BIKE BUYING CAN be a complicated process, with so many styles, set-ups and materials to choose from. But back in the day, steel was the material of choice for bike builders, and it's still around now. Here we look at three very different stell hardtails, and find out why, for some, the original material is still the best.

The bike test with a twist: all four of these five inch plus trail bikes have been built up with exactly the same kit to ensure the fairest, most accurate assessment possible