$650 Vs $11,000 Mountain Bikes!

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for your comments on the pricing, we're listening and will take them on board 🤘 Pricing in GBP is as follows: Calibre Rake 27 (UK Only): £550 with £5 Go Outdoors membership or £650 without Marin Rift Zone 29" 1 (UK & US): £1645 Cannondale Habit LT1 (UK & US): £4750 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper T-Type (UK & US): £10,000

[@tonyb9735]

In future, please give weight in kilos too. Here in a modern country, I have no idea what 28 pounds is.

[@frozenshadowzz2422]

Google exists​@@tonyb9735

[@Catdaddy13]

​A pound is 16 ounces your welcome from your big brother the USA 😂

[@Bascott03]

$1600 straight to $5000 is a big jump. A lot of quality bikes that likely fit the most riders lost along the way.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for the feedback! We're always looking for new and exciting videos we can make for the channel... ~ Will

[@edwardcook23]

I think it would be cool to compare one of the cheaper habits like the habit 4 vs the habit LT1.

[@Trooperx86]

I was thinking the same thing. I think like $2500 range would have been better for the second bike and the hard tail be more like $800-$1000.

[@Looking_4_downhill1]

This seems like the hard tail was just thrown in there As a starting point. the second is a budget bike entry level. The third is what happens if you splurge and the fourth looks like you're balling out.

[@Maggie_n_Mitch23]

Lost Along The Way CC , , , , , 😂😂😂

[@marksandoval5361]

There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to the bike price spectrum. It is probably around ~$3500 US full retail at a bike shop.. Most of us would do fine with an aluminum full-sus, Deore 1x12 drivetrain, and Marzocchi fork. That would be my bare minimum. To me that's where you get diminishing returns. Spending more doesn't provide much improvement on performance. If a beginner asked me what should I buy, that's what I would recommend.

[@WilliamrikerNCC1701]

100%. My budget build would be FS, aluminum frame, deore brakes, deore drivetrain (but with XT shifter), Fox rhythm or similar grade suspension. All that 90% of people actually need and can appreciate.

[@minime4215]

@@WilliamrikerNCC1701have this setup but full XT since 2017 on my cube … front, Alu, 1x11 and Brakes are full XT with Fox Rhythm 34 and Alu rims no name with XT Hubs … for me more than enough … biggest difference make tires … still swapping forth and back over all the known brands 🫣

[@a8f235]

And new proper tires because most bikes come delivered with only ok-ish tires that you quickly reach the limits of. Just sell the brand new stock tires to get a few bucks back. Tires alone can make a big improvement on any bike, and is a good investment for your confidence as well.

[@yukiko_5051]

12 speed is too expensive. Try 10 speed deore aluminum hardtail with coil fork

[@kmsbailey405]

Sram GX all the way deore sucks! Shimano makes good brakes though but drivetrain goes to Sram all day

[@YongPark-g3h]

If I had $11,000 to spend on MTB. I would buy $2000 bike and whole bunch of plane tickets to epic locations for riding trips.

[@fiece4767]

Well, you cant put a price on an expirience. 🤷‍♂

[@YongPark-g3h]

@@fiece4767 exactly, imagine how much fun you can have with $9,000 budget for riding trips

[@robcameron9351]

This is the way

[@junli6065]

⁠why not spend $7000 on the plane tickets, $3000 on hotels and rent a full suspension MTB at the resorts?

[@YongPark-g3h]

@@junli6065 You need a bike after you're done with your trips to ride your local trails

[@davehause8571]

Wish you had done the reverse, cheap full squish bike and top of line hardtail.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for letting us know Dave! Perhaps you’ve given us an idea for a future video! ~ Will

[@stevenbassman3305]

@@bikeradarthis is a great idea. id love to see a video like that. great job on this one!

[@Rekmeyata]

I'm 70 years old, what I'm about to say will blow your mind. I used to live in S California, and back in the late 60's and 70's we used to ride trails like what you were on, and worse, in the mountains on ROAD BIKES! We took bikes that had cantilever brakes, and put on the wider rims with 700x35c tires, and some others used the old 27x1 3/8 inch tires.

[@prawnis]

you didnt ride trails like this.

[@Rekmeyata]

@@prawnis Gary, you're young, you don't know what we did back in the day. Even the early Tour de France riders rode mostly on dirt, mud, gravel, etc, very difficult terrain on nothing but road bikes, the TDF prior to WW2 was basically cyclocross riding. It wasn't until after WW2 did roads got paved and the TDF was then on paved roads. So all we did was follow that lead and we rode our road bikes on trails. Of course, we weren't getting air time, and sometimes we had to get off and walk the bike, but for the most part, we were riding trails. Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, and Tom Ritchey, all began riding on mountain trails using road bikes, those guys had their own teams, and I was part of one of those teams based out of Marin County California for a short time, about 2 or 3 months, and I won't divulge who's team I was on. From that experience, they decided to build the first hardtail rigid fork mountain bikes. Joe Breeze was the first maker of a mountain bike called Breezer 1 in 1977, but it took until 1981 for the first bike manufacturer to mass produce a mountain bike, that was Specialized with their Stumpjumper, but it was a hardtail rigid fork bike, but it was a good bike, and people raced those types of bikes, suspension forks didn't come around until sometime in the mid-90s. Then eventually what I used to do came around full circle because now we're back doing cyclocross riding. So you need to do some research before telling someone they didn't do something because you never know who you might be talking to. I left the cyclocross stuff to do road racing instead, and I did that from 1973 until 1983, I won't go into details about what level I was at, it's time to let it lay.

[@keinpietz7697]

@@prawnis manlike garrrrrrry should take an L.

[@Rzagski]

Yeah man started riding MTB’s in 1990 I’m 60. Those rides were rough. New tech makes it fun and faster climbing.

[@GB-ez6ge]

And they cost $100

[@bosross6992]

Here in the Philippines a $650 mountainbike is already considered a high end bike

[@teo7196]

yeah even in france man ...

[@neuzethmusic131]

And here in Austria decent MTBs start at 1500 Euros

[@erencavdar]

In Turkey its just price for solid mid level decathlon bike. Our taxes are incomparable💪💪

[@eguy83]

For sure, couple years back i bought my Orbea Mx everyone look as if it was a 5k bike but it was just a 700 hundred usd bike 😂

[@WiscoActual920]

650 bike will suit 90% of riders none of us are gonna push the more expensive bikes to their limit

[@IIISentorIII]

That "$11,000" S-Works Stumpjumper Costs $7'500 right now here in Switzerland 😉 Last Year I did Buy the Carbon Stumpjumper Comp for $3'000! on Sale and put on some Carbon Elite Wheels pro 36 for another $600. It's now 28.2 lbs (12,8Kg)after making some other small changes during the year, the frame is 100% identical to the S-Works and a Dream Bike! Cheers from Switzerland

[@bikeradar]

Oh wow! Sounds like you got a bargain there and are already on the upgrades! Happy riding. ~ Will

[@justsayin3600]

I bought my 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Pro S3 for 6,300.00 U.S. It's definitely best to wait for sales!

[@rambler1277]

I just picked up a '22 Stumpjumper EVO Comp for $2k and I probably overpaid. I also bought a Pivot Switchblade for $5k and it's way better than the SJE, but I haven't bombed any mountains yet. Best deals are used, but beware of immediately having to have your suspension services, replace cassettes, brakes etc.

[@zxszert573hg46]

It's now between 6000 and 6400 euros in europe

[@matthewbrocke4298]

I just bought a Kona Process 134 for $1999 plus tax (cdn). It has Shimano Deore parts, Rockshox Recon up front and a Rockshox Deluxe in back and a dropper post. I can't wait to ride it. I'm still keeping my hardtail.

[@bikeradar]

Very nice! That sounds like an absolute bargain, enjoy! ~ Will

[@johndef5075]

Great deal! Should be a fun bike. Deore is bulletproof. Ive been riding mtb 34 years and my main bike has Deore drivetrain and brakes. I did just build up an Sworks epic frame with full XT though. Just havent got to ride it yet😅

[@besomewheredosomething]

@@johndef5075 Nice! I'm finishing an '17 S-Works Camber 650b build. While it's an "older" frame it was new in the box with the rear shock. Will get to ride it tomorrow. Full Fox Factory "Gold" coating setup (including the dropper post) ;)

[@benw4401]

You’ll never want to ride hardtail again.

[@Anythingyoulike2013]

Built a 7.9kg bike with pedals for under £800. R8000 drivetrain, r8000 rear derailleur, dura ace front derailleur. Xtr shifters.

[@rambler1277]

I'm 54 years old, have plenty of money socked away and have bought exactly 3 brand new bikes in my life, one in Jr High, 1 in College and 1 last week. Don't regret any, or the used ones. $5k for a Pivot Switchblade XT/XTR and honestly it's incredible.

[@ctsingletrack]

I think I would spend just slighty more to get the Riftzone 2, with a dropper, and better spec all around. It will still cost less than half the price of the Habit, and the frame geo and kinematics are very good on that bike.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Give me the budget hardtail all day every day! Budget bikes benefit from all the research into frame geometry and overall advancements while not having to pay for that research and development. I can also chain it up for 5 min while I get snacks at the store and not worry about someone with a grinder stealing it.

[@Jacob99174]

Thursday, at 3am?

[@WilliamBeaver-tb9nt]

I got a new huffy rock creek 29 and just recently got new tires for it, Kenda sport nevegal 29 2 20 and this bike handles everything at the trexler nature preserve

[@coonepaul]

In whos world is that a double black diamond trail? And if this is MBUK why are you talking in dollars???

[@TripleRRRs4eva]

Because America fuckin rules dollars up pounds down

[@Titot182]

Us FOD locals have said the same thing. However, Forestry have got big plans with the FoD cycle centre and have graded the trail based on the features they're looking to put in. Compared to BPW, none of the trails are even what you'd consider Black, save for GBU. My 9 year old daughter can get down sheepskull and ski run, the latter being a double black (but plans are afoot to put in features that would warrant it)

[@Zumifey]

@@TripleRRRs4eva😂

[@h.nry007]

@@TripleRRRs4eva well not quite the pound is stronger so for us americas quite cheap

[@bikeradar]

@@Titot182 Thanks for the update! Massive respect to all the Dean Forest Volunteers, they do an incredible job. It's been wonderful to watch FoD evolve and I get excited every time I see something new up there! ~ Will

[@andrejhaluska4061]

Everything over 4K is wasting money.

[@NOT-GOJO-BOI]

I agree

[@James-u5v4y]

3k bike with a decent mid drive motor and concealed battery installed will save anyone 7k. Turn it to eco and the weight is not even noticeable. Over 4 grand is definitely a waste of money

[@davidpratt4258]

100%

[@Yuh12356]

🧢

[@michaelKOTD]

Anything over 300€ and off facebook marketplace is wasting money 😂 like bro if youre making less than 100k a year salary you should be investing that money not paying 4k for a bike 😂 Wagey4ever

[@jasonwooden]

The hardtail with 27.5s appeared to have way too much air pressure in the tyres. The whole point of 27.5s on a hard tail is to drop the pressure some and use the tyre for your suspension.

[@WilliamBeaver-tb9nt]

I have a hard tail with 29 2 20 tires and it's a blast. Just recently got new tires, Kenda sport nevegal 29 2 20 tires

[@TonInter]

Great video! I'd go for the cheapest one. There's a certain charm about it and also makes you work a tad harder, which isn't a bad thing in my book.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for sharing! It was a really entertaining ride. And great value!

[@MW-ud8zp]

not dropping the saddle is a cardinal sin

[@manitolas]

depends,on smooth surface we xc-ers use it for stability,but it works better on ht

[@francoinvisser4058]

I think we can all agree that the Cannondale is the dream bike here.

[@eliahdude1411]

my english teacher had a cannondale habit, and i was allowed to bike on one trail with one time, and let me tell you, it was awesome.

[@IIISentorIII]

Was it consensual?

[@eliahdude1411]

@@IIISentorIII ofc

[@neuzethmusic131]

Very happy with my 1000 Euro Cube 29 Hardtail. Even some casual single trail/downhill is possible.

[@tjh221]

I like the 5k bike. I bought a Norco Fluid fs3 ($2Kcad)bike 2 years ago, every part is upgradeable, only bought better fork so far. I have no complaints on how it rides.

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like a good bike! There's some great bargains out there around that price point... Thanks for commenting! ~ Will

[@bennychenMTB]

Can’t be a black run let alone double black! But good opportunity to test these back out on your local trial. I will be keen to try them out in my black runs. Good work

[@2Philthy]

All 3 MTBs I bought are from bikes online. First was $1,700 from Bikeonline with dropper, tubeless, good spec & all I needed as a beginner MTBer. I sold it & upgraded to a Marin Alpine trail 7 with bigger travel (160/150) & slightly better spec because i was progressing & hitting bigger features & trails. Another year later I found myself wanting long xc days once a week & ride enduro type rides the other few days. So i bought a Superior XF 939 Ultralite Aluminum. Amazing bike spec on sale for $1,800. 29 lbs with 140/130 travel that takes care of my longer xc/trail days without dragging the extra weight & suspension on my Marin. Then i have my marin for Emduro & bike park days. Its all I'll ever need & dont have any desire to ever spend beyond $3,000 on a bike. Most people will be just fine with one bike around 1,000-3,000 range depending on their wants & style. But i ride 3-5 days a week I enjoy the two varieties & if one bike is down with repair i have the other to ride.

[@parkerhope4557]

Great video man and lots of attention to detail. One issue I had is it would have been nice to see a time comparison for all four bikes. Other than that awesome video.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

27.5 until I die, love the 650b wheels :)

[@jasonwooden]

Ya, he appeared to have them air-up too much. Amazing how much suspension you can get out of a properly-aired 27.5 tyre.

[@seattlegrrlie]

I also ride 27.5. Smaller tyre, better handling

[@eightlivesdownmtb]

$? GO Outdoors don’t ship outside the UK 🧐

[@BongaDonga-lx2hc]

Long story short, I had never owned a bike until four years ago. I was in the thieves' market in Barbès, Paris-a very dangerous place, so don’t add it to your visit list if you ever go to Paris. I bought a Rockrider 540 XL for €120 from a friendly Algerian man. I replaced the brakes for €35 and changed the pedals for €30. Now, I ride through all kinds of mountains. Just yesterday, I was at a mountain lake, riding up and down all over the place. I can't imagine how incredible it must feel to ride a €600 bike-it must be amazing!

[@ringmaster_wow7165]

I like that the sounds of the bike and the road are clearly audible.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks! We aim to please! ~ Will

[@ericduan19]

I have a Giant hard tail bike for like $550 and it's awesome. I can already go to lots of places where road bikes couldn't. The only downside of a hard tail is that I can't really jump over obstacles because there's no spring in the rear. I once tried to jump over a small drainage trench & I landed the gears on the side of the trench & I broke the wire of my gear shifter. Just know your limits and you'll have lots of fun!

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like you had a few adventures on the Giant! Glad you'e enjoying the riding! ~ Will

[@jacobtorbert2241]

This is a really great breakdown. If you’re a new rider, I recommend you start on a ht. Spend a little more money if it’s in your budget. Hardtails are a blast and imo gives you a different connection to the trails.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for the positive comments and for the advice to new riders! ~ Will

[@Omenxiiii]

I haven’t ridden my bike in about a year. Just watching you climb makes me feel the burn in my lungs lol

[@bikeradar]

Haha, it was great fun trying to tackle it again and again. I think I prefer the descending though 😂 ~ Will

[@VicharB]

If I had 11K just for bikes, mandatory, I would go for 2K bicycle and 9K for motorcycle. :) For now I am happy with my Mongoose Switchback 2020, and upgraded with Shimano CUES U6000 10-speed groupset (originally Tourney XT 3x7 speed), MT200 hydraulic brakes (originally mech brakes), EXA Form 900i dropper and installed SR Suntour XCR32 RLR air fork. For all these I paid under $350 and ~$90 servicing. Think I am good to go for another 3 years. :)

[@person.X.]

100%. $2K would get you a decent bike and $9k a decent moto. A lot more value than the whole $11K on a bicycle! 😀

[@andymoss4285]

Drop the cheap fs seat post, and do the drop. The bike can definitely cope with it

[@acidead97]

I do not understand why he refused to drop the seat on any bike that didn't have automatic drop. Its not like people buying the cheaper bikes wont drop the seat just because its not automatic, so it just felt very biased towards the expensive ones

[@HOV4N]

Great video to compare different price points! I’d like to keep it in the mid level price and upgrade parts based on personal preferences and style. 🚲🚲

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for the comment! Happy riding 🙌 ~ Will

[@frozenxgls3708]

my mountain bike was $400 and i got it discounted so i ended up paying $114 and its been sick!!!

[@bikeradar]

Bargain!!

[@Thafree]

you should use specilized for your next 650 its a 29 and a really good bang for your buck

[@gablof]

My santa cruz heckler SL AXO crushes all of these bikes. Even not using the battery it climbs well (im in shape) and it goes down like a magic carpet.

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like an impressive machine! Thanks for commenting! ~ Will

[@francisdelacruz6439]

I’d say the usd 650 bike is more fun and scary at high speeds. Under biking is always fun!

[@davidcoomber4050]

The guys who started the whole MTB craze would have thought the cheap bike was a luxury item, you don’t need to spend big bucks to enjoy a ride it’s just big boys toys to part with 11k

[@bikeradar]

You're so right! There are some great MTBs out there for a lot less than £11k. But that Stumpjumper S-Works. WOW! ~ Will

[@jaydengorg997]

Nice Video Bro but one thing what I see is that stick at 4:29 😂 got me laughing so much

[@bikeradar]

Gotta balance those bikes Jayden 😅 ~ Will

[@markbatarina4512]

Intro was definitely a Doug Demuro intro but with mountain bikes.

[@bikeradar]

Haha, I just watched some of his vids and I totally agree! He has 5m subs so I will definitely take that as a compliment ❤️😅 ~ Will

[@theprofitmohamhead1268]

I WENT ALL OUT CRAZY 2 YEARS AGO AND BOUGHT THE 2023 SPECIALIZED S-WORKS ENDURO LTD AND HAVE NEVER REGRETTED IT ONE DAY SINCE.

[@samharris82]

same here except S-Works Epic Evo. Absolutely love every second of riding it. And looking at it too!

[@theprofitmohamhead1268]

@@samharris82 ESPECIALLY THE LOOKING AT IT PART!!!🫠🤣

[@bikeradar]

Pleased to hear it! I loved riding it and was very sad to send it back to Specialized 😢😂 ~Will

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

11 grand and the brakes sound like a goose being goosed.

[@keinpietz7697]

YEAH, JUDGING BY THE STUCK CAPS, YOU DID GO CRAZY INDEED, FELLA.

[@victorrosario4109]

Good video! It really shows you and teaches us just one simple lesson. It is not the Bike It is the Rider. Of course having a nice bike is always a pleasure. Cool video.

[@bikeradar]

Well said! And thanks very much for the positive comments! ~ Will

[@mylesmackey2430]

The only issue with that hard tail is that the head tube isn’t tapered, so there aren’t any good fork upgrade options, which means you’d have to buy another frame to get a good fork. For just a little extra, you could get a frame with a tapered head tube and a bike you could actually keep forever

[@simonm1447]

you can run a tapered fork in such a frame relatively easily if you use an external 1,5'' cup bearing on the underside of the headtube. On top you can run the normal semi integrated bearing. Brands like Starling use this setup as standard from factory on, they use a normal, straight 1 1/8'' headtube in general

[@averagemanonabike]

Man I'd be happy on a Raleigh Activator as long as I was riding 🔥🇮🇪😃

[@bikeradar]

Here here! It ain't what you've got it's how you ride it! ~ Will

[@erod6468]

My Evil Insurgent MX is built and all in all the way I specked it, it's around $9500. I love it and it rides so insane. I did it because I can and that's what I wanted. I work hard and play even harder. Ride what you love or what you can afford. Stop the hate.

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like an incredible machine! Thanks for sharing. ~ Will

[@tomaskoky5244]

Now in the Czech Republic, the Habit LT is £3414. I have an older Habit 2020 that I love. I've done some upgrades on it. If you've never ridden a bike like this, you don't know what you're talking about. If you sell your old bike (if it's for sale), a new LT can run you $2220. That's what I do 😉

[@AJcyrus24]

Meanwhile me riding a 120$ bike

[@TivonSanders]

You guys should've got the Giordano Intrepid for the budget bike. That bike looks amazing.

[@Stockfish1511]

Money buys happines. You just cant convince me otherwise.

[@xxwookey]

Well, _some_ money obviously, but spending ten grand on an MTB is wildly unnecessary, and will add very little happiness over spending 1/10th as much, as this video demonstrates.

[@Stockfish1511]

@@xxwookey If you have alot of money, spending money on a ten grand will not make you sleep less and it will give you alot of joy. There is no mountain biker that would get 10 grand bike and not be happy. I have 9 grand 2022 bike and it made me really happy. In fact i switched from 1 grand bike and it made me alot happier than 1/10th. Also widely unnecessary is widely opinionated. It all depends what kind of riding you do, what your demands are. This video demonstrates for the average rider. I like to you do 5 hours enduro rides on 1k bike course of the week. Your spinal cord will be splattered and your body will be beat. Main reason why i switched because the 1k bike was killing my body for the type of riding i did. If you will take 10k bike and ride casual trail ride on aftgernoon with your wife or kid. Then yeah go for 1k bike. Bikes from 4k up are highly specialized for certain riding. No 1000 dollar bike will be able or come close to the riding a 10k bike will give you.

[@deniskane7870]

You double black trail looks like a low blue in our language.

[@freddobar6498]

That’s uk trail centres for you

[@IIISentorIII]

In Switzerland it's something between a gravel and XC trail 😁

[@Descenter1976]

Started riding MTB about 4 years ago on a Trek Roscoe 8 (about 1.500$ in my country), yesterday I upgraded to a Trek Slash 9.8 GX ATX Gen 5 (about 8.000$ in my country)

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for sharing! Both great bikes and pleased to hear you're still enjoying MTB! ~ Will

[@CS_247]

My first MTB was a Diamond Back Apex, with NO suspension, bought new in 1988 . We rode all kinds of gnarly shit, without fancy gear or even helmets. Given, we didn't get massive air. I STILL have that bike, (well, the frame, anyway) and its components have been upgraded over the years. I have other more modern bikes, and a Specialized Turbo levo, but i still prefer to ride my old Apex. Why you need to ride a bike that costs more than a car just to get some fresh air in the woods just blows my mind.

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like an impressive machine! It's not what you've got, it'd how much you enjoy riding it! ~ Will

[@StreetComp]

I have a hard tail Marin San Quentin 2 that cost $1400 and it’s been a great bike, has a dropper post and well worth it for anyone new looking to buy, though it’s pronounced with accent at the end, ma-RIN 🙂

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for sharing! Love the look of the geo on the San Quentin's... ~ Will

[@DemonFox..]

Bro $600 I use a $270 target bike last time I did a jump the rear derailer snapped it’s been broken for 6 months if you have any bike you don’t use I will gladly take it off your hand any bike is better then my bike and it will free up space so you can get a nicer bike😂 keep up the good work love the vid

[@bubblefish8670]

Replace the Cannondale LT1 with Specialized Stumpjumper evo for around 3k-4k USD, which is the sweet spot in terms of what you are getting versus money spent for what you really need for average people.

[@PawnSacrifice]

If you want to appeal to a US audience use bikes available in the US, or stick to UK an GBP. For the Calibre and Marin dropping the posts would have allowed moving around on the descent for a more equal comparison. Also, know the products, effusing about the tyres on the S-Works as if they're something special when they're seen as a budget friendly option and certainly cheaper than those on the Cannondale. Having watched a lot of Stumpjumper Evo tests, and trail bike field tests over the past couple years, what's interesting is that most favour the SJ Alloy Elite over the carbon SJ bikes and it's around the same price as the Cannondale! There was a good point about the rear suspension giving better traction, with the Sumpjumper the more interesting point with that bike is the fact that the kinematics are so good you don't need to lock it out. If you do one of these again it would probably be worth talking to the pros and cons of each change, internal cable routing, neater but can be noisy and harder to work out, AXS more robust, slick, but need to charge batteries... internal storage is a big one, totally missed. What are the marginal gains and are they worth it? Good work using the same route.

[@kingoftroll2.061]

Talkng about prices... The 650$ bike on my country Will be 3x or 4x more expensive. And looks Nice btw

[@francisgrins9566]

10.000 USD + is pointles to buy complete bike! Unless it is on atleast 40% discount! That money is meant for a proper build, as cons of slight cost decrease and even slightly higher quality components! Many websites offer huge discounts on the very top range parts almost all year round too!

[@TheDaltonmichaels]

watching you ride down hill with the seat up especially on the hard tail is wild lol. idk why but my attention went straight to it. i feel like i use the full range of my legs as additional suspension when i ride which would not be possible with the seat in the climbing position. if you ride a hard tail while seated down hill your not riding the bike , the bikes taking you for a ride. lol.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks! I have SO much respect for how XC racers managed before dropper-posts were invented. Riding without being able to bend my legs was really difficult! ~ Will

[@horizon2667]

Love that rustic kick stand on the Marin ;)

[@bikeradar]

We stick to what works ;-) ~ Will

[@johannesrahm3900]

I bouth me an 1400€ Hardtail and i love it 😍 Orbea Alma H20

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like a beast! We're filming a video featuring a hardtail very soon. Watch this space! ~ Will

[@richardvankastle359]

Starting with a Marin Rift Zone frame I built up my own 26 lb full suspension bike for a little over $3000 USD including the frame price. I waited for parts sales and did some wheeling and dealing and got my dream bike for much less money than retail. That includes a fox factory 34 fork.

[@johndef5075]

26 lbs. is impressive. Should be a ripper.

[@richardvankastle359]

@@johndef5075 Just had my first trail ride of the year yesterday. Man it's fun flicking around a light bike.

[@johndef5075]

I just built a 2017 Sworks Epic WC from a new old stock frame. Full XT 12 speed with a Fox 32 Stepcast fork. With alloy cockpit and wheels its 25.2 lbs. with pedals. The bike is amazing and ended up costing around $2800. Couldnt be happier.

[@johndef5075]

​@richardvankastle359 im firmly in the light fast category. Shocked at how much some new bikes weigh.

[@richardvankastle359]

@@johndef5075 Beautiful! I love flicking around a light bike

[@TimHulbert-q9f]

$? Why?

[@josegregoriogonzalez874]

My second bike I got it used. Stumpjumper S-Works FSR ST 27.7 for 4.5 K USD (Model 2020). A super bike for 50% of the sticker price. I would say just have patience and look for good eBay opportunities ;-)

[@aruppert314]

3:06 anyone else wonder what actually happened to this guy right after this point when he called the bike very cool and confidence inspiring?? Awesome video just thought it was a fun cutaway cause I’ve been in that situation right before the mud hits out of nowhere!

[@bikeradar]

Hey, thanks for watching so closely! Believe it or not, I DID make it down unscathed. Trust me, if I had crashed and landed face-first in a puddle of mud, there's no way videographer Max would have cut that out! KZbin gold he would say 😂 ~ Will

[@aruppert314]

@@bikeradar i’m notoriously one of the guys who makes a comment if I ever do without watching the whole video through. You seem to do just fine on all the other laps across the exact patch 😂

[@frederikclaeyssens9201]

Let me just chime in at 7:56 for a second. 3 compound motorcycle tyres use A LOT more rubber and steel reinforcements and are barely more expensive. Food for thought eh?

[@MegaBros64]

Why u not talking in GBP when riding in FOD, UK? 🤔

[@pab26120]

I like the hard tail. I remind well when my friend with a hard tail go so fast that I cannot follow him with my full suspension bike. 😊. With this expérience, it confirm again to me that you can go faster with each bike.

[@pab26120]

I explain my loss. Because my Friend was 5 years younger than me. 99% of raison. And 1% because hé was better rider. 😂😊

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for commenting, there are lots of hardtail fans out there! You're right - the rider is the most important component on any bike! ~ Will

[@glickenn723]

would still ride a hardtail cause 1. im broke 2. even tho like 90% of the time full squishies are faster hardtails can do the job and give you a fun ride

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for sharing! We're planning some videos featuring hardtails as I write this so watch this space! ~ Will

[@donparsons1237]

The funnest bike is the $650 dollar bike because you'll have $10.400 dollars too travel on all around the world... $10 k is alot of fun when traveling

[@bevhilkn5583]

used to ride a TREK Dual sport 2, conwerted it to MTB with new wider fork and wheels. Well then it got stolen so i switched to motorbikes and i do not regret it)

[@azteczulu1]

This is just my personal opinion as a bike tech (many other techs agree) with a major bike manufacturer, I would NOT buy or ride a carbon fiber bike to do jumps or very technical trails. Once you know, you know. Expensive bikes are pretty but once you break things, expensive bikes (yes, the manufacturers tell you its covered under warranty...blah, blah, blah) becomes super expensive and/or time consuming to fix.

[@tyarnold4088]

What manufacturer?

[@bobcantstandzyobitz9778]

I would have assumed most rear suspensions were lockable, like front suspensions. I guess not. I don't do mountain biking, though, just hybrid on gravel or paved trails, so I'll stick with my Giant Cypress for 800 dollars. That dropping seat post is really cool, though.

[@DR10002]

I have a 12yr old bike with SRAM twist grips and a new bike with the SRAM GX Eagle AXS. Old twist grips shift so much faster, you can grab 8 gears instantly def like them better.

[@rantingwrench]

"Clark (sic) M2 brakes" as the camera pans over a set of calipers with 'SHIMANO' emblazoned on them. A minute in and we're off to a good start, lads.

[@simonm1447]

These brakes are (like you say Shimano) MT200s with RT10 rotors. Still a decent combination for beginner bikes.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

... there are still plenty of people who think 27.5 is better as 29, and not 'all modern bikes' come with 29'ers... even more, any GOOD bike will come in different sizing, and any GOOD BIKE in a small size, comes with wheel sizes which fit the frame ... like, you can buy 2924 bikes with 26 inch wheel sets. It doesn't matter they are XS frames.

[@rubensonorio8805]

Great video🙌but what was the time difference for the rides ??😇

[@bikeradar]

Hi Ruben, great question! We didn't actually do any timed runs on these four bikes, but perhaps that's an idea for a future video... ~ Will

[@mtb_flowrider2746]

I know FOD when I see it. Just curious though. You’re at a bike park in England but pricing the bikes in dollars. Why?

[@Emtbtoday]

I think your just used to big ass 29ers now as just got a full sus embt with 27.5 wheels and there huge! When you come from old kona stinkys and Giant Atxs the 27.5 wheels are massive, to be honest I'm glad I didn't go for the 29in wheel version think it would be way to much bike and to top heavy. It's my first year back to mtb but went straight for the full sus! My days are well gone when I'd have another hardtail

[@evandude20]

I personally think the cannondale run looked the best

[@bikeradar]

Style matters

[@McSchwabl]

The shock on the s-works hasn’t even a piggy bag

[@streddaz]

It’s a trail bike, not really needed.

[@McSchwabl]

@@streddaz I think it does, the geometry is really capable, you will even take it to the bike park

[@streddaz]

@@McSchwabl if you were hitting bike parks up regularly, you would be better off with the Evo. That has a piggyback shock. All a piggyback does is hold more air and/or oil for more fade resistance. You only need this if you’re doing very long, rough descents, all day long. I have a Stumpjumper Expert, and often ride Maydena bike park and still have never needed a piggyback shock. Unless you’re hitting DH level trails, 90% of the time a piggyback isn’t warranted.

[@Iseenoobpeoples]

I had 5 bikes I can't go back to hardtails under 2.5k and fully under 5k, the frame alone is worth a lot so you need some money left for the components otherwise they will be heavy and/or weak and have poor performance. I need a tank that is light.

[@Ben.kg1]

i love the mustache pal ;)

[@mas3ymd]

2:23 He discovered mountain biking. ….using your legs for rear suspension.

[@hoozentroger]

So the conclusion is that all of these are comfidence inspiring! 🤔

[@bikeradar]

Well, yeah! They all have wide bars, short stems and well sorted geometry. They're all highly competent at mountain biking, offering great value for money. But, as with so many things; the more you pay, the more you get! ~ Will

[@eatdahl]

That cannondale is now £2850. Got a 40% discount

[@trickyrickymtb5622]

I'd take the Marin and upgrade it

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for commenting! That's the great thing about a bike with a good frame - you can just keep upgrading it! ~ Will

[@locusgaudi]

I'd suggest buying your buddy who works in a local bike shop a really good bear and asking him to help you out with sifting through a local second hand bike market. You can find some ridiculously amazing deals there... and you might end up with an overpriced lemon. That's why it's really important to have someone who really knows his stuff when you are going to check the potential deal out. My friend went to buy a bike during the evening and missed a rust spot. Ended up with a busted fork. I one the other hand got a full kashima sus, 1*11 xt drivetrain and tallboy 2 frame in great condition for little more than $1300. Something of compatible quality new would easily have costed 4-5 times as much. And the difference wouldn't have been all that great anyway.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for commenting! Buying used bikes can be really tricky and experience is key! ~ Will

[@Groaznic]

This guy loved all the bikes. He just loves to ride bikes XD

[@bikeradar]

Who hates riding bikes? 😂

[@shellparsley5799]

This week my Cube Hybrid action team 140 gets delivered, can't wait...

[@AnthemX100]

You are in for a treat my friend! I have one and they’re awesome. Enjoy !

[@janniklaswittmann1667]

I have a small fleet, 200mm dh, 160/150mm enduro, 180/180mm ebike and a gravel, I find myself on the ebike / gravel most of the time. All of those bikes together didn't cost that much, if you spend 11k on an mtb, why wouldn't you buy an ebike 😂

[@James-u5v4y]

I've used mountain bikes at different price ranges. And I'll tell anyone new to cycling this. You 100% do not need to spend thousands on any bike unless you're competing professionally in trail/enduro events. The difference in price is saving 1 or 2 seconds, and that has no real purpose in the real world. 1 to 2 grand is the best price point

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like you've given this some thought, thanks for commenting! ~ Will

[@rambler1277]

I'd have to disagree. The refinement and ride quality on a more expensive bike is way better than a cheap bike. Just buy used or on discount. I think the XT/XTR price range is about right. Weight, shifting performance and shock performance all improve with cost.

[@maciej_ma]

Why you didn't drop saddle on first 2 bikes on a downhill? For me it is unfair comparison.

[@gonzalomarsilli5741]

11000 bike is just for that 1% pro that is sponsored and that other mid biker that can afford it. there is always a fantastic sweet spot price bike that can do the same that this one, just a little heavier.

[@bikeradar]

Great point! I hope that came across in the video: All these bikes are a great way to enjoy mountain biking, but if you spend more you do get more performance! ~ Will

[@person.X.]

$11K for a bicycle is madness. You can get a great motorcycle for that money!

[@DavidDavid-yk3oc]

Nice vide. I would take S-Works 😊

[@bikeradar]

Thanks! It's an incredible machine and a joy to ride! ~ Will

[@siskabrutsaert7718]

Bro Really Said, With a hardtale “I Will now drop into a double Black dimond” that Wild😂

[@ValorChappell]

its probably just the camera angle but that double black diamond trail looks really easy but im sure its probably not that easy

[@TeleCS]

Awesome vid. What helmet are you wearing.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for the feedback! It's a Troy Lee A3 in Uno Camo Blue colourway: troyleedesigns.co.uk/products/sp22-a3-helmet-uno-blue

[@TeleCS]

@@bikeradarthx mate.