We've rounded up the best hardtail mountain bikes at £500, £750 and £1,000, read on to find out who came out on top in the definitive test.
Hardtail
Voodoo Bantu review
The Voodoo Bantu might be right at the entry point of Voodoo's mountain bike range but it shapes up as anything but entry level in ride quality and spec.
£450.00
Score
Lapierre Edge XM 127 review
Lapierre Edge XM 127 is the entry point into UK-specific Edge range of hardtails. Designed in collaboration with Lapierre's UK distributors Raleigh UK.
£399.00
Score
Insync Riddick RD900 first ride
Sitting like a shining beacon at the top of their range is the Insync Riddick RD900. Some great kit adorning the aluminium alloy frame.
£1,599.00
Trek Roscoe 8 review
Now in its third year of production, the Trek Roscoe 8 is a Plus tyred trail-hardtail that’s decked out with all the modern luxuries you could want.
£1,100.00
Score
Marin San Quentin 2 review
With progressive geometry, generous sizing and a sorted specification, we couldn’t wait to do time on the new Marin San Quentin 2.
£1,150.00
Score
Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0 Pro Race 2018 review
The Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0 Pro Race is one of those bikes that is helping to redefine a complete genre of mountain biking.
£2,699.00
Score
Dartmoor Hornet first ride
Polish brand Dartmoor build bikes attitude; we try and tame their Dartmoor Hornet hardtail. 160mm fork and Plus tyre compatibility.
£2,500.00
Jamis Dakar A2 (2018) review
Does the Jamis Dakar A2 entry-level full-sus boast the firepower to outgun the benchmark Bossnut? 120mm-travel trail bike available on Cycle To Work scheme!
£1,000.00
Score
Sonder Transmitter NX1 Recon (2018) review
Now in its second iteration, the latest Sonder Transmitter sees a few geometry tweaks and the addition of an XL frame size.
£999.00
Score
Norco Fluid 2 HT (2018) review
It was only last year that Norco's Fluid 7.2 HT+ blew the competition away with lavish spec and unbeatable ride. This year, we welcome the Norco Fluid 2 HT.
£1,000.00
Score
Calibre Line 10 (2018) review
The new Calibre Line 10 hardtail sports aggressive geometry and spot on sizing. All mod-cons catered for here, including a dropper.
£749.00
Score
Norco Charger 2 (2018) review
When we unboxed the Norco Charger 2 we thought it was a commuter bike, due to the skinny 2.1in WTB Nineline tyres.
£725.00
Score
Polygon Xtrada 6 (2018) review
For our Hardtail of the Year test we picked the £750 Polygon Xtrada 6 model with the smaller wheels and single chainring drivetrain.
£750.00
Score
Voodoo Wazoo 275+ (2018) review
Voodoo Wazoo brings two firsts to the sub £500 category: first bike to sport 2.8in Plus tyres and to benefit from the extra stiffness of a bolt-thru fork.
£500.00
Score
Pinnacle Kapur 2 (2018) review
The £475 Pinnacle Kapur 2 hardtail takes its inspiration and features from its more expensive Iroko sibling. One of the best sub-£500 hardtails out there.
£475.00
Score
Vitus Sentier VR+ (2018) review
The 2018 Vitus Sentier VR+ a full refresh of the bike that won this test back in 2015, getting updated geometry and a carefully considered build kit.
£999.99
Score
Voodoo Bizango (2018) review
After going AWOL from Hardtail of the Year test last year, the Voodoo Bizango is back in our line-up for 2018 and the break seems to have worked wonders.
£650.00
Score
Vitus Nucleus VR (2018) review
Hardtail of the Year two years running, Vitus could have rested on its laurels and the Vitus Nucleus VR would still have bagged a hat trick.
£499.99
Score
Specialized Chisel Expert (2018) first ride
Specialized Chisel Expert is a fun mix of privateer race bike for those that can’t justify an Epic and a trail bike capable of long distance adventuring.
£1,700.00