Cube, Giant, Scott, Specialized and Trek: This is how much a good entry-level MTB costs in specialist shops

A mountain bike is a luxury item. We don’t need it to survive; rather, we use it to make the most of our free time. As is well known, high-end models can cost mid-five-figure sums. We wanted to know: how affordable are the options at the lower end of the market? At the same time, BIKE is regarded as an authority in the scene, and we can draw on a wealth of experience in testing mountain bikes. This experience tells us that the cheapest model isn’t always the one we’d recommend for genuine off-road fun. Certain minimum standards in terms of technology and features are essential for a consistently positive experience. We therefore took a look at the range of five brands available from specialist retailers: Cube, Giant, Scott, Specialized and Trek. Now we’re revealing what a good mountain bike really costs.

Conclusion

The honest answer to the question “how much does a good mountain bike cost at the very least?” is: around 2,500 euros. It is only from this price point onwards that specialist brands equip their bikes with modern designs and components that have impressed us in our tests. Beginners can find even cheaper deals, but will always have to accept compromises or upgrade the bike later on. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

What makes a good, affordable mountain bike

“Good” is a very relative term. A bike that is good for one customer is by no means necessarily good for another. Whether a mountain bike is well suited to a rider’s individual needs depends, for example, on the intended use, sporting ambition or ergonomic considerations. Choosing the right bike is a highly personal matter. With the major specialist retailers in our example, customers can take advantage of personalised advice. With the industry giants, cyclists can assume that even the more affordable products in the range have been carefully thought through and feature a reasonably well-designed geometry. Anyone who is unsure about this should check the relevant test articles on our website for further guidance.

The facilities

Although it is not the only criterion, it is an absolutely vital one when it comes to good entry-level mountain bikes: the specifications. Prospective buyers should look out for the following criteria:

• Chassis: From a certain quality level upwards, cyclists can expect forks and shock absorbers that provide effective damping in many situations on the trail. With Fox, these might include components from the Rhythm range, whilst with RockShox they might be from the Select range.
• Drive: Single-chainring setups and 12-speed cassettes are now standard. Shimano’s Deore range and Sram’s mechanical GX range both offer a suitable range of options for your bike.
• Wheels and tyres: Rims with an inner width of 25 millimetres or less are, depending on the intended use, a thing of the past. Tyres are among the most important components on a bicycle and should feature a high-quality rubber compound to ensure low rolling resistance, traction and grip. At Schwalbe, we’re talking about the Addix Super Compound, for example.

The best value deals: bikes for occasional off-road use

​Particularly in the lowest price bracket, many manufacturers do not use state-of-the-art technology. Soft quick-release axles and cheap tyre compounds are a no-go for serious mountain biking. That’s why, although we list such models as ‘mountain bikes’ in the table below, we can only recommend them with reservations. Anyone who really wants to have fun off-road should spend a bit more and follow our other recommendations. The cheapest mountain bikes are always hardtails. Cube, Giant, Scott, Specialized and Trek all have ‘mountain bike ranges’ starting at under 700 euros.

An overview of extremely affordable mountain bikes

Prices for good hardtails

When you factor in the criteria mentioned above – suspension, drivetrain, wheels and tyres – the price of a good mountain bike rises significantly. This is also down to the mix of components. For example, Cube only fits its carbon hardtails with a suspension fork that’s recommended for demanding mountain bikers. However, these models also come fitted with wireless gear shifting and powerful brakes. Specialised now only offers hardtails with budget components in its range, whilst Giant has completely discontinued its high-quality hardtails. The fact that there are no truly good mountain bikes available for 1,000 euros today is, unfortunately, a bitter reality. Nevertheless, our testing experience shows that the extra cost is worth it. It’s only from around 2,000 to 2,500 euros that hardtail riders need to make fewer compromises on performance.

An overview of recommended, affordable hardtails

Prices for good full-suspension bikes

Full-suspension bikes are, of course, the more complex type of mountain bike. Depending on the discipline, riders don’t necessarily need a full-suspension model to get started in the sport. The additional development costs and the integration of a rear suspension system with a shock absorber drive prices up. Bikes designed specifically for downhill riding, in particular, benefit immensely from the extra cost of a dropper post. Full-suspension bikes therefore almost always come fitted with a dropper post these days. Recommended full-suspension bikes from specialist retailers start at between 3,000 and 3,500 euros. Generally speaking, the price range here varies considerably.

As far as spec is concerned, Cube also offers the Stereo One22 Race for €2,499, though this is based on an outdated frame platform. We recommend the most affordable carbon model with a modern frame and decent spec. Giant offers the affordable but sparsely equipped Stance as the only budget full-suspension bike in its German range. The cheapest Specialized bike meeting our specification criteria has 170 millimetres of travel and is more suited to the bike park crowd. More versatile models are all more expensive. Trek even manages to offer aluminium full-suspension bikes with modern frames from 2,499 euros, though their spec is entry-level. We would only recommend models costing 1,000 euros more than that.

​An overview of recommended, affordable full-suspension bikes

What do you think? How much money should you invest in a good mountain bike? Is it better to buy from a specialist shop or a mail-order company? Let us know in the comments!