Before you even order your potential new bike in for a test, you should make sure the componentry and spec will meet your needs.

For example, if you want a bike for weekend rides, commuting, and possibly touring, it needs to be fun to ride, but should also have mounts for pannier racks that you may need. If you plan on attacking gnarly trails, you probably want to go fully sussed.

Before you fall in love with a bike, write a check list of ‘Must Have’s’ and ‘Nice to Have’s’ – your chosen bike needs to meet all the Must’s and most of the Nice’s before you order it in for a test.

Calling in a bike that doesn’t tick your boxes could result in you falling madly in love with it – which is great, as long as you’re prepared to buy another to meet the needs that it doesn’t!