Best Mountain Bikes Under $1000

 
Best mountain bikes under $1000
Best mountain bikes under $1000
Best mountain bikes under $1000


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You’ve got a little bit more to spend, and are looking for the best mountain bike under $1000 but are confused with the number of available options? Well our team have reviewed numerous mountain bikes all under the $1000 price point and have chosen what we believe to be the top value for money mountain bikes under 1000 dollars based on design, value for money, ride and handling, and specifications.

If you’re looking for some cheaper options – take a look at our reviews for the best mountain bikes under $300 and the top mountain bikes under $500.

So let’s get straight into the list that includes a number of Hardtails as well as Full Suspension mountain bikes under $1000 (and even a full carbon fibre mountain bike as well …)

Best Mountain Bikes under $1000

Mountain Bike Name Style
Diamondback Line Hardtail Diamondback Line Hardtail Check Price
Raleigh Kodiak 1 Raleigh Kodiak 1 Dual Suspension Check Price
Beiou Toray T700 Beiou Toray T700 Carbon Fiber Hardtail Check Price
Diamondback Recoil 29er Diamondback Recoil 29er Full Suspension Check Price
Mongoose Tyax Comp Mongoose Tyax Comp Hardtail Check Price

Diamondback Line Hardtail

First up is an awesome hardtail from Diamondback, namely the Diamondback Line Hardtail mountain bike (and trust me when we say we reviewed many Diamondback mountain bikes under $1000 and the choice was not easy). Released as part of the Hook, Line and Sync’r model range, the Diamondback Line fits squarely in the middle of the model line-up and is touted as an aggressive Hardtail trail bike that is great for all mountain bike rides, singletrack rides and even for some laps around the bike park. The MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is literally bang on $1000, but you’ll definitely find it cheaper from many online stores or try your favorite LBS. What we really liked about the Diamondback Line hardtail is its low-slung frame which is awesome for lowering your centre of gravity and keeping you stable on the bike.

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Pushing the Diamondback Line downhill at some ferocious speeds, we always felt in control and the bike was heaps of fun to ride because of this design. At this budget (i.e. under $1000), you really should be getting some middle to top tier componentry and definitely lightweight frames, and in this regard the Diamondback Line doesn’t disappoint. The lightweight 6061-T6 aluminum frame coupled with an SR Suntour fork are excellent for any trail riding, and with 120mm of travel the suspension fork handles most bumps and humps with ease. It could even be a good women’s mountain bike as well

Low slung frame allows you to really take control of this MTB

Hook, Line and Sync’r range – the Diamondback LINE model is the standout


With its awesome frame and low slung geometry, the Diamondback Line hardtail MTB is the standout in this price range.
PROS
  • Low slung frame allows riders a low centre of gravity for great control
CONS
  • Single ring SRAM 1×9 drivetrain may not suit all riders

 

 

Raleigh Kodiak 1

Finally a full suspension mountain bike under $1000 that does not sacrifice quality for price. The Raleigh Kodiak 1 is a great mountain bike from Raleigh which is not only stunning to look at, but is stunning to ride as well. With its large Weinmann U50 Rims and the Kenda Havoc 27.5” PLUS tires providing great traction on the trail, and the dual suspension with 120mm of travel encouraging you to hit feature after feature on the trail, the Raleigh Kodiak 1 is a super responsive mountain bike and is definitely a star performer for the price (you can often get this model cheaper during Mountain Bike Black Friday specials).
Raleigh Kodiak 1

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With its tapered headtube and an alloy plus frame design, with front and rear thru axles, this bike allows riding lines that you never thought possible, and what we really liked was the solid and stable drift through the corners. 24 speeds (with Shimano SL-M310 shifters) and hydraulic disc brakes round out an extremely capable dual suspension bike that is naturally more forgiving than a hardtail, and some may say more fun to ride (well that’s personal preference really … ) With its 3×8 Shimano drivetrain (Shimano Altus front derailleur and Shimano Acera rear derailleur), powering the bike down or up the trail is pretty easy, and trust me we had a great time with the Raleigh Kodiak 1 as we threw some hairy downhills at it and the bike handled all obstacles with ease.

This really is one bike that you will be using weekend after weekend tearing up the trails and enjoying it at the same time

27.5” PLUS – a great set of tires on a great MTB


You get your 29ers and 27.5” but the Raleigh Kodiak 1 has 27.5” PLUS tires – so what exactly are 27.5” PLUS you may say. Well, 29” and 27.5” simply refer to the wheel diameter, whereas the PLUS designation refers to the wheel width. 27.5” PLUS tires are commonly known as mid-fat tires and fall in-between the standard 2 to 2.3-inch mountain bike tires and the true 5 inchers that you find on a fat bike.
PROS
  • 27.5” PLUS tires provide greater traction and ultimately increased trail comfort
  • Stunning design and it’s a Raleigh as well!
CONS
  • You sacrifice an increase in weight with the larger width tires – but truly, for the negligible extra weight, the traction and control gains are massive so it’s not really a CON as such unless you are truly after the lightest bike

 

 

Beiou Toray T700 Carbon Fiber mountain bike

Beiou who? Yes, we realize not many may have heard of the Beiou brand as it’s certainly not as well-known as the other top mountain bike brands like Scott, Trek and Giant, but Beiou produce some quality carbon fibre mountain bikes at a smidgen of the price of its more illustrious rivals. Let’s not doubt that your typical MTB snob would rather die than be seen riding a Beiou mountain bike, but then ask them where else they could get a full carbon fiber mountain bike for under $1000. Yes you read it right -> a full carbon fiber mountain bike for under $1000. Made from Toray T700 carbon fiber (hence the bike name), the Beiou T700 is an ultralight carbon fiber hardtail MTB with a hydraulic suspension fork, Shimano Altus derailleurs and 26” tires. The bike is supplied in 3 different frame sizes (15”, 17” and 19”) but dependent on the color your choose, some 19” frame sizes are not available (e.g. the full-black version of the Beiou Toray T700 does not come in a 19” frame size, but the Red color does, so go figure!). We actually preferred the slick black color with its 3K Glossy finish, but if you are on the taller end, you might then need to choose a different color.

Weighing in at just over 25lbs, it’s truly a lot lighter than many of the other mountain bikes in the under $1000 price bracket and by a far margin as well. With 100mm of travel, the bike suspension does allow for some riding over slightly rough terrain (maybe not enough to be race ready, but for any serious downhill biking we recommend replacing the fork with a RockShox or similar fork.

Super lightweight carbon fiber XC mountain bike at an unbelievable price

What to expect from a Carbon Fiber mountain bike under $1000


Undoubtedly and unashamedly made in China, the Beiou Toray T700 MTB carbon fiber frame may be of concern to some buyers – but let’s just dispel some myths right away. Most of the top known mountain bike brands (think Giant, Trek, Scott and even Specialized) selling carbon fiber bikes source their frames from …… you guessed it ….. China / Taiwan!! (They are probably all made by Giant Cycle Corp., the largest OEM of carbon frames in the world – and then re-badged to whichever manufacturer)
PROS
  • Easy assembly
  • Carbon Fiber Mountain bike for under $1000
  • We’ll say it again – its carbon fiber man! And it’s at an unbelievable price!
CONS
  • Need to replace the fork for some serious downhill action

 

 

Diamondback Recoil 29er

We may have mentioned it before but Diamondback (makers of the Diamondback Sorrento which we previously reviewed) have a number of strong contenders for the list of best mountain bikes under $1000 and it was quite difficult to choose between them. Ultimately, we wanted to feature a 29er in the list, and the Diamondback Recoil 29er was a real standout mountain bike and deserved to be featured. A full suspension 29er, weighing in at 34.5lbs, with its single pivot design, the Diamondback Recoil 29er is a bike that you will definitely enjoy riding. We also recommend the Diamondback ReadyRide option with the bike being shipped to you (yip you guessed it…) Ready to Ride without having the usual tedious assembly tasks of other mountain bikes. Assembly of the bike solely requires fitting the pedals, the seat and the front wheel and you are good to go (literally took us less than 10 minutes and no messing about, we were up and ready to go)

With its Suntour XCT suspension fork providing 100mm of travel coupled with awesome Kenda Honey Badger 29×2.2” tires, flying down trails with loose stones and roots was of no concern and the Recoil 29er felt solid and extremely capable on the trail. The Diamondback Recoil 29er is built using lightweight 6061 T-6 aluminum with a machine formed top tube and butted formed down tube. Shimano specs aplenty on the Recoil 29er, with Altus M310 front derailleur, and Acera M360 rear derailleur, with Shimano Altus M310 rapid fire shifters.

Solid and extremely capable on the trail
The Diamondback Recoil 29er is a real standout!

Massive Kenda Honey Badger 29” tires for reduced rolling resistance


The Recoil 29er sports some awesome 29” tires that reduce rolling resistance and really provide for a great and enjoyable ride by decreasing the angle of attack thus allowing the rider to roll over obstacles like exposed roots and larger rocks with ease.
PROS
  • Sturdy and durable 29er
  • Comes with the Diamondback ReadyRide option – bike is literally shipped ready to ride without much assembly required
CONS
  • The suspension fork increases the weight on the Recoil 29er substantially but of course it could be replaced if you are really after a lightweight bike – so just factor that into extra costs

 

 

Mongoose Tyax Comp

Another good contender in the best mountain bike under $1000 list is provided by Mongoose. Sitting at the lower end of the price range between $500 and $1,000, the Mongoose Tyax Comp features some awesome specifications for the price. With its SR Suntour XCM V3 suspension fork providing 100mm of travel, the Mongoose Tyax Comp is a mid-tier bike falling squarely in the middle of the current Mongoose Tyax line-up / range, placed between the cheaper Mongoose Tyax Sport and the pricier Mongoose Tyax Expert. But for the money, the Mongoose Tyax Comp packs a real punch. It features a trail light aluminum frame and 27 speed Shimano Acera / SR Suntour XCR drivetrain. Braking is provided by the ever efficient Tektro Novela mechanical disc brakes.

What we really liked about the Mongoose Tyax Comp is the compression and rebound control of the SR Suntour XCM V3 fork. In fact, the reason the Tyax Comp makes the list is due to how well its fork actually works. When searching for an entry level mountain bikle at this particularly price point, performance is often judged on the ability of the fork. And thankfully the Mongoose Tyax Comp delivers in this arena over other similar priced bikes. With its 26” wheels shod with Kenda Small Black Eight 26×2.1 tires, riding feels smooth over rough terrain and especially on longer flatter rides, but the weight of the bike (at 14.2kg / 31.5 lbs) may become an issue on steep climbs.

Compression and rebound control is out of this world with 100mm travel provided by the SR Suntour XCM V3 fork

Tyax Comp – best mountain bike in the Tyax range


Sitting in the middle of the Tyax range, the Tyax Comp delivers quality at an affordable price and if your budget stretches just over $500, this mountain bike is quality for money. Its nowhere as good as a KTM mountain bike – but you get what you pay for
PROS
  • Awesome Suntour SR XCM V3 fork with 100mm of travel
  • Ever efficient Tektro Novella mechanical disc brakes make stopping a breeze
CONS
  • Average componentry set but can’t ask much more at this price bracket
  • Quite a heavy bike compared to others in the under $1000 list