BikeRadar review the Ariel 30 Pro

April 22 2021

BikeRadar review the Ariel 30 Pro

BikeRadar review the Ariel 30 Pro

BikeRadar have awarded the Saracen Ariel 30 Pro a four-star review as part of their Trail Bike Of The Year group test. 

Praising its excellent value and well thought-out spec, as well as the design, handling and efficiency, BikeRadar marked it out as an all-round performer "for all day adventures and picking your way down steep tech."

Which is handy really, because that's exactly what we designed the Ariel 30 to do! We've called it double downcountry - because downcountry is so 2020.

And even though we like our XC rides rowdy, we know that UK riders will spend a lot of time climbing back to the top - a quality that wasn't lost on the review team over at BikeRadar.

"I liked how the Ariel 30 climbed. It sits higher in its travel, and the suspension gives up little to pedalling forces, so it feels nice and efficient on longer drags. The roomy front-end gives you plenty of space to manipulate your centre of mass, so technical climbs are easily negotiated – boosted by the grippy Maxxis Minion DHRIIs that appear front and rear on wide DT Swiss XM421 rims.

"As such, I found the Ariel 30 shone in two places. Longer rides, perhaps taking in a few laps of local trail centres, where the fast, predictable handling and efficient pedalling paid dividends. Or, on steep technical terrain, where the long geometry gives buckets of confidence, and where speeds, generally, are a little lower."

Of course, no review would be complete without a look at the numbers and we're glad to have our geometry on the right side of fashion and function without going full Grim Dougnut.  

"The long reach (505mm) and slack head angle (64.5 degrees) combine to give the Ariel 30 straight line speed and steep terrain confidence by the bucket load, especially when the trail is fast, rather than super harsh. It also shows that long bikes can still have finesse when threading through tighter trails, and where more precise inputs are needed to weave the wheels through obstacles.

"Kit-wise, Saracen has done a great job of picking parts for the bike, especially considering the price – I think it represents great value for money."

So there you have it - the Ariel 30 Pro is a great choice for UK trail riders at a brilliant price. If you want to read the complete review be sure to head over to BikeRadar. 

If you want to pick up an Ariel 30 Pro of your own, then check it out here. 

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