In our regular tech Q&A series, we put your burning cycling questions – big or small – to industry experts and the bike boffins at BikeRadar HQ. This time, we help a reader looking to avoid US brands by rounding up the best UK-based mountain bike makers – and recommending the standout option for her budget and riding needs.
Donald Trump’s shenanigans have put me off US brands right now, so I’d like to support a UK manufacturer. I’m currently looking at Orange and Whyte. Are there any other British makes I should be looking at in this price range? Sarah Williams, editor of fellow Our Media title, Who Do You Think You Are?
We put this question to our MTB tech team, with brands including Airdrop, Privateer, Cotic, Stanton, Whyte, Orange and Starling all worthy of consideration.
However, knowing what we do about Sarah's requirements from her previous question on wheel sizes for trail riding and her £3,000 budget, the standout option is the Whyte T-140 RS.
We recently gave the Whyte T-140 S (one tier below the RS with a price of £1,999) a 4-star review, with senior tech editor Alex Evans describing it as “a budget masterpiece that defies its price tag”.
At £2,999, the Whyte T-140 RS will give you Fox Float suspension rather than the RockShox Pike Select fork, SRAM GX Eagle mechanical shifting rather than Shimano Deore and Race Face wheels rather than Whyte's own-brand wheels.
It's certainly one of the best-value trail bikes on the market at the moment. For even more budget-friendly trail bike options, check out our comprehensive best trail bike buyer's guide.
Do you have a cycling question you want answered? Every month, we’ll select the most interesting questions and bring you an expert-level response from our unparalleled access to the greatest minds in cycling, both on the BikeRadar staff and across the industry. Send your questions to podcast@bikeradar.com
