Revolution Triad 2.0 '10 (Was £749.99)

Revolution Triad 2.0

The Triad frame is manufactured by Merida - frame builders of quality for some of the best known names in bicycling. The aluminium tubes are Technoformed - thin walled where possible, beefed up where required to disperse the stresses subjected by big hits on the trails.

Continuing the big hit-capable theme, the RockShox Recon SL fork takes everything in its stride. The transmission is upgraded to SRAM X.5/X.7 level and features TruVativ Fire-X cranks on an outboard bottom bracket with oversized sealed cartridge bearings for assured performance and longevity. The wheels are built with your best guarantee of reliability on any bike this side of 2 grand - real Shimano hubs - then sensibly shod with a pair of Continental Mountain King 26x2.2” tyres for assured grip.

• Average Weight: 12.8kg/28.2lb.
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• Read our Staff Review.
• Mountain Bike Sizing Guide.

Upgrades from Revolution Triad 3.0

• RockShox Recon SL fork is around a pound lighter than the Tora SL.
• Shimano hubs - on bikes this price, nobody specs non-Shimano hubs to make the wheels better: they just do so to save money. We prefer the better wheels option, hence real Shimano hubs.
• Shimano rear hub - Shimano invented the rear cassette freehub in 1978. With its cones and bearings equidistant from the centre of the axle, this design has helped make broken rear axles history. Another good thing about Shimano hubs is the relatively good availability of spares. Should the freehub body eventually wear out, you can bolt a new one onto the hub with a 10mm Allen key. If the freehub body of your non-Shimano cassette hub wear out, you're almost always obliged to buy a new wheel. It's therefore a no-brainer to spec real Shimano hubs whenever the price of the bike allows.
• Upgraded SRAM transmission with a TruVativ Fire-X chainset with outboard bearings for longevity.