After the hottest and driest September in a century, it’s hard to believe we’ll ever have fun in the mud again… So when the rain arrives you want to be ready, and the Reaction range of mountain bikes is a great place to begin. Made by Cube, the much-lauded German manufacturer, the all-carbon range starts at £1,249 and tops out at almost £2,000. But unless you are a pro trail racer, the entry-level GTC is all you’ll ever need in a lightweight hardtail MTB. It’s balanced, responsive and very agile. At its core is its super-stiff frame, which uses the firm’s ‘Grand Tour’ composite. The tapering top tube combines with the race-light wheels to give you a wonderful sense that you could skip across gloopy bogs all day. It has decent front shox and reliable disc brakes, too. An easy rider for the hard stuff (cube.eu).
Price: £1,249
Frame: carbon
Gears: Shimano XT 22-speed
Weight: 11.7kg
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
