Bergamont isn’t a familiar name to most UK riders, but with decent geometry and great specs, this German brand are worth paying attention to. The EnCore uses a concentric dropout pivot to help deliver 165mm of supple rear wheel travel. This is controlled by a RockShox Monarch RT shock, with a low-speed compression damping lever that’s worth using to save energy and maintain the relatively steep 75-degree seat angle on the climbs. When it comes to the angles, Bergamont haven’t been shy. The head tube sits at a slack 64.6 degrees and our medium bike had a decent reach, at 450mm, and a wheelbase measuring just over the 1,200mm mark. Short 430mm chainstays make it nimble enough when slithering through tight sections of trail or lofting the front end up and over trail features. Ground hugger On steeper technical trails, the plush rear end feels properly planted and keeps the quality Maxxis rubber tracking every bump and undulation as you pick your way down the hill. It’ll deal with...