HOPE HB130 - HANDMADE CARBON TRAIL BIKE FROM THE UK
The story behind the Hope bike is impressive in itself, but the first look at the bike is even more so. The main frame, coated only with clear lacquer, is exceptionally well-made and proudly displays its carbon fiber structure. The use of in-house components ensures a consistent, cohesive style.
For our first ride, we opted for the high geometry setting. At 180cm tall, the riding position in size L is comfortable and not too stretched out. At the same time, the relatively steep seat angle allows for a good position over the bottom bracket, effectively transferring pedaling power.
The rear suspension tends to exhibit a slight bobbing motion in the open shock position, but this can be effectively controlled by selecting the Trail mode on the shock. The components on the version we tested leave nothing to be desired and are essentially limited to SRAM X01 parts, Fox suspension components, and Hope's own parts where possible. The cables are neatly routed internally and are completely silent, resulting in a clean look.
The rear suspension really shone on the descent. Despite its modest 140mm of travel, the HB 130 happily absorbed even the smallest bumps and always seemed to have enough reserves for larger impacts. The progressive rear suspension meant we never experienced a truly harsh bottoming out during our test.
The relatively steep head angle in the high position makes the bike an agile descender that remains composed even at higher speeds. Nevertheless, we opted for the low position on the flip chip and found the slacker head angle more than compensated for the slight disadvantages of the slacker seat angle.
The price of CHF 6,500 includes only the frame, suspension fork/shock, wheels, brakes and brake discs, crankset, stem, and handlebars. Tires, gears, seatpost, seat, pedals, and other components are not included. Therefore, the price varies between CHF 6,500 and CHF 9,000 per bike, depending on the specific components selected.