Greatest Mountain Bikes of 2024, Examined and Reviewed

I dwell in Salt Lake Metropolis the place the very first thing you ask somebody isn’t what they do for work or the place they’re from, it’s “What sports activities are you into?” And mountain biking is without doubt one of the hottest solutions. It satisfies these adrenaline cravings, and retains you in form.

Together with 4 testers, I rode all-rounder full suspension bikes which might be able to peddling up and enjoyable to tear downhill. It’s arduous to get on these bikes; retailers would possibly allow you to take a lap across the block however testing them on actual terrain is a special story. So we examined the most effective mountain bikes to offer you an thought of what they’re able to on path. 

If you wish to know the way to decide on the most effective mountain bike, leap to that part right here.

How We Examined the Greatest Mountain Bikes

5 testers took out the most effective mountain bikes to get a really feel for pedaling effectivity, maneuverability, and flexibility. The perfect bike for try to be confidence inspiring; you’re in management as an alternative of the bike taking you for a trip. We famous how the bikes deal with completely different terrain, and inspected the geometry and suspension. 

Testers

We had three ladies of various talent units on medium bikes: the sendy, tech-loving Oksana Boyuk, path and cross-country fanatic Tilly Taylor, and myself, a newbie path biker. Tyler Vella and Spencer Rosero, our two male testers, rode giant and extra-large bikes and are passionate downhill riders.

Bikes

The 5 of us had been capable of trip new high of the road fashions because of native gear retailer, bike and ski store, and host of different issues (lodge, skatepark, bouldering health club, and so forth.), Evo Salt Lake. Their campuses in Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake Metropolis are one cease retailers for tuning, renting, and shopping for bikes. Their sensible and devoted employees bought us arrange with model new demos, simply begging to get soiled. 

Terrain

We took every bike on two laps of inexperienced, blue, and black trails. We took the most effective mountain bikes on jumps, rock gardens, and berms. This selection gave our resident bike specialists sufficient of a really feel for every package to find out the place and why it could excel on tech, cross nation, all-mountain, and enduro trails. 

Greatest Mountain Bikes: Evaluations & Suggestions

Greatest Total: Specialised Stumpjumper

Key Options

• Journey: 140mm fork/130mm rear
• Wheel Measurement: 29
• Carbon or alloy body choices
• SWAT expertise downtube storage

Professionals

Cons

The alloy model of the Stumpjumper is without doubt one of the most inexpensive, high quality mountain bikes available on the market, making it extraordinarily common. The carbon model that we examined felt nice on corners with predictable maneuvering. It’s light-weight and reactive for versatile driving.

Specialised changed the tried-and-true horst hyperlink with a flexing part of the body to scale back weight and let the rear of the bike transfer extra freely, which makes the bike much more aware of your weight. The Stumpjumper is poppy, however doesn’t deal with chunk as properly. Anticipate to be a little bit choosey on techier strains because of the shorter journey.

As a brand new rider with generally poor physique positioning, this did take me some getting used to. Nonetheless, the extra skilled testers beloved how fluid and adaptable the Stumpjumper is. Boyuk thought her weight was centralized properly and it was a pleasure to hawk. 

The dropper put up is extraordinarily stiff, and the Evo bike specialist agreed that it may be a problem to regulate as properly. The cable is contained in the dropper put up which takes some fiddling to entry, and if it snaps, you’re SOL. 

Greatest Downhill: Santa Cruz Bronson

Key Options

• Journey: 160mm entrance/150mm rear
• Wheel Measurement: XS: 27.5, S-XL: 29 entrance and 27.5 rear
• Decrease-link mounted VPP suspension 
• Carbon C body
• Built-in flip chip for prime or low geometry setting
• Storage

Professionals

Cons

“This bike desires to be within the air,” stated Taylor after getting essentially the most air she’s ever gotten on the dimensions medium Bronson. A borderline enduro bike, Santa Cruz’s Bronson is a mullet, that means the entrance wheel is bigger than the again wheel. This design lends itself to higher cornering and poppier jumps. The 160mm of journey supplies a secure touchdown.

The wheels and body geometry put your weight within the again, and at the side of the linkage system, encourages speedy and extremely succesful descents. By mounting the shock decrease the rider can get pleasure from extra flexibility as two quick hyperlinks rotate in reverse instructions for a gnarly downhill rig.

It wasn’t the most effective climber within the check and the ladies seen an extended attain, presumably as a result of this bike rides along with your weight within the again. The Bronson is your choose for the gravity park and carry entry trails, however it’s succesful on path, too. Boyuk is available in the market for an improve and selected the Bronson as her favourite. Even Vella, who likes to hate Santa Cruz as a result of it’s such a preferred model, couldn’t deny that this bike is a menace downhill. 

Greatest for Ladies: Juliana Furtado

Key Options

• Journey: 140mm entrance/130mm rear
• Wheel Measurement: 29 entrance/27.5 rear
• Carbon CC body
• Decrease-link mounted VPP suspension
• Downtube storage

Professionals

Cons

• Higher for extra skilled riders

Julianas are the primary mountain bikes made for ladies. Whereas almost similar to the Santa Cruz 1050, the Furtado is marketed in the direction of ladies with a ladies’s saddle and completely different grips and colorways. Its shock tune can also be barely decrease as ladies are likely to weigh much less. 

The Furtado is a good climber, conquering techy terrain with ease. It’s light-weight and rides along with your weight within the again for getting air and speedy descents. I believed the Furtado was virtually too quick and lightweight to regulate. This bike definitely took me for a trip, and I’d suggest it for intermediate to skilled riders.

Skilled riders love this bike; it’s adaptable to any terrain and an environment friendly climber. The blended wheels supply management on the downhill, however it additionally eats no matter floor you set in entrance of it.

Greatest E-Bike: Santa Cruz Heckler

Key Options

• Journey: 160mm entrance/150mm rear
• Wheel Measurement: 29 entrance/27.5 rear
• Carbon C body
• Decrease-link mounted VPP suspension
• Prime tube built-in LED show
• Fazua Journey 60 drive unit
• Fazua 430Wh built-in battery

Professionals

• Battery powered
• Light-weight for an e-bike
• Strong body design

Cons

• Lights are tough to see
• Weight takes some getting used to

The Heckler is a succesful path bike with an electrical motor connected. The pedal help lets you sustain with your folks or pedal farther, sooner with Santa Cruz’s revered body design, important journey, and mullet wheels. It’s additionally extremely light-weight for an e-bike. Devoted riders can self-shuttle and anybody can admire a little bit assistance on lengthy climbs, or bust out a trip sooner than you could possibly on guide. 

Testers decided that there’s a lot of potential on this bike, however you’ll have to spend a while getting used to the controls and weight, particularly on the downhill. Whereas it’s impressively light-weight for an e-bike, the additional heft of a battery nonetheless comes with a studying curve.

Lights on the highest tube show the battery cost and three trip modes. Taylor and I each struggled to distinguish the white “on” mode and blue “medium” pace mode in daylight. To extend your pace you push a swap upwards on the handlebars. That is counterintuitive in comparison with a throttle or button that you simply pull towards you or push down. I think this design alternative is so you may’t simply bump the swap down, unintentionally rising your pace, however it takes some getting used to.

Greatest Path: Orbea Rallon

Key Options

• Journey: 170mm entrance/167mm rear
• Wheel Measurement: 29, or 29 entrance, 27.5 rear
• Carbon body
• Three Lockr zones

Professionals

• Whippy within the air
• Storage
• Slack geometry

Cons

The Orbea Rallon has a path bike really feel with enduro suspension. The mullet wheels and slacker geometry provides extra management and planted driving. Rosero thought the Rallon was sensible, gentle, and whippy within the air with a beneficiant quantity of journey.

This path bike’s lengthy journey provides a greater pedaling place for climbing and Vella thought it shined on the uphill, however Rosero skilled a slight bob. He theorized that as a result of the shock is mounted greater, it contracts the again wheel, shortening the chain. Rosero additionally pedal striked twice, seemingly because of the slacker geometry that provides the Rallon such a secure path bike really feel.

Testers thought the Rallon was playful within the air and succesful on chunk. There may be additionally a water bottle holder, downtube storage, and a tube, tire restore, and hex keys from 3 to 6mm in the primary pivot and rear axle for packless driving. 

Greatest Funds: Rossignol Path Mandate EX

Key Options

• Journey: 140mm 
• Wheel Measurement: XS-S: 27.5, M-XL: 29
• Aluminum alloy body
• Horst hyperlink suspension

Professionals

Cons

• Aluminum body is heavier

Funds is a relative time period in the case of the most effective mountain bikes. However Rossignol’s Path Mandate has a dependable Horst linkage and budget-friendly aluminum body. There’s nonetheless room for development at a good worth because of Rossignol’s straight to client enterprise mannequin. The Path Mandate is slender and modern with a contemporary white paint job and the shorter journey retains weight down. 

I discovered the bike a little bit too responsive as I always readjusted. Taylor additionally thought it was overly delicate on the climb, however maneuverable and playful on the down. This bike isn’t taking any dangers in body design, however it’s easy, speedy, and pretty priced.

Learn Subsequent: Greatest Mountaineering Fanny Packs

Issues to Contemplate Earlier than Shopping for One of many Greatest Mountain Bikes

Suspension

Full suspension bikes are essentially the most succesful, however a hardtail (solely entrance suspension) is lighter and extra environment friendly on the uphill. This text targeted fully on full suspension fashions as a result of a luxurious rear shock provides management on descents and on any path harder than a blue, it’s virtually a necessity. On the native terrain we examined on, a full squish makes for a extra snug and satisfying trip. 

Some hardtails are extra succesful than others, however with the additional suspension, there’s a bigger margin of error on gravity particular trails. You possibly can’t case (roll over) a leap with out a rear shock. For black trails, you desire a minimal of 140mm of journey within the entrance shock. Shorter journey bikes really feel enjoyable and poppy on flowy trails, however begin to really feel uneven on chunder, and generally even backside out. Bikes with longer journey eat no matter terrain dares roll beneath.

Wheel Measurement

Mullets, a big wheel within the entrance and a small wheel within the again, are the large new factor, as everybody desires the most effective of each worlds. Smaller wheels present extra management and play, whereas bigger wheels can deal with bigger terrain and fewer rolling resistance. Nonetheless, some mullets don’t prolong into further small sizing as bigger wheels are tougher to regulate for smaller folks.

Construct Kits

The perfect mountain bikes include completely different construct kits, that means the model identify in your bike is liable for the body geometry, supplies, and design, however the suspension, brakes, pedals, seat, handlebars, wheels, and drivetrain are all elements from firms specialised in these elements. That’s why you gained’t discover weights listed within the specs on this article; it relies on your package. 

Every construct package can change the bike expertise, however that is an occasion the place you get what you pay for. Dearer construct kits are lighter with greater high quality elements. After all, skilled riders have their favorites and it’s as much as your discretion to discover a package that can support in what you’re attempting to do along with your bike.

Remaining Ideas on the Greatest Mountain Bikes

There’s one thing for everybody seeking to progress on among the finest mountain bikes. For newbie to intermediate riders, the Stumpjumper livens up blue terrain for chiller downhills and poppy trails. For those who’re seeking to shred gnarly tech and steep descents, the Bronson eats. The Juliana Furtado is the primary (and finest) mountain bike made for ladies. Anybody searching for pedal help shall be thrilled with the most effective in school Heckler e-mountain bike.