First Look – The Sonder Dial gets a SID Ultimate and costs just £1699!

In the spirit of supply chain issues, our test bike has come with a Reba, but still… the Sonder Dial looks ready to race!

The Sonder Dial XC is a race-tuned aluminium XC trail bike with 100mm travel, 29in wheels and an affordable build spec. Available as a frame only for only £299 or as a complete bike with builds costing £999, £1249 or £1699.

The entry-level Sonder Dial come with a SRAM SX drivetrain and Recon fork. The mid-range £1249 build gets a Shimano Deore drivetrain. While the flagship bike boasts a GX groupset, SID Ultimate and Sonder’s new Alpha wheelset.

The Sonder Dial is designed to give more confidence than a gravel bike and a more direct feel than a trail bike. Ideal for cross-country riding and racing, with race-tuned geometry. A 69 degree head angle, steep seat-tube and low stack height all work together to optimise climbing performance and responsive steering.

Our top of the range build should come with the excellent RockShox SID Ultimate fork, an incredible piece of kit given the complete price. However, due to stock issues we have a RockShox Reba fork on our test bike.

Sonder Alpha XC 29in x 23mm alloy rims are compatible with 1.5in to 2.4in tyres but are optimised for running 2.0″ to 2.4″ tyre widths. The Sonder Dial comes with WTB Ranger 2.4in, providing large volume and great traction with added comfort, whilst still being a fast-rolling solution for the speed demons on the race circuit. They come with tubes but are tubeless compatible.

We have the SRAM GX Eagle Sonder Dial build, giving us 12-speed shifting through a 32t chainring and 10-50t cassette. The cranks are 170mm.

SRAM Level TL hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors offer plenty of stopping power for a lightweight bike designed to travel at high speeds.

There’s plenty of clearance at the back end for your 2.4″ tyre of choice, and plenty of mud.

To keep the price down, and because not everyone wants a dropper post on their XC bike, the Sonder Dial comes with a fixed seatpost but there is stealth routing if you wanted to add one at a future date.

Sonder Dial Geometry

Sonder Dial GX Eagle XC Bike Specification

• Frame // Dial Frame
• Fork // Rockshox Sid Ultimate / 29 / 100mm
• Headset // FSA Orbit C-40-ACB Headset / 7.8mm Spacer
• Seat Clamp // Love Mud Gromit / 34.9mm
• Brake Front // SRAM Level TL / Direct / 900mm
• Brake Rear // SRAM Level TL / Direct / 1800mm
• Rotor Front // Avid Centreline Rotor / 180mm
• Rotor Rear // Avid Centreline Rotor / 160mm
• Rear Mech // SRAM GX Eagle Rear Derailleur / 12 / Long
• Rear Shifter // SRAM GX Eagle Trigger Shifter
• Chainset // SRAM GX Eagle Crankset DUB / 170mm / 32
• Bottom Bracket // SRAM Bottom Bracket / DUB
• Chain // SRAM GX Eagle Chain / 120 Links
• Cassette // SRAM XG1275 Eagle Cassette / 12 / 10-50
• Stem // Sonder Storc / 70mm
• Seatpost // Sonder Seatpost / 31.6mm / 400mm
• Saddle // Sonder Abode / 138 / Black
• Grips // Sonder Clutch / Black
• Handlebar // Sonder Aspect Flat
• Wheels // Sonder Alpha 29 XC / XD
• Front Tyre // WTB Ranger / Light Fast Rolling / 29 / 2.4
• Rear Tyre // WTB Ranger / Light Fast Rolling / 29 / 2.4
• Tubes // WTB Inner Tube / 29 / 1.9-2.3
• Frame only claimed weight // S: 1.75 kg; M: 1.82 kg; L: 1.9 kg; XL: 2 kg
• Price as built (but with a RockShox SID Ultimate) // £1,699.00

Amanda Wishart

Art Director

Amanda is our resident pedaller, who loves the climbs as much as the descents. No genre of biking is turned down, though she is happiest when at the top of a mountain with a wild descent ahead of her. If you ever want a chat about concussion recovery, dealing with a Womb of Doom or how best to fuel an endurance XC race, she's the one to email.

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