So have just seen in one of the mags (MBR I think) that this Calibre Bossnut has been awarded bike of the year?

I was in the market for a Santa Cruz Solo (or similar) but at 1/3 the price then must admit I’m tempted. So anyone ridden one? Cant stop wondering though is it actually being better than a bike costing 3 x the price, or has it only won because it’s an amazing bike at that price point?

Thought please.

has it only won because it’s an amazing bike at that price point?

Yes.

I’m sure it’s a cracking bike though.

Looks like it goe’s like a Rocket 😉

Well the santa cruz is going to be a better performing bike, but it’ll be 4 times the price, so you would expect that.

Will you be able to tell it’s 4 times more expensive when riding? Probably not…but things such as weight, brakes, gears and suspension performance would be obvious differences, that you would expect most riders to be able to notice the difference.

Will you have 4 times as much fun? Possibly not. Will you end up spending a fair amount of cash on the bossnut to make it closer to the 5010 in spec, probably. I would still be buying a hardtail if I had that amount of cash to spend on a bike, as the all around spec will be so much better. Alternatively, look second hand, you’ll get something a lot nicer than the bossnut.

Bossnut?

Is that really a name for a bike? Really? If they gave it away I wouldn’t have one when the name basically means “head testicle”.

Worth mentioning if you’re thinking about one of these is to get a Go Outdoors members card for a fiver that will get you £300 off the price down to £999

has it only won because it’s an amazing bike at that price point?

Yes.

I’m sure it’s a cracking bike though.

That’s what I wondered, equally though for a grand, it could be worth a punt surely even for the most brand obsessed among us? Even if it broke then that’s about the same price as a replacement set of forks for the Solo.

Pauls cycles Cannondale trigger for the price of the Bossnut, and you don’t have to ride a bike called a bossnut.

There are some nice mid-travel bikes in between those prices too.

If I were after a 650b trail bike I’d be all over the Canyon Spectral, or maybe the Whyte T130.

Had a quick demo on a Whyte T130 – very nice bike, worth considering.

Reading that and the pictures, the front qr/axle lever should be point backwards as if hit a by something in the position it’s shown in the picture it’ll rotate and tear a hole in the lowers (if hit hard enough) have seen this happen on a couple of these forks.
Also the Sektor solo air system is different to the newer solo air systems so not designed to us the air tokens.

Other than that the bike looks reasonable value for an entry level FS machine

Oh.
/Runs off to adjust maxle skewer!

I have read the article and the shortlist is made up of all the bikes that got 10/10 during the year. They then ride them all back to back and decide the winner with all aspects considered.