When you envisage a hardtail - that's to say, a mountain bike with no rear suspension - it could be a cross-country (XC) race whippet with a lightweight carbon fibre frame, narrow handlebar, slender fork and scarily slick tyres (see MBUK 423 for a test of those).
Alternatively, you may picture a 'hardcore hardtail' with steel tubes, slack angles, chunky rubber and plenty of front suspension travel so you can ride the fork' and batter your way down techy trails. However, there is a third option, a middle ground if you will, that's reasonably light for punchy climbing but has enough suspension to allow silly line choices and balanced geometry that feels at home on a mix of different terrain.
These bikes and we hesitate to call them 'downcountry' hardtails, especially when 'backcountry' seems more appropriate - are your do-it-all, post-work spin, super-versatile machines. For this test, we've collected four such bikes, each with 120 to 130mm of fork travel. They're all targeted at slightly different riders, though, from adventurous souls who want to disappear for days, to those who want to shred as hard as they can, without the need to lug a 15kg sled around.
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BIKETEST BACKCOUNTRY HARDTAILS
We see whether carbon fibre or steel, big-name value or boutique attention to detail comes out on top on the trails
NUKEPROOF MEGAWATT CARBON 297 RS
The original Megawatt proved itself almost instantly, winning our inaugural E-Bike of the Year award in 2022.
CALIBRE LINE T3 29
£1,100 (with £5 GO Outdoors card) Cost-effective proper' mountain bike
FIRST RIDES
STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX & ONTO THE TRAILS
ROUTES QUICK BLASTS
Facing shorter days and inclement weather, Max finds three satisfying routes that show it doesn't have to be an all-day ride or nothing
GRIME TIME
EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE
TRAILCREW HAVOK BIKEPARK
A hand-cut, rider-built bike park, Havok reopened earlier this year at a new site in West Yorkshire and is still expanding
From dust it did rise
Steve Thomas traces the birth of British mountain biking, from 'tracker bikes' to Muddy Fox
THROW DOWN THE CAUNTLET
In our final challenge of the series, we see if e-bikes really are as good at climbing as they're cracked up to be, as we tackle Antur Stiniog back to front
THE RIDER OFF YEAR' 23
THE BIG REVEAL! You voted in your thousands - now meet our winners...