You can ride anywhere on anything if you've got decent tyres and solid brakes!" It was nothing really, just one of those passing comments I didn't expect anyone to pick up on, let alone take particularly seriously. But someone at GO Outdoors got wind of my bravado and decided to put it to the test, which is how I find myself at the foot of Ben Lomond, in the Scottish Highlands, sitting atop a Calibre Rake 27 hardtail costing just £500*. A drop in the ocean compared to the cost of even a mid-range full-suspension bike - heck, the wheels alone on my main bike cost more than this.
Contenders ready
It'd be rude of me to keep this cost-conscious fun all to myself, so MBUK have sent two intrepid riders north to join me - BikeRadar videographer Robyn Furtado and presenter Tom Law. Robyn confesses that since moving to Bristol she's spent most of her time riding gravel bikes, while Tom is more familiar with the trail centres of Wales than the big mountains of Scotland. Apparently, no one warned them what they were letting themselves in for when agreeing to come on a ride with me! Our plan is as simple as the bikes are affordable to see if we can successfully ride a budget mountain bike up and down a proper mountain. Do we really need to spend thousands upon thousands of pounds to have a good time on bikes, or can it be done for a more realistic price? In the red corner for Team Budget, we have a trio of Calibre Rakes, each sporting a lightweight aluminium frame, 100mm of front suspension, hydraulic disc brakes from Clarks and 18 of Shimano's finest gears (oh yes, dear reader, the front mech is back!).
Bu hikaye Mountain Biking UK dergisinin July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Mountain Biking UK dergisinin July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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...