529 Trail Hardtail Bike

Fast, Light & Fun
Our middle-of-the range 529 trail hardtail is a fast, light weight and capable 29er with award-winning handling that’s perfect for making the most of every bit of fun you can find on your favourite singletrack and trail centre trails, as well as for going fast and far on big rides out in the hills. Upgrades over the entry-level 429 include a full 1x12 transmission with even more climbing range and a dropper post to ensure you’re ready for everything.

Highlights
– Light yet tough 6061 T6 hydroformed, multi-butted Singe Chain Ring (1X) specific frame
– 120mm RockShox Recon RL suspension fork
– Capable & smooth-rolling 29er wheels + grippy Maxxis tyres
– SRAM SX Eagle 1x12 transmission (32T chainring x 11-50 cassette)
– Tektro M535 four-piston hydraulic disc brakes (180mm rotors front + rear)
– KS dropper post (with frame size-specific drop)

Why 529?
The 529 uses the same perfect 10/10 MBR magazine scored frame as our flagship 629 trail hardtail to give you the same award-winning handling, so you can confidently enjoy taking on technical trails, combined with low weight and smooth-rolling 29er wheels to cover ground quickly and efficiently.

Our big wheel hardtail handling has been the benchmark since we first did what everyone else said was impossible with our holistic ‘Total Geometry’ design philosophy: by blending progressive 29er geometry together with specially curated components and tyre choice to deliver you the very best handling and ride experience possible. This equates to an exhilarating and confident ride feel: the 529 is a freak out of corners and up climbs, but never freaks out when you’re pushing it, sending drops, or sliding turns faster than ever. Short offset forks and custom Whyte short stem, bars and grips complete your connection to the feisty but flowing, calm but hard-charging character that pro test riders and trail riders love.

The 6061-T6 hydroformed, multi-butted mainframe also blends capability with comfort so that you can ride confidently on every ride – no matter how long or short – thanks to a careful blend of frame angles, dimensions, component choices, and custom fork offset to deliver you a class-leading ride that’s balanced, composed, stable and precise. We’ve also mounted the rear brake on the chainstay – rather than the traditional seatstay – to add even more comfort.

Features & Equipment
The middle option of our three 29er trail hardtails comes with a suitably Goldilocks ‘just right’ kit list that seamlessly blends value and performance: front suspension is provided by RockShox’s capable Recon RL 120mm travel forks; slick shifting with a gear for every gradient comes from SRAM’s SX Eagle groupset; Maxxis Ardent 29x2.4in EXO Dual Compound tyres fly over the trails with sure-footed grip. Such a tough but light ride needs wheels to match too, so we build our own custom sets from proven WTB rims, benchmark DT Swiss spokes and double sealed hubs. Powerful, feedback-rich braking comes from Tektro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes to give you dependable performance; remote-controlled KS 900i dropper seat posts (125mm drop on size S; 150mm drop on M-XL) give you the clearance to push your riding further, and in more control, on descents and technical terrain, too.

To ensure that living with it for the long-haul is as good an experience as riding it, we’ve loaded the 529 with all the bad-weather-beating and practical features possible to keep it running brilliantly ride after rider, and year after year. That includes weather sealing the internally routed control cable ports and seat post collar to keep the water and muck where it belongs – outside; maximizing mud clearances – as well as allowing space for up to 2.6in tyres in the rear – thanks to our big-tyre friendly Single Chain Ring frame design; as well as a custom chainstay guard to both protect the frame from chain slap damage and silent your ride.

Bigger diameter 29in (aka ‘29er’) wheels boost performance in several ways. Their larger size effectively shrinks every bump, so they can roll over rough terrain faster and smoother so you can go further, with less fatigue and more control. They also have more gyroscopic stability so you can hold your line better when things get loose, adding more control and confidence. While that can make some 29ers dull, our unique Total Geometry approach means our 29er bikes are still agile and fun as well.