Full-Sus For UK Trails
Full-Sus For UK Trails
Much like our weather, UK trails are notoriously varied and can make finding your perfect full-sus MTB somewhat difficult. Though the N+1 principle may solve the issue at hand, chances are your wallet won’t feel so good afterwards – so that begs the question: what’s the best bike for the job? We’ve assembled our team’s top picks for all things UK trail riding, so whether you’re attacking your local singletrack or sending it in the Afan Forest, these full-sus MTBs are up to the task!
Trek Fuel EX
The Fuel EX is a particular favourite amongst the Hoops team, with the EX 7 or EX 8 being our go-to specs thanks to their excellent price-to-performance. Whether you’re buying your first full-sus MTB or bringing a new one into the fleet, there are plenty of options in the Fuel EX range that’ll cater to all budgets.
From local trails to BikePark Wales, this bike is capable of all kinds of riding. 140mm of travel at the front end, 130mm at the rear – this combination eats up trail features but won’t slow you down on smoother terrain, especially thanks to the custom-tuned RE:aktiv damper for increased pedal efficiency and bottom-out prevention. The Trek Fuel EX is specifically versatile – for the multi-discipline, mixed-terrain MTBer, this is a great option.
£2325.00 £1650.00
£2950.00
£3450.00
£4200.00
Trek Remedy
Going fast on technical trails is something we all strive to achieve, and the Trek Remedy is more than capable of facilitating that! This long-travel, 27.5 trail riding beast isn’t afraid to be thrown around, cornering on rails even on loose terrain. 160mm of travel in the fork and 150mm at the rear enables the Remedy to eat up anything in its path without slowing you down on steep inclines.
The Trek Remedy’s geometry is playful and places you in a central riding position for efficient climbing, whilst the Mino Link gives you the ability to slacken off or stay upright depending on what riding you’re doing! The features don’t end there – Trek’s own Active Braking Pivot shifts the pivot location to the axle, eliminating the dreaded brake jerk, and each fork is upgraded with a DebonAir spring and Charger 2.1 RC damper for perfectly posed descending and agility on tricky trails! Should you get your hands on the Trek Remedy (it’s like gold dust!), tackling any trail will be a breeze and a bucket load of fun!
£2750.00 £1787.50
£3450.00 £2242.50
£5850.00
Whyte T-140 S
As their trademark trail bike, Whyte makes some big claims with the T-140 S, and we’re here to tell you that they’re all true! This 27.5 mid-travel full-sus machine has been designed in the UK, for the UK, and it shows – balancing agility with composure, it’s suited to almost any scenario.
The aluminium frame is a sturdy foundation for a lightweight seriously bling bike, optimised around their signature Total Geometry with a shorter offset fork crown – a favourite amongst many experienced enthusiasts and professionals alike! The T-140 S makes use of all 140mm of travel that the fork provides, and paired with 140mm travel at the rear it grips hard and corners fast. Complete with all of the trail riding accoutrements like a dropper seatpost and 1x12-speed groupset, whether you’re newbie or veteran, T-140 will put a smile on your face!
£3350.00
Whyte T-160 S
The T-160 S isn’t far removed from the T-140 S, and that’s certainly not a bad thing. Introducing 29er wheels and – as the name suggests – 160mm of fork travel into the mix, this full-sus MTB bridges the gap between trail and enduro, ready for any occasion! It’s even decked out with a Bike Yoke Revive 160mm dropper seatpost – if that doesn’t get you excited then we’re not sure what will!
The aluminium frame is as lightweight, strong and stiff as we’ve come to expect from Whyte, ticking all the boxes of a high-performance full-sus MTB. Its progressive geometry is suitably slack to provide neutral handling and enables you to ride fast with ease. Should you want to switch things up, the Shape It Link allows you to tweak the angles and BB height with ease to suit your preferred riding style. With 150mm of travel at its disposal, the rear shock has been carefully tuned to minimise squat and prevent compression under rider weight for better performance on tough terrain – planted and ready to launch into the rough stuff, this well-specced full-sus stallion is built to perform.
£3399.00
Orbea OCCAM
For the trail purists that want to dip their toes into something new, this fast-rolling 29er could be the one for you. The M30 comes with a full carbon frame for maximum performance, delivering on low weight, strength and race-ready stiffness. You’d be forgiven for mistaking the H30 as a carbon bike too, as the triple-butted aluminium frame is seriously slick with its smooth welds being particularly pleasing to the eye. It doesn’t lack performance either: lightweight, robust and suitably stiff, the Orbea OCCAM is a full-sus MTB that’s just as capable up the climbs as it is heading back down.
Long, low and slack – the OCCAM’s geometry makes handling controlled and composed. The shorter seat tube makes way for a longer dropper post, with the steeper angle favouring an aggressive position for powerful climbing up technical inclines or railing corners and berms, while asymmetric linkage reduces the load on the pivots for increased efficiency over rough terrain. If you’re looking for a full-sus MTB that will hold its own at either end of the UK, the OCCAM is a hot contender!
Want to see more of what we’ve got to offer? View our range of full-sus MTBs here, or why not come in and talk to our team and benefit from the riding experience of our staff!
