Review - 01 March 2025
Will Taylor is a Dyfi Valley local who chose the A.150 in a custom build
"I’m 6ft 6, so the key driver for me was being able to get a bike that fits properly."
I’m the proud owner of the A.150, frame number AO173 in size 510mm extra tall (18 of 22 standard sizes) I chose the A.150 as it ticked all the boxes for the type of riding I do and I chose a custom spec with Fox DHX2 rear shock with a 700lb spring, Fox 38 fork, Hope V4 brakes 220 rotor front and 200 rear and Hope tech 4 wheel set with Continental Kryptotal tyres, Renthal stem and bars.
I’m 6ft 6, so the key driver for me was being able to get a bike that fit properly. With only a couple of mm away from perfect -fit the A.150 was pretty close to full custom sizing but without the price tag. I also love the fact that it was made in Machynlleth, and I was able to have a proper say in what components were used in the build. I did demo an A.150, and although it wasn’t 100% the right size for me, the feel of the bike was just what I was looking for, so the order was placed.
I’ve been a visitor to Dyfi since I was a kid and made some great friends here. I’m a carpenter by trade, and 16 years ago, I had the opportunity to move up here for a temporary job; I never looked back! I love living here for many reasons, not least the riding. I ride with like-minded people who just love to get out and enjoy the hills and mountains we live in.
There are so many great trails in the Dyfi Forest, and I like White Rocks at Forge; it’s very chilled out. I go with the flow, and I don’t mind who I ride with. I occasionally ride at Dyfi Bike Park (although not for a while) and in Morzine. I tend to try and fit biking around a busy work life and a few other hobbies, so I don’t always manage it, but I enjoy getting out when I can.
I like playing around with my classic car, playing golf, and snowboarding, and I’m a member of the Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue team.
I first started riding with my older cousins down in Somerset and the Cotswolds, buying all sorts of bike parts and trying to build up my perfect steed… I never got there! Biking took a bit of a back seat when I was able to drive, but it soon returned to the surface, where it has stayed.
I never really got into the racing scene as I’ve seen my riding more as a hobby to unwind from work or just to get some fitness when the sun is out. I have raced when the Gravity Enduro series came to Aberangell, and I have an entry in for the Antifreeze in March to give me a training target ready for the Spring and Summer.
My first rides on the A.150 were actually in France, down Pleney mainline in Morzine.
I picked up the bike about a month before I went out to France for the season but there was so much to do trying to get things sorted before I headed out that I didn't get chance to ride it in the UK before I left! I wouldn’t class myself as a good enough rider to go into really fine detail but the one thing I noticed straight away is that the Atherton is so much more fun to ride than my previous bike.
I had ridden in France on my old bike (a Trek Slash 8) the year before which is what prompted the Atherton purchase so I had a comparison. What a difference! For starters, having a bike that fitted me perfectly made me feel so much more at ease and the option to build the bike exactly how I wanted just added to that. Until now I’ve always felt that when I’ve looked at bikes to buy I’ve had to compromise in one area or another.
Knowing that the bike is capable of doing things that I’m never going to do on it is also nice to know. Seeing the likes of the race team compete and win at the highest level, Dan and Gee sending some massive drops and gaps and Jim doing what he does on the same bike as I have leaves me in no doubt that the only limiting factor is me!
From my first rides I knew I had made the right choice. The combination of a having a bike that fits me and parts that I trust and that feel great made for a really great first experience of the Atherton, any doubt in my machine is eliminated which makes me feel more confident. I love just getting out into the hills without starting to think about the next upgrade or change of part, for me the A.150 is the perfect package.
When I first had the bike and was using it in France, it was a magnet for people to come and look at it to see the frame construction etc so it was very hard to leave it alone for any length of time. Lots of comments on how the bike looked and the different build methods with tubes and lugs. It was nice to give a bit of a background that I lived so close to Athy Bikes HQ.
I didn’t get on well with the suspension on my Trek. Suspension is a minefield if you let it be, but on the A.150, I just played around with it until I found I had a good balance. I think the suspension setup can be massively overthought. I may be the only one, but I got it to a point where I was happy and left it. It's been good since! With my little knowledge of a perfect bike set-up, I like the way the frame and suspension linkage provide feel through the bike. It’s the full package in terms of looks and rideability; there isn’t anything on the market right now that I would consider changing it for.
I’m fairly chilled out in terms of my riding style. I love a long, flowing trail with a mix of tech to keep me switched on. I just find the Atherton bike can fit into whatever trail or mood I’m in. I don’t have to ride it in a certain way to get the best out of it, it allows me to completely switch off from everything around and enjoy what I’m doing. Does exactly what I want it to do on the trails and in the park, and above all, it puts a smile on my face. That’s the main thing, right?
More on the A.150...
Our hard-hitting, confidence-inspiring enduro bikes are designed, built and tested to the extreme in the Dyfi Valley. Our 150s are the perfect all-rounders.
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Overall the whole experience from the first email through to picking the bike up and now progressing my riding with my perfect bike underneath me, the whole thing has been great. I feel when you buy and Atherton you’re buying into something unique, heightened by the fact that the Atherton Bikes brand also has a bike park as its big brother!!
