![]() Great brakes mean you can go faster in the happy knowledge you can stop when you need to, while the 12-speed shifting means you can cruise the hills faster than plenty of full-sus bikes out there. And for our sake, the new Bizango Pro is much the superior bike to anything Voodoo has made before and ultimately more fun to ride. For Halfords’ sake, standing still in the ultra competitive hardtail market is suicide. It must have been very tempting for Halfords to stick with the old frame, add a modern colour, fettle the spec and keep mixing up that winning mix. The Voodoo Bizango has smashed pretty much every test it’s ever entered, winning our Hardtail of the Year award multiple times, earning regular podium places on our list of the best hardtail mountain bikes, and impressing everyone who rode it. Reasons to avoid: You may just be able to stretch to a full-suspension bike at this price. Reasons to buy: Good geometry and superlative spec choices. Voodoo Bizango Pro Amazing value 29er hardtail mountain bike Read our full review of the Vitus Sentier 29 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. One great feature of the Sentier is that you can get it with either 29in or 27.5in wheels for the same price, which helps it accommodate a wider range of rider heights and riding styles. The frame is excellent quality and the ride quality is infectious, but much of the credit for the Sentier’s trail manners can be attributed to the tyres rather than the geometry or the suspension. Vitus as a brand has quickly established itself as the smart choice for anyone looking for affordable mountain bikes that shred hard and don’t cut corners. Reasons to avoid: Fork rattles, gears lack range, uncomfortable brakes. Reasons to buy: Smooth ride, rewarding handling, grippy tyres. Wheel size: 27.5in or 29in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 12.94kg | Suspension travel: 140mm front | Rating: 9/10 ![]() Vitus Sentier A proper hardcore hardtail that won’t break the bank Read our full review of the Polygon Xtrada 5 It’s the clear winner of the sub £700 category in our 2023 Hardtail of the Year test, even if it misses out on a perfect 10 rating. Your body takes less of a beating than on the Carrera and with the saddle dropped you can really motor on the Polygon. With the Maxxis Ikon tyres it carries speed really well, but unlike the Jamis, the frame puts the rider in a more commanding position. Because from the very first pedal stroke it felt like the best riding bike in its class. ![]() We have highlighted the shortcomings of the drivetrain, but we do not want it to be the defining characteristic of the Xtrada 5. The Polygon Xtrada 5 may well sport a dated-looking 2×10 drivetrain but this 29er does have the slackest steering geometry for stability at speed, the lowest top tube and shortest seat tube. Reasons to buy: A top quality frame with up-to-date geometry Wheel size: 29in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.31kg | Suspension travel: 120mm front | Rating: 9/10 Polygon Xtrada 5 A great choice at under £700, despite the old-school drivetrain Read our full review of the Calibre Line T3-27 However, if you sign up and buy a Go Outdoors membership card for just £5, the bike’s price drops to a great value £999. Listed retail price for the T3-27 is £1200. And at £999 on the nose, Calibre has hit the bullseye. The Calibre Line T3-27 is a versatile package you can really shred straight from the box to the trail. It’s got all the big decisions right, with progressive geometry, a quality dropper post, and large volume tyres that let you ride further and faster with greater control. Which is no bad thing, given that Whyte has been at the forefront of trail hardtail design for over a decade now. With progressive trail geometry and large volume 27.5in tyres, there’s been clear inspiration from the Whyte 901 trail bike. ![]() The Line T3-27 marks a welcome return for the Calibre brand to the this price category. Reasons to avoid: Needs a wider gear range, tall bottom bracket height Reasons to buy: Modern geometry, dropper seatpost, large-volume tyres Wheel size: 27.5in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.52kg | Suspension travel: 140mm front | Rating: 10/10 Calibre Line T3-27 Best hardtail mountain bike under £1,000
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