Atherton Bikes is a specialist mountain-bike company focused on trail, enduro, downhill and electric mountain bikes. It does not offer recreational hybrids, road bikes or entry-level hardtails. Instead, its range is built around long-travel suspension platforms, unusually granular sizing and lug-and-tube frame construction.
The company offers two main frame families. Premium A Range bikes combine carbon tubes with additively manufactured titanium lugs, while the less expensive S Range uses bonded 7075 aluminum tubes and CNC-machined aluminum lugs. Both are positioned well above the mass-market price level, even before international freight and taxes are considered.
Atherton is most relevant to riders who struggle with the large gaps between conventional frame sizes or want a bike configured closely around their measurements. The tradeoff is additional cost, a more involved ordering process and, on the A Range, a six-bar suspension layout with more pivots and bearings to maintain.
What Atherton Bikes Makes
Atherton’s model numbers correspond to rear suspension travel:
- A.130: A 29-inch trail bike with 130mm of DW6 rear travel and carbon-and-titanium construction.
- A.150 and A.150M: Harder-riding trail and enduro platforms; the A.150 uses 29-inch wheels, while the A.150M pairs a 29-inch front wheel with a 27.5-inch rear.
- A.170: A mixed-wheel, long-travel enduro bike using the A Range construction and DW6 suspension.
- A.200: A mixed-wheel downhill race bike with 200mm of rear travel and dual-crown fork compatibility.
- S.150 and S.170: Bonded aluminum, mixed-wheel trail and enduro bikes using the simpler DW4 suspension layout.
- S.200: The aluminum downhill and freeride model, also built around DW4 suspension.
- S.170E: A full-power aluminum electric mountain bike using the Avinox drive system; current sales are restricted to the UK and Europe.
Atherton also sells frame-and-shock packages, several complete-bike levels, titanium cranks, bearing kits, frame protection and replacement hardware.
Fit by the Millimetre
Atherton’s construction method is closely tied to its sizing approach. The A Range offers 22 standard sizes in small reach increments, plus a custom-fit option. The S Range provides 12 standard sizes—still considerably more than the four or five sizes common in the mountain-bike market.
The additively manufactured titanium lugs used by the A Range allow junction angles and dimensions to change without requiring a conventional mold for every frame size. Carbon tubes are bonded into those lugs. The S Range applies the same general lug-and-tube concept to aluminum, using machined lugs and bonded 7075 tubing.
This does not make sizing automatic. Atherton’s calculator uses rider measurements to recommend a frame, but reach is only part of the decision. Saddle height, seat-tube length, stack, wheelbase, chainstay option and intended terrain still affect how the bike will fit and handle. Riders ordering a custom size should compare the proposed geometry with a known bike before approving it.
The suspension differs just as significantly as the materials. A Range bikes use the six-bar DW6 platform, which permits extensive kinematic tuning but contains more moving parts. S Range bikes use DW4, trading some of that complexity for easier maintenance and a lower purchase price. Atherton itself positions the S Range as the more straightforward everyday option.
What to Know Before Buying
Read the complete model designation. The number indicates rear travel, “M” identifies a mixed-wheel version, and build numbers generally run from the higher-spec .1 to the more affordable .3. A.150 and A.150M are not interchangeable names for the same wheel configuration.
Frame orders also require a decision about chainstay length and rear shock. Shock dimensions, tune, clearance and mounting hardware must match the exact frame. Bearing kits are separated by A and S Range, and suspension-link parts remain model-specific even though Atherton uses standard fasteners and replaceable barrel nuts in much of the frame hardware.
For buyers outside the UK, the website’s displayed price may exclude local tax, import duty and shipping. Calculate the landed cost before comparing an Atherton with a domestically supplied bike. Made-to-order and personalized frames may also have different cancellation and return rights than an in-stock production bicycle.
The A Range is built to order, so delivery is measured in months rather than days. S Range timing varies with size and build availability. A rider who cannot verify fit through a demo should document current-bike geometry and speak with Atherton before committing.
Atherton is most likely to appeal to an aggressive trail, enduro or downhill rider who values unusually precise sizing and accepts the cost and maintenance of a specialized suspension bike. Riders who want broad local availability, quick delivery or simple four-size shopping will probably find a mainstream brand more practical.
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Atherton at a glance
Company, ownership, warranty, and support details collected from official brand sources.
Last reviewed
August 17, 2026
Company
Identity & ownership
- Headquarters
- Machynlleth, Wales, UK
- Operating status
- Active
Ownership support
Warranty, service & dealers
Share support experience- Support region
- US
- Warranty region
- US
- Transferable
- No
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