WHEN IT COMES to stopping there's little that can touch disc brakes. But does their inclusion on a bike mean that corners have to be cut in another area? We test two bikes from the £800 price point, one with discs one with Vs, to find out.

While the full-suspension bike has developed in frantic spasms under marketing and media spotlight, the hardtail's recent evolution has almost gone unnoticed. Far from extinct, the species has now diversified to encompass every facet of the riding spectrum