Vitus Dominer – £1949

Another brand known for turning out top performances at affordable prices, Vitus belongs to Chain Reaction Cycles, and as such their bikes are only available online through the Chain Reactions website.

This cuts out a lot of the costs in between of course, and the Dominer actually boasts a lot of potential for the price. The Rockshox BoXXer Team suspension forks are reliable on front and the Vivid R2C provides the same assurance on the rear.

Canyon Sender CF 7.0 – £2899

Canyon are a brand well known for delivering good value for money and this bike is no different. The Sender CF 7.0 proves the point by fitting into your £3k budget with a hundred quid to spare.

The Sender CF 9.0 is one of the best downhill mountain bikes on the market right now, but will come in at over £1000 more than the 7.0, though still cheaper than the top YT Tues at £3899.

So what do you lose in the 7.0? Well, the bike features simplified versions of the Fox dampers but still features trusted Shimano breaks and the same carbon/alloy frame as the top range.

Read the full review of the Canyon Sender 9.0 here

Specialized Demo 8 – Alloy Frame – £3000

Okay, so this one isn’t under £3000, it is £3000, but it is one hell of a bike for the money. The iconic Specialized Demo 8 – a staple in our list of the best downhill bikes of 2016 – has been ridden to World Cup glory time and time again by Aaron Gwin, and is now providing Loic Bruni, Loris Vergier and Finn Iles with some serious speed.

This entry level answer to the Demo 8 combines the proven design of the World Cup ride with the M5 aluminium frame.

Read the full review of the Specialized Demo 8 here

Radon Swoop 200 9.0 – £2379

German manufacturers Radon have been rolling out some affordable downhill bikes through their direct-sales model and the Radon Swoop 200 has been picking up some attention, not least because it’s been ridden to numerous wins on the iXS European series by German national champion Johannes Fischbach.

The Radon Swoop 200 9.0 retails at around 3600 euro, which translates to just over the £3000, but they’re selling it with a tasty discount right now.

COMMENCAL SUPREME PARK (2015) – £1800

Designed with the help of Pierre-Edouard Ferry, the Commencal Supreme Park is more for jumping than speed. It features shorter chainstays, a slacker head angle than the Supreme Comp and 26 inch wheels. The bike is the 2015 model, but that means that you get a sweet discount which brings the bike down to just over £1,800.

Rose the Unchained – £2139

The ride that Katy Curd rode to fourth place at the Fort William World Cup last season, the pro level Rose Unchained comes in at the £4000 mark with Fox, but you can get it at £2250 with Rockshox.

If you’re wondering how much to spend on your downhill mountain bike and come up around the £2k mark, this is a solid option.