There is one thing that is common for Kona and Voodoo. Joe Murray (even tho he isnt with the brand anymore, but the mentality of their bikes is still there). So these bikes must be good and fun.
I can vouch for the Rockhopper frame. I had the previous generation (2018) but it was flexy and the geo wasn’t inspiring. It had a factory bad weld so I was given a warranty replacement 2022 Rockhopper frame and it’s night and day different (better)! Stiffer, shorter seat tube, longer reach, and slacker head tube. I generally like XC geometry, so this is a perfect middleground between my 2011 Epic FSR and my 2021 Polygon Siskiu D6. Built it up with Carbon wheels, XT 1x11, EC44 lower cup to take a tapered 120mm Reba fork and PNW Loam 170 dropper. It shreds at 27 lbs. It’s honestly my favorite bike currently. Climbs like a goat, descends like mad.
just got a second hand Moots hardtale off of eBay. Apart from components it'll probably outlast me. But what a pleasure to ride. The previous owner is a mechanic of two plus decades and had changed out some of the components for a dream build
Most people view hardtails (traditional MTBs) as entry level MTBs now anyway. Whether they cost 5k or £500, they ride as a hardtail and have the same limitations. A proper MTB now is a full susser, hardtails add a touch of nostalgia to your stable 👍
@@richardburns5925I started with a hard tail, went to a YT Jeffsy, and am now going back to an aggressive hard tail. The YT was fun and super capable, but it didn’t make me laugh as much as my cheap Giant Talon did. I personally enjoy the “sketch factor” 😂
Loving my ragley marley only payed £880 from chain reaction n kitted out with rockshox recon 130 solo air, maxxis minion dh 3c, shimano deore 1x10 sunrace 11-46t cassette, shimano mt400 brakes 180 rotors, nukeproof neutron wheelset n 2 tone paint job. Lovin it
Must be time for filming 2023 Entry level bikes should be reviewed with a nod or more to upgrading 130 max travel in a HT ? My trailstar is happy with 160mm - it’s understandable sub £1000 bikes come with entry level forks but it’s also something most people are going to want to upgrade - limiting the geo is just going to limit fork upgrades Anything 5mm QR isn’t worth reviewing unless you can swap dropouts or you’re forever stuck with it. Severely limiting wheel and for the front fork upgrades. Nothing specifically that bad about QR except buying new wheels, especially mixed 15mm/5mm as a set. That then affects fork so it’s a economic dead end Straight headtubes are almost as limiting- better a tapered with a conversion crown race or you gain 10-12mm of stack using an external to use modern forks when you upgrade. There should be a penalty in this day and age for non tapered headtubes and 5mm QR. These are something saves pennies off a bike to the manufacturer but costs a small fortune to the consumer to upgrade. Nothing wrong with square taper other than weight unless you are laying down 500W - UN55 will outlast a frame and certainly any shimano or sram external BB just torque it up and use some thread lock Best part it’s BSA threaded so you can upgrade later (and don’t fit euro tapered cranks to Japanese tapered BB’s Whyte just build bikes for people with long legs .. if you can use a 120mm dropper on a whyte you can use 170 on pretty much any other brand. (My trailstar is running 200mm with 20 mm spare but I can barely slam a 120 on a whyte frame) Obviously most beginners looking at entry level bikes want something to ride straight from a shop or box but I built that shouldn’t be an excuse to use a frame that can’t be economically upgraded
i just bought a Vitus Sentier 27-5 i had a Nucleous before that but the Sentier is just brilliant im in the process of upgrading and once Im done it will be awesome!!
Why is the voodoo in a direct sales category when it should have been tested with the shop bought ? Only place I know you can buy one of these is halfords in UK?
Absolutely, you're right, the Voodoo can be bought in a shop. But because Halfords owns the Voodoo brand and sells it, it only needs to add one margin to the price - a brand like Kona or Whyte has to build in a margin at wholesale and then a margin at retail, so it's not a level playing field.
the gold fork on the bizango i saw a fix online for it being harsh,they made a spacer for it out of an old credit card i think for the piston and it cured it.
Tip: We have been using square taper cranks for over 20 years on multiple bikes and never had a failure. It is all about proper bolt torque. Other designs have their benefits, but nothing wrong with square taper cranks. We always use sealed BBs and have never had one fail or get pitted. Keep the water out and you are all good. Our oldest Shimano sealed cartridge BB is 20 years old and still working with slight noticeable wear.
@@MBRmagazine Been cycling for over twenty five years and that includes racing. Been doing mtb riding since mid 1990s. Never had an issues with quality square taper from Campy and Shimano. Like all bearing devices bearings will wear over time. Still have a sealed BB that is in an older mtb that is still usable and that bike gets used every week. Other bottom bracket designs are mainly to reduce weight and claim stiffer design. Most is smoke and mirrors to sell a design. I have bikes with ISIS bbs that shown worn bearings after just a few years.
You guys should check Thrill Wreak T140, absolute under 1k price tag, just around $500 Boost thru axle front and rear with 140mm fork and internal dropper seatpost routing ready on the frame, so you can upgrade with dropper seatpost when need it. But it only comes with 27.5 wheelsize, hope they make 29 version soon
For anyone interested, Kona just lowered the price on the Mahuna in June 2024. It is now $849 USD (666.80 GBP as of this post for conversion) instead of $1199 USD.
Great tests, I haven't heard of voodoo before bike looks sick. I recently picked up a '21 Vitus Nucleus VRS and it's more than I can ask for at the moment, I need to get more skills to match it!
I've been riding voodoo bizango since 2015. Very good bike. Still looks good today. Even the local bike thief's like it. Caught them twice trying to steal it. Looking at the pro version now. And two SAF D locks.
@@c120xy it wasn't always Halfords. Voodoo are very good don't knock them. I've been riding mine hard and fast for 7 years and never had any problems. Normal wear and tear.
Picking up my Bizango pro this week as a replacemt for my very loyal and long suffering Rock lobster titanium frame. At 46 I am unwilling to spend big bucks anymore but really looking forward to hearing out and based on the reviews, seem to have made a decent choice.
@@mattman1066 for the money - excellent tbh. Ridden mainly South downs, friston which it has handled without any problem at all. Off to Scotland and France next year and taking with. Needs another 3-400 spending on it to make it really special but even at that price point, with the upgrades, not much else would come close imo. Very happy with the purchase and given my more hard core riding is well behind me it should serve me well until I inevitably go full time roadie.
How many times Ive watched these (very thorough) videos and cringed whenever the guy on the left talks over or interrupts the guy on the right.. It hurts every time.. Good testing though..
Have to agree. For the first half of this video I didn’t mind what you and others making similar comments meant, but the second half of the video underscored the interrupting. I think it was/is they have very different talking paces, and the guy on the right would overlook certain key talking points (gearing, brakes and grips, etc) and the guy on the left would ‘lead’ the other guy towards sharing that info.
I appreciate the entry level / budget minded comparisons, but they don't make justice to the beauty of riding a real hardtail. These comparisons, without an equivalent open-budget one, are giving the impression that hardtails are cheap, entry level bikes. I have never seen a full blown, no holds barred comparison of top of the line hardtails.
But why spend so much on an HT and not save a little harder for a full sus? These bikes, of course, may be the owners only MTB, or their HT when not using their full sus......... unless all MTBers should need to be rich (Eeb owners)!?
@@computerbob06 I agree that if you have only 1 bike it's better to spend all your effort on a fs bike unless you're a hardcore ht fan. I myself have 2, a ht and a fs. Love them both. The ht is a full blown downcountry Yeti ARC the other is a trail/enduro Canyon Spectral. So I ride the bike depending on the trail. In summary, I'm interested in the top ht's out there.
When we started this test back in 2013, it was devised as a test of entry-level bikes and has evolved with that purpose in mind. You're absolutely right, high end hardtails have a passionate following and we try to cover them in other tests during the year, but we believe strongly that it's the new riders coming into the sport with a tight budget that need the most hand holding and advice to ensure they get the best experience possible. Which is why this test is arguably the most important one we do every year, and why the price point is so important.
I'm looking to buy my first proper mountain bike and I think i've settled on either the voodoo bizango Pro or the Kona Mahuna.. Either bike will give more that i will be asking for it and i might not even notice a real difference in quality and components! but the question is! How do I decide... Both bikes look incredible but the Kona it just WOW! i can also find it for £800 at a local shop where as the Voodoo is 950 and not in stock until September (if they don't sell out before I get chance!) but there's just something about the way they talk about the Bizango in this video that is drawing me too it! I spose i could buy the Kona and have £150 to spend on gear but i just cant decide! help me!
I've got the Trek Roscoe 7 2021 and love it.. super quick on trails, minor things could do with better gears, and so wished it had bolt thru-axle on the rear... So as well as having Trek Roscoe for my trails, I've also got a bargain hardtail xc bike, Polygon Xtrada Seven which retails at £900 I got it from go outdoors for £599 comes tubeless ready, plus 12 speed shimano deore with a 10-51 cassette and 32T chainring, although this is a large from, the top tube is definitely a little shorter than my Trek Roscoe and I've had to put a 90mm stem to help with my cockpit area... comes with Suntour Xcr air forks which to be fare performes quite well, but no boost , which means my next wheel upgrade I'll get some rock shoxs boost 29ner and hopefully make my Polygon Xtrada Seven that little bit more enjoyable.. 👍😉
I have been on a Roscoe 7 for about a month and it is an absolute blast of a bike. Coming from an XC bike I'm impressed all around. One complaint are the brake levers but that's an easy fix.
Ragley Marley 2.0, and new voodoo wazooo are my favorite, I think I can buy voodoo across the pond now, anyone now if that two cubed bike is still around, I worked at a bike shop, i put ao many together.
Hello, I have one concern regarding the head tube angle of the Kona Mahuna. It says on their website that the ht angle is 68, whereas your review here states that it is around 66 degrees. May I ask what is correct between the two? Did the Kona website made an error?
I thumbs-upped this, but honestly I couldn't say as I haven't ridden anything else!! It's just that that's what I bought, therefore it's the best. Done.
Thanks a lot for your detailed reviews ! Love the way your talking about bikes. One question, you said that the Mahuna has a 66.5° head angle, but Kona website says 68°. Could you confirm ? Thanks !
@@MBRmagazine Thank you very much. It crazy to think that the manufacturer himself communicates wrong geometry numbers ! Other question, do you think that a QR axle is really a limiting factor for someone who is not riding super engaged stuff. When I read reviews it feels like a QR axle is a must have in 2023, but I've always had QR on my old bikes, I never lost a wheel nor break a hub.
It's quite tricky for brands to produce accurate geometry as there will be tolerances within frame manufacturing as well as component manufacturing that can add up to relatively big differences in the real world. That's why we always go to the trouble of measuring and weighing the bikes. In answer to your second question, a quick release fork is not a deal breaker. Yes, if you ride hard, or if you are bigger or heavier than average, you may notice the additional flex, but at this price point its a better compromise to make than a frame with the wrong sizing and geometry. Hope that helps.
How can you chose a bike that is completely unavailable? I tried for months and months to get this, but its not available in any nearby stores or via delivery.
@@richarde1355 given that its called hardtail of the year I thought it was pretty obvious that I was talking about the Bizango which won it... but just to clear things up I was referring to the Voodoo Bizango... which I spent months looking for without success so ended up buying a much more expensive Whyte
@benhawkins882 I think he meant that it's not a primarily street bike that can do some soft trails (dual purpose/dual sport). He said it's definitely a proper mountain bike.
Was going to get the voodoo but there's no stock !! Just got a whyte 901 v5 for £999 down from £1850 . Haven't taken delivery yet but I'm hoping I made the righg decision as I've never had a whyte !
Out of interest , after hearing what you said about the recon 35 fork ! Mine has the recon gold , is this one you've tested amd does it suffer from the same damping issue you baught up with the voodoo ?
Not sure tbh! There are quite a few Recon models and some are oem only, so hard to tell without riding the bike. Tbh the problem on the Voodoo wasn’t a huge deal.
I'd probably invest in a second hand bike & get more for yr money; I currently ride a 20 year old 16" SC Chameleon but I could buy a spare bike as well...just a thort;
I have a 2004 Specialized Hardrock XC and the Rockhopper Elite looks a lot like my bike. Which to me is a good idea, since the 2004 frame was very agile even if the rear end was not that stable. I hope they have reviewed this, with all the subtle changes in the frame.
Pity the frame is so weak, don't put a big fork in it and jump it. The headtube is super thin and the under gusset is lacking. I've got one with a split head tube
@@janeblogs324 Thanks for that. I fitted a 80-130 Rock Shox Tora and usually ride singletrails in Sintra or others not that aggressive. Or even cruise in the city... I kept it because it's a lot of fun and by now it's not desirable by anyone else...
Wow, did I hear that only one bike has hydraulic brakes at this price?? Got into mountain biking 5 years ago and I've no doubt these prices are going to put so many people off in the long run.
Have a look at the Vitus Nucleus or the Voodoo Braag. Both are recommended at around that price point. See here for more... www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/best-mountain-bikes-under-500-331305
I'd have thought that Trek's X-Caliber 7 would be a better buy than than the Rosco at this price. The XC bike has better spec components and weighs less. Full Shimano Deore Hydraulic and a RS Judy.
I don't understand why you've restricted this year's test to £1k when prices have shot up in recent years? Surely you've limited the audience to beginners only, which is an important category of course, but you've alienated your wider audience
We've always kept the HToY test to sub £1k bikes so it's not a new thing. Above £1k decent full-sus starts to become an option, and that's where we'd say most (not all) riders are better off putting their money.
Nope, I canceled my order and open a ticket with paypal to get a refund, took about 2 weeks. They have been telling people they have them in stock, but they do not and i found people that were waiting over 8+ months to get one. I ended up getting a Roscoe 8 with the Trek Summer sale, a little more then what i was planning on spending, but have been very happy with it.@@the850project4
We did try to get a Stoic but Canyon didn't have one available. We've ridden one before and it's a great handling modern hardtail, but the cheapest model gets a Suntour fork that probably can't match the performance of the RockShox. Also the drivetrain isn't as wide-range. But it certainly looks good for the price.
the last test ive watched you a least got proper brakes and brad spec components for 1k so go out and spend 1,3 to 1,5 k to get a proper mtb like the canyon stoic or rose hardtale or something similar
Canyon Stoic starts at £899, but Canyon didn't have one available for test. And while the frame's really cool, the fork and drivetrain are not up to the level of the Voodoo.
So the bizango pro comes in a xl frame size of 20 inches , my 2018 bizango (the orange one ) is also a xl but its 22 inches . I'm 6f.1 inches tall . Does the 2 inch difference in frame size make the bizango pro too small for me ?
@ all hardtail riders: lasst euch nicht für dumm verkaufen. sucht euch ein hardtail bis 2500 euro das gerade ein update bekommen hat und deshalb im abverkauf ist. ihr bekommt um rund 1400 euro (zum beispiel aktuell orbea laufey) ein top ausgestattetes bike für kleines geld.
@nate What are you talking about? These bikes have hydraulic brakes and air forks. And the prices came down from what they were in this video, so you can get one of them and your own dropper.
Man that Kona is such a nice looking bike.
Been riding Kona hardtails since the 90s. Never had a bad one, always fun, stable, and long-lasting 👍🏻
I have a 2018 Kona Honzo Carbon, best bike I’ve ever owned!
Just got my hands on a second hand 2022 Mahuna and loving the ride. Fast stable powerful drive. Love the purple color also.
There is one thing that is common for Kona and Voodoo. Joe Murray (even tho he isnt with the brand anymore, but the mentality of their bikes is still there). So these bikes must be good and fun.
I can vouch for the Rockhopper frame. I had the previous generation (2018) but it was flexy and the geo wasn’t inspiring. It had a factory bad weld so I was given a warranty replacement 2022 Rockhopper frame and it’s night and day different (better)! Stiffer, shorter seat tube, longer reach, and slacker head tube. I generally like XC geometry, so this is a perfect middleground between my 2011 Epic FSR and my 2021 Polygon Siskiu D6.
Built it up with Carbon wheels, XT 1x11, EC44 lower cup to take a tapered 120mm Reba fork and PNW Loam 170 dropper. It shreds at 27 lbs. It’s honestly my favorite bike currently. Climbs like a goat, descends like mad.
Wow. You should make a video of this bike!! If you do, please let me
Know
Thank you for such a great video, by far the most informative and helpful of all that I’ve watched
just got a second hand Moots hardtale off of eBay. Apart from components it'll probably outlast me. But what a pleasure to ride. The previous owner is a mechanic of two plus decades and had changed out some of the components for a dream build
Moots are some of the most expensive bikes I've looked at how much was yours
*Best Entry Level Hardtail should be the title.
Thats what most people want
Exactly right
I have no interest in cheap stuff
Most people view hardtails (traditional MTBs) as entry level MTBs now anyway. Whether they cost 5k or £500, they ride as a hardtail and have the same limitations. A proper MTB now is a full susser, hardtails add a touch of nostalgia to your stable 👍
@@richardburns5925I started with a hard tail, went to a YT Jeffsy, and am now going back to an aggressive hard tail.
The YT was fun and super capable, but it didn’t make me laugh as much as my cheap Giant Talon did. I personally enjoy the “sketch factor” 😂
Kona knows there stuff .. I won honzo for many years 💪
Loving my ragley marley only payed £880 from chain reaction n kitted out with rockshox recon 130 solo air, maxxis minion dh 3c, shimano deore 1x10 sunrace 11-46t cassette, shimano mt400 brakes 180 rotors, nukeproof neutron wheelset n 2 tone paint job. Lovin it
We need deals like that in Canada. Value town for an incredible bike.
👌nice rig, i almost added it to my basket from chain reaction🤔great price but i wanted a 29er😅👍
Must be time for filming 2023
Entry level bikes should be reviewed with a nod or more to upgrading
130 max travel in a HT ?
My trailstar is happy with 160mm - it’s understandable sub £1000 bikes come with entry level forks but it’s also something most people are going to want to upgrade - limiting the geo is just going to limit fork upgrades
Anything 5mm QR isn’t worth reviewing unless you can swap dropouts or you’re forever stuck with it. Severely limiting wheel and for the front fork upgrades. Nothing specifically that bad about QR except buying new wheels, especially mixed 15mm/5mm as a set. That then affects fork so it’s a economic dead end
Straight headtubes are almost as limiting- better a tapered with a conversion crown race or you gain 10-12mm of stack using an external to use modern forks when you upgrade.
There should be a penalty in this day and age for non tapered headtubes and 5mm QR. These are something saves pennies off a bike to the manufacturer but costs a small fortune to the consumer to upgrade.
Nothing wrong with square taper other than weight unless you are laying down 500W - UN55 will outlast a frame and certainly any shimano or sram external BB just torque it up and use some thread lock
Best part it’s BSA threaded so you can upgrade later (and don’t fit euro tapered cranks to Japanese tapered BB’s
Whyte just build bikes for people with long legs .. if you can use a 120mm dropper on a whyte you can use 170 on pretty much any other brand. (My trailstar is running 200mm with 20 mm spare but I can barely slam a 120 on a whyte frame)
Obviously most beginners looking at entry level bikes want something to ride straight from a shop or box but I built that shouldn’t be an excuse to use a frame that can’t be economically upgraded
I just got the Specialized Fuse Expert 29r and its been a blast to ride.
i just bought a Vitus Sentier 27-5 i had a Nucleous before that but the Sentier is just brilliant im in the process of upgrading and once Im done it will be awesome!!
ive upgraded to a Mythique
Why is the voodoo in a direct sales category when it should have been tested with the shop bought ? Only place I know you can buy one of these is halfords in UK?
Absolutely, you're right, the Voodoo can be bought in a shop. But because Halfords owns the Voodoo brand and sells it, it only needs to add one margin to the price - a brand like Kona or Whyte has to build in a margin at wholesale and then a margin at retail, so it's not a level playing field.
the gold fork on the bizango i saw a fix online for it being harsh,they made a spacer for it out of an old credit card i think for the piston and it cured it.
Got a link for this??
Tip: We have been using square taper cranks for over 20 years on multiple bikes and never had a failure. It is all about proper bolt torque. Other designs have their benefits, but nothing wrong with square taper cranks. We always use sealed BBs and have never had one fail or get pitted. Keep the water out and you are all good. Our oldest Shimano sealed cartridge BB is 20 years old and still working with slight noticeable wear.
The square-taper design is ok for light off-road riding, but is not strong enough or durable enough for full-on mountain biking.
@@MBRmagazine Been cycling for over twenty five years and that includes racing. Been doing mtb riding since mid 1990s. Never had an issues with quality square taper from Campy and Shimano. Like all bearing devices bearings will wear over time. Still have a sealed BB that is in an older mtb that is still usable and that bike gets used every week. Other bottom bracket designs are mainly to reduce weight and claim stiffer design. Most is smoke and mirrors to sell a design. I have bikes with ISIS bbs that shown worn bearings after just a few years.
What about the polygon direct sales bike? The xtrada 6 or 7 would have fit in your price range.
The mahuna is on super sale at the time of this writing, just picked one up and I am excited to ride it!
@jhrly what was your "super sale" price?
Lots of great bikes around that price from brands like Diamondback and GT that should be looked at.
I own the new bizango normal model and love it
You guys should check Thrill Wreak T140, absolute under 1k price tag, just around $500
Boost thru axle front and rear with 140mm fork and internal dropper seatpost routing ready on the frame, so you can upgrade with dropper seatpost when need it. But it only comes with 27.5 wheelsize, hope they make 29 version soon
Hi there where can i buy these bikes in the UK ?
For anyone interested, Kona just lowered the price on the Mahuna in June 2024. It is now $849 USD (666.80 GBP as of this post for conversion) instead of $1199 USD.
Great tests, I haven't heard of voodoo before bike looks sick. I recently picked up a '21 Vitus Nucleus VRS and it's more than I can ask for at the moment, I need to get more skills to match it!
Voodoo is a Halfords (UK car store) brand
My Vitus Sentier VRS 27.5 hardtail 2021 is an awesome bike.
After a year, started doing some upgrades.
I've been riding voodoo bizango since 2015. Very good bike. Still looks good today. Even the local bike thief's like it. Caught them twice trying to steal it. Looking at the pro version now. And two SAF D locks.
@@c120xy it wasn't always Halfords. Voodoo are very good don't knock them. I've been riding mine hard and fast for 7 years and never had any problems. Normal wear and tear.
@@jasonrouse6912 I wasn’t knocking them, I just stated where they’re from…..currently
Where is the giant fathom?????????
Why no Nukeproof scout V3?
Edit: didn't notice the £1000 pricepoint.
1000 lbs or less. It is priced at a higher price bracket.
@@s14tat then they should have called it budget hardtail of the year ;)
Picking up my Bizango pro this week as a replacemt for my very loyal and long suffering Rock lobster titanium frame. At 46 I am unwilling to spend big bucks anymore but really looking forward to hearing out and based on the reviews, seem to have made a decent choice.
How is the pro?
@@mattman1066 for the money - excellent tbh. Ridden mainly South downs, friston which it has handled without any problem at all. Off to Scotland and France next year and taking with. Needs another 3-400 spending on it to make it really special but even at that price point, with the upgrades, not much else would come close imo. Very happy with the purchase and given my more hard core riding is well behind me it should serve me well until I inevitably go full time roadie.
I have one and love it as is! Smooth, stable, fun and no imminent need to upgrade anything
pretty sure all bikes cost less than a thousand pounds of weed. lol i got that rockhopper elite. its been great. fits perfect and is fun af to ride.
How many times Ive watched these (very thorough) videos and cringed whenever the guy on the left talks over or interrupts the guy on the right.. It hurts every time.. Good testing though..
THIS
Have to agree. For the first half of this video I didn’t mind what you and others making similar comments meant, but the second half of the video underscored the interrupting. I think it was/is they have very different talking paces, and the guy on the right would overlook certain key talking points (gearing, brakes and grips, etc) and the guy on the left would ‘lead’ the other guy towards sharing that info.
Came here for this comment
I appreciate the entry level / budget minded comparisons, but they don't make justice to the beauty of riding a real hardtail. These comparisons, without an equivalent open-budget one, are giving the impression that hardtails are cheap, entry level bikes. I have never seen a full blown, no holds barred comparison of top of the line hardtails.
But why spend so much on an HT and not save a little harder for a full sus? These bikes, of course, may be the owners only MTB, or their HT when not using their full sus......... unless all MTBers should need to be rich (Eeb owners)!?
@@computerbob06 I agree that if you have only 1 bike it's better to spend all your effort on a fs bike unless you're a hardcore ht fan. I myself have 2, a ht and a fs. Love them both. The ht is a full blown downcountry Yeti ARC the other is a trail/enduro Canyon Spectral. So I ride the bike depending on the trail. In summary, I'm interested in the top ht's out there.
When we started this test back in 2013, it was devised as a test of entry-level bikes and has evolved with that purpose in mind. You're absolutely right, high end hardtails have a passionate following and we try to cover them in other tests during the year, but we believe strongly that it's the new riders coming into the sport with a tight budget that need the most hand holding and advice to ensure they get the best experience possible. Which is why this test is arguably the most important one we do every year, and why the price point is so important.
Why didn't the Merida big nine 200 not make the list?
These things have gotten heavy over time. I had a Trek 8300 in the 90s and that thing only weighed about 12kg.
True, but smaller wheels, smaller frame, less robust build.
I'm looking to buy my first proper mountain bike and I think i've settled on either the voodoo bizango Pro or the Kona Mahuna.. Either bike will give more that i will be asking for it and i might not even notice a real difference in quality and components! but the question is! How do I decide... Both bikes look incredible but the Kona it just WOW! i can also find it for £800 at a local shop where as the Voodoo is 950 and not in stock until September (if they don't sell out before I get chance!) but there's just something about the way they talk about the Bizango in this video that is drawing me too it! I spose i could buy the Kona and have £150 to spend on gear but i just cant decide! help me!
@@ap6584 should have mentioned condoms as well
Kona is a lot of fun.
I'm interested what you guys can say about "Marin pine mountain 2"
What does everyone think of the Whyte 801? For £875?
On one scandal.. aggressive hardtail..bang for the buck
Please pick your preference between the two winners. Regardless of where you buy them, which was a better ride?
Any further advancement from bikes mentioned?
Also
Mahuna vs Bizango Pro?
just bought a vitus nucleus 29 any thoughts or coments or comparison between this and the sentier???
I've got the Trek Roscoe 7 2021 and love it.. super quick on trails, minor things could do with better gears, and so wished it had bolt thru-axle on the rear...
So as well as having Trek Roscoe for my trails, I've also got a bargain hardtail xc bike, Polygon Xtrada Seven which retails at £900 I got it from go outdoors for £599 comes tubeless ready, plus 12 speed shimano deore with a 10-51 cassette and 32T chainring, although this is a large from, the top tube is definitely a little shorter than my Trek Roscoe and I've had to put a 90mm stem to help with my cockpit area... comes with Suntour Xcr air forks which to be fare performes quite well, but no boost , which means my next wheel upgrade I'll get some rock shoxs boost 29ner and hopefully make my Polygon Xtrada Seven that little bit more enjoyable.. 👍😉
Marin Bobcat trail 4 and polygon xtrada 5....which one would you suggest
Put a volume spacer in that Recon.
It's probably worth the extra then for the Roscoe 7, which has the updated frame & geo.
I have been on a Roscoe 7 for about a month and it is an absolute blast of a bike. Coming from an XC bike I'm impressed all around. One complaint are the brake levers but that's an easy fix.
Will you do a best cafe for mountain bikers award?
So....Kona Mahuna is a better buy than a Specialized Rockhopper?
I'm pretty much down to those two options....
Rockhopper is more of an old school cruiser for mellow trails and dirt paths. The Kona is more modern and aggressive.
@@MBRmagazine Thanks!
Ragley Marley 2.0, and new voodoo wazooo are my favorite, I think I can buy voodoo across the pond now, anyone now if that two cubed bike is still around, I worked at a bike shop, i put ao many together.
Calibre two cubed.
Yes, Calibre is back and we have one in the new hardtail of the Year test we’re working on now. Think it’s one of the Line models from memory.
I love my 2022 Giant Talon 1 29er
Hello, I have one concern regarding the head tube angle of the Kona Mahuna. It says on their website that the ht angle is 68, whereas your review here states that it is around 66 degrees. May I ask what is correct between the two? Did the Kona website made an error?
We measured the actual geometry of the bike, whereas Kona would probably have taken the geo from their technical drawings.
Great video, was the sentier a XL or L, just wondering if i could get away with the large, and avoid the long seat tube?🤔
Thanks! It was a large.
@@MBRmagazine when do you think the 2023 sentier will be released🤔
The best is the Giant Fathom 1 .
I thumbs-upped this, but honestly I couldn't say as I haven't ridden anything else!! It's just that that's what I bought, therefore it's the best. Done.
I would of had a fathom in there and a scott aspect really good bikes
Thanks a lot for your detailed reviews ! Love the way your talking about bikes. One question, you said that the Mahuna has a 66.5° head angle, but Kona website says 68°. Could you confirm ? Thanks !
Thanks for the positive feedback! Yes we measured the actual head angle of our test bike rather than just repeated the claimed figures.
@@MBRmagazine Thank you very much. It crazy to think that the manufacturer himself communicates wrong geometry numbers ! Other question, do you think that a QR axle is really a limiting factor for someone who is not riding super engaged stuff. When I read reviews it feels like a QR axle is a must have in 2023, but I've always had QR on my old bikes, I never lost a wheel nor break a hub.
It's quite tricky for brands to produce accurate geometry as there will be tolerances within frame manufacturing as well as component manufacturing that can add up to relatively big differences in the real world. That's why we always go to the trouble of measuring and weighing the bikes. In answer to your second question, a quick release fork is not a deal breaker. Yes, if you ride hard, or if you are bigger or heavier than average, you may notice the additional flex, but at this price point its a better compromise to make than a frame with the wrong sizing and geometry. Hope that helps.
@@MBRmagazine Hey thanks for all you valuable answers, it will help me in the future.
I thought it was the 4th generation bizango?
Nice one guys 👍
No Dartmoor hardtails?
Too bad Ragley's bikes didn't make the price cut off, second to none for their value, versatility & ride quality (at their price range)
Definitely just got a kitted out ragley marley for only £880 off chain reaction cycles (wiggle)
@@Rab_Cee cheers 👌 I've got the Big Al for a year now, It's amazing (wouldn't mind getting their whole Alu Range though 😅)
Indeed, and Ragley models have won previous Hardtail of the Year categories.
You miss the Canyon Stoic 4.... Great Bike...!!
Yeah we tried to get one but none were available.
How can you chose a bike that is completely unavailable? I tried for months and months to get this, but its not available in any nearby stores or via delivery.
What is “this”, when there are multiple bikes tested?
@@richarde1355 given that its called hardtail of the year I thought it was pretty obvious that I was talking about the Bizango which won it... but just to clear things up I was referring to the Voodoo Bizango... which I spent months looking for without success so ended up buying a much more expensive Whyte
Can we have the best HT under £2K?
Why is the Kona Mahuna “not a duel purpose bike?” What did you mean by that?
@benhawkins882 I think he meant that it's not a primarily street bike that can do some soft trails (dual purpose/dual sport). He said it's definitely a proper mountain bike.
What about cube acid?
so, what's the winner between the top 2 then?
in terms of pure performance per $, then the Voodoo
@@MBRmagazine thanks :)
@@MBRmagazine This help me! could you say the voodoo is worth the extra £150 if i can get the kona for £800 and the voodoo is 950?
Orange Crush 💯
Was going to get the voodoo but there's no stock !! Just got a whyte 901 v5 for £999 down from £1850 . Haven't taken delivery yet but I'm hoping I made the righg decision as I've never had a whyte !
Wow that’s quite a deal! The Whyte is a great bike - enjoy it!
Awesome thats reassuring to hear ! Just got to build it when it arrives 🤣
Out of interest , after hearing what you said about the recon 35 fork ! Mine has the recon gold , is this one you've tested amd does it suffer from the same damping issue you baught up with the voodoo ?
Not sure tbh! There are quite a few Recon models and some are oem only, so hard to tell without riding the bike. Tbh the problem on the Voodoo wasn’t a huge deal.
@@MBRmagazine sure I'll never ride it that hard anyways 🤣 thanks for taking the time 🙏
One thing you guys said wrong: Mahuna has 68 degree head angle. If you want it to have 66 degrees, you would have to put the fork to 130mm of travel.
Which is completely fine for the bike but I would suggest upgrading to a fork with wider stanchions then.
No, we actually measured our test bike rather than relying on the manufacturer geo chart (we do this with all our test bikes) and it was 66º.
@@MBRmagazine I need to measure mine then haha, because I want to upgrade my fork and it is 140mm right now, that would make it kinda too slack.
@@ondrejmanych5688 Did you measure it?
Trek do have the new Roscoe out, 7,8 and 9 which is actually a very good bike but they charge too much for them!!
Um why did you use the whyte 429 over the 801 ?
It's £1250, so over the £1,000 limit.
I'd probably invest in a second hand bike & get more for yr money; I currently ride a 20 year old 16" SC Chameleon but I could buy a spare bike as well...just a thort;
I have a 2004 Specialized Hardrock XC and the Rockhopper Elite looks a lot like my bike. Which to me is a good idea, since the 2004 frame was very agile even if the rear end was not that stable. I hope they have reviewed this, with all the subtle changes in the frame.
Pity the frame is so weak, don't put a big fork in it and jump it. The headtube is super thin and the under gusset is lacking. I've got one with a split head tube
@@janeblogs324 Thanks for that. I fitted a 80-130 Rock Shox Tora and usually ride singletrails in Sintra or others not that aggressive. Or even cruise in the city... I kept it because it's a lot of fun and by now it's not desirable by anyone else...
Cheers.
Wow, did I hear that only one bike has hydraulic brakes at this price?? Got into mountain biking 5 years ago and I've no doubt these prices are going to put so many people off in the long run.
All of them have hydraulic disc brakes.
Why is Dartmoor under rated?
No canyon stoic?
No we wanted to get one but Canyon didn't have one available.
Is the Kona frame the same as the honzo ?
Yes i think
@markwilson848 For some reason, the Honzo does not have internal cable routing. Weird, given that it's Kona's top tier hardtail.
Which trail is this film on?
Could you recommend one under £500 for my son. Will be used on roads, cycle paths and the odd trail (nothing to hardcore)
Have a look at the Vitus Nucleus or the Voodoo Braag. Both are recommended at around that price point. See here for more... www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/best-mountain-bikes-under-500-331305
@@MBRmagazine Great thanks
same with ebike hardtail please
looks fun^^
the rest is 29er except for the trek roscoe 6 which is 27.5, should have been the roscoe 7 coz its 29er to compare with the rest..🤷♂️
The Roscoe 7 is above our £1,000 price point for this test unfortunately.
No on one scandal would have trashed the Competition
It's above our cut-off point for this test of £1,000.
@@MBRmagazine not the with the nx drivetrain
The trek is not a mountain bike, if it has that suntour fork. The big yellow sticker says so. That fork is awful
I'd have thought that Trek's X-Caliber 7 would be a better buy than than the Rosco at this price.
The XC bike has better spec components and weighs less. Full Shimano Deore Hydraulic and a RS Judy.
no polygon hardtails?
I've got the bizango Pro rear tyre was the 1st thing that got swapped out and the cable routing by the fork is a mess
Did you sort the cable routing
@Karl Riley yeah I used crash tape and a rubber grommet no digging in to paint
What size rear can you fit is there clearance for a 2.4 I've got a pro and the stock rear MAXXIS is squirrelly AF.
I think the ht angle on Kona Mahuna is not correct. There website mentions 68 degree
We actually measured the test bike, so that's an accurate figure.
I bought the Kona Mahuna today and measured the head tube angle. It's 66°.
@@raceface48 How did you measure?
@@bartdenbok7622 just used an app on my phone. Another review on the mahuna claimed the same HT angle.
I don't understand why you've restricted this year's test to £1k when prices have shot up in recent years? Surely you've limited the audience to beginners only, which is an important category of course, but you've alienated your wider audience
Did everyones pay packet increase since cov!d? No they shrunk, they should've decreased the £1k if anything
We've always kept the HToY test to sub £1k bikes so it's not a new thing. Above £1k decent full-sus starts to become an option, and that's where we'd say most (not all) riders are better off putting their money.
is kona kahuna even better than mahuna?
More expensive so yes
Holy shit that guy sounds like JackFrags
Basically, spend more than grand….
We'd disagree with that summary.
VooDoo Majic-Man.....Ha !!!
No Santa Cruz chameleon Mx?
It's to expensive for out price point
@@MBRmagazine oh gotcha. Your choice was good though
Anyone buy a voodoo bike in the US and actually get it or where able to contact them for updates on shipping?
Did you order one and get it yet?
Nope, I canceled my order and open a ticket with paypal to get a refund, took about 2 weeks. They have been telling people they have them in stock, but they do not and i found people that were waiting over 8+ months to get one. I ended up getting a Roscoe 8 with the Trek Summer sale, a little more then what i was planning on spending, but have been very happy with it.@@the850project4
And the winner is.. Canyon stoic 2
We did try to get a Stoic but Canyon didn't have one available. We've ridden one before and it's a great handling modern hardtail, but the cheapest model gets a Suntour fork that probably can't match the performance of the RockShox. Also the drivetrain isn't as wide-range. But it certainly looks good for the price.
the last test ive watched you a least got proper brakes and brad spec components for 1k
so go out and spend 1,3 to 1,5 k to get a proper mtb like the canyon stoic or rose hardtale or something similar
Canyon Stoic starts at £899, but Canyon didn't have one available for test. And while the frame's really cool, the fork and drivetrain are not up to the level of the Voodoo.
What?
So the bizango pro comes in a xl frame size of 20 inches , my 2018 bizango (the orange one ) is also a xl but its 22 inches .
I'm 6f.1 inches tall . Does the 2 inch difference in frame size make the bizango pro too small for me ?
I wouldn’t say. I would go to Halfords or someplace where you could try it out. Just pick what feels right for you.
Best bike under 1000$!
Every single bike: 999.99$ 😑
GT bikes
so fatter tires are a "trend" ..lol.
Rockhopper being the lightest bike in the test, with 13.2kg? What? My 29er Canyon is 11.2kg and not much more expensive. 🤔
The kona mahuna has a 68° head angle Not a 66.5° so is giving you false info on that one 😂❤😮
Are you ok? 78 degrees?! 😂 🤦♂️
@@MBRmagazine look on there web site.
I have one and it’s never a 66.5
It’s definitely a 68° head angle for sure.💪😁💯
@@MBRmagazine check on there website
I have one and it’s definitely not a 66.5 that’s for sure💪😁
P.s I not ok 😂
We actually measured it. Don’t rely on the geometry charts 👍
Kona ❤every time the frames Are amazing lasts forever. Been around for donkeys and they know there stuff
@ all hardtail riders: lasst euch nicht für dumm verkaufen. sucht euch ein hardtail bis 2500 euro das gerade ein update bekommen hat und deshalb im abverkauf ist. ihr bekommt um rund 1400 euro (zum beispiel aktuell orbea laufey) ein top ausgestattetes bike für kleines geld.
I know money is tight but save up more and get a bike with dropper, hydraulic brakes, air fork
@nate What are you talking about? These bikes have hydraulic brakes and air forks. And the prices came down from what they were in this video, so you can get one of them and your own dropper.
Winners probably sponsored video , bikes just a bike at the end of the day
No, the only sponsorship was for clothing, tools/workstand, and tyres. Disagreeing with our views is welcome, but don’t accuse us of being dishonest.
Really hard to watch/listen when Alan jumps in almost every other word that comes out of Danny's mouth, dude, stop interrupting!
Thank you for finally saying i it. Bugged me before on other videos.
1 year later...FYI, the first four bikes were Alan's reviews.