WITH THE TRAVEL on front forks getting longer by the hour, how much travel is enough and to what extent does it determine a bike's character? We took three bikes offering 80, 100 and 130mm of suspension to find out

YOU'VE HAD IT WITH HARDTAILS and have decided that your bike rather than your buttocks should soak up the lumps and bumps on the trail, but where do you start? The full-susser market is a minefield, so we tested four machines costing around £1200 to give you a heads-up on buying your first one.