Yeti SB130: great fun, whatever the terrain
Mountain bikes are great all-rounders that can handle any terrain, says Jacqueline Neber in New York magazine. They are perfectly happy on the commute, but, should the biking bug bite and you want to head for faster or rougher terrain for fun, then you’ll have a machine that can cope. The Yeti SB130 is a great option and its unique “switch infinity” suspension system can handle the wildest terrain. It’s a bike that “makes you want to ride harder just to see how far it can be pushed”. It feels as good as anything else on the market for everyday use, but when you “ride aggressively it really comes alive and makes for a fun ride”. £7,199, biketart.com
VanMoof S3: a helping hand with the hills
If you could do with a hand on the hills, consider an electric bike. The VanMoof S3 may not be the most agile cycle in the world, but the cushioned seat and well-positioned handlebars make for “an ache-free experience, even on a long commute”, says Paul Davies in The Daily Telegraph. It looks like something Batman would ride on an Amsterdam mini-break and has a range of between 37 and 91 miles, depending on what you demand of it. But the bike’s “most thrilling” feature is a discreet boost button on its handlebar, which provides an “extra blast of torque” for pulling away at junctions or steep hills. A “kick lock” on the rear wheel activates the security system – an alarm goes off if “some joker starts manhandling it”. The bike unlocks automatically via Bluetooth once your phone is in range. £1,800, vanmoof.com
Mosaic’s made-to-measure machine
You can buy a bike off the shelf for a fraction of what a custom-made cycle will cost you. But what you won’t get is a Mosaic, says Matt Phillips on Bicycling, meaning you will miss out on the “transcendent ride” such a machine provides, of a kind that “I’ve experienced only a handful of times during my long career testing bikes”. Mosaic stands apart from other bespoke builders as it can deliver a custom-made frame to your doorstep in only six weeks – other builders can take over a year. “That quick turnaround doesn’t translate to an inferior product… What you get is a carefully designed and beautifully constructed bike.” The titanium frame of the RT-1 option makes the end product light and fast, and the frame is customised to your specifications. Price on application, prestige-cycles.co.uk
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