Blog
ATHERTON A.130 Wins MBUK’s Bike of the Year!!
10 September 2025
Words: Gill Harris
We are beyond excited to announce that we have won the hugely sought after Bike of the Year Award from MBUK!
This year’s award focused on trail bikes, a short-list of eight outstanding bikes selected from favourite reviews from MBUK’s super-experienced testers, Robin Weaver, Alex Evans and Luke Marshall; even to make it to the final consideration set was an honour in itself.
Last year in his solus review of the A.130.1 Luke wrote…
The Atherton 130 is a thrill seeker's trail bike that hits harder than its stats on paper suggest. It’s versatile, comes with meticulous handmade craftsmanship and head-turning looks… It’s my new benchmark for short-travel trail bikes! So much so, I had to check they didn’t send the A.150 bike down instead. The DW6 platform offers an incredible balance between sensitivity and support, turning the 130mm travel Atherton 130.1 into a potent trail rocket.
But how would the A130 fare pitched against the best of the best?
Every one of the eight bikes tested had already been highly-rated, the testers said that the winner would have to prove itself “a true all-rounder that really exemplifies the modern trail bike. It would need to be lively and engaging, fast and efficient, but still capable of soaking up the hits and with geometry that would ensure we weren’t terrified on steeper, more technical trails.”
We were quietly confident … and the A.130 smashed it! The A.130 available for the BOTY test was based on a Build 3, but with upgraded Fox Factory suspension, a dropper, and a wireless transfer Neo seatpost. As with all our A-Range builds, you are free to mix and match components for your own dream build. The team narrowed down eight awesome bikes to a final three with the A.130 pitted against the Canyon Spectral AL 6 and Forbidden Druid 3. Here’s a quick look at those findings – check out MBUK for the full test.
The Climb
Of the three bikes, the Atherton feels the most eager when you start putting power through the pedals. The steep seat tube angle gives a commanding seated position on steeper climbs, letting you really dig in and drive the bike forward with every crank revolution. The back end remains stable during concerted high-torque efforts.
Mounting Momentum
Get speeding along a trail-centre traverse or wind your way along some singletrack, and again, each of these top trio offers riders something a little different. Compared to both other bikes, Atherton’s A.130 feels more connected, eager and urgent in every way. When you need to drop some Watts, this thing just shifts. It’s the same when popping and pumping.
Loading the bike up over the smallest lump or gapping to the shortest backside delivers a surge forward. In simple terms, whatever level of effort you put in, you get that and more back out of it. This means on dull, meandering sections of trail where some bikes can feel lethargic, the A.130 makes you want to push that bit harder – and lets you do this without exhausting yourself in the process! While this makes it sound like the A.130 is more about speed and efficiency than downhill prowess and handling, that’s not the case.
Downhill Demons
Get shifting into technical trails that point down, and the A.130 feels instantly confidence-inspiring. The balanced nature of not just the geometry, but the suspension too, makes for a commanding feel as you slice from turn to turn. It feels composed and supremely predictable as you slingshot and pinball through consecutive berms, with an air of stability that a 130mm-travel bike just shouldn’t have!
Plough on into rougher sections, and it’s easy to get carried away, upping the pace to match the confidence the Atherton bike seemingly exudes. The back end of the A.130 deals with harsh impacts and chattery braking bumps really well – enough to make you think you’ve got more travel to draw upon. On chopped-out tracks under heavy braking, the Atherton’s suspension just keeps on working, maintaining the connection between the rear tyre and the dirt, letting you keep some level of composure and buying you much-needed thinking time before you tackle the next obstacle or turn.
Sure-footed and Stable
Through the turns, or slinking between tight, awkwardly spaced trees the A.130 takes the top spot for nimbleness and split-second reactivity.
WINNER!
The Atherton is a superb all-rounder with an exciting, energetic ride but composed handling and suspension when you need it.
Yes, it’s the priciest on test, but the key here is the frame, not the build kit. If you’re interested in the bike, don’t rule out the more affordable spec options, because they’ll still enable you to own one of the most exciting trail bikes currently on the market.
The Atherton is a comfortable climber, ridiculously flickable and fun on mellower trails, but a proper hooligan when pointed downhill. Its turn of speed and overall ride quality simply make it a pleasure to ride. It does everything well, and for that reason, it takes top honours. As Luke said when he first tested this bike, the A.130 is boundary-pushing.