While most trail riders are probably set on a full-suspension bike, if you’re more concerned about cross-country speed you can get some really great hardtails for around the £1,500 / $2,500 / AU$3,500 mark. You’ll potentially get a proper lightweight, high-control fork from Fox or a lightweight carbon frame for gradual upgrading.
In the case of Haibike’s Freed, you’ll get both – and will be laughing all the way to the finish line.
This isn’t just a generic carbon chassis that you could find being sold direct on the internet either. It’s a class act with a big down tube dropping away from an extended stiffening box behind the tapered head tube before swooping past the bottom bracket into deep chainstays.
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Futureproof frame
A curved tapered top tube flows into bridgeless seatstays for maximum mud clearance, while a 142x12mm rear axle keeps the rear wheel tight. It’s bang up to date in terms of futureproofing too with removable covers for Shimano Di2 electric shifting or the Japanese component giant’s new side-swing front derailleur standard.
Related: Best mountain bikes under £1,500 / $2,300
Haibike’s European designers clearly believe in traditional geometry rather than any of that newfangled slack head angle nonsense. Actually that’s a bit unfair, as they have eased the head angle out slightly to 70 degrees and the 70mm stem is stumpy by XC standards, while the bars are reasonably wide.
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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