SARACEN ARIEL 60 2023

Go full enduro.

Our flagship enduro bike, the Saracen Ariel 60 has been built to take on the wildest wilderness epics, bikepark laps and can of course get competitive between the tapes.

At the heart of the all-new 160mm suspension platform is our series 3 custom-butted and hydroformed 6013 aluminium frame.

It's enduro-ready – and while we might not have an EWS race team, we do have Matt Walker from the Madison Saracen Factory Racing Team.

Matt is a man who knows how to ride a bike way past the capabilities of mere mortals. The first time he rode the Ariel 60, we saw the bike shiver a little as he approached because it knew things were about to get serious.

The testing instructions were simple: we wanted him to ride this bike as hard as he goes on his Myst but with one difference – he’d be pedalling back up the hills too.

Now it's Matt's favourite bike to jump on, with a steep seattube and efficient suspension design helping on the way up. On the way back down, it's a riot.

It's also easy to get the right fit on an Ariel 60. That's because it features size specific wheels, with small and medium bikes in the 29/27.5 mullet setup, and the large and extra-large sizes 29er models.

But what if you change your mind faster than the bike industry about which wheelsize is best?

We thought of that already. Whichever Ariel 60 you choose, we've included additional push links, that you can swap out and see if the grass really is greener. All you'll need is the right size rear wheel.

Smoothing the trail with 160mm of travel is a Fox Float X Performance shock and Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork.

Shimano's latest Deore groupset has received rave reviews, featuring all of the versatility of the higher-tier components, it was an easy choice. We've even upgraded the rear mech to an SLX model, which keeps shifting across the 11-51 cassette smooth, even under pressure.

A 30mm rim is a must for enduro and the DT Swiss E532 is resilient and gives a great ride feel. Maxxis Minion DHRII tyres are the standard choice, and will easily setup tubeless. You'll just need to add tape, valves and sealant.

RaceFace provide the bar and stem which has a healthy 35mm diameter and the KS Rage is our dropper of choice.

When it comes to the details, there is internal routing for everything - including a dropper post - room for a 550ml bottle, superboost spacing for additional clearance and big bearings which last longer and are commonly available should you need to refresh them.