VAR DV-71700 Digital Bicycle Scale

Product Information

You’ve likely read it on several cycling message boards already: Bike scales are just glorified fishing scales. But that’s only partially correct. Wheel size: 29in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.88kg | Suspension travel: 120mm front | Rating: 7/10

We love hardtails at mbr. XC race bikes have never been in a better spot, the bikes rising to the challenge of modern courses and the demands of the next generation of racers. We have highlighted the shortcomings of the drivetrain, but we do not want it to be the defining characteristic of the Xtrada 5. Because from the very first pedal stroke it felt like the best riding bike in its class. With the Maxxis Ikon tyres it carries speed really well, but unlike the Jamis, the frame puts the rider in a more commanding position. Your body takes less of a beating than on the Carrera and with the saddle dropped you can really motor on the Polygon. Reasons to avoid: Old school XC geometry with steep head angle and short reach means it’s a handful on technical terrain. The Vitus Rapide is a pure XC race bike, just not in the traditional sense. Yes, it’s got 100mm travel and the full carbon frame weighs only 2,080g, but take a closer look at the rest of its vital stats and you’ll instantly see that the Rapide FS is heavily influenced by the progression of modern trail bike geometry.

We tested the Trek Procaliber 9.7 a couple of years ago and it blew the competition away to take the top step of the podium in our grouptest, and the current model uses the same OCLV carbon frame with effective, trail-smoothing IsoSpeed decoupler.

Trek has been building XC race bikes for over 30 years, and it currently boasts the Olympic XCO women’s champion and world champion on its books, so it knows a thing or two about building a great race bike.

What’s the best wheel size for a hardtail?

With a frame design steeped in racing pedigree, you’d expect the alloy Scale 965 tested here to mirror the dimensions and geometry of the premium carbon bikes. And in many ways it does, but there are some key differences that aren’t immediately obvious. The head angle (we measured this bike at 68.5º), 29in wheels and 100mm fork travel are a constant for both frame materials, as are seat tube measurements. At the cheaper end of the market, try and choose a bike with an air-sprung fork. This will let you set adjust it to suit your body weight. Also try and get a fork with adjustable rebound damping at the minimum. When we tested it we were blown away, writing: ‘From the first pedal stroke the Procaliber took the lead in this test and never faltered. We were instantly won over by its effortless turn of speed, in part thanks to the carbon wheels, but it’s also about the more forgiving ride quality of the frame. Bumps just didn’t chip away at our speed as much as they did on the other bikes on test. And even when we were out of the saddle, the Procaliber was still the smoothest bike here.’

You’d expect to see some performance-oriented details too and for a bike at this price the Scale 965 doesn’t disappoint. The tidy cowled dropouts not only allow the rear hub to drop effortlessly into place, but the 148mm thru-axle frame spacing opens up numerous options when it’s time for a wheel upgrade. Most brands will provide an online size guide, that will give you a recommended size based on your height. But be careful with these online size calculators as they’re not always that accurate. If in doubt, we’d recommend you go for the largest size you can get away with that still provides adequate standover clearance. Doesn’t roll as fast as 29in, but easier to turn and accelerate. Generally stronger and lighter than big wheels too. Paired with big volume tyres (2.5in and upwards) you get a more comfortable ride and improved grip. Firstly, it’s critical you get the saddle height sorted for seated pedalling. As a rule of thumb, your leg should be straight, with your heel on the pedal and the crankarm in line with your extended leg. This allows for a slight bend in the knee when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal at your maximum saddle height. While most home-use luggage and fish scales are handheld and use a metal hook to dangle your payload on, bike scales are much longer, thanks to the addition of a stem piece that allows it to clamp onto a repair stand. Fish scales are often held by hand, making it quite difficult to balance a bike if you don’t have a proper setup. In addition to a clamping stem, all bike scales include a large, strong nylon loop that can be used to safely hang it from a nub, tree branch, or hook without tearing. Can’t I Just Use a Regular Scale?

How do I get my new hardtail mountain bike set-up?

Wheel size: 27.5in | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Weight: 14.47kg (31.9lb) | Suspension travel: 130mm front | Rating: 9/10 A hardtail is a mountain bike that has suspension at the front (a suspension fork) but has a rigid un-suspended main frame and rear wheel. The term hardtail differentiates it from full suspension bikes – with suspension at both wheels – as well as fully rigid bikes – which have rigid forks as well as rigid main frames. What size frame should I buy?