on the previous model.

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A quick-release on the seat collar enables quick adjustment of saddle height.
Calibre

Clarks M2 hydraulic disc brakes feature and seem like good a option for trail riding.

Calibre says it has designed the bike with UK trails and weather in mind, with the Rake featuring full-length external cable routing. This should make maintenance easier, as well as minimising water ingress into the gear cables.

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A double chainring should give plenty of range.
Calibre

The brand says it decided to spec the bike with Shimano’s Alivio groupset, which has a double chainring, in order to keep the price down and focus spending on parts of the bike that make it better on the trails. Highlights include WTB’s Trail Boss tyres and lock-on grips.

The Rake 29 is available in a grey colourway, while the Rake 27 will be available in orange.

We’ve got the new bike en route for testing, so look out for a full review in the near future.

Calibre Rake spec and price

Calibre Rake 29

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The Rake 29 features a grey colourway.
  • Fork: RockShox Judy QR 100mm
  • Drivetrain: Shimano Alivio 9-speed
  • Brakes: Clarks M2
  • Wheels: Shu Feng hub, 29in rim
  • Tyres: WTB Trail Boss Comp, 2.25in
  • Price: £550