Giant ATX 27.5 1 (2016)

A solid, affordable entry into mountain biking

Pros

- 27.5" wheel size
- forgiving aluminium frame
- excellent kit at this price

Cons

- shorter travel suspension fork
- weight

Review

The entry into mountain biking can be an exciting one – trading paved roads for the freedom of single track and unexpected obstacles. Such an introduction calls for a very specific bike, robust and capable enough to handle this newfound workload, but affordable enough that it can be filed under “no harm done” if the MTB experiment is not a success.

Enter the 2016 model Giant ATX 27.5 1, an entry-level hardtail mountain bike capable of serving as an all-rounder when tackling forest roads, single track and paved laneways alike.

The philosophy behind the 27.5-inch wheel size is that it’s the perfect balance of speed and stability – 29-inch wheels are certainly faster with better rolling properties, but are much harder to keep stable and controlled. The original 26-inch mountain bike wheels are a delight to handle, but don’t roll very freely and present numerous challenges when negotiating gutters, jumps and fallen logs.

The ATX is built around an ALUXX aluminum butted frame, meaning that it’s strong, stiff and reasonably light, as well as being forgiving enough to accommodate less experienced riders.

The Suntour front forks only have a 100mm travel – not as much as some higher-end models, but plenty for those new to off-road riding. They also feature a lock-out mode to make climbing easier and more efficient.

Shimano have come to the party with their EZ Fire 24-speed shifters: this means you have 3 chainrings at the front, and the choice of 8 gears at the back, offering a total of 24 gears to choose from. This wide selection means you have all the bases covered, from high-speed commuting and road travel to gut-busting rocky climbs.

Both front and rear brakes offer plenty of stopping power with Tektro M280 mechanical discs, and the Kenda tires are durable and quite versatile.

Make no mistake, this is not a high-end bike, nor is it pretending to be. It’s just a tough, hard-wearing bike that will hopefully lure you, or somebody else, deeper into the wonderful world of off-road riding.