Dirt jump bikes are short, stiff and built to be thrown around. Around 100mm of fork travel, a single gear more often than not, compact frames and a low seat that stays out of the way. Made for jump lines, pump tracks and skateparks, where strength and predictable handling matter far more than range of gears or weight.

We stock the Marin Alcatraz, Mondraker Kaoz, Nukeproof Solum, Merida Dirt, Kona Shonky, Norco Rampage and the Identiti Dr Jekyll, as complete bikes and as framesets for custom builds — frame-only is a popular route here, since most riders have strong opinions about bars, cranks and wheels. Junior sizes are available in some models. If you want a hardtail that jumps but also rides trails all day, look at hardtail mountain bikes instead.