Slade MS

It tends to feel slower when you try to hold a high tempo. On smoother singletrack, faster-rolling tires and lighter builds show up clearly, and that's what this score reflects. What pushes it in this direction is a fairly average weight, typical trail-width tires, and a capable drivetrain that supports steady speed. On smoother terrain, the tire setup is biased toward rolling speed on firm ground.

Climb score: 4.8/10. Within Mountain bikes, it lands around the middle. This setup leans heavily toward ‘push’ rather than ‘spin’ on climbs. The easiest gear works out to about 28.7 gear inches. In its peer group, it lands around the easier ~8% for low-gear climbing. Gear inches is basically “how easy is the easiest gear”. Lower numbers help you keep your legs spinning on steep bits. Weight is around 13.9 kg, which you notice more on longer or slower climbs. This is happiest on flatter terrain; steep stuff will feel demanding. Build kits can differ by size and spec level, and not every detail is published by every brand, so use this as a practical guideline.

Suspension: 6/10, classed as “Confident trail control”. That typically means noticeably better bump absorption and more consistent tracking on rougher sections. The fork does the smoothing; the rear stays straightforward and efficient. On choppy terrain, it can help the wheels track more consistently. This level usually brings more reliable wheel tracking on rough patches and repeated hits.

Balanced fit - a neutral road posture that suits most riders. Because you get a very small drop: roughly 40 mm from saddle to bar, plus about 619 mm of stretch forward (very long). Estimated lean is about 27 degrees.

So it lands in Moderately Adjustable. A modular front-end gives more freedom to change stem length or bar width, Internal routing looks tidy but can make cockpit changes a bit more fiddly - The dropper adds a real-world adjustability benefit while riding. Put simply, it describes how practical it is to reconfigure your position later.

Ride comfort is 6.6/10 — on a real ride it feels nicely smooth. So it’s tagged Race-Stiff overall. The posture is neutral (posture 6/10), which keeps it balanced — not overly aggressive, not overly relaxed.

From a value angle, this comes out as a standout deal. The value score is 1–10. Higher means better value for money; lower means the price is high for what you get. Uses MSRP as a baseline; real-world prices can be lower (discounts can change the value). Based on the parts list, it’s roughly 45% cheaper than what similar builds typically cost. Against similar bikes of the same type and age, it’s usually on the cheaper side, beating about 89% of listings. To anchor it: price €1.364 versus an estimated €2.488 for a similar build. Overall, it looks like a great-value pick in its category.

This setup suits typical singletrack and varied natural terrain. It has about 130 mm of suspension travel (how much it absorbs bumps), which works well for everyday trails. The Hardtail setup supports this riding style.