Bike
MTB
The best mountain bikes for £1,000 and under
Stop dreaming of those budget-breaking dream machines. There are some real MTB bargains to be had out there for under four figures.
Hunting high and low for the best mountain bike for less than £1,000? If you are on the lookout for a quality mountain bike to get started in the sport, you're probably beginning to wonder if such a thing exists for under four figures.
Search on any online bike store and you might begin to feel overwhelmed at the range of mountain bikes on sale and, above all, their cost. The truth is that there are many great value options at different price points.
Stretch between £500-£1,000 and you are in real mountain bike territory. That is to say, for this price you can bag yourself a bike kitted out with durable components and a serious frame that you could use for a lifetime of riding.
Most of the serious options are hardtails, meaning they have front suspension only. At this price, it’s worth sacrificing the rear shock for a better components package and a frame that will last – and for £1,000 you’ll certainly get that.
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ABC of... Mountain Biking
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Here is a selection of relatively inexpensive but good quality mountain bikes at or under the £1,000 mark (and one that is slightly over but worth considering).
1. Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29
The Rockhopper is great for singletrack slaying
© Specialized
Price: £799
Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
Frame material: Aluminium
Wheel size: 29”
Great for: Singletrack
The Rockhopper has been a staple in Specialized’s range since the brand’s early days and it remains a versatile steed for lighter trail riding and singletrack duties. This Comp 29 model is built up with a range of entry-level but dependable components, including a SunTour XCM fork and MicroSHIFT 1x9 drivetrain. With Specialized, you can also be confident in finding plenty of local dealers who stock the bikes and will help with any after-sales questions – ideal if it’s showing as out-of-stock online.
2. GT LaBomba
Tame dirt jumps and pumptracks with this rugged release from GT
© GT
Price: £800
Frame sizes: M, L
Wheel size: 26”
Great for: Dirt jump and pump tracks
This dirt jump and pump track bike from GT is a solid package for shredding and sending. Dirt bikes like this involve much fewer components and, basically, as long as they are sturdy with decent geometry, you can’t go far wrong.
The La Bomba is low-slung, kitted out with fast-rolling tyres (great for pump track riding) and tough BMX-style cranks. It’s a great option for getting into pumptrack and dirt jump riding, and could be your gateway into the more gnarly slopestyle-leaning side of mountain biking.
Check out Emil Johansson's winning run from 2021 Crankworx Rotorua Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza:
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Emil Johansson winning slopestyle run – Rotorua
Check out Emil Johansson's winning slopestyle run at Crankworx Rotorua to seal the Triple Crown.
3. Marin San Quentin 1
The bike comes in a silver or this fun pink and blue fade
© Marin
Price: £955
Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
Wheel size: 27.5”
Great for: All-round use and abuse
Marin’s San Quentin bike is a hardcore hardtail. That means it is built solidly and is apt for throwing at rough descents, jumps, enduro-style riding and pretty much anything else you can think of. Its low-slung, stout frame makes it ideal for this style of aggressive riding.
The San Quentin was developed with Marin’s pro rider Matt Jones and its intended purpose is somewhere between his signature dirt jump bike and the brand’s trail hardtail. In other words, it’s no cross-country racer but it’ll take its rider just about anywhere. And the San Quentin 1 is a brilliant value package for anyone getting into serious mountain biking.
4. Voodoo Bizango Pro
Don't be put off by the retail park shop. The Bizango Pro is amazing value
© Voodoo
Price: £950
Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
Frame material: Alloy
Wheel sizes: 29”
Great for: Value
Voodoo is Halfords’ in-house brand (it was founded in the US but later bought by the retail park behemoth) and its range of mountain bikes is perhaps surprisingly solid. The latest incarnation of the Bizango Pro has the geometry to match bigger brands’ trail hardtails and its components package can’t be sniffed at. The Maxxis High Roller and Rekon tyres on 29-inch wheels, RockShox 35 Gold Air fork and Shimano MT400 brakes are by no means top-of-the-range, but they are competent and worthy of most UK riding.
5. Liv Tempt 0
Liv is renowned for its women-focused rides
© Liv
Price: £999
Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L
Frame material: Aluminium
Wheel sizes: 27.5” (XS, S, M) or 29” (S, M, L)
Great for: Women-specific build
Liv Cycling is Giant’s women’s-specific range of bikes. Liv is popular for good reason: the brand takes care in producing a genuine set of bikes with geometry and components to suit women riders. The Tempt 0 is available in a range of sizes, with a choice of 27.5” or 29” wheels on the small and medium frame options allowing greater flexibility for rider preferences.
It’s a great-looking bike with a low-slung top tube for maneuverability and a reasonably slack head tube angle for better handling off-road.
6. Vitus Sentier 29
There are few better-value options than the Sentier for a bike of this ilk
© Vitus
Price: £949.99
Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
Wheel size: 29”
Great for: All-round mountain biking
Vitus Bikes is a Chain Reaction Cycles-owned brand, so it is no surprise to see its highly competitive pricing. The Sentier 29 is built around a beautiful hardtail frame and is aimed at ‘aggressive trail riding we all love’, according to Vitus.
A 130mm-travel fork, low-slung frame and modern slack geometry makes the Sentier a great option as an all-round bike for anything from cross-country to full-on enduro-style riding. There are few better-value options for a bike of this ilk.
7. Polygon Siskiu D5
The Siskiu offers up a full-suspension build for exactly four figures
© Polygon
Price: £1,000
Frame sizes: S, M, L
Frame material: Aluminium
Wheel sizes: 27.5”
Great for: Pocket-friendly full-suspension
If you are desperate for a full-suspension mountain bike under £1,000, your options are few and far between. Polygon’s Siskiu D5 is one of a handful of full-suspension mountain bikes by trusted brands in this price range, although it has to be said that longterm you are probably better off getting a hardtail with a better build kit or saving up a bit longer to bag yourself a slightly more premium bike – some of the components on the Siskiu D5 are from unknown manufacturers with no track record.
8. Trek Roscoe 6
A dropper seat post is included in this well-specced build
© Trek
Price: £1,160
Frame sizes: XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL, XXL
Wheel size: 27.5+”
Great for: Smoothing out the trail
Trek’s Roscoe 6 is a do-it-all mountain bike that comes with pretty much everything you could want if you are looking to ride singletrack and trail centres as well as more rugged natural terrain. It has plus-sized tyres as standard, meaning bigger volume tyres which – although not to everyone’s tastes – help smooth out rough terrain and gain extra grip without greatly affecting rolling resistance.
The bike comes with a dropper telescopic seatpost as standard, meaning you can drop the seat down at the flick of a switch before each descent.
Yes, it is over £1,000, but is worth considering if you can stretch your budget slightly.
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