07.12.2022 | Reading time - 6 min(s)

Best 2022 UK Mountain Bikes under £1000

Written by Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative

Posted in: Guides, Mountain Biking, Reviews, Sale

Are you looking for a quality mountain bike under £1000 that will still get you riding those trails with confidence and speed? We've come up with a few options which can be considered for best mountain bike under £1,000 to help you choose the best bike for you.

Several of the bikes we've picked are very affordable mountain bikes coming in under the £1000 mark, leaving you more money to plan trips to some of the best hardtail mountain bike trails around. The United Kingdom is packed with amazing routes whether you are into trail riding or just want a capable hardtail mountain bike to take you along muddy forest paths.

See all whyte hard tail

As you're probably aware, there are plenty of mountain bikes under £1000. You will even find single chainrings and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes on some models. We are here to talk you through what you get when you spend a little more and the trade-offs of less expensive bikes. There are some absolutely amazing hardtail mountain bikes out there and deciding will be down to the sort of riding that you will be doing and your riding style. We also have an excellent range of electric mountain bikes.

Mountain Bike Sale

Best Mountain Bikes Under £1,000

Giant talon 3 29 2022 - £579

Built to be inexpensive, durable and offer excellent ride quality, this mountain bike Giant is exceptional value for money. The dependable Shimano components, hydraulic disc brakes and aluminium frame gives you a bike that is equally efficient and fun to ride on both climbs and descents. 29 Inch wheels are becoming increasingly popular as their size allows them to roll over any uneven terrain and give the bike a planted and sturdy feel. The Giant Talon 3 27.5 is also available for those that want a bit more maneuvrability or are an excellent choice for younger people as the sizes go down to an extra small for a child's first adult bike. A coil sprung fork gives good comfort without the need for excessive maintenance. A frame good enough to support future upgrades.

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Whyte 429 - £849 (reduced from £999)

If you like fast, then you'll love the Whyte 429. An extremely capable front suspension bike with it's 29 inch wheels for fast rolling on flowing terrain. The 429 is fitted with Shimano's ever-reliable Deore 1 by 10-speed drive-train for excellent long-term performance and reliability and tektro hydraulic disc brakes for powerful stopping, this is certainly a quick and enjoyable bike to ride.

An excellent bike if you are looking for great ride quality on an xc trail bike or a bike that can be used with confidence along muddy tracks or for off-road bikepacking. One of the unique selling points of Whyte bikes generally is that, being a British brand, their geometry and spec suit UK riding perfectly.

See our blog on Whyte mountain bike reviews and Why we love Whyte bikes

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Liv tempt 3 2022 - £579

Liv bicycles are some of the best mountain bikes designed by women, for women and offer a geometry (shape) that fit most women better. A shorter reach and a higher front end make for a comfortable and capable mountain bike. The Liv Tempt 3 is a capable and durable cross country bike that comes with quality components such as the Suntour coil sprung forks for extra comfort without requiring much maintenance. Tempt’s performance-minded yet comfortable geometry gives it the versatility for both commutes around campus and off-road rides. With robust and reliable Shimano gearing and powerful hydraulic brakes give excellent stopping power in all weathers.

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Specialized rockhopper 27.5 2022 - £425 (reduced from £525)

Rockhopper’s butted aluminum alloy frame features hydroformed top and downtubes in order to keep weight low and strength high. Keep things simple with a durable 2x8 MicroSHIFT drivetrain that offers plenty of range and SR Suntour XCE 27.5 front suspension features Rx Tune coil sprung damping. A capable and fun bike for off-road and muddy tracks and gives extra comfort on poor tarmac surfaces. Due to the excellent price and value, this bike tends to be perfect for children who have outgrown their last kids bike and need their first adult bike. Sizes go all the way down to extra small so will usually fit children from about 11 years and up.

See our current Specialized Rockhopper range

Giant talon 2 2022 - £649

Push the pace on climbs, let loose on the descents. The Giant Talon 2 aluminium hardtail gives you a feel for the trail with balanced, confident handling and a plush suspension fork aimed at more cross country mountain biking . Reliable and robust Shimano drivetraingives smooth shifting and powerful Tektro hydraulic brakes give you the confidence to push into descents knowing you have the stopping power for ultimate control. A great bike for children who have outgrown their last kids bike as these sizes go all the way down to an extra small. The Giant Talon 2 29 2022 is also available but with the 29 Inch wheels for a more stable feel and the added ability of rolling over rough terrain with ease.

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Specialized rockhopper sport 27.5 2022 - £525 (reduced from £629)

Rockhopper’s butted aluminum frame features hydroformed top and downtubes in order to keep weight low and strength high. Keep things simple with a durable 2x8 MicroSHIFT drivetrain that offers plenty of range and SR Suntour XCE 27.5 suspension fork features Rx Tune coil sprung damping with lockout for added efficiency on roads or hard packed ascents. A capable and fun bike for off-road and muddy tracks and gives extra comfort on poor tarmac surfaces. Due to the excellent price and value, this bike tends to be perfect for children who have outgrown their last kids bike and need their first adult bike. Sizes go all the way down to extra small so will usually fit children from about 11 years and up. Also available is the Specialized Rockhopper Sport 29 2022 for more straight line stability and increased roll over rough terrain.

See our current Specialized Rockhopper range

Best Mountain Bikes Under £1,000 - what to look for

So what can you expect from a new mountain bike that costs under £1,000?

Suspension

Hardtails - mountain bikes with front suspension only - are dominant in this price bracket. Good quality full suspension mountain bikes will likely be twice the price of their hardtail equivalent.

A hardtail with a good spec is likely to be more capable mountain bike to ride than a lower spec'd full suspension. Read our suspension blog for more details.

Frame

At this price point you'll probably be looking at a high quality alloy frame material with modern geometry that is great at ascending and descending. It is also likely to be a butted aluminium frame which will reduce weight while maintaining strength and will likely come with internal cable routing. You are unlikely to find a good quality full suspension mountain bike at this price but hartail mountain bikes are an excellent choice for intermediate riders who want to develop their skills. What will change, as you go up through the price points, will be the quality of the suspension fork, the gears and whether or not you have rim brakes, mechanical disc brakes or hydraulic brakes. There are excellent choices also, of womens mountain bikes and mens mountain bikes

Fork

There are two broad categories of suspension fork on a hardtail bike - coil sprung or air sprung fork. Coil sprung forks are at the cheaper end of the market and are great for those that want very little maintenance.

An air sprung fork will be slightly more expensive but will give you are smooth ride, is customisable to rider weight and will be significantly lighter. As you spend more from here, you get forks that can handle more extreme descending and cornering as they give less lateral movement cornering and less fore/aft movement under braking on rough terrain. But again, not everyone needs a beefy air fork for their riding style.

Wheels

The industry have two current standards of new mountain bikes. The first one being 27.5 inch which combines responsive handling with a fast rolling speed on tight and twisty trails and 29 inch wheels, which are also common - these are even faster but not quite as nimble as the 27.5 inch on technical terrain, particularly if you're a shorter rider.

If you plan to use your bike to get to work, check if your employer is part of a Cycle to Work scheme. There are valuable tax savings to be made if you buy through that. We also have great interest free credit options to spread the cost over monthly repayments.

Merida Mountain bike price

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Best 2022 UK Mountain Bikes under £1000

Best Mountain Bikes Under £1,000

Giant talon 3 29 2022 - £579

Whyte 429 - £849 (reduced from £999)

Liv tempt 3 2022 - £579

Specialized rockhopper 27.5 2022 - £425 (reduced from £525)

Giant talon 2 2022 - £649

Specialized rockhopper sport 27.5 2022 - £525 (reduced from £629)

Best Mountain Bikes Under £1,000 - what to look for

Suspension

Frame

Fork

Wheels