Better than expected: Entry-level fullys under 2000 €
Better than expected: Entry-level fullys under 2000 €
We have tested 32 cheap fullys under 2000 €. The result: These cheap, full-suspension mountain bikes are better than their reputation!
You want to buy a full suspension mountain bike and you want to spend under 2000 €? This will not be easy. Because decent and inexpensive MTB fullys are absolute rarities. We analyzed over 2000 mountain bikes for bike-test.com for the 2023 model year. The honest truth: There are just 32 fullys that cost under 2000 €. These are mainly of the sports discounter Decathlon, Rose, Cube, Marin and Vitus. Well known manufacturers such as Specialized, Scott or Cannondale have no fully in this price range in their portfolio. The few inexpensive MTB fullys that exist are only just under the magic 2000 € mark. Fullys for under 1500 € or even under 1000 € can not be recommended in most cases, which is why we have not considered them in this test report. But you can buy a good hardtail in this pricerange.
Why are there so few cheap fullys?
The construction of a mountain bike frame with suspension is significantly more complex than without. As a result, fully frames are significantly more expensive to manufacture than hardtail frames. However, sporty use naturally requires high-quality components such as brakes and gears. The manufacturer is therefore faced with a choice in this price range: Either he makes compromises in the frame or in the equipment. Only very few succeed in fulfilling both factors. Especially prestigious brands like Cannondale, Scott or Specialized do not even try. This explains the limits in this market segment. In order for you to assess whether you really need a fully, we have written an extra article that deals only with one central question: What are the pros and cons of MTB fullys and do you really need one to be happy?This is what you can expect from a MTB fully under 2000 €.
Let´s get one thing straight: there is no luxury equipment in full suspension mountain bikes under 2000 euros. All components in this price range are entry-level. Current high-end components are installed in Fullys only from 3000 euros upwards. This is also clearly noticeable when riding. Fork and damper work, but do not respond quite as sensitively as higher-quality counterparts. The brakes are usually equipped with a long 2-finger lever and could usually decelerate better, especially for heavy riders. Telescopic supports are not standard in this market segment. High-quality frames make tuning possible What makes fullys in this price range nevertheless attractive is a high-quality frame. With the Rose Ground Control, a good frame is also built into bikes for 3000 euros. This means that if you buy a cheap fully now, you can gradually tune it with higher-quality parts. Standards such as the bottom bracket, the brake mount or the rear wheel installation make it possible as soon as more budget is available. So you can first see if you like mountain biking at all and pimp the bike later on.
No differentiation into usual bike categories
Because the selection in this market segment is so small, we have decided not to strictly divide the bikes in this article into their category. Normally, mountain bikes are divided into specific categories, depending on their suspension travel on the fork. In general, we distinguish between the following mountain bike categories on www.bike-test.com: Beginner Bikes Racebikes Downcountry Bikes Trailbikes Trailhardtails All Mountain Bikes Enduro Mountainbikes Downhiller Most bikes in this price range have 120 millimeters of travel and are designed for classic touring use. Few exceptions like the Rockrider MTB All Mountain 100 s with 140 millimeters of travel can also occasionally be used in the bike park. For more detail, you can also read through all the info on the different MTB types here.These are the best cheap MTB fullys under 2000 €.
Vitus, Cube, Rose, Marin and Ghost manage to put attractive fullys for under 2000 € on the market, despite all the difficulties. Rockrider (house brand of Decathlon) even delivers an adequate model for a price of 1599 €. All these bikes have 120 to 130 millimeters of travel and are designed for touring use. The frames that are built into these inexpensive models can also be found on other models that cost up to 1000 € or more. This underlines the theory that these bikes are great for tuning later. Stronger brakes, lighter wheels or a telescopic support can be retrofitted without further hassle.
These are the best Models below the 2000 € mark we found for you:
Click here for the complete test of MTB fullys up to 2000 €.
In this article, the author Ludwig Döhl has incorporated his experience from over 100,000 kilometers in the mountain bike saddle.
