So what have we learned? These bikes are an absolute, screaming, giggling, manic wild-eyed, hoot down anything even remotely steep. They will leap down features without giving you time to properly process the one before. They carve singletrack beautifully, and they work terrifically as general (ridiculously capable) trail bikes. No, they aren’t the most agile, nor the most nimble – they’re not cross-country bikes – but they’re not the hilarious barges that some people have made them out to be either. Tight corners are perfectly possible, as are switchbacks, once you’ve got your eye in and used bit of body English.
They climb much, much better than they have any right too. They’re not light – they’re all over 15.5kg – but the steep seat angles and long front centres keep your weight centred, there’s impressively little front wheel wandering and the back wheel maintains traction impressively on all three bikes.