Best Hardtail Mountain Bikes in the UK

Muddyfox Nebraska is lean and mean. Before anything else, what separates this bike and what makes the product attractive to most customers is the dual-suspension system (fork and frame).

The system is brilliant for girls and boys alike. With this system, you're able to easily handle different cross-country paths. To somewhat elaborate, this 14-inch dual-suspension mechanism makes the roughest roads easy and more than manageable. The system makes sure that the bike bounces much less, making the ride that much more comfortable.

Again, the bicycle will secure the softest ride. The back tyres will let you easily make sharp corners and turn bumpy surfaces into acceptable roads.

The high-tensile steel frame is up there with the bike's most defining characteristics too. Though as rugged as they come, the frame is pretty flexible, so you'll feel free and comfortable riding this bike without experiencing that much drag.

Pretty much everything contributes here to make this bicycle able to tackle off-roads. There are the semi-slick tyres that ensure excellent grip and traction. You have the front and rear disc brakes that are especially responsive even during wet conditions. Plus, these brakes require very little maintenance, so you won't have to spend too much time upkeeping this bike.

FLYing Shimano Lightweight Mountain Bike is up there with the strongest, most rugged mountain bikes we've looked at. Its 17-inch aluminium alloy frame will be able to withstand big-time abuse.

Before that though, we'd like to address the Shimano Tourney gears and Shimano Altus shifters. Of course, those who are familiar with these hub gears know how robust yet low-maintenance these things are. Plus, you're able to shift gears without pedalling, which is always brilliant. Sure, the gears' weight counts against them but that's the one trade-off we're willing to accept here.

The shifters are great too. The left one manipulates the front derailleur, meaning the chainrings too. To switch chainrings and add extra resistance, you're pressing the biggest lever. When you'd like to make the bike less difficult to pedal, the small lever will do the trick, changing into smaller chainrings.

At the same time, the right shifter is responsible for the rear derailleur, letting you make small changes to the cassette. When more resistance is what you require (riding flat road pieces, for example), the small lever is what you push. Again, when you want to make sure the bicycle is not as difficult to pedal, the larger lever is what you need to press.

The people behind Schwinn Surge claim that this bicycle provides control and stability and, as far as we're concerned, these people can make that claim. It's the little details that add up here.

We'll address these details but, when you add them, you get the bicycle's excellent geometry that makes the fit comfortable and the bike responsive and stable. These details include the company's suspension fork that offers big-time support and comfort up-front.

Before that though, the cable-actuated disc brakes contribute tremendously, making the bike extra safe by providing massive stopping power. You'll be able to go as fast as you want, even downhill, even during wet conditions, these brakes will be able to immediately stop the bicycle with very little travel.

There are only seven speeds/gears available here, which is somewhat upsetting since that means the bike is less versatile than most hardtail mountain bikes. That being said, with fewer gears, the bicycle drops weight and requires less maintenance, so you win some, you lose some. Plus, fewer gears means smooth and precise shifting since the gears do not overlap as much as they do on bikes with 20+ available speeds.

Also, the easy "grip-shift" style gear changes will let you switch between the seven available speeds with comfort and ease, keeping the fingers protected from blisters.

From what we're able to gather, Anarchy 100 is an appropriate name for this bike. Before going into details though, we'd like to mention the fact that this bike is available with 18-, 20-, and 22-inch frames, so you'll be able to choose between different sizes and purchase the one that feels the most comfortable.

Setting that aside, the bike's pretty lightweight, so you won't have to put too much effort into propelling this bicycle. The traction on the tyres is tangible enough to let you go on the offensive during short climbs rather than stalling straight away.

The rear springs are relatively stiff but nothing we haven't seen/experienced before regarding mountain bikes. Sure, there's undeniable loping gait when the pedalling rhythm syncs with the spring motion. That being said, there is not enough movement to upset things that much to make this issue a glaring one.

Even when engaged critically, the shock from the rear V-brakes bounces off the stops without producing those annoying sounds and making the bike feel like someone’s just hit it with a sledgehammer.

We're not saying that the rear brakes add that much control or comfort, but we can say that these brakes do not deter are milder than most hardtail mountain bikes' yet as reliable and responsive.

According to the people behind Falcon Maverick, this bike has style at its heart and performance to match that heart. As far as we can tell, this is an accurate statement/assessment.

Incorporating black fork stanchions that work wonders paying homage to high-end MTB forks and adding black componentry throughout the bike, Maverick is as aggressive as they come.

This bicycle means business and there's not much you won't be able to do riding this bike. Its deep-profile alloy wheel rims are tough and rugged but also lightweight at the same time, easily coping with off-road riding.

Meanwhile, the 18-speed gearing is generated thanks to the Shimano rear derailleur and rotational micro-shift gear shifters. You'll be able to easily switch between them without slowing down.

The tyres make these bikes as much as the next part. Here, you have 1.95-inch wide MTB tyres that are grippy enough to handle all weather conditions, so you can always rely on them to perform.

The front and rear V-brakes provide reliable and all-around excellent braking performance, stopping you promptly and making sure you're able to maintain control no matter what.

That being said, the brakes squeak in wet conditions, which is unfortunate but understandable since most mid-range brakes do that and the fact that these perform in wet conditions to begin with is thoroughly impressive considering how affordable this bike is.