Don’t let the word ‘cheap’ deter you – the best cheap mountain bikes are more trail-ready and capable than you might think. With plenty of choices, we have tailored this buying guide to help you find the right bike for your budget. Choosing a mountain bike at any price point can be tricky and there is a shed load on offer for the cash-conscious rider. Whether the cost of living of crisis is tightening its grip on your original budget or you are a complete newcomer to mountain biking, there is a bike for you.
The cheapest bikes are – typically – of the hardtail variety, meaning they utilise a rigid frame and suspension fork up front. There are also a number of cheap full-suspension bikes out there for good money. In the past, you might have been advised to steer clear of cheap full-suspension mountain bikes, but brands such as Carrera and Rockrider bring well-rated full bouncers to the lower end of the market.
Even the cheapest mountain bikes are full of features that years ago you would only find draped on the most expensive models. You can now expect the trickle-down technology to reach entry-level bikes; this includes air-sprung suspension forks, 1x drivetrains, hydraulic disc brakes and even dropper seatposts.
You can keep a look out online and at your local bike shop for deals around Black Friday and Christmas time to help your cash go further. You can often find end-of-season deals and model-year stock clearances with prices slashed on bikes that keep a similar specification and componentry; often manufacturers have only changed colourways in the very latest catalogue.
There is a lot to choose from but we’ve compiled a list of our favourite options below. Still unsure? Scroll down to the bottom of this article where we answer all the questions to help you find the best cheap mountain bike.
- Carrera Fury — £670
- Marin Bobcat Trail 3 — £725
- Carrera Titan X — £950
- GT Aggressor Expert — £550
- Voodoo Bizango — £750
- Rockrider AM 100 S — £1500
Carrera Fury
£670
The Carrera Fury is built around an aluminium frame. It gets a rather nice matte finish and subtly profiled tubing, not to mention a Shimano 1x drivetrain and dropper seatpost, the latter two of which make for an impressively specced bike.
The 45mm stem length and 760mm width bars are contemporary, reinforcing the sprightly ride characteristic of the Carrera Fury with a responsive and direct steering feel. It’s hard to fault the Carrera Fury – it represents absolutely stunning value and all the kit is frankly exceptional for the cash.
It’s not quite perfect – the overly tall frame being the biggest issue – but it still knocks the socks off most of its competition at this price, with the air fork and dropper post being particular highlights.
- Read our review of the Carrera Fury.
- Buy now: Carrera Fury from Halfords for £670.00
Marin Bobcat Trail 3
£725
The Marin Bobcat Trail 3 combines a quality aluminium hardtail frame with a 120mm suspension fork. Not only does the Bobcat trail 3 look like a more expensive mountain bike with its internal cable routing among other features but it’s also hugely capable on the trails, too.
If you’re on a tight budget but still want to have a blast on challenging terrain the Bobcat Trail 3 represents a solid choice. Yes, it’s hampered by the budget drivetrain and tyres, but it delivers a ride that’s a disproportionate amount of fun, with proper, trail-ready geometry and genuine capability when you want to let rip.
- Make sure you read our in-depth review of the Marin Bobcat Trail 3 if you’re looking for a solid performer on a budget.
Carrera Titan X
£950
The Carrera Titan X full suspension mountain bike comes equipped with a SRAM Eagle 12-speed drivetrain and a dropper seatpost – all for under £1,000. While the geometry could do with a squeeze of contemporary flair, the rear suspension platform is superb, matching that of vastly more expensive mountain bikes.
The Titan X is a bit of a porker so riders will be thankful for the 50t cog in the cassette making life a little more bearable when the trail points upwards. The cost savings are evident on the rolling stock with unbranded wheel rims laced to no-frills hubs. The tyres are from WTB and well suited to the hard-packed UK trail centres but are not tubeless-ready.
It is evident that the Carrera Titan X is aimed squarely at mountain bike newcomers. Any rider that suits the three sizes Carrera offer will find this bike is nimble in the turns and punching well above its weight with the spec and especially the rear suspension.
- If you fancy a full-suspension mountain bike, catch every detail in our Carrera Titan X review.
- Buy now: Carrera Titan X from Halfords for £950.00
GT Aggressor Expert
£550
GT is a brand that is rich in mountain bike heritage and famed for its unique triple triangle hardtail frame design that adds a compliant ride quality. The Aggressor Expert is not a lavish offering so it gets an 80mm coil-sprung SR Suntour fork and 3×8 gearing courtesy of Shimano. It does, however, get a 29-inch WTB wheel/tyre combination.
The geometry promotes confidence with an inspiring ride, plenty of support and stability enough that it goads you into riding faster which will unlock the bike’s best attribute, its agility. All this makes the GT Aggressor Expert a great bike for riders just starting out on their mountain biking journey.
- If this tickles your fancy it’s worth giving our GT Aggressor Expert review a good read.
- Buy now: GT Aggressor Expert 27.5″/29″ from Tredz for £449.00
Voodoo Bizango
£750
Voodoo has made a handful of changes to the flagship Bizango’s geometry in order to make the bike more capable but retain everything we know and love about the bike. As such, the bike gets a slightly stretched and slackened geometry but there are a few bigger updates that help futureproof the bike for newcomers to the sport.
Thanks to Voodoo’s impressive overhaul of the Bizango for 2022, it’s become a solid bed for upgrades and is a bike you can hang onto and build up to become even more capable along with you.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find something as confidence-inspiring as the Voodoo Bizango for the money. Its excellently balanced geometry makes for a quick, easy, and pleasurable ride up a hill and an impressively capable blast back down.
- Check out our in-depth review of the Voodoo Bizango.
- Buy now: Voodoo Bizango from Halfords for £750.00
Rockrider AM 100 S
£1,500
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