Whyte 905 (£1,599)

British company Whyte really do know their trail bikes, and the latest 900-series hardtail range gets upgraded to 650b wheels for 2014.

On paper it’s a bike that looks to deliver the thrills trail riders really look for in a bike. The smaller wheels has allowed them to bump fork travel up to 130mm, a good thing. It has a slack head angle, short chainstays and it gets a longer top tube designed with the stubby 60mm stem in mind. Whopping 750mm bars too, which means you don’t need to swap the bar and stem on this bike before hitting the trails. That shows Whyte know their target audience well.

The 905 is the mid-range model with a 6061 hydroformed butted aluminium frame, tapered head tube and RockShox Revelation RL, 27.5in fork. Shimano Deore and SLX components with a Shadow Plus rear mech and Race Face Ride 2×10 crankset and Shimano BR-615 hydro brakes complete the package.

Price: £1,599
More information: Whyte Bikes 905