£4000 to £5000 is a big step up, and it is the point where you stop compromising. At this money you move into carbon frames, lighter wheels, higher-end suspension, wireless gears on some bikes, and machines that were £5000 or more last season. It is a wide bracket, so the right bike depends a lot on the riding you do.
What follows is five full suspension bikes we have in stock now across that range, what each one is built to do, and where your money goes. Two of them have dropped in from well above £5000, which is often the smart way to buy at this level. We have leaned on how the bikes are designed and how the cycling press has rated them. These are analogue bikes; if you want a motor, the electric mountain bikes are a separate range.
1. Giant Trance X 1, the do-it-all trail bike
Trail
£3999
The Trance X is the all-rounder of this list and the entry point to the bracket. It runs 140mm of rear travel from Giant's Maestro suspension with a 150mm fork, which is enough to handle most trails without becoming heavy or slow on the climbs. A three-position flip chip and a reach-adjust headset let you tune the fit and the handling, and there is storage inside the downtube for tools and a tube.
Reviewers rate the Trance X as one of the better trail bikes around, praising how efficiently it pedals and how balanced it feels. Mountain Bike Rider scored the platform 9 out of 10. This is the bike to look at if you ride everything and want one bike that climbs well and descends with confidence, rather than a specialist.
2. Marin Alpine Trail XR AXS, the enduro bike with wireless gears
Enduro
£4159 £5199
The Alpine Trail XR AXS has dropped from £5199 to £4159. It is built on Marin's Series 4 aluminium frame with the MultiTrac 2 LT suspension, giving 160mm at the rear and a 170mm fork, with mixed 29in and 27.5in wheels and adjustable geometry. The headline here is the spec: this build comes with SRAM's wireless AXS Transmission gears, which usually push a bike well over £5000.
BikeRadar made the Alpine Trail XR an Enduro Bike of the Year contender and rated it a confident, stable descender, with the main trade-off being weight on the climbs. The discount is down to the model year, not the bike, so you are getting a current enduro bike with wireless gears for the price of a cheaper build. If you want maximum capability on steep, rough ground and like the idea of wireless shifting, this is strong value.
View the Marin Alpine Trail XR AXS
3. Giant Reign SX, the bike-park machine
Enduro / bike park
£4499
The Reign SX is the most specialist bike here, and it is important to know what it is. It uses the Reign enduro frame with 165mm of coil-sprung rear travel, but the front end is a 190mm dual-crown fork, the kind you normally see on a downhill bike. It runs mixed wheels and big SRAM Code brakes.
BikeRadar describes it as smooth but poppy and at home on the roughest trails, which matches what it is built for: bike parks, uplift days and steep, gravity-fed terrain. The flip side is that the dual-crown fork and the weight make it hard work to pedal back up, and the size range is narrow. Buy this if your riding is mostly downhill and park based. If you want to pedal to the top under your own steam, one of the other bikes here will suit you better.
4. Santa Cruz Hightower 4 C S, the carbon all-rounder
Trail / all-mountain
£4699 £5699
The Hightower 4 has come down from £5699 to £4699. This is the current generation of Santa Cruz's do-it-all 29er, built on a carbon C frame with the latest VPP suspension, 150mm at the rear and a 160mm fork. It is worth being clear about the discount: this is not an old design being cleared out. It is the same Hightower 4 the press is reviewing now, so the lower price is really the model year or the colour rather than anything about how it rides.
Reviewers across evo, Blister and Mountain Bike Action rate the Hightower 4 as a balanced, capable all-rounder that climbs tidily and descends like a bigger bike. For a current carbon Santa Cruz with a lifetime frame warranty, £4699 is a lot of bike, and the £1000 saving covers a good chunk of kit or servicing.
View the Santa Cruz Hightower 4
5. Ibis Exie, the cross-country wildcard
Cross-country race
£4750 £11499
The Exie is the wildcard, and it is a different kind of bike to the rest. It is a carbon-framed, World Cup level cross-country race bike with 100mm of rear travel from Ibis's DW-link suspension and a 120mm fork, built around a frame that weighs under 2000 grams. Reviewers at Pinkbike and Canadian Cycling Magazine rate it as one of the better modern XC bikes, fast and efficient but more capable and stable than its travel suggests.
Be clear on what this one is. Ibis sell the Exie in two versions: the standard Exie, and the Exie USA. This is the Exie USA, and its carbon frame is hand-built in Ibis's own factory in California, which is the main reason it carries a much higher price than the standard Exie. On top of that, this one is an ex-team bike with a top-end XX SL build, freshly serviced with a new bottom bracket and all bearings replaced, and some cosmetic marks. That is how a bike that was £11499 is here at £4750. It is not the bike for rough downhill riding, but if you race or ride fast cross-country, or want a light, quick bike for long days and big miles, it is a lot of race bike for the money.
How to choose between them
Here is the short version. For one bike that does everything, the Trance X 1 and the carbon Hightower 4 are the all-rounders, with the Hightower the more capable on steep ground. For full enduro with wireless gears, the Alpine Trail XR AXS is the value pick. The Reign SX is the specialist for bike parks and gravity riding. The Exie is the choice if you race or ride fast cross-country and want something light.
Every full suspension bike we have from £4000 to £5000
For the full picture, here is every full suspension mountain bike we have in stock from around £4000 to £5000 at the time of writing. Stock changes, so call the shop on 01563 526800 to check.
| Bike | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Trance X 1 | Trail | £3999 |
| Marin Alpine Trail XR AXS | Enduro | £4159 (was £5199) |
| Giant Reign SX | Enduro / bike park | £4499 |
| Santa Cruz Hightower 4 C S | Trail / all-mountain | £4699 (was £5699) |
| Ibis Exie USA XX SL | Cross-country race | £4750 (was £11499) |
Frequently asked questions
What is a good full suspension mountain bike for £4000 to £5000?
At £4000 to £5000 you are into carbon frames, lighter builds and higher-end suspension. Bikes in stock at Sprockets in this range include the Giant Trance X 1, the Marin Alpine Trail XR AXS, the Giant Reign SX, the Santa Cruz Hightower 4 and the Ibis Exie. The right one depends on whether you want a trail all-rounder, a gravity bike or a cross-country racer, so it is worth coming in to talk it through.
What do you get for £5000 that you do not get for £3500?
Mostly lower weight and better parts. At this price you start to see carbon frames, lighter wheels, higher-end forks and shocks, and in some cases wireless gears. The frame design and travel are often similar to cheaper bikes, but the build is lighter and more refined, which makes the bike easier to ride for longer.
Is it worth buying a bike that has been discounted from over £5000?
Usually, yes. A bike that was strong last season is still a strong bike today, because frame design, suspension and geometry change slowly. A discount at this level is often down to the model year or the colour rather than anything to do with how the bike rides, so you get a higher-end bike for less and can put the saving towards kit or servicing.
Can I try the bike before I buy?
Yes. Come into the Sprockets shop in Kilmarnock to sit on the bike and check the size and fit before you decide. Stock moves quickly, so call first on 01563 526800 to make sure the bike you want is in.
Before you buy. Frame sizing varies between brands, so the best thing you can do is come into the shop, sit on the bike and see how it feels. Stock moves fast, so give us a call on 01563 526800 first to check the bike is in. We are happy to talk it through and help you get the size right.