FOUR WAS THE MAGIC NUMBER until not that long ago — the inches of travel front and rear that defined the full-suspension trail bike. And it’s still a good number whether you’re a weekend warrior or a suspension virgin. We rounded up four £1,500 rigs

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.