Alpkit’s sister brand Sonder have released their first XC bike, the Sonder Dial. This aluminium hardtail slides into a now comprehensive off-road line-up as their most affordable mountain bike to date. Pricing starts at £299 for the frameset, with three complete builds available too. Here’s a quick intro.
Sonder Dial XC MTB
The Sonder Dial 29er hardtail MTB gets a 6066 aluminium tube-set with a race-inspired geometry. Sonder say they’ve engineered some vertical compliance into a low profile flattened top tube for comfort on long rides, while keeping it laterally stiff. As such, the frame has boost rear end spacing (12mm x 148mm).
The Dial’s head angle is steep at 69°, paired with a 74° seat tube angle. Chainstays measure up at 430mm across the S-XL frame sizes. Reach stretches from 410mm in small up to 475mm in XL.
Seat tubes start at 395mm in small, growing to 520mm in XL. Though none of the three complete build options come spec’d with a dropper seat post, those seat tube lengths should permit use of decent length droppers. Cable routing is internal, including a Stealth port for a dropper.
Pricing & Availability
The Sonder Dial is available as a frameset only for £299, and also in three complete build models. The Dial SX Eagle build is Sonder’s most affordable XC hardtail, retailing at £999.
That cash gets you the 12 spd SX Eagle drivetrain with an 11-50T cassette, a Rockshox Recon RL 100mm fork, SRAM Level 2-piston brakes, and a Sonder Nova XC Wheelset with Shimano hub fitted with WTB Ranger 2.4″ tires.
The Dial NX Eagle build comes in at £1399 sporting its namesake 12 spd drivetrain. It gets the same wheelset and tire combo as the SX Eagle build but the fork is upgraded to a RockShox Reba, and the brakes to SRAM Level TL.
At the top end of the range lies the Sonder Dial GX Eagle build, priced at £1699. The extra-cash gets you a race-spec RockShox SID Ultimate 100mm fork and the 12 spd GX Eagle drivetrain with SRAM Level LT brakes and a Sonder Alpha XC 29″ wheelset.
You can pre-order the Sonder Dial now with delivery expected from 27th April.
Claimed Frame Weights
- S: 1.75kg
- M: 1.82kg
- L: 1.9kg
- XL: 2kg
