Bike Of The Year 2024: These are the 5 most popular hardtail MTBs of the year

Hardtail mountain bikes are rightly still very popular. Lighter and usually cheaper than fullys, they continue to inspire. No energy is wasted in the unsprung rear end, there are no crucial wear parts without rear suspension bearings and the direct handling is impressive on many routes. Many MTB hardtails have long since evolved from filigree race files to genuine all-rounders. Many manufacturers have given their hardtails modern geometries and sophisticated frame designs. There will be no shortage of new launches in 2024. BIKE has compiled the most exciting of them and put readers to the test: Who builds the most popular hardtail of the year? A total of 5774 bikers cast their vote. Clear the ring for the Bike Of The Year 2024 in the Hardtail category.

1st place: Mondraker Chrono Carbon DC - 29 % of the votes

When it comes to Mondraker, a down-country bike doesn't necessarily need a shock. The Spaniards first presented an aluminium version of the new Chrono DC and pulled at the end of last year with the Chrono Carbon DC after. With a revised concept, the hardtail with 120 millimetres of suspension travel presents itself as an all-rounder from cross country to trail. The centrepiece is a versatile carbon frame, which promises downhill confidence with a steering angle of 67.5 degrees. A telescopic seat post and 2.4 inch wide tyres complete the down-country package. Nice: The prices stay on the ground. The 11.6-kilo top model is available for 3499 euros. The Mondraker Chrono Carbon DC is the Bike Of The Year in the Hardtail category.

Facts about the Mondraker Chrono DC

• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Frame material: Carbon
• Suspension travel: 120 millimetres
• Frame weight: from 1150 grams
• Weight of complete bike: from 11.6 kilos
• Price: from 2199 euros >> e.g. available here

2nd place: Merida Big.Nine - 28 % of the votes

The new race hardtail from one of the world's largest bike manufacturers came in second place, just one percentage point behind. With a progressive geometry approach and a lightweight carbon frame, Merida's cross-country hardtail should be better than ever before. Merida states a total weight of 9.3 kilos for the 9499 euro top model Big.Nine 10K. The Taiwanese follow the trend towards longer and slacker bikes and reduce the steering angle to 68 degrees. Merida combines sweeping reach values with short seat tubes so that XC riders can choose the frame size based on their preferred riding characteristics rather than just their height. This "agilometre" concept combines the Big.Nine with size-specific chainstay lengths and suspension forks with 100 millimetres of travel.

Facts Merida Big.Nine

• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Frame material: Carbon
• Suspension travel: 100 millimetres
• Frame weight: 1053 grams (BIKE measurement, size L)
• Weight of complete bike: 9.47 kilos (model 10K, BIKE measurement, size L)
• Price: from 2999 Euro

We have already tested the Merida Big.Nine 10K. The new edition may not break any weight records, but thanks to the wide tyres and balanced geometry, it has a high level of ride quality and therefore a wider range of use. Details such as the integrated mini-tool and the GPS holder increase its everyday usefulness. - Peter Nilges, BIKE Test Manager

3rd place: Rose PDQ - 21 %

Finally, another Rose hardtail on the podium in the Bike Of The Year competition. A full six years passed between the predecessor of the race bike and the newly presented version. With the PDQ, however, the mail-order company from Bocholt is returning to the hardtail market with a bang. "Pretty Damn Quick" is its full name. With 120 millimetres of travel, long geometry and a one-piece carbon cockpit on the top models, the Rose PDQ plays all the trump cards of a modern cross-country bike. For a bike with a flat rear end, the head angle is slack at 67.5 degrees and the reach is long at 450 millimetres in size M. 430 millimetre short chainstays in all frame sizes promise manageable riding characteristics despite the increased overall length. XC tyres up to 2.4 inches wide fit into the carbon frame, which is protected by a steering stop limiter, among other things.

Facts Rose PDQ

• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Frame material: Carbon
• Suspension travel: 120 millimetres
• Frame weight: 1225 grams (BIKE measurement, size L)
• Weight of complete bike: 10.98 kilos (model 2, BIKE measurement, size L)
• Price: from 2999 Euro >> available here

When we tested the Rose PDQ 2The new Rose, with its attractive price-performance ratio, was particularly impressive. Rose has an extremely stylish and well-equipped race hardtail in the shed. Despite the telescopic seatpost and the 120 millimetre fork, the bike remains more of a classic racer than a fun down-country hardtail. - Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor

4th place: Focus Raven - 16 %

With modernised geometry, exciting details on the carbon frame and 120 millimetres of suspension travel, the latest version of the Focus Raven is intended to be much more than a conservative cross-country hardtail. With the concept update, the former race bike should now also be more fun on trails. On the Raven, Focus combines longer top tubes with shorter stems for more control on descents. As part of this, the head angle of the 29-inch hardtail has also been slackened to 67.5 degrees. This can even be reduced by a further degree by rotating the headset shells. 2.4-inch wide tyres and dropper posts are also on board. The down tube of the carbon frame now accommodates the so-called I.C.S. storage compartment, with an opening above the bottle cage providing access to a "boot" for spare parts and a windbreaker. The Focus Raven will not cost more than 3599 euros.

Facts Focus Raven Carbon

• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Frame material: Carbon
• Suspension travel: 120 millimetres
• Frame weight: 1225 grams (BIKE measurement, size L)
• Weight of complete bike: 11.54 kilos (model 8.9, BIKE measurement, size L)
• Price: from 2199 Euro >> available here

We have also been able to test the Focus Raven 8.9. The strength of this new hardtail lies in its versatility. Comfortable uphill, confident downhill, it strikes the perfect balance between race and trail hardtail. If you prefer varied tours to the race track, the new Raven could be a hardtail for all occasions. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor

5th place: Ibis DV9 - 7 %

With a classic in a new look, the Californian luxury manufacturer Ibis makes it into the top five of the most popular hardtails of the year. The completely redesigned DV9 should feel just as comfortable in cross-country races as on the pump track. The hardtail has also been given a fresh geometry with a 66.5 degree head angle and an impressive 470 millimetre reach in size L. At 425 millimetres, the chainstays are extremely short for a 29-inch mountain bike. Ibis hopes that this will result in a playful riding behaviour that will give the rider a lot of fun on the trail. Tyres up to 2.6 inches wide fit into the rear frame triangle. Integrated cable guides and an integrated chain guide give the carbon bike a clean look. The most expensive equipment line of the Ibis DV9 costs 5398 euros. A frameset with a seven-year warranty is available from 1898 euros. We do not know the weights.

Facts Ibis DV9

• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Frame material: Carbon
• Suspension travel: 100-140 millimetres
• Price: from 4448 Euro

More new hardtails

Shortly after the BIKE reader survey went live, other well-known manufacturers also presented their hardtails for the current model year. Although not all of these were included in the survey, they are no less exciting. We have not only summarised the latest hardtail innovations once again, but have also already tested some of them:

• Ghost Lector HT: Longer than an enduro bike, lighter than a gravel bike
• Pinarello Dogma XC Hardtail: World champion bike from Italy
• VPace C4M: Full throttle without compromise at 8.2 kilos