From the drawing board to the trail, find out what is going to make our new Sonder Falco a tempting choice for whipping around your local trails.
When we first started sketching out the idea that would become the Sonder Falco, we weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to make a hardtail that felt right. A bike that would handle pretty much anything you could throw at it—without being overcomplicated or intimidating. And, importantly, something that wouldn’t cost the earth.
The Falco is our newest hardtail, and it’s also one of the most versatile bikes I’ve had the pleasure of working on. It’s designed to be that first proper mountain bike - and not one you’ll outgrow anytime soon.
Falco was built to be a rider’s trail love. It’s playful, confident, and capable enough to keep up as you grow. It’s a true trail bike for people who take their fun seriously, and want a ride that keeps up. It doesn’t shout — it just works, ride after ride. - Neil
Trail ready geometry
Falco feels planted and stable on descents. It’s one of the first things you notice when riding it - it just feels sure-footed, confidence inspiring, but by no means boring. This is a bike you can have a lot of fun on.
It sits right in the middle of the range between an XC bike and an enduro bike. Why is this important? To inexperienced riders a XC bike can feel sketchy and an enduro bike can feel sluggish and slow. The head angle sits at 66º, this coupled with the short, but not too short chainstays, and long, but not too long reach, gives a good balance of agility and stability meaning anyone regardless of skill level can jump on this bike and enjoy the way it rides.
Falco is a bike that a new rider can jump on as an upgrade and immediately feel more confident on the trails. A more experienced rider its not going to feel too under gunned, and they will still be able to enjoy riding the bike.
It's the bike I'd choose to ride my local trails on as its light and fast enough to get the boring bits out of the way with minimal fuss, but then it's still capable enough to enjoy the fun bits and even hit a few jumps in the trail. - Neil
Built for fun
One of the main goals with the Falco was to keep it open-ended. It’s not a race bike, and it’s not pretending to be. But if you want to build it light and fast for XC miles? Go for it. Prefer to throw on some chunkier tyres and chase your mates down the descents? It’s more than up for that too.
You’ll see that reflected in the component choices across the four builds. Even the entry-level model at £999 comes with proper trail tyres, and a 120mm fork. You’re not left wishing for better parts before the bike even hits the dirt.
If you’re coming from a gravel bike and wondering what proper MTB geometry feels like—you’re in for a treat. The Falco will feel familiar, but way more capable.
Modern standards, no gimmicks
Frame-wise, the Falco ticks all the boxes we care about:
- Boost axle spacing
- UDH mech hanger (future-proofing for whatever SRAM cooks up next)
- Threaded BSA bottom bracket (because you shouldn’t need a degree in engineering to service your bike)
- Internal cable routing for a nice clean look.
And we’ve added a few little touches too—like discreet rack mounts on the rear triangle, so if you want to take the Falco bikepacking, it’s totally up for it. We’re all about bikes that work hard and play hard.
There’s always a risk that an affordable hardtail gets labeled as “entry-level”—and sure, the Falco is great for people just starting out. But it would be unfair to call this just a beginner’s bike.
It’s more of a gateway bike - something you can push your limits on, explore new terrain with, and take further than you expected. It is just as much fun on big rides in the Lakes as mucking about in your local woods.
Final thoughts
Designing the Falco has been a real passion project for us. It’s a bike that embodies what we love most about mountain biking: enabling, that feeling of freedom, the confidence to go a bit further, a bit funner, and knowing your bike’s right there with you.
Whether you’re a newcomer to trail riding or a seasoned rider looking for a simpler, do-it-all hardtail—you’ll find a lot to love in the Falco.
See you out on the trails.