My review:
“Perfection on two wheels.”
First of all my search was for a bike that would tick all my boxes; climbing hills comfortably whether it’s a long drawn out, climb or a technical climb. To go down hills, fast, safe, confidently, securely, with stability, agility, comfort & grip. I wanted comfort, because, as I’m getting older, I need the comfort to allow me to ride for longer and harder to satisfy my addiction to mountain biking.
After several demo’s over a 12 month period, I had the opportunity to fully test x2 Evil’s, the Insurgent and the Wreckoning, both of which were mind blowing in so many ways and both were in the category/style of bike that I’d narrowed down to.
I contacted Atherton Bike’s in Machynlleth (N. Wales) and arranged a demo day at Dyfi Bike Park and after the first run down SuperSwooper, I knew I’d found it – THE bike!
The AM.170M is so incredibly precise with its steering, it’s so balanced & controlled with more grip than a deathgrip run down Race track! It’s the ultimate all-rounder that allows you to smash down anything you can throw at it then calmly and comfortably climb back up to repeat it time and time again!
“For me, the AM.170M has exceeded all my expectations and has blown the Evils that I’ve tested out of the water, of which I’m still finding it hard to comprehend. It is quite simply off the charts in a monumental way!”
Let me explain…
The AM.170M is one very serious bike. Right from the off, on the trail, it instantly made me feel reassuringly confident straight away, its incredible stability really opens up line choices that I wouldn’t have previously considered, as it is so reassuring and confident on any and all trails! I was able to manoeuvre around the bike with ease, largely due to the short seat tube and low stand over height, this in turn allows for a big dropper post to be fitted which gets the saddle out of the way for full manoeuvrability.
Because of the instant bond I had with the first leg thrown over the saddle, we threw ourselves into Super Swooper and very quickly accelerated to a speed I’d never experienced at the park but what surprised me the most was just how unbelievably in control I was! The Continental Kryptotal’s were gripping like hot toffee to a blanket, with a combination of the incredible tyre compounds and the mind blowing efficiency of the DW6 suspension kinematic’s keeping the tyres glued to the trail.
I was having such an awesome time, the speed of this unbelievable machine had crept up on me so quickly, that the time for me to start braking for berms & other features was suddenly on me! I needn’t have worried, the Hayes Dominion brakes with the extra Galfer rotors/pads upgrade had such power and incredible levels of control that I’ve never felt before. With the combination of the braking power, tyre grip, geometry and suspension, I could not only comfortably leave the braking till the last minute but confidently know that they have my back 100%.
The other thing that really impressed me was the sheer silence of the bike. The frame sound dampening was incredible and achieved bye very well designed in PTFE tubes that were specifically bonded into the titanium lugs with specially developed bonding agent that Atherton bikes worked closely with Loctite to achieve. This coupled with the rear cable routing and external frame sound dampening really worked well to achieve a beautifully silenced trail weapon.
AM.170M encourages & urges you to push your limits way beyond any other bike I’ve ridden. To be able to ride like this you absolutely need to be 150% certain of the bike beneath you.
Finding exactly the right bike and narrowing it down to the “one” has been a long and complicated (but fun) task, so it’s not only great to have found the actual machine but also to have the reassurance, confidence and all the backing from the company and what it stands for is quite a bonus.
This bike continues to enhance the incredible mental health benefits mountain biking offers and amplifies all the good/great times.
This is why I chose the Atherton AM.170M.
How to arrange a test ride on an Atherton bike:
Contact Atherton bikes here: sales@athertonbikes.com
I spoke with Joe, who is incredibly helpful and extremely knowledgeable with all things Atherton!
When I tested the AM.170, there was no charge to demo the bike other than booking a full day uplift/entry to Dyfi bike park, which you can book here: https://www.dyfibikepark.co.uk/
How to order your Atherton bike:
Atherton bikes believe that a perfect fit can transform your ride experience, and to be honest, i was sceptical until i test ride to AM.170M. They offer more sizes than any other manufacturers, a whopping 22 to be exact, starting from 410mm reach through to 530mm and even custom sizing options are available. This is how to order your bike:
Go to the website (www.athertonbikes.com)
Select your bike
Select your Frame/lug Colour (black or raw Titanium)
Select 'Simple' as your graphic choice
Insert your height (in mm)
Insert the measurements of the inside of your leg (in mm)
Insert the measurements of your arm span (in mm)
Add to bag
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