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Read our guide: What mountain bike frame size should I ride? What’s the best wheel size for a hardtail? Bird offers custom builds and our setup with wireless SRAM Eagle, Formula Selva R fork, SRAM G2 RSC brakes and DT Swiss rims on Hope hubs proved to be excellent value for money. 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 A full suspension mountain bike is a great choice for those that want to ride hard with comfort and peace of mind. As you have seen from the models above, there are lots of top-of-the-line mountain bikes that focus on the front fork.

It also makes it easier to move around the bike, because there’s no horizontal head tube in your way, and improves seated comfort because more seatpost is exposed, which adds compliance. Reasons to buy: Smart Assist mode and Fox Livevalve make for seamless ride experience. Impressively light. Agile and capable. Plenty of adjustability When riding the bike, the Panasonic GX Ultimate motor offers four levels of support. In addition to three classic modes, it also has a dynamic Auto mode, which claims to adjust the assistance according to the riding situation. In the highest support mode, the motor provides a good deal of support. Its power output doesn’t decrease significantly at a low cadence, giving you that shuttle feeling on forest road climbs. Due to the sustained assistance, you can easily let it push you over ledges or other obstacles in technical terrain, but it also means you’ve got to brake hard when stopping in a hurry. The Auto mode feels somewhat abrupt and unnatural on level terrain, but it comes into its own on uphill trails. Here, it offers even more precise and sensitive assistance than the highest mode, making it easier to harness its power. The GIANT SyncDrive Pro 2 motor system It seriously impressed us, writing: ‘from the first pedal stroke the Procaliber took the lead in this test and never faltered. We were instantly won over by its effortless turn of speed, in part thanks to the carbon wheels, but it’s also about the more forgiving ride quality of the frame. Bumps just didn’t chip away at our speed as much as they did on the other bikes on test. And even when we were out of the saddle, the Procaliber was still the smoothest bike here.’ This means a more simplistic, competent bike for newcomers unsure about mountain biking, or a finely-tuned 29er for those in need of an upgrade.

Carbon or aluminium?

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. However, all this simplicity is ideal for this teen+ bike if buyers view it as an entry-level, budget option for teenage boys. There is enough here to offer a comfortable, secure ride without going over the top. 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.

With 150mm fork travel and 140mm rear travel with mixed-size wheels (29er front, 27.5 rear), this top-spec model boasts SRAM GX Eagle AXS wireless groupset with powerful SRAM Code R brakes for powerful braking control. There are cheaper models available though, if your budget doesn’t stretch quite this high.

The choice mostly comes down to the main reason for buying the bike in the first place. Consumers can’t be distracted by interesting details if they don’t suit their needs.

Reasons to buy: Can hang with the best enduro bikes on the descents and leave them for dead on the climbs. Unobtrusive motor accentuates the positives. Six unique geometry settings Mountain biking is a dynamic sport, and you’ll be moving around the bike a lot when you’re riding. It follows, then, that you want plenty of clearance over the top tube when you’re standing astride the bike (called ‘standover’ height, and around three inches is a good starting point) but enough length between the seat and the handlebars that you don’t feel too cramped when sitting down and climbing. Note: this guide only covers non-assisted mountain bikes. If you’re looking for the best electric mountain bikes, we’ve got a special guide for that. Jump straight to your price point: Nowadays you can get 29ers with decent amount of suspension travel (up to 170mm – more for DH) and with decent geometry, so the wheel size debate has fizzled out. Some brands even offer two versions of each model, one with 27.5in wheels and one with 29in wheels, so you can just choose the option that suits you.These top rated mountain bikes show that there is a lot to consider when choosing a product. Some of them are designed a little more with speed in mind.