By Tom Marvin

Published: Friday, 15 October 2021 at 12:00 am


The humble hardtail seems to be going through a mini-revival, with a raft of cross-country, downcountry, trail and potentially even radder rigid frames being introduced.

The advantages are clear. Where uphill speed matters, the direct connection from crank to axle, without some energy-inefficient suspension spoiling the fun, is the quickest way to get up to speed.

Riding rough-and-ready trails on a hardtail might beat you up a little more, but there’s something almost zen-like about being able to pick the smoothest line between the chunder, while pumping through rollers to generate free speed.

Hardtails might also be lighter, easier to maintain and cheaper too, because there are simply fewer moving parts to add weight, a requirement to service or that need building in the first place.

Here, we’ve put together our pick of the best hardtail mountain bikes as ridden, rated and reviewed by the BikeRadar team.

While many hardtails make their way into our best mountain bikes under £2,000 list, competing with the best trail bikes and the best cross-country bikes, the simplicity of hardtails makes them a more affordable option for many.

So, if you’re looking for a less expensive bike you can skip to the best hardtail mountain bikes for under £1,000 below.

We also have a guide on how to choose the right mountain bike for you if you are still deciding what type of mountain bike to pick.