Most of the models come with a dropper post too, and along with the stock 160mm/180mm rotors, that hints at what this bike is for. Yeti designed the SB100 to be the best full suspension cross country bike on the planet, and because they’re Yeti they threw in some trail chops as well. Best XC forks 2020: the best cross country forks you can buy today Best XC and marathon helmets for 2020: how to ... Mondraker was the first mainstream brand to be ballsy enough to use the concept right across its range from gravity bikes to cross-country machines. Consider what kind of rides you’ll use the bike for. With its 67.4-degree head angle, 75-degree seat angle and 470-millimeter reach in large, the Ryve looks to make use of that responsive suspension design, but still keep enough party in the tank when mashing pedals gets old. In fact, the alloy version starts at $3,100. Here's our pick of the best road bikes we've tested at Cycling Weekly and our buying advice telling you what to look for in a drop bar bike Paul Norman August 17, 2020 … This is what makes the sprightly nature of the suspension platform, and why we pondered how it would be in a short-travel package. Before you keep scrolling, there are three more models of the Trance 29 that aren’t nearly $9,000. Go with what your current needs demand, but expect a little progression in your riding abilities as well. Bible Review: Ibis Mojo Deore XT | $6,900, Revel Bikes Introduces the Ranger Brunch Ride Edition. The CC carbon is the top-tier fancy plastic, but you have to pay for it. lap the loops if you really want to, but the Sniper Trail is probably happier smashing rocks chasing your buddies around on an after-work trail ride or weekend epic. The final question to ask yourself is whether the weight savings is worth going with a rigid seat post. Hardtails are still lighter than most full suspension bikes, although weights are getting pretty close these days. Terms | Privacy, First published August 31, 2018 @ 5:05:10. Like the Ibis Ripley, the Trance 29 is, perhaps, a bit of an outlier in this travel category. Santa Cruz’s VPP linkage is time-tested and over the years they’ve dialed in a good balance that gives the Tallboy some pep in its step while also taking the worst out of that high-speed chatter and chunkage. And for those seeking a bike that’s just outside the XC category and has a little trail-category meat on its bones, the Ripley should not be overlooked. Rather than beat you to death with ‘pedaling efficiency,’ the Hei Hei is made to take some of the brunt of trail chatter to save you energy on long epics or on rougher trails. While hardtails are the best option for pure power transfer to the ground, there’s not a lot of energy lost on full suspension XC bikes anymore. Although the bikes haven’t slackened out to the point that trail bikes are at right now, head angles are slacker than they used to be by a couple of degrees on average. Sure, the Maestro suspension is efficient and provides plenty of traction climbing, but the Trance 29 hungers for the gnarliest of terrain, preferably of the downhill flavor. This is less about jumps and slamming berms and more about pedalling miles and crossing fells. Review of the Diamondback Overdrive 29 Hardtail Mountain Bike AKA XC, Marathon. Most hardtails will come with a 100-120mm travel suspension fork to keep the hands and wrists happy, while a full-suspension will get around the same amount for the rear travel also. Choosing a bike is an investment for at least 5 to 10 years. Wheelbases have been stretched on XC bikes for stability. The mechanism, now way back by the rear axle, comprises a cylinder in the compression damping circuit that is closed off at rest by a tiny heavy brass ingot, but opens up when an impact knocks the ingot out of place. If the 66.5-degree head angle, 1,196 millimeter wheelbase or 35-millimeter bottom-bracket drop don’t catch your eye, the Truvativ Descendant bars and stem and Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR tires should clue you in on this bike’s preferred terrain. Yeti’s don’t come cheap, but you do at least get great quality for your money. You also get Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR tires, which pretty much sums up what the SB100 is for. IMBA Epics | Enduro or all-mountain bikes are in a sense, exaggerated trail bikes, and the considerations for an XC bike are a little different. Check out Mike Ferrentino’s review of the Trance 29 Adv Pro 0 from the latest Bible of Bike Tests here. However, the 0 model comes with something special, and it rhymes with DVO Suspension. Trek Supercaliber 9.8 ($5,900) Category: XC Frame: Carbon fiber Suspension: 100mm (front) 60mm (rear) Tires: 29 x 2.2 in. The Epic Evo comes in a few models from the base Comp level to the top-tier S-Works build. That’s the sort of shenanigans the Ripley is meant for. And for those seeking a bike that’s just outside the XC category and has a little trail-category meat on its bones, the Ripley should not be overlooked. You might call them the downhiller’s XC bike, or the XC nerd’s downhill bike. Dropper posts weigh more, but make descending much easier when you can put the seat down. This keeps the rider’s weight centered over the bottom bracket and on the rear wheel for traction. For XC bikes, head angles generally fall between 68 and 70-degrees. Having the correct cross-country mountain bike helps bikers perform to their best ability, with beginners generally starting on a hardtail single suspension bike. If that’s not your thing, alloy wheels have progressed to a pretty outstanding point. That particular rider has ridden the Spark RC frame to more than a few victories. nearly $9,000. Santa Cruz Stigmata 2020 cyclocross bike Review 9/10 Santa Cruz is best known for its mountain bikes, but it’s brought some of that knowledge to … The bike is lighter and more powerful for 2020 with a 1,084cc four-stroke parallel-twin engine that’s fuel-injected and puts out 101 hp. As one of our testers in this year’s Bible of Bike Tests put it, “ The SB100 is an XC bike without the suppressed rage.” Yeti’s Switch Infinity linkage climbs like you’d expect a hard-core 100-millimeter travel XC bike should—damn quick. Giant formed a partnership with DVO not too long ago, and some of the top tier builds from Giant come with the boutique, highly adjustable suspension. Best Cross-Country Bike 7. On paper, this bike might not seem like a good fit for this list. Chainstay lengths are a bit shorter than they used to be for better power transfer and traction. A 66.5-degree head angle is mated with 76-degree seat angle and a 475-millimeter reach on a large. The short-travel XC/trail crossover category is one of the few flavors of bikes that aren’t meant for racing or going fast down a hill. The Ryve, which comes in either 100- or 115-millimeter flavors, is essentially a shorter-travel version aimed for the aggressive XC/marathon crowd, or really just anyone who wants a fun-loving bike with heaps of get-up-and-go. Once the gradient turns the other way though, the SB100 descends with the prowess of bikes much bigger. Here at off-road.cc, we love this budget busting trail bike, it's fun, it's upgradable and in it's full suspension form it’s a great, accessible introduction to mountain biking. Don’t think it can’t hang in the rough either— Spencer Paxson. This Spark drops the RC and adds a little attitude while staying more than capable as an XC racer. Our tech-loaded XC mountain bikes are the lightest, smartest bikes on the trail. Support Us | Cross Country Bike Tours w/ CrossRoads Cycling Adventures | Ride coast to coast on a fully-supported bicycle trip & experience one of the greatest adventures of your life! Unless you’re absolutely new to mountain biking, you’ll probably want to go with clipless pedals on your XC bike. By Andrew Oldar. and descending in one day on this bike, lapping one of the steeper and gnarlier trails in Bellingham, Washington. Super narrow handlebars of the past have widened considerably and long stems have become shorter. A 1×12 drivetrain is the way to go when it comes to most any mountain bike these days, if you can pull it off. With a bias towards trail riding, the Spark 940 really is an engaging and capable bike. Five 2021 cross-country bikes that we think are pushing the envelope of bicycle design including the Specialized Epic, Canyon Exceed and Cannondale Scalpel. It’s like the regular Epic, but after it’s had a few vodka Red Bulls. That definitely helps put it on the nerdy XC end of the short-travel spectrum, but not so much that it comes with a strict spandex dress code. Yeti’s Switch Infinity linkage climbs like you’d expect a hard-core 100-millimeter travel XC bike should—damn quick. Conventionally, riders thought that XC tires should be as narrow as possible, which makes sense since thinner tires are lighter and more aerodynamic. Then you see the dropper post, the 66.5-degree head angle and 180mm/160mm brake rotors. Although, back in the day people used to run tires as thin as 1.8 inches. Cockpits have changed for XC bikes, just like anything else. A hardtail will also save money and weight, but obviously can’t be changed to a full-suspension down the road. The 2020 Calibre Bikes Bossnut 3 hit the Go Outdoors shelves in August this year boasting new geometry, better components and dare I say it, even better value. Specialized has the fastest and lightest XC mountain bikes out there, from innovative full-suspension options to the lightest hardtails in the world. If you're ready for the cross country bike trip of a lifetime, prepare to join Trek Travel on a bicycle tour that stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic, across the northern tier of this beautiful country. Minimize the Tools and Gear You Carry With These 3... New Knolly Chilcotin Long Travel 29er in for Test. Consider what kind of rides you’ll use the bike for. Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links in this article. You’ll get a Fox 34 Step Cast and DPS (both Performance-level), Shimano SLX 11-speed shifting and brakes, a Race Face Aeffect dropper and Sun Helix TR25 rims. So what the catch? An interesting feature that we don’t see much these days is Scott’s TwinLoc system. The Expert level is the middle-of-the-pack build, complete with a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, a Fox 34 Step Cast, Specialized Brain shock and an X-Fusion Manic dropper. Subscribe to BIKE’s Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Purchase: $13,600. Best MTB Gear | The Hei Hei comes in either alloy or carbon, and with either SRAM NX- or GX-level shifting. Looking for the right XC bike can be a challenge, though. What we don’t: The focused XC design limits versatility. Singletracks Merch | Pair these attractive attributes with the bike’s generous fuel capacity, and you’ve got yourself an iconic adventure bike that won’t let you down when the going gets rough. Santa Cruz is one of the brands that offering from small to XXL sizing, so you can expect to be able to really dial in your fit. Fresh off a 2020 redesign, the Ripmo V2 impressed our testers and is the best overall trail bike we've ever tested. In fact, the alloy version starts at $3,100. Choosing the best mountain bike for: Cross-country riding. Rounding out the build is a mix of SRAM GX and NX shifting, Shimano SLX brakes with 180-millimeter rotors, Syncros/Formula wheels and Maxxis Rekon tires. Go ahead, climb your favorite descent, or descend your favorite climb. DVO is primarily a gravity-oriented brand, and if there was ever a short-travel bike that deserved capable, gravity-oriented suspension, it would be the Trance 29. Read our first impressions of the new Ripley, Upon first glance, you may think the Sniper Trail is an XC pureblood. Again, think about your demands for the bike and whether you’ll ride more buff and smooth singletrack, or will mix in technical descents also. While there’s a great abundance of options on the market to choose from, we’ve gathered this list of 10 of our favorite non-directional-country bikes. Bike Magazine. Enter your email address to receive our top stories via email each week. Traction can be found in shades, but the bike also has that stand-up-and-hammer attitude that most good short-travel bikes do. Best Bike Trails | less suspension than it does, with supportive anti-squat numbers and a linear leverage curve that ends with a sharp ramp up. Clearly, the Sniper Trail is meant for bigger and badder things than lapping XC loops. It’s simpler and easier to maintain than a drivetrain with a front derailleur and the range of gears is enough to get mountain bikers up steep climbs and still offer enough gearing to go fast downhill. This is a light, fast, efficient 29” bike with just enough suspension to suck up trail bumps. But carbon wheels are, of course, more expensive. Clearly, the Sniper Trail is meant for bigger and badder things than lapping XC loops. Shimano’s lineup is still roughly the same as it has been for a long time. 60mm is a much more common length, which is close to what we’d see on an all-mountain or trail bike a couple years ago. The power transfer is better when you’re clipped in, the pedals will probably be lighter, and the benefits of flats don’t really apply to cross-country riding. That will help save energy, provide better power transfer, and steer more quickly. This might be the biggest consideration when thinking about a cross-country bike. The intent in both cases is the same — to offer stability and put the rider’s body weight more toward the front than back. They go cross- country, backcountry, up-country and, yes, down-country. Like the EC bikes, the 300 and 250 differ only in bore. These well-equipped bikes are some of the best options for multi-day tours, cross-country adventures, and countryside excursions. As one of our testers in this year’s Bible of Bike Tests put it, “The SB100 is an XC bike without the suppressed rage.”. Once you are certain in your decision to choose a mountain bike as your next bicycle – whether it’ll be an upgrade or you are simply starting out on the trails, you’ll find a selection of the latest and best value mountain bikes … The short-travel XC/trail crossover category is one of the few flavors of bikes that. They support the most casual level of mountain biking with lightweight frames, shorter travel (usually 120mm), and sometimes narrower tires. Radical. If it’s mainly for crushing dirt or fire roads, or smooth singletrack, then a hardtail will probably work fine. But on dirt, it’s got the quickness of an XC bike. Check out Brice Minnigh’s review of the Tallboy here. Editor’s Note: Purchasing from our linked retailers gives Bike a commission from the sale. While most of these bikes will be busy hammering out miles, the Trance 29 is more likely to be hammering out laps on the local gravity track. A lot of times, they’re just as light as carbon, and on an XC bike, the bit of flex from an aluminum wheel may actually keep your body feeling less beat up after long rides. It’s also possible just to upgrade those with time. Company   0 shares. A 120-millimeter 29er that actually goes up and down hills well? ... has been completely redesigned for 2020, giving it … Of course, you’ll get a full carbon frame, as well as a torque wrench, shock pump and tools for set-up because, of course, Intense has a consumer-direct sales model now, in addition to brick-and-mortar sales. A carbon or titanium rigid post can save weight, but doesn’t help with descending. More on that later though. Just look at the current XCO World Cup courses. Check out Mike Ferrentino’s review of the Trance 29 Adv Pro 0 from the latest Bible of Bike Tests, It’s still an XC marathon machine, sure, but if you were to. The Living Link suspension is a tricky one to put a finger on. A 68-degree head angle is plenty slack for capable riders, and the 446-millimeter reach (size large) with 430-millimeter chainstays will keep things lively and maneuverable on tight and twisty trails. Yamaha Super Tenere But like some newer XC bikes, the 69-degree head tube is a bit more relaxed, giving the bike a more playful, versatile ride. More important though, it’s the first in the Spark lineup to spec a Fox 34 instead of a 32. Technical xc mtb specifications. Ride your bike across the US - … A 66.5-degree head angle is mated with 76-degree seat angle and a 475-millimeter reach on a large. Longer, slacker and, wait for it. The VPP suspension is one of the better designs in this travel bracket for rough terrain. This is what makes the sprightly nature of the suspension platform, and why we pondered how it would be in a short-travel package. It’s probably much less of a debate in this mountain bike category, as 29ers have basically taken over, and buyers will be hard pressed find an XC bike with 27.5-inch wheels, although they aren’t gone completely.