£550 (with £5 GO Outdoors card) The solid entry-level hardtail returns
After a pandemic hiatus, GO Outdoors-owned Calibre have revived their Rake line of top-value entry-level hardtails. While they’re also available with 650b wheels, this 29in-wheeled version has long-and-low geometry plus a clever trail-ready parts spec.
THE FRAME
The Rake is made from 6061 alloy tubing, with well-finished welds and an aggressive-looking silhouette. A sloped top tube helps keep the frame away from your knees when getting loose in tight turns. Full-length external cable routing should make home repairs a doddle, while rack mounts give you the option to turn this brute into a ‘ute’. A slack-ish 66-degree head angle helps provide descending stability, while a fairly steep 74.5-degree seat tube angle sits you far enough over the cranks for climbing steep chutes. In the interest of money saving, the bike has quick-release dropouts rather than a rear through-axle, which will limit future wheel upgrade options.
THE KIT
For the price, Calibre have done a stellar job with the Rake. You get a 100mm-travel RockShox Judy TK fork with leg-top lockout, plus Clarks M2 hydraulic disc brakes, which clamp onto 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors. It’s been a while since we’ve ridden a bike with a double crankset, but the 2x9 Shimano Alivio set-up gives a wide range of gears, even if it isn’t without its rattles on the downhills. The unbranded rims on Shun Feng hubs held up well during testing, and the WTB Trail Boss tyres find grip on both loamy and rocky trails. While a dropper seatpost is out of the question at this price, the Calibre does have a quick-release seatpost collar, so you can lower your saddle at the top of the trail.
THE RIDE
The Rake’s ‘hardcore hardtail’ geometry allows you to ride trails you wouldn’t normally consider on a bike at this price. It doesn’t have the most playful ride, but its big wheels and up-to-date dimensions provide good stability. The frame seems to keep small vibration
