It鈥檚 that time of year, when we all become obsessed with bettering ourselves. Rather than a health-focused resolution this year, one of mine involved getting a handle on organizing my garage full of outdoor gear and simplifying the process of packing for trips.

Before diving into what I did, let me give you a little background. I鈥檝e always been a generalist when it comes to outdoor pursuits and dabble in a lot of different sports and hobbies. From bowhunting to mountain biking and backcountry skiing, they鈥檙e all pretty gear-intensive, which means I鈥檝e got a lot of equipment.

Watch: Bryan’s First Attempt at Gear Organization

Since I test gear for work, too, all that stuff tends to accumulate rather quickly, outpacing my attempts to keep things organized and leaving me with piles of stuff on shelves and in corners of my garage. I鈥檝e even documented some of my attempts at gear organization in the past, at one point creating a full pegboard wall to house gear.

Ultimately, none of the previous storage systems worked great for us and we wanted a more practical way to stay organized and simplify our lives. When my wife, Sarah, and I freed up some space in our barn last fall, we ended up with an empty room large enough to house our outdoor gear and decided to a new system.

Practical vs. Pinterest Gear Storage

I often get bogged down by wanting my gear room or garage to 鈥搇ike a climbing rack beautifully displayed on a pegboard, backpacks hanging on a wall, and each hobby having its own, well-organized corner of a space that looks more like an REI display than an actual human being鈥檚 home.

What I鈥檝e found over the years is that this method works great if you have one main hobby. But, if you鈥檙e like me and have a lot of different hobbies where the gear crosses over (think sleeping bags you use for every activity, or walkie talkies you use while backcountry skiing and hunting), it can actually make packing for trips more complicated.

Sarah鈥檚 idea was to not only get some new bins and organizational tools, but to change the way we were organizing gear. Rather than grouping things like backpacks, electronics, layers, hunting optics, camp stoves, and cutlery separately, she came up with an 鈥淎-team and B-team鈥� bin approach to each sport.

For instance, rather than having a bin labeled 鈥渟kiing鈥� that鈥檚 chock-full of both of our layers, googles, helmets and everything associated with the sport, we now have bins labeled 鈥淏ryan Ski,鈥� 鈥淪arah Ski,鈥� and 鈥淏ackup Skiing.鈥� Everything I always end up taking with me for a day of skiing, including my helmet, goggles, and outerwear, lives in one bin, and any extra items we keep on hand for when friends and family visit lives in the backup bin. This means that instead of rifling through an overstuffed bin full of every pair of gloves and goggles we own just to pack them into another bag every time we want to go skiing, we can just grab our 鈥淎-team鈥� bins and toss them in the truck.

That last point is one worth reiterating: keeping our bins stocked with exactly what we need simplifies the packing process immensely. Recently, for instance, we headed to Taos Ski Valley after work for a weekend of skiing. We tossed our skis, boots, and two bins in the van and were out the door in minutes鈥攁 process that has taken us significantly longer in the past.

Dos and Don’ts for Gear Storage

• Don鈥檛 waste your time making things look beautiful and laying out gear on a pegboard wall. Your garage isn鈥檛 an REI.
• Think hard before investing time in building your own 鈥渂in rack鈥� or other DIY setup that will take too much time.
• Keep gear organized by sport but also deploy the A- and B-team system. Put the stuff you almost always use in the A-team bin and the backup/extra things in the B-team bin.
• Pony up for nice bins.
• Don鈥檛 use see-thru bins.
• Don鈥檛 hang packs on a wall鈥攊t takes up too much space.
• Keep your bike(s) where you can access them easily.
• Pair down, but don鈥檛 Marie Kondo yourself into tossing things you鈥檒l miss one day, even if you rarely use it.
• Use whatever space you have wisely.

The Tools We Used

The Project Source Commander 27 Gallon Tote

In the past I鈥檝e used whatever bins, milk crates, and shelves I鈥檝e had on hand to organize my gear. That meant a hodgepodge of cheap, clear plastic bins that often broke or were missing lids, so this time around we invested in a new set of high-quality bins that will hopefully last.

We bought 20 of these (they鈥檙e pretty much identical to the you can find at Home Depot), which get great reviews and are, in my opinion, the perfect size. They seem tough enough to toss in the back of a truck without worry, are stackable, have very secure lids, and are large enough to house things like backpacks without getting overstuffed.

I also wanted bins that were not see through for aesthetic reasons鈥攊t鈥檚 just looks less cluttered than bins that show their contents (plus, we know what鈥檚 in each bin and don鈥檛 need to see inside).

5-Tier Industrial Duty Steel Freestanding Garage Storage Shelving Unit

We toyed with the idea of building a like the ones that have been all the rage on TikTok and Pinterest in the last few years but ultimately went with this from Home Depot. Each shelf supports 1,800 pounds and fits four of the 27-gallon bins perfectly. It was about $100 more expensive than the materials needed to build our own, but I guarantee it鈥檚 sturdier, and it took only 15 minutes to put together versus the several hours of time it would鈥檝e taken us to build one.

It might not be as Pinterest-worthy, but it鈥檚 a hell of a lot more practical鈥攖he way those bin racks are built means you can only pull the bin straight in and out to access its contents, which can make things challenging in tight spaces. But these shelves are a little wider, which makes it easier to maneuver the bins on them. We also re-used a smaller, wire-rack shelf we already had for bulky items鈥攍ike our coolers, camp chairs, and archery targets鈥攖hat wouldn鈥檛 fit in the bins.

Rubbermaid FastTrack Garage Hang Rails

To store bikes, skis and add a bit more shelving off the ground, we installed by TK. We鈥檝e used this system before, and are big fans of its versatility and sturdiness. I installed a few rails along one wall of the room and hung our bikes using the . I鈥檓 a fan of those hooks in particular because they鈥檙e rated for 50lbs, which is higher than other brands like Kobalt or Craftsman you can find at the hardware store and means you can hang e-bikes from them if you want. I also installed a couple of metal shelves for fly rods, and a that sits high off the ground for ski boots and sleeping bags. (We had issues with mice nesting in our boots when we kept them on the ground in the past.)

Half Size Sidio Crate

In addition to the big, 27-gallon totes, I also used three Sidio Crates to house small items that didn’t fit into the A/B system. I have one for 鈥済ear repair鈥� items, one for headlamps and walkie talkies, and one for various chargers and cables.

How It’s Working So Far听

I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l make some tweaks to this whole setup the longer we use it, but so far, we鈥檙e in love. Our new bin system is keeping us vastly more organized than before, and it has also dramatically simplified packing for trips.

The unintended benefit of all this is that it freed up a lot of room in our garage, and made it a听 much nicer space, too. I used to keep everything鈥攆rom outdoor gear to homebrewing equipment to automotive tools to yard cleaning tools鈥攊n the garage, utilizing every inch of available space. That created an area that was often pretty overwhelming to even stand in, let alone try to find the gear I was looking for.

By dedicating a space specifically to our outdoor gear, we can now even park a car in the garage鈥攜ou know, what a garage is actually for. You don鈥檛 need a big house with tons of rooms or, in my case, a barn to make this idea work. My friend turned a spare closet into his gear room, and a simple backyard shed can also work great for this.

The biggest takeaway: If you鈥檝e got a lot of equipment and your life revolves around getting outside, create a dedicated space for it, and consider mixing up how you organize all your gear.

The post How to Organize Your Gear Shed the Practical Way appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

础听听of this article originally appeared on听Pinkbike.听

It’s easy to become part of an echo chamber. Pinkbike often gets lost in the finer points of mountain bike technology, from suspension platforms to frame flex. But what kind of questions are people asking about mountain biking outside the platform? For one, what are the best mountain bikes for beginners? Below, Pinkbike’s editors offer concise answers to the ten most common mountain bike-related questions on search engines, social media, and online forums.

1. What Is the Best Mountain Bike for Beginners?

One you can afford. Don’t let the average mountain biker’s obsession with technology make you think you need all the latest features to have fun.

If you’re new to the sport, getting advice and after-sales support from a local shop can be invaluable. On the other hand, if you’re happy to take more risk and willing to do your own research, second-hand or direct sales bikes offer less daunting prices.

You may hear that you simply have to start mountain biking on a hardtail because it teaches you better skills. The truth is it teaches different skills. Hardtails are the way to go for those on a tight budget (under around $1,500 if buying new) as the cheapest full-suspension bikes are usually too compromised to be worth recommending.

If you’ve got a bigger budget, a solid trail bike with 130-160 millimeters of suspension travel and modern geometry should help build confidence (and with it, skill) faster and more painlessly than the sketchy hardtails many of us learned to ride on. Get a bike that’s appropriate for the trails you want to ride most often, but has the potential to tackle more challenging terrain as your skills improve.

2. How Much Does a Good Mountain Bike Cost?

You certainly don’t need to splash out for a top-end bike to get something that performs just as well. For a bare-bones entry-level hardtail, budget around $1,500 for one that will allow you to get stuck into some serious riding. But if you want a full-suspension bike that’s going to satisfy a keen mountain biker, the best bang-for-buck is usually around $3,000 if buying new. The more you can afford up to that amount, the better the bike you can get, but above that, the benefits soon start to plateau.

The good news is that it’s a buyer’s market right now so there are lots of good deals if you shop around.

3. How Do I Maintain my Mountain Bike?

1. Wash it when it’s dirty.
2. Clean and lubricate the chain after every ride. After washing the bike, run it through a rag to wipe off dirt and water, then lubricate it with mountain-bike-specific chain lube.
3. Check the tire pressures before every ride (see question eight).
4. Regularly do an “M-check,” inspecting for loose bolts, play, or worn parts. Starting at the rear wheel, check the brake, tire, axle and derailleur, then move on to the saddle and seatpost, then the cranks, bottom bracket and pedals, then the cockpit and headset, and finally the front wheel and brake. These five locations make a capital “M” shape, which makes it easy to remember.
5. Have the suspension serviced and brakes bled at least once per year.

4. What Are the Benefits of Full Suspension Versus a Hardtail?

The obvious benefit to a full suspension bike is that it cushions the impacts on rough terrain, making it easier to ride fast without getting bounced off-line or having your teeth rattled loose. They also offer more grip because the wheels are more consistently pressed into the ground. Most serious riders and racers use full-suspension bikes for every discipline these days, from downhill to cross country. Even gravel bikes sometimes have suspension now.

On the other hand, hardtails are usually much less expensive鈥攐r offer better parts and frame quality for the same price鈥攎aking them the go-to option for those on a tight budget. There’s less to go wrong and no pivots or rear shock to service, too. Apples-to-apples, hardtails are usually lighter and transmit slightly more of your pedal power to the ground, making them fractionally faster on smooth climbs (this is why hardtails still get used occasionally for smoother cross-country courses). Also, some (strange) people just prefer the challenge of riding without rear suspension.

5. How Do You Choose the Right Frame Size?

These days, most manufacturers provide a size guide on the geometry tab of their website; this is a reliable indicator for most people. There’s often a range of rider heights that overlap between two sizes. In this case, size down if you want more agile handling or size up if you want more stability for fast terrain.

For more on this, see our guide to modern bike sizing. If possible, try and arrange a test ride or talk to the manufacturer for a personalised recommendation.

6. What Are the Best Upgrades for My Mountain Bike?

It depends on what components your bike has, but common upgrades that make a big difference without costing the earth include comfy grips and a saddle that fit your body better; tubeless tires that are appropriate to the riding you usually do, and a dropper post if you don’t already have one. Better brakes can massively improve confidence too, but you don’t always have to spring for a whole set – bigger rotors (larger diameter or thicker) and fresh brake pads (sintered for wet weather) can boost power and consistency.

7. What鈥檚 the Difference Between Cross-Country, Trail, Enduro, and Downhill Bikes?

Cross country (XC) races are usually won or lost on the climbs, so XC bikes are designed to excel when going uphill, with minimum weight and efficient suspension. Modern examples have 100-120 millimeters of suspension travel and can weigh as little as 24 pounds. Descending is still important, especially in modern cross country, so XC bikes often have dropper posts and slack head angles, but the geometry is still less confidence-inspiring than trail bikes. Also, the handlebars are typically much lower. Almost all modern XC bikes have 29-inch wheels.

“Trail” isn’t a racing discipline, so trail bikes are designed to be fun. They should be light enough to enjoy rather than endure climbs but usually with a stronger emphasis on descending capability. They typically have 130-150 millimeters of suspension travel which makes them pretty capable when the trail gets hectic but not so much that they feel lethargic in flowy terrain. Most have 29-inch wheels, though recently many have a 27.5-inch wheel at the back or the option to run either.

Enduro bikes may look like trail bikes, but they’re designed with much more bias towards descending. In enduro racing, it’s only the descents that are timed, so climbing performance takes a back seat (although some enduro bikes climb surprisingly well). They have 160-180 millimeters of travel, tough tires, big brakes and burly components. Many enduro bikes weigh well over of 35 pounds. Some have 29-inch wheels front and rear and some have a 27.5-inch wheel at the back. Many can accept either rear wheel size.

Downhill bikes are not designed to be pedaled uphill at all. They have 200 millimeters of suspension travel or more, stiff dual-crown forks, and close-ratio gearing. Because they do not need a dropper post or wide-range cassette, they are often no heavier than enduro bikes. In recent years, most have moved to mixed wheels (29-inch front, 27.5-inch rear) though some can still accept 29-inch wheels at both ends.

Mountain bike disciplines are more of a spectrum than distinct categories; it’s perfectly possible to take your trail bike on a cross-country ride and visa-versa. There are also tongue-in-cheek sub-categories that seek to split the difference even further, such as “downcountry” (a compromise between trail and XC) or “all-mountain,” which fits in between trail and enduro.

8. What Tire Pressure Should I Run on My Mountain Bike?

This varies depending on rider weight, tire construction, terrain, and riding style. But a good place to start is to ignore the pressures printed on the tire sidewall鈥攖hey’re usually a maximum rather than a recommendation. Most riders should start at pressures between 20 psi and 30 psi. Go towards the lower end of that range if you’re lighter, less confident, or riding slippy terrain. Go higher if you’re heavier, riding hard, or the trails are rocky. It’s usually a good idea to run about 3 psi more pressure in the back tire than the front, as it takes more weight.

Use a pressure gauge to measure tire pressures before each ride and experiment to find what works for you. It doesn’t have to be a fancy gauge, but ideally, it should be the same one every time. Usually, you’re looking for the lowest pressure you can get away with before the tire starts to collapse in corners or when you start to feel the tire hitting the rim when riding over rocks.

Tubeless repair plugs can be surprisingly effective. (Photo: Richard Cunningham)

9. How Do I Repair a Puncture on a Trail?

Option 1: If it’s a tubeless tire, find the hole and push a puncture repair plug into it. Afterwards, trim the excess. When you get home, you may want to stick a puncture repair patch to the inside of the tire. This will help long term, but just be sure to do so after cleaning the tire.

Option 2: If option 1 fails or the tire isn’t tubeless, insert an inner tube to get you home. When you get home you can patch the tire or the tube with a puncture repair kit.

Option 3: If you haven’t got a spare tube, remove the tube and locate the puncture. You can do this by inflating the tube with a pump. Fix the puncture with a patch kit.

Option 4: Borrow an inner tube from a friend in exchange for future beers.

Option 5: Give up. Cry. Walk home. Get back late. Cry more.

10. How Do I Improve My Technical Mountain-Biking Skills?

• Ride more.
• Book a coaching course.
• Regularly practice a short section of trail several times.
• Get your friends to film your riding so you can see where to improve.
• Watch Pinkbike’s .
• Ride more.

The post The Internet鈥檚 Most Common Mountain-Bike Tech Questions Answered appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As a parent and an American during an election year, I had to make all sorts of crucial decisions in 2024. The听most difficult and important of all was which bike to bring with me on my summer vacation.

Each year at the end of August my family and I travel to Adirondack Park in upstate New York, where the cycling terrain includes paved climbs, gravel roads, and and rocky trails that disappear deep into the wilderness. Every spring, I start thinking seriously about which bicycle will have the privilege of accompanying me. The optimal choice is generally a rig听wide of both tire and gearing, and past standouts have been my A. Homer Hilsen and my LWB.

This year I figured I’d probably just bring one of those two bikes yet again, but at the very last second I made a bizarre and potentially foolhardy decision. Like George Costanza buying an ’89 Chrysler LeBaron because it once belonged to Midnight Cowboy star Jon Voigt, I ultimately went with a 1998 Trek Y-Foil 77, on loan to me from the collection, a historic bike museum and shop based in Washington.

Like the LeBaron, the Y-Foil 77 was also听of highly dubious celebrity provenance, having once belonged to the late writer and bon vivant George Plimpton.

It may seem far-fetched, but Classic Cycle also to “prove” it that it was owned by the Paper Tiger author. Who am I to argue?

As a rider with traditional (some might even say old-fashioned) tastes who likes normal diamond-shaped frames made from metal and who has been one of the cycling media’s most outspoken critics of the carbon fiber hegemony, I’ve always found the Y-Foil to be absurdly outlandish. It was hard to imagine myself even riding the thing, let alone liking it.听It seemed more like a triathlon bike than a road bike, which鈥eew. Yet the more I rode it, the more I began to appreciate it.

Sure, the bike only holds one water bottle at a time, and yes, the void where the seat tube is supposed to be makes it look like a device made to bore holes in giant wheels of cheese. (The unorthodox frame design also makes sure you get every last bit of road spray should it rain.) But I rarely carry more than one bottle anyway. Despite its outrageous appearance it handles just as any well-designed road bike should, plus the beam design of the frame provides just a tiny bit of suspension which makes the ride surprisingly smooth and comfortable.

Trek only sold the Y-Foil for two years, in 1998 and 1999, and since then the bike has acquired a bit of a cult following鈥攑artially because they’re kind of rare and some people think they’re cool-looking, but also because of the aforementioned smooth ride quality, which is unusual for a road bike that only clears a 25mm tire. I’d never been a member of the Y-Foil cult, and so I knew little about the bike’s history, apart from vaguely recalling the design having been banned from competition or something.

So I started reading up on their history, and was surprised to learn that not only wasn’t it a triathlon bike, but it had supposedly been designed with Paris-Roubaix and the cobbled classics in mind, and early versions even听had a suspension-corrected fork. This explained the pinched-looking front end of the frame as well as the elongated fork crown, which Paul Johnson of Classic Cycle likens to a pair of high-waisted jeans.

The revelation that the Y-Foil was听designed not for triathlons but for the cobblestones of Europe was almost harder to believe than the whole George Plimpton thing. So to find out for sure I reached out to Trek, who connected me with Jim Colegrove, a now-retired engineer who worked on the Y-Foil.

In the nineties, Colegrove told me, cyclists (or at least bike companies) were having a love affair with beam bikes. Trek was also having lots of success with . So the idea behind the Y-Foil was to bring the design over to the road and to take听taking advantage of beam-maina.

As Colegrove and the team at Trek saw it, when it came to road-oriented beam bikes, 2001 model was the one to beat, though they also felt it had three fatal flaws: lateral deflection (they called it “wag”); bob (the feeling that you’re sitting on a diving board); and weight (the Zipp was quite heavy). So Trek set out to design a Y-frame听road bike that would suffer from none of those problems. At the same time, they also saw an opportunity to incorporate a , which people at Trek were convinced was “going to be a thing,” as Colegrove puts it.

Not everybody on the team agreed, and of course suspension forks on road bikes听didn’t turn out to be a thing at all (at least not until gravel happened). Still,听the 1992, 1993, and 1994 editions of Paris-Roubaix had all been won on Rock Shox forks. Trek planned to offer the new Y-frame road bike to pro teams, and so the suspension fork made it onto the bike. (Or at least the suspension fork compatibility did. Colegrove doesn’t know if anybody actually ended up using a suspension fork on a Y-Foil, and I’ve certainly never seen a squishy Y-Foil either in the wild or on the Internet.)

Alas, just as Trek launched the Y-Foil, the Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling’s governing body, ruled that road bike frames “shall be of a traditional pattern, i.e. built around a main triangle.” This rule meant the pros wouldn’t be able to ride the Y-Foil in any race under the auspices of the UCI, which is to say all the races that matter to people when they’re deciding which expensive road bike to buy.

Colegrove wonders if perhaps the UCI may have made the rule specifically to foil (see what I did there?) Trek in order to protect innocent European bike manufacturers from a big bad American company with the capability of producing futuristic aero bikes at scale. However, it’s worth noting the ruling affected European bikes too, such as, so perhaps they really did just want to uphold tradition and spare us all from a nightmarish all-recumbent pro cycling future.

Of course there was still nothing keeping you from buying a Y-Foil to race听a triathlon, or your local USA Cycling-sanctioned criterium, or just riding it for fun and enjoying the head-turning looks and aero benefits. (According to Colegrove the wind tunnel results showed the Y-Foil to be “significantly” more aerodynamic than a traditional frame.) But the bike industry doesn’t work like that, and since the Y-Foil would never be seen under the winner of the Tour de France it had limited appeal and went into, as Colgrove puts it, a “black hole.”

Despite the aero factor it wasn’t a true triathlon bike, nor would it ever have a pro cycling pedigree. While the bike did make it into production, the last year it appeared in the Trek catalogue was 1999鈥攖he same year Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France on a stock Trek 5500 with a diamond frame.

25 years later, all of this lends the bike a certain pathos, and since I was enjoying the bike much more than I thought I would I figured I’d bring it with me on vacation as sort of a consolation prize. Just across Lake Champlain听 from New York State lies Vermont, a land criss-crossed with gravel roads, where the bike could finally taste the terrain for which it had been designed, yet few Y-Foils have ever experienced.

Road cyclists have recently embraced wider tires. With cyclists tackling roads with rougher surfaces, 25-millimeter tires鈥攚hich is the widest a Y-Foil will allow鈥攁re now considered too narrow.

However, I made it through the roughest sections without washout or pinch flat, and otherwise the bike was not only competent but smooth, the beam offering just enough flex to allow me to comfortably shift my weight onto the rear wheel. Having successfully negotiated the gravel roads of Vermont, I rolled onto the ferry to Ticonderoga, NY.

Ticonderoga is steeped in history and the things that made this country great. There’s the eponymous , the eponymous (they weren’t made there, but that’s where the graphite used to come from), and there’s the , which draws Trekkies from all over the galaxy.

At no point in our conversation did Colegrove mention the Star Fleet Insignia serving as an inspiration for the design of the Y-Foil, but I have to wonder if perhaps it crept in there subconsciously.

If you’re a fan of technical innovation you may think we lost out when the UCI banned bikes Y-Foil, and if you’re a traditionalist you probably think we dodged a bullet. I’d certainly count myself as a traditionalist. But more than anything I’m also a bike nerd. I can appreciate and enjoy this relic of what might have been.safe in the knowledge that it is no longer a threat to the supremacy of my beloved diamond frame.

The Y-Foil may not have been a commercial success, but Trek did accomplish what it set out to do, which was design a Y-shaped bike without wag, bob, or excessive weight that performs like a good road bike should. I enjoyed every ride with it on my summer vacation, and by choosing it I don’t think I missed out on a thing鈥xcept maybe that second water bottle.

The post I Took a Star-Trek Inspired Journey on a Retro-Futuristic Bike appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

础听 of this article, “What Exactly Is ‘Outdated’ Mountain Bike Geometry?” originally appeared on Pinkbike.听

If you’re in the market for a secondhand bike that’s been around for a few years, you might ask yourself if a modern mountain bike really handles better than an older one. A mountain bike’s geometry (the shape, angles, and size of its frame) defines how it rides more fundamentally than any other aspect of its design, and mountain bike geometry has transformed over recent years. So what exactly counts as “outdated” versus “new-school” geometry these days? And do older mountain bikes necessarily ride worse than new ones?

First off, let’s be specific about the differences between modern and “old school” geometry. The reach, head angle (HA), wheelbase (WB), and effective seat angle (SA)鈥攄emonstrated below鈥攁re the key measurements that have changed over the years.

The reach, head angle (HA), wheelbase (WB) and effective seat angle (SA) are the key measurements that have changed over the years. (Photo: Devinci Django Geometry)

• Longer Reach: Modern bikes feature a longer reach (the horizontal distance between the bottom bracket and the top of the head tube), providing more room to maneuver and making the bike feel more stable at high speeds and in technical terrain. This is usually teamed with shorter stems (40-50 millimeters) that keep the cockpit from feeling too stretched out, while also making the steering more predictable and direct. Modern trail and enduro bikes typically have a reach figure of around 450-460 millimeters in a size medium and over 500 millimeters in the largest size. Ten years ago, typical reach numbers were around 30-50 millimeters shorter.
• Slacker Head Angle: The angle of the steering axis and fork has become much less steep. Modern trail and enduro bikes have head angles around 63-65 degrees. Ten years ago, it was more like 66-69 degrees. This makes the bike more stable on descents, as it positions the front wheel further out in front and makes the steering less twitchy, reducing the risk of the front wheel “jackknifing” (turning suddenly away from straight ahead) in technical sections. The downside is it’s lazier and heavier steering at low speeds.
• Longer Wheelbase: A longer wheelbase contributes to greater stability at high speeds and over rough terrain, making the bike more confidence-inspiring and less prone to pitching. The downside is more steering input is required to negotiate tight turns.
• Steeper (effective) Seat Angle: The effective seat tube angle (the slope of a line connecting the bottom bracket to the top of the seat post) is much steeper in modern bikes. Typical angles have gone from 73-75 degrees ten years ago to 76-80 degrees today. This positions the rider more forward, improving pedaling efficiency for climbing, while making it easier to keep enough weight on the front tire to steer and balance. Such seat angles were not practical when reach figures were shorter, because they would place the rider’s hips too close to the handlebar.

How Modern Geometry Translates on the Trail

Modern bikes are designed to excel at higher speeds and on more demanding terrain than their predecessors. Their geometry makes them more stable and confidence-inspiring when tackling the kind of terrain usually reserved for downhill bikes back in the day: steep chutes, big rocks, and big air. This may come at the expense of maneuverability at slow speeds and shallow gradients, but thanks to steeper seat tube angles, modern trail bikes are more capable when pointed uphill as well as down. Overall, it’s not controversial to say that modern bikes ride better than those of ten years ago鈥攎ostly thanks to their geometry. But what about a bike from just four or five years ago?

The truth is that mountain bike geometry is still evolving. There never will come a time when bike designers say, “Yep, that’s it鈥攖hese are the numbers bikes should have from now on. Let’s all go home.” But geometry trends that were going gangbusters in the 2010s have certainly slowed down lately. The ($4,000) above hasn’t been updated in almost half a decade, but they don’t look out of place today.

If you’re in the market for a bike that’s much older than 2020, it will generally have noticeably different geometry and handling compared to a new equivalent, and the further back you go, the bigger the gap will be. There are exceptions, such as the 听辞谤听, which had similar geometry to today’s bikes (and in some ways more extreme) back in 2015. Mondraker was another pioneer, with modern reach numbers by听.

Can You Modernize an Old Mountain Bike鈥檚 Geometry?

Just because a bike has been around a while, that doesn’t mean it needs to be replaced to experience up-to-date handling. Take my other half’s 2015 Mondraker Foxy. With a 160-millimeter fork (up from the 140-millimeter stock fork), a -2 degree headset and the saddle slammed fully forward on the seatpost, its key numbers (reach, head angle, wheelbase, effective seat angle) aren’t far off what you’d find new in 2024. Sure, it still has non-Boost axles, a pair of 27.5-inch wheels and abominable cable routing. But as far as handling goes, it’s solid. Throw in an upgraded shock, tires, and brakes, and it still very much does the business.

So if you’re sitting on an older bike or considering buying one, bear in mind that you can learn from the latest crop of bikes without having to fork out for a brand new one.

The post What Exactly Is 鈥淥utdated鈥� Mountain-Bike Geometry? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

础听 of this article originally appeared on Pinkbike.听

What do you look for in a helmet? Price, style, weight, ventilation and comfort are all important considerations, but the main purpose of a helmet is to keep your head safe when it hits the dirt. One piece of advice you’ll often hear is to buy the best one you can afford. But are more expensive options any safer? And do anti-rotation inserts like MIPS reduce the risk of concussion? Do mountain bike helmets protect your head better than road helmets?

If you want to know how good a helmet is at cushioning your brain, it’s not a good idea to experiment on yourself. Fortunately, the engineering department at听听has a state-of-the-art, independent helmet testing lab. They’ve been testing all sorts of sports helmets since 2011 and have put 235 cycling helmets including 73 mountain bike lids through their repeatable but realistic testing protocol.

How are they tested?

Virginia Tech has developed a test that’s specific to cycling helmets. You can read the full details听 but the basic version is that each tester is fitted onto a standard dummy “head” complete with acceleration and rotation sensors. The helmet is then dropped onto a hard surface such that it strikes it at six different impact locations around it. This is done at two different impact speeds (4.8 and 7.3 meters per second, or 17.3 and 26.3 kph). The lower speed is designed to replicate the most common impact speeds seen in the real world and the second is the most likely speed that results in concussion鈥攖hese numbers are derived from helmets that had been recovered from real-world crashes.

This is repeated twice, resulting in 24 test impacts for each model. For each test, the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the dummy head are measured, and an algorithm is used to convert these numbers into an overall score. The scoring system uses the rotation and acceleration measurements to estimate the risk of concussion for each impact, then these results are weighted depending on how common each type of impact occurs during real-world cycling. This produces a single score that is proportional to the overall risk of concussion during cycling.

The lower the score, the lower the chance of concussion.

Any score below 14 gets a five-star rating. A model has to score below 19 to get four stars and be considered recommendable by Virginia Tech.

Are More Expensive Mountain-Bike Helmets Safer?

Sort of.

Of the four helmets costing $50 or less, none got close to a five-star rating (a score below 14); of the sixteen models costing $200 or more, all but one got five stars. All of the helmets that cost more than $100 received at least four stars (scored below 19), making them at least worthy of consideration according to Virginia Tech.

More expensive options tend to be safer on average, but there’s a lot of variation and many outliers as you can see in the scatter chart.

So the old maxim that you should spring for the best helmet you can afford isn’t a bad rule of thumb, but if you start with the data from Virginia Tech you can pick a very safe model without spending too much.

Which Helmets Stand Out?

The safest mountain-bike helmet tested so far is the , a three-quarter style version which scored 8.41 and costs $270. But the biggest outlier on the price-to-safety spectrum is the , which scored 8.55 and costs just $110. Based on Virginia Tech’s testing, that’s the model I’d suggest if the style and fit suit your needs.

Are Mountain-Bike Helmets Safer than Road Options?

Not really.

Some of the best (lowest scoring) models tested by Virginia Tech are road helmets, as are some of the worst, which could reflect the fact that more road versions have been tested. Looking at the scatter chart above, there is an even weaker relationship between cost and safety in the road world, perhaps because high-end road helmets are chasing aerodynamics more than impact absorption.

Impressively, three road models costing $80 or less scored below a 10. Chapeau to Giant, Lazer and Specialized for those.

Are MIPS Helmets Safer?

According to this data, yes.

The lowest-scoring (safest) mountain-bike helmet without MIPS is the beautifully named 6D ATB-2T, which scored 10.03, putting it in 12th place for mountain bikes. It has a conceptually similar technology called Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS). The next best is the POC Tectal Race SPIN, which ranked 29th and scored 11.67. It too has a similar technology called SPIN (Shearing Pad Inside), which POC has since听 in favour of MIPS.

So, the 11 best-scoring mountain-bike helmets all have MIPS; only two of the best thirty don’t have MIPS, and both of them have something similar.

However, the vast majority of the models on test have MIPS, especially the more expensive ones, so this isn’t as surprising as it sounds. Even so, the nine poorest-performing mountain-bike helmets all lack MIPS, and five of those cost $99 or more.

Also, the Troy Lee A1 Classic MIPS scored a respectable 11.65, while the MIPS-free Troy Lee A1 Drone scored a damning 19.35.

Some have suggested that the benefit of a MIPS liner may diminished in the real world because the rider’s hair (for those who have it) creates its own slip plane which does a similar job. But even if a thick head of hair can allow the helmet to rotate relative to the skull, that’s not to say it works as well as a MIPS liner, especially in听combination with hair. According to MIPS, hair isn’t as slippery as you think once the G-forces are pressing your head into your helmet during a crash, whereas MIPS liners are designed to slide even under these huge compressive loads.

Besides, even if all that MIPS achieved was to improve outcomes for the bald, it would still be worth helmet manufacturers using it.

Are Full-Face Options Safer?

It’s not clear.

Virginia Tech isn’t testing face-on (chin bar) impacts, where full-face helmets obviously have an advantage. If you’re likely to land on your face, best to wear a full-face helmet. But when tested in the same way as open-face helmets, using the same six impact locations, the full-face helmets don’t score better. This is perhaps surprising given they are designed for downhill and enduro use, including racing.

Virginia Tech has only tested four full-face helmets so far, which isn’t enough to make broad conclusions, but they don’t stand out as you might expect鈥攖he best full-face helmet (Bluegrass Vanguard) ranks 15th among mountain-bike helmets. Having said that, all four received five stars (scored less than 14), and the average score was 12.2, slightly better than open-face mountain-bike helmets, which averaged 13.3. We would need more data to know if full-face helmets generally do better or worse on Virginia Tech’s test procedure, but the four tested so far are merely midpack.

So while full-faces offer better coverage, they’re not necessarily offering better protection when tested on the same impact locations.

Limitations and Conclusions

It’s worth underlining that Virginia Tech haven’t tested every helmet on the market and some on their database are older than others, so it’s probably not fair to make general comparisons between brands or to say that the best they’ve tested is the best there is.

As with any laboratory test, there is a tradeoff between repeatability and realism. Virginia Tech can’t simulate every type of crash, impact speed or head shape. A different test with different variables might come up with different rankings, but Virginia Tech’s is probably the best independent data that’s publicly available. How a helmet fits your unique head is important for safety as well as comfort so it’s a good idea to try a few helmets on in a real-life bike shop, then pick one that scores well and fits well.

The post How to Pick a Safer Helmet, According to Science appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It was only a matter of time. After all, my husband and I live in Boulder County, Colorado, one of the bike meccas of the U.S. where the joke is that the bike on the back of the car is often听worth more than the car itself鈥�. Besides being a hub for mountain-, gravel-, and road biking, Boulder is also a university town and exceptionally , meaning there are a lot of people who ride and own bikes here.听In other words, its a town ripe for the picking.

Most of our friends have had a bike (or two) stolen from a public bike rack in town, off the back of their car, out of their vehicle鈥檚 trunk, or even lifted right out of their garage. My husband and I counted ourselves lucky, until we recently, involuntarily joined the ranks of the sad and pissed-off bike-less.

At approximately 8:30 on a sunny Tuesday morning, someone rode up to our house on a black Huffy mountain bike, walked into our open garage while my husband was in the house, helped themselves to his hanging off a wall-mounted rack at the back of the garage, then pedaled off to god knows where.

The only signs of a crime were a bike hook torn out of our garage wall and the Huffy abandoned in our driveway.

We spent very little time in the denial stage of our loss鈥攁gain, this is sadly commonplace in Boulder County鈥攁nd instead jumped right into problem-solving. If there鈥檚 one good thing about living in a place where bike theft is the norm, it鈥檚 that everyone has helpful advice for what to do to try to recover your bike or recoup the financial loss. Here鈥檚 what we learned.

Tips for Reporting a Stolen Bicycle听

File a Police Report

The very first thing you should do when your bike is stolen is file a police report. Cities have different instructions for filing reports of theft, so be sure to check your city鈥檚 instructions online. In Boulder, you can file a police report online and there鈥檚 even a to fill out if the report involves a stolen bicycle. Alternatively, you can call your city鈥檚 non-emergency police dispatch line to file the report by phone.

Be sure to have your bike鈥檚 manufacturer, exact model name, model year, and serial number on hand, along with other helpful details like frame color, specifications, etc. If you bought your bike new from a shop, you can get most of this info from your sales receipt. If you no longer have the sales receipt, call the shop where you purchased your bike to see if they still have a record of the sale; if they do, that record will include the details of your bike.

Once you file a police report, temper your expectations. Chances are your local police department has their work cut out for them dealing with more serious crimes than bike theft. Don鈥檛 expect them to dust your car or garage door for prints to find the perp. Unless your stolen bike falls into their lap while dealing with another incident or crime (which does happen, so don鈥檛 give up all hope), there鈥檚 little the police can or will do about it.

The main reason for filing a police report is because it鈥檚 a requirement for filing an insurance claim (more on that below).

Register Your Bike on Bike Index

If you haven鈥檛 already, register all of your bikes on , a website run by a non-profit that helps users locate stolen bicycles with the help of other users and police departments across the country.

You can register your bikes on the site as soon as you acquire a new bike, or retroactively when you have a bike stolen. All you have to do is create a free account and add your bike details like manufacturer, serial number, frame color, and a photo.

Once your bike is in the system, you鈥檝e essentially created a dog tag for it. If it gets stolen, you mark it as lost or stolen on the site and post about your bike across Bike Index’s social media platforms. If other Bike Index users or partners (like police departments, bike shops, etc.) locate your bike, they can notify you via the site.

Create Alerts on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and eBay

Often, expensive bikes are stolen for the purpose of making a quick buck. Bike thieves might try to sell your stolen bike on popular online marketplaces like , , or . You can create alerts for new postings on these marketplaces that match your bike description.

You鈥檒l need to create a free account on each, but from there, type in your search term (e.g. 鈥�2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy鈥�) and hit the notification icon to sign up for email notifications to let you know when posts matching your search term go up.

Spread the Word

Remember, there鈥檚 strength in numbers. In this day and age, there are many ways to enlist your community to help you find your bike. You can stop into local bike shops and second-hand gear stores to give them a heads up about your stolen bike鈥攊t might turn up in their shop for service or for sale.

You should also post about your stolen bike on , , , , etc. to get your community to help keep eyes and ears open for you. Talk to your neighbors IRL to let them know about the theft鈥攜ou never know whose home security cameras might have caught some valuable footage.

How to Recover the Financial Loss

File an Insurance Claim (If It Makes Sense)

I hate to say it, but chances are, you won鈥檛 recover your stolen bike. The odds just aren鈥檛 in your favor: According to the of the 646 bicycles reported stolen within in the city in 2023, only 54 were recovered (that’s 8.7 percent). It’s been three weeks since our bike was stolen, and so far, no signs of it.

We know of only one lucky friend who was able to recover a stolen bicycle after pedaling around his neighborhood and just happening upon the thief riding his easily-recognizable custom bike. After confronting the thief on on the spot (a risky approach that police advice against), the thief abandoned the bike and ran for it. Like I said, this friend was one of the lucky few.

So if your bike was stolen from your home and you have homeowner鈥檚 or renter鈥檚 insurance with a low deductible, go ahead and file an insurance claim as soon as you鈥檝e filed a police report.

Generally, both homeowner鈥檚 insurance and renter鈥檚 insurance cover the theft of personal property, but that鈥檚 not a guarantee that you鈥檒l be able to recoup the value of your stolen bicycle. Our homeowner鈥檚 insurance (through State Farm) covers theft of personal property, but our annual claim deductible is $3,800鈥攁bout $800 more than the Santa Cruz Tallboy was worth brand new.

In our case, it made no sense to file a claim since there would have been no insurance payout. It鈥檚 also worth noting that many insurance policies will only pay out the actual cash value of your bike, not the total cost of replacement. So unless your bike is brand new, expect the insurance company to account for depreciation. Some insurers also have a sub-limit for bikes, e.g. $1,500.

The lesson we learned here: We should buy more expensive bikes (#bikemath).

Consider Additional Personal Property Insurance听

While our homeowner鈥檚 insurance policy wouldn鈥檛 cover our stolen bike, we learned that many insurance companies offer supplemental coverage for personal property (or 鈥溾��), which includes sports equipment.

There鈥檚 an additional premium for this coverage鈥擲tate Farm quoted us $300 annually for $5,000 worth of coverage鈥攂ut there鈥檚 generally no deductible. Plus, your gear is insured wherever it is, so if your bike gets stolen outside of your home, that theft would be covered by personal property insurance.

Considering our lifestyle and the number of bikes and skis we own, the extra $300 per year is probably worth it. I always did fork over for every insurance policy known to man when I played the board game Life鈥攁nd I always won.

Read More

The Best Gravel Bikes of the Year
Our Favorite Trail Bikes听
The Best Road Bikes of 2024

The post Your Bike Was Stolen. Now What? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Gravel bikes have changed considerably over the past couple decades. While some modern gravel bikes are essentially road bikes with more tire clearance, others are optimized for bikepacking with lots of gear. Because there are so many options, finding the right gravel bike can be a challenge. So we put in hundreds of miles of testing to bring you the top tier of gravel bikes available right now. Our list below is the result of testing bikes from the most popular bike brands down to the small builders.

At a Glance

• Editor鈥檚 Choice:
• Smoothest Ride:
• Best Technical Climber:
• Best Handling at Speed:
• Best Quiver Killer:
• Best Dirt-Focused Ride:
• Best Custom Bike:
• Best Budget Bike for its Quality:
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Tester
• How to Choose a Gravel Bike

All the bikes in this guide were tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Editor鈥檚 Choice

Enve Mog

Build: The Mog includes the Chassis (which consists of a frame, fork, seatpost, handlebar, and stem)
Frame Weight: 950 grams (Minus the hardware in a painted size 56)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extremely well-balanced handling
鈯� Very premium price

Enve Composites is no stranger to what makes a good bike, having shown its expertise in making lust-worthy carbon wheels, handlebars, and accessories since 2007. For its first entry in cycling鈥檚 hottest category, the Ogden, Utah-based company knew it had to make a bike with its own unique vision. It had to be different in an increasingly crowded market, and that鈥檚 exactly what the Enve Mog gravel bike is.

The Mog feels like the complete package. It can handle a maximum of 700c x 50-millimeter tires, whereas 45-47 millimeters is the maximum for most other brands, and often much less than that. There are mounts all over the place: three on the fork for cargo, three sets of bottle mounts on the frame, and another at the top tube, too. Further, two roll bags fit in the downtube, plenty for a repair kit, some snacks, or even an emergency wind jacket.

Enve has done the hard work of ensuring every size receives similar handling characteristics, which is uncommon on most gravel bikes. Somewhere in the middle of road-centric handling and more laid back, the result is a bike that makes you far more confident and comfortable than you should be on washed-out descents. At the same time, testers were still able to keep up with the fast group at a local gravel race.

Of course, all of this comes at a price, one that is unabashedly premium. But for how well-rounded the bike feels everywhere, as well as the polish shown in its build specs, Enve is partly justified.

Smoothest Ride

Revel Rover

Build: GRX
Weight: 18 lbs (S)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Great tire clearance
鈯� Eager handling on dirt
鈯� 1x-only drivetrain compatibility can be limiting

Remember all those folks saying that gravel bikes are just mountain bikes from the 1990鈥檚? They鈥檙e probably talking about the Revel Rover gravel bike. Not only does the Carbondale, Colorado-based company find most of its notoriety from its mountain bikes, but its behavior鈥� particularly on single track and double track鈥攔eveals that this is far from just your standard sporty gravel bike.

The Rover won鈥檛 feel the fastest on pavement, but add a bit of dirt and the Rover starts to come alive. It鈥檚 a fantastic climber, particularly on more technical terrain. Acceleration is on the snappy side, and its geometry lets you point and shoot through rock patches rather than having to find a tight line. Above else however, the Rover rides much smoother than the average carbon gravel bike, a testament to its smart frame design.

l considered the details when testing here, too. The guided internal cable and hose routing is a breath of fresh air against complicated fully-internal setups. The threaded bottom bracket is also a nice touch. Space for 700c x 50 millimeter tires abounds despite stubby 420 millimeter chain stays. The bike may lack a bolt-on top tube bag mount, but it makes up for it with up to four frame bottle cage mounts and a SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) that standardizes derailleur hanger replacements.

There is one small caveat with the Rover: until recently, every bike came with a 44-centimeter handlebar, regardless of size. Wider bars mean improved control and leverage according to Revel, but smaller-size riders likely will want to consider swapping for a different-width handlebar. The bars themselves are easy to swap, fortunately, but it is the one caveat to an otherwise phenomenal gravel bike.

Best Technical Climber

Chapter2 Kaha Frameset

Weight: 2.4 lbs (frame), 0.9 lb (fork)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Customizable
鈯� Chapter2 only offers framesets

Chapter2 might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of high-performance cycling, but the Pryde family鈥攂etter known for their NeilPryde kite sailing and windsurfing business鈥攌nows their way around high-performance carbon components, and the Kaha is an excellent example of that.

This bike loves technical, steep climbing. The short rear end allows riders to keep much of their weight over the rear wheel, ensuring the rear tire has grip even when things get loose on the trail. And when the road or trail points downhill, the Kaha feels manageable, agile, and plenty responsive.

The word Kaha, which means 鈥榩ower and strength鈥� in Maori, covers every base you鈥檇 expect for a gravel bike. 700c x 47-millimeter tire clearance, loads of mounts for gear on the frame and fork, useful downtube internal gear storage, and space for 1x and 2x drivetrains means you can build and ride the bike exactly as you want to.

On that note, Chapter2 only offers frame sets鈥攖here are no complete bikes are here. According to Chapter2, selling only frame sets and a few select components allows the company to stay hyper-focused on the core of the cycling experience, while allowing the customer to choose the build that best fits their needs.

Best Handling at Speed

Liv Devote

Build: Advanced Pro
Weight: 17.5 lbs (XS)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Progressive geometry
鈯� Finicky seat post cluster

The Liv Devote gravel bike range includes the all-new, lightweight Devote Advanced Pro, as well as upgrades to both the Devote Advanced and Devote series, with redesigned geometry across all models. In the three years since the Devote series was launched, gravel riding and racing have evolved, and Liv says this latest generation features updates to reflect the times.

Handling upgrades errs toward additional stability for the Devote series. This was managed with a redesigned geometry that puts the rider in a more aggressive position, increases traction and stability, and allows more control at speeds and on descents.

One important upgrade to the Devote Advanced series is the new integrated down-tube storage. It consists of a latch found just under the downtube water bottle revealing a weather-resistant bag, with space for essentials like an inner tube, a CO2 canister, tire levers, or a multitool. Frame-bag happy riders will be pleased to see a range of frame mounts, including bottle cage mounts, a top tube bag mount, fork mounts, and fender mounts, as well.

From the progressive geometry to the great fit to the excellent proprietary components like the saddle and tires, this is a great bike for a gravel rider who likes to go fast. Testers also found that the Devote offers room to grow for someone who is newer to gravel riding but plans on sticking with it.

Best Quiver Killer

Ventum GS1

Build: Custom Build with SRAM Red
Weight: 18 lbs (XS)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extremely stable handling
鈯� Arrives in a ride-ready box
鈯� Very premium price

The Ventum GS1 is an update of the GS1 gravel bike that launched in 2021. When it launched, it was too early for us to test ride in the Rockies, so testing happened on a March trip to Patagonia, Arizona, and later to the Flint Hills gravel roads of Unbound Gravel. On all of those surfaces, the GS1 came pretty darn close to 鈥渜uiver killer鈥� status: it has the stiffness and snappiness of a performance road bike but also the necessary stability when conditions became sketchy on loose dirt.

This latest iteration of the GS1 adheres to the performance orientation that ties all Ventum bikes together, even on gravel. Like many performance-oriented gravel bikes, it has 420-millimeter chainstays for a nice, snappy feel when accelerating and moving fast, but the extended reach and wheelbase keep those characteristics in check when conditions are unruly. The result is a whole lot of stability when going fast, regardless of whether you鈥檙e on the tarmac or something much rougher.

The value of Ventum鈥檚 bikes and their direct-to-consumer depends on how you customize it. Everything from the drivetrain, wheels, tires, and even touch points can be customized to ensure you have the right bike from the start. And when the bike arrives to your house, the GS1 is designed to show up in a ride-ready box; you put on the seat post and wheels and the bike is ready to go.

Ventum GS1 framesets start at $2,599, but $2,999 nets you a complete bike with SRAM Apex AXS electronic shifting. There鈥檚 no limit to how nice the GS1 can be equipped, however, and the build options go all the way up to $9,900.

Best Dirt-Focused Ride

Giant Revolt

Build: Advanced Pro 0
Weight: 21.16 lbs (XS)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Suspension makes handling technical dirt a breeze
鈯� Very premium price

Giant really went for it with their Revolt Advanced Pro 0 gravel bike. Their Revolt gravel bike was already quite good for riding gravel roads and being a general all-around drop bar bike. But what if you want a bike that鈥檚 far more dirt-focused? One that feels settled on washboard descents and single track that a gravel bike has no business being on? That鈥檚 the Revolt Advanced Pro 0, which offers a 40-millimeter suspension fork and a suspension seat post out back.

The idea of adding suspension to a gravel bike isn鈥檛 entirely a new one, but Giant has one of the best versions of it. Geometry is adapted to match the added capability that comes with suspension, with high-quality components that match that added capability. Even the tires are wider and knobbier in this version to take advantage of all of that bump-taming suspension. The added suspension here makes those chunky, rutted, and rocky roads that rattle your fillings out considerably smoother. In these situations, the Advanced Pro 0 still feels plenty responsive when you get up and pedal.

The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0 is different than the Revolt, which comes in an array of models with aluminum or carbon frames. But regardless of which Revolt you choose, you鈥檒l receive a bike with suspension up front and a dropper post out back, a wide-range 1x drivetrain, and more mounts than you could need.

Best Custom Bike

Scarab Paramo

Build: Paramo frameset (T1 paint scheme)
Weight: 19.9 pounds (~52 cm custom)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Hand-built, custom steel bike
鈯� Very premium price

Velo Tech Editor Alvin Holbrook鈥檚 . Scarab isn鈥檛 a household name, which is no bad thing. You wouldn鈥檛 expect hand-built, custom steel bikes made in the Andes Mountains of Colombia to grow from a tree, would you?

Scarab makes a range of road, gravel, and even mountain bikes. They offer different models, though these are more suggestions for starting points. If you explain your riding style, your preferred riding characteristics, and where you hope to go, Scarab鈥檚 reps will take it from there. You can even choose from a wide array of paint themes. Riders can adjust the geometry ot be tailored to your riding preferences, providing that perfect balance of comfort, stiffness, smoothness, and compliance in all the right places. The result is a bike uniquely suited to your needs.

The Paramo we tested is set up for fast gravel rides, with just a three-pack fork mount for when you want to load up your bike for a long trip. I found that it felt plenty quick in the local road group rides. Holbrook went with a design based around their Campesinas scheme and built it with the latest Shimano GRX 12-speed groupset. While they have several themes to base your custom paint upon, Holbrook wanted one that best embraced the fact that the bike hails from Colombia.

Best Budget Bike for its Quality

Decathlon Triban GRVL

Build: 900 Ti
Weight: 20.8 lbs (M)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Lower price point than most brands
鈯� A few spec sacrifices on the build to keep the price down

French sporting goods company Decathlon isn鈥檛 all that well-known in North America. They鈥檙e a veritable giant in Europe, however, with all the resources to make bikes that compete with the big brands in the industry. Further, they鈥檙e able to do it at a price point lower than most other brands.

The GRVL 900 Ti frame is made in conjunction with legendary Italian bike frame and tubing manufacturer Dedacciai. Titanium frames, though expensive, tend to ride smoother, are more comfortable, and don鈥檛 rust like their steel counterparts with the same tubing profiles.

The GRVL 900 Ti isn鈥檛 just about the titanium frame however. It鈥檚 titanium frame and carbon fork impart a sense of smoothness over chip seal roads and gravel paths, but the handling and feature set is inherently good, too. Plus, the addition of bottle cage mounts on the fork make the bike ready for some light-duty bike packing or all-day gravel rides.

How often do you find a titanium gravel bike under $5,000? Rarely, but we鈥檝e found one here. Decathlon has had to make some spec sacrifices to keep the price point down, but the key bits鈥攖he Shimano GRX drivetrain, and the aluminum Fulcrum wheels鈥攅nsure the bike still feels good.

There鈥檚 just one version of the Triban GRVL 900 Ti, with the aforementioned Shimano drivetrain and Fulcrum wheels. Even still, the in-house branded crankset, handlebars, and seat post are easy to use and seem reliable.

How We Test

• Number of Testers: 5
• Number of Products Tested: 33
• Longest Testing Bike Ride: 280 miles (450 km)

These gravel bikes鈥攔anging from entry-level to top-spec bikes with weights matching high-end road bikes鈥攚ere chosen to be a well-rounded preview of the best bikes on the market today. Sure, we tested gravel bikes from all of the major bike brands, but we also made sure to test the small brands as well.

Our reviews were performed all over the world by five dedicated testers, with a vast majority of those miles on roads and trails we know best, from Dallas to Patagonia to Arizona. Riding across such varied terrain by riders of different skill levels and needs means we鈥檙e well-suited to understanding what parts of a gravel bike can frustrate, what makes a bike good, and what makes a bike truly stand above the competition.

Testing includes riding local loops, big days out, group rides, and everything in between. It means living with them day-to-day, maintaining them, and building them to learn more about their ins and outs.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Alvin Holbrook is a tech editor for Velo. He covers road, gravel, and e-bikes after nearly a decade in the bike industry. In addition, he uses his background in urban planning to cover stories about active transportation, policy, tech, and infrastructure through the series. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife and an ever-growing stable of bikes and kitchen utensils.

How to Choose a Gravel Bike

What Is a Gravel Bike?

A gravel bike is designed first and foremost to be at its best when riding on a variety of surfaces. That doesn鈥檛 just mean gravel, but dirt roads and pavement as well. A large percentage of gravel bike riders will take their bikes on singletrack which might be better suited to a mountain bike as well. In short, a gravel bike needs to be a lot of things to a lot of people.

Sure, a gravel bike might look a whole lot like a road bike, as they both have drop bars and relatively compact frames. But a gravel bike will have a gravel tire, typically ranging from 38 millimeters all the way up to 50, with some gravel bikes going even wider than that. Gravel tires vary in tread, though most gravel bikes will have some sort of tread on them in an effort to balance rolling resistance and grip in loose conditions. An increasing number of gravel bikes come with damping or suspension. Most of the time, that comes from an extra flexy seat post or handlebar, but some gravel bikes feature a suspension fork to add traction, grip, and comfort too.

Finding the right gravel bike for you can be a challenge with so many varieties. Here are our tips to ensure you find the right bike.

What Should I Look For on a Gravel Bike?

A gravel bike isn鈥檛 just a road bike with wider tires. The geometry is quite a bit different, favoring straight-line stability through the bumpy surfaces of dirt and gravel roads. Rider positioning is going to be more upright as well. The result is a bike that can roll through just about anything you may encounter on a road.

Gravel bikes typically have a number of mounts. Two water bottle cage mounts are certain, with a third at the bottom of the bike nearly guaranteed. Most gravel bikes will have a pair of mounts for a top tube bag to carry snacks on rides. Many will have fender mounts, while other will have rack mounts to carry gear.

Most gravel bikes will feature a shorter stem and wider drop handlebars that flare out. Further, most gravel bikes will come with a 1x drivetrain. A 1x drivetrain has a single chainring up front and a wide-range cassette out back. This ensures riders are quickly able to find the right gear simply by hitting the upshift or downshift levers.

The latest gravel bikes have started to split into two categories: performance gravel bikes and adventure gravel bikes. Performance gravel bikes ditch most of the rack and pack mounts, shed weight, and tend to have quick er handling. 国产吃瓜黑料 gravel bikes double down on bike packing, with more mounts, wider tires, a more stable ride, and a focus on durability.

What Exactly Do I Need to Budget For?

Most of the bikes we鈥檝e tested qualify as high-end bikes, costing as much as a decent used car. However, the trickle-down effect is very real, and so there are some fantastic gravel bike values at a more affordable price point. Knowing what you can spend will give you a great idea of what鈥檚 available to you on the market today.

Buying a gravel bike isn鈥檛 just buying a bike鈥攜ou also need the right accessories. At a minimum, you鈥檒l need a quality set of bike lights and a well-fitting helmet in the name of safety. Further, you鈥檒l need to budget for a decent set of pedals, and matching shoes if you want to use clip-in style pedals rather than a more accessible flat pedal.

The clothes themselves also make a difference. and a jersey can make your ride that much more comfortable if you decide to wear them. And that鈥檚 just the tip of the iceberg: repair kits, maintenance items, and more are worth budgeting for.

How Do I Choose The Right Size of Gravel Bike?

Your typical gravel bike will come in a range of sizes to fit riders of all heights. Most new gravel bikes will come with a size range to help you figure out what size of bike you need. This size range is usually expressed in centimeters, though some brands use a XS to XL.

Once you figure out what size of gravel bike you need (we recommend going to your local bike shop鈥攎ore on that below), you鈥檒l want to give the bike a test ride. That means standing over the top tube of the bike (sometimes referred to as a crossbar) comfortably with both feet flat on the ground. The top tube can touch you, but it鈥檚 better if it doesn鈥檛.

The right size of gravel bike will place your torso and arms at roughly a 90-degree angle from your torso without feeling uncomfortable. Your knees will have a slight bend to them at the bottom of your pedal stroke. Most importantly, the bike will feel comfortable to maneuver around.

Of course, all of this advice is only amplified by going to a trusted bike shop. Having another set of eyes to help you find the correct size bike will ensure your money is well-spent. They鈥檒l help you determine the right bike for you based on your riding experience, flexibility, and needs, and they鈥檒l help you determine proper sizing for things like handlebars, saddles, and even your frame.

The post The Very Best Gravel Bikes Available Today appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

From mid-ride hydration mixes to ride-saving tools to simple storage solutions, we鈥檝e gathered a selection of the best bike accessory needs and wants to make the most of your next ride. Looking for a new kit that will keep you airy and comfy over hundreds of miles? An activity tracker that delivers real-time ride data? A handheld massage tool for post-ride recovery? You’ve come to the right place.

At a Glance

• and
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Tester

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

SpeedSleev Ranger 2.0 Saddle Bag

Pros and Cons
鈯� Sleek design
鈯� Only space for the essentials

Self-sufficiency on the bike isn鈥檛 a must, but we highly suggest riding with enough gear to get you home in the event of a flat tire or worse. SpeedSleev鈥檚 Ranger 2.0 saddle bag offers a minimalist approach to carrying just enough gear to get you home in a pinch. With the capacity to fit two tubes, two C02 canisters, an inflator, tire levers, plugs, and a multi-tool, we found ourselves prepared for the all too common roadside tube swap.

Whoop 4.0 Activity Tracker

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Pros and Cons
鈯� Easy-to-use
鈯� Barely there feel
鈯� Inaccurate measurements when not properly fitted

Whoop鈥檚 4.0 band provides an informative look into heart rate data with clear, easy-to-interpret graphs available through the Whoop app. The 4.0 will track heart rate day and night, providing users with valuable data like resting heart rate and heart rate variability to help athletes customize training and recovery routines. Bonus: The Whoop can also pair to a cycling computer via Bluetooth to broadcast live heart rate data on the road.

Feedback Sports Velo Hinge 2.0 Mounting System

Pros and Cons
鈯� Space-saving design
鈯� Simple installation
鈯� Vertical mounting only

Feedback Sports is best known for its array of tools and quality cycling equipment. At $40, the Velo Hinge is the brand鈥檚 most affordable wall-mounted bike storage solution, offering multiple vertical hanging positions. Installation is quick; just three screws are needed to mount the system to a stud. It鈥檚 proven to be a favorite thanks to its space-saving, compact nature.

Craig鈥檚 Tool

Pros and Cons
鈯� Minimalistic design
鈯� Magnetic bits get stuck in bolts

Craig鈥檚 Tool is the product of a lifelong industry engineer looking to capitalize on the minimalist desires of gram-conscious cyclists. At 32 grams, the multitool provides the six most common bits (2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and T25) you鈥檒l need for road and gravel bike adjustments or repairs. Its sleek, high-strength aluminum L-shaped handle and additional tire plugs provide a simple yet effective set of tools that served us well for unexpected roadside stops.

Roll Recovery R8 Plus Deep Tissue Massage Tool

Pros and Cons
鈯� Ideal for big muscles of the leg
鈯� Adjustable pressure
鈯� Springs wear out over time

Like many athletes, cyclists are big on post-ride recovery massages, and the Roll R8 Plus allows us to administer our own deep tissue massage at home with a 360-degree squeezing action. An adjustment knob allows for easy tension selection to dial in various levels of force to target one鈥檚 glutes, quads, hamstrings, and more.

Q36.5 Dottore Clima Jersey and Dottore Clima Bib

Pros and Cons
鈯� Highly breathable
鈯� Premium quality chamois
鈯� Delicate

A quality kit can have a seemingly high sticker price, but your body will be grateful for the investment down the road. Produced in Italy, each piece of Q35.6鈥檚 Clima collection oozes quality craftsmanship and remarkable breathability. In the jersey, the use of graphene yarn鈥攁longside a blend of 60 percent polyester, 28 percent elastane, and 12 percent polyamide鈥攅nhances cooling with its inherent thermoregulating properties. In the bibs, a proprietary chamois provides a highly breathable cushion for the longest rides on your calendar.

We tested the kit over 100 miles at California鈥檚 Tour de Palm Springs and were pleased with its all-day comfort, and, after six months of hard riding, it retains much of its original elasticity and grip. Bonus: Q36.5鈥檚 warranty policy covers the practical lifetime of the product and offers repair services for a small charge.

Garmin Edge 540 Solar GPS

Pros and Cons
鈯� Great tracking with no battery anxiety
鈯� UI has a steep learning curve

A cycling computer, while not an essential accessory, is one of those nice-to-haves if you鈥檙e looking for navigation assistance and extensive data on your rides. The Garmin鈥檚 Edge 540 is our favorite thanks to its mid-ride solar charging capabilities which gives it up to a claimed 32 hours of battery life (and 60+ in battery saver mode), making it ideal for an all-day adventure without the worry of battery anxiety.

A multitude of sensors pair with its ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity, and multi-band GNSS provides class-leading positioning data.

Oakley Sphaera Sunglasses

Pros and Cons
鈯� Wide coverage
鈯� Expensive

Oakley鈥檚 Sphaera is the latest sport-oriented release from the eyewear giant. A lightweight, half-wrap frame and a wide lens pair for a modern fit that falls in line with the oversized glasses trend of recent years. We appreciated the breathable central vent, polarized lenses, and rubber-covered arms that added comfort. For $271, the Sphaera is on the high end of the eyewear price spectrum, but we find Oakley鈥檚 consistently high quality helps justify the price tag.

Tailwind Nutrition Rapid Hydration Drink Mix

Pros and Cons
鈯� Light
鈯� Easily digestible
鈯� Not enough calories for long rides

Whether you鈥檙e taking a quick spin through the park or spending a day in the mountains, staying fueled is one of the simplest steps any cyclist can take to improve the quality of their ride. Colorado-based Tailwind Nutrition produces a variety of refreshing, easy-to-digest drink mixes, from calorie-packed to calorie-light.

The brand鈥檚 45-calorie Rapid Hydration mix is available in five flavors: orange, strawberry lemonade, lemon lime, raspberry, and berry. Testers found these did the trick for shorter, sub-two-hour rides, but felt the need to fuel with additional carbs for longer days in the saddle.

How We Test

• Number of products tested: 15
• Number of miles collectively ridden during testing: 11,000
• Biggest ride: 102 miles
• Number of Testers: 6

Our group of testers, made up of men and women across the country, put more than a dozen cycling accessories to the test on various rides and races during diverse training schedules. Some were preparing for marquee road and gravel events while others were more concerned about the weekly coffee ride.

Each product we tested earned a grade based on qualitative and quantitative characteristics like functionality, simplicity, and usefulness. The bike gear and gadgets on this list impressed our crew in all departments.

Meet Our Lead Tester

has been riding road and gravel bikes for 15 years and has been writing about the latest tech in the sport since 2017. He鈥檚 toed the line at premier road and gravel events nationwide, including the Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego and the Unbound 200. When he鈥檚 not writing or riding, he鈥檚 pulling apart bikes at his local shop and connecting with the diverse cycling community around his hometown of Los Angeles.

The post The Best Bike Accessories for Road and Gravel Riding (and Racing) appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The goal of an might seem straightforward: to go downhill fast and with style without sacrificing all your pedaling efficiency. But slightly different geometry and new tech can dramatically change how each bike achieves that goal. Our five favorite bikes in the category this year are all insanely fun in their own unique ways.

Be sure to also check out our guides to the best trail bikes, value bikes, and our many other bike guides.

At a Glance

• Editor鈥檚 Choice:
• Most Forgiving Enduro Bike:
• Best All-Rounder:
• Best Park Bike:
• Most Versatile Racer:
• Most Energetic Racer:
• Best Enduro Frame:
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Testers
• How to Choose an Enduro Bike

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Editor鈥檚 Choice

Trek Slash

Tested Build: 9.9 XO AXS T-Type Gen 6
Weight: 34.4 lbs (size M)
Sizing available: S, M, M/L, L and XL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Excellent geometry and balanced ride
鈯� Predictable suspension
鈯� Climbs well for such a downhill-focused bike
鈯� May be too stiff for some riders
鈯� Noisy until we put STFU tape on the chainslap

Trek鈥檚 engineers typically have a careful approach to bike development, rarely taking things too far. With this year’s Slash, they pushed the envelope a bit further than they usually do to make the ideal pedal-access, descent-focused bike. It certainly is a far departure from prior models, now featuring a high pivot layout, meaning the bike鈥檚 main pivot is placed above the top of the chainring and the rear wheel axle. But in many ways, it still has the classic Trek ethos.

There’s a broad assumption that the bump-eating gains of a high pivot bike come at the cost of maneuverability and pep in less steep terrain. There are a few exceptions to this claim, and chief among them is the new Slash. This bike can happily mow through chunky sections of trail but is equally capable when things get tight and slow, thanks to the carefully-considered geometry and very predictable suspension feel.

That predictability is key to the overall versatility of the bike, as you can push into the suspension in more flowing terrain without feeling like you’re losing too much energy to the rear end. This support ramps up nicely in the middle of the stroke, meaning the bike has excellent small bump performance and grip. With 27 millimeters of bottom bracket drop, the center of gravity is quite planted on the Slash, adding to the cornering stability.

With 170 millimeters of travel in the front and rear, it’s safe to assume that climbing the Slash would be a bit of a bear, but the product team went to great lengths to ensure that it鈥檚 not a major chore to go uphill. The Slash climbs comfortably and consistently, offering enough support to ride high, while still absorbing bumps along the way. One Bellingham-based tester spent some long pedal days on the Slash, and never found himself hating the experience鈥攊t was more than happy to motor along on logging road climbs as it was excited to rally up technical bits of trail.

Jumping feels natural and intuitive on the Slash, managing to feel fun and energetic on smaller side hits and natural doubles. It does feel like its penchant for speed dictates some of the terrain you’ll want to point it down, as it truly comes alive when you’re pushing hard on seriously challenging trails. The Slash proved to be a very quiet bike, save for some very persistent chainslap noise. This was fixed using aftermarket STFU tape, resulting in a silent ride.

Overall, the new Slash is incredibly versatile, with many ways to adjust the geometry. Press-in headset cups allow the rider to slack out or steepen the head tube by one degree in either direction, a replaceable lower shock mount accommodates either a 29- or 27.5-inch rear wheel, and it has a flip chip to switch between high and low shock progression modes. Both the carbon and aluminum models have ample in-frame storage and some top tube bottle bosses, so you have plenty of room for tools, water, and snacks on longer rides.

As a whole package, the Slash is a stiff and precise-feeling bike, perhaps too much so for some who want a more forgiving ride. If you鈥檙e looking for an advanced bike that wants to go downhill fast but can handle the uphill when you need it to, the Slash is your new best friend. 鈥擠ario DiGiulio

Most Forgiving Enduro Bike

Scott Ransom

Tested Build: 900 RC
Weight: 34.2 lb (XL)
Sizing available: S-XL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Long-travel yet well-controlled suspension
鈯� Stable but balanced geometry
鈯� Shock is protected from mud and debris
鈯� Six-bar suspension and headset cable routing difficult to work on
鈯� Pricey

Is the Ransom 900 RC worth ten thousand dollars? Of course not鈥攊t’s a bike. But it does manage to pull off the elusive trick of giving you loads of travel for descending without paying for it on the climbs. It’s stable and forgiving without becoming lethargic. It’s a bike that can flatter you in a wide range of situations, from trail rides to bike park laps to enduro racing. Even the cheaper builds are not the best value, but the Ransom is among the most capable and versatile enduro bikes you can buy right now.

The big (if unsurprising) story is the move to an internal shock inside the downtube. This keeps the shock protected from debris, dust, and mud鈥攁fter several wet rides and bike washes, the shock stanchion still had a coating of factory oil on it instead of the usual muddy slurry. This change is combined with a new six-bar suspension system that drives the shock with a short link that rotates around the bottom bracket. The shock can be adjusted on the fly with Scott’s “TracLoc” system, which increases progression and/or adds compression damping for climbing. The old Ransom has always been known as one of the lightest enduro bikes, but the six-bar layout adds some bulk compared to its predecessor.

I’ve been riding the Ransom in Spain as well as on my home trails in the Tweed Valley. For me, the old Ransom missed the mark, feeling compromised on the climbs and the descents. But the 2024 iteration nails the brief of combining long-travel descending capability with uncompromised climbing composure.

While Scott says they aimed to maintain the climbing composure of the old bike, I think the new Ransom is much better when pointed uphill. The seat angle is steep enough to feel comfortable when riding all day or on steep climbs, as the suspension stays on top of its travel nicely. Thankfully, it doesn’t rely on the TracLoc function to maintain climbing geometry or resist pedal bob鈥攊f you never used it, the Ransom would still be a good climber. It’s remarkably stable under power, which is even more impressive considering the 170 millimeters of travel on tap. At the same time, the suspension still manages to move up and over bumps under power to maintain a smooth ride. Overall,iIf an epic pedaling mission was in the cards, I’d happily take the Ransom.

On the downhill, this bike shines when you let it run through fast, rocky sections of terrain. The suspension and geometry create a balanced and forgiving feel without being overly soft or unwieldy. The suspension tracks the ground nicely while remaining composed and predictable, and the ride is impressively quiet in the rough, with no obvious cable or drivetrain rattle. Some high-pivot bikes may take the sting out of square-edged hits a little better and offer a more cloud-like ride, but none of them climb this well. Despite the travel on offer, it never bogs down or becomes lethargic when you want to ride dynamically; there’s a good balance of sensitivity and support, and it’s relatively easy to manual through tight sections. 鈥擲eb Stott

Best All-Rounder

Reeb Steezl

Tested Build: GX AXS Transmission Air
Weight: 35 lbs (XL)
Sizing available: S-XXL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extremely quiet
鈯� Excellent in a wide variety of terrain
鈯� More aggressive riders may want deeper-feeling suspension

Reeb Cycles has been making an eclectic lineup of bikes for some time now, garnering quite a bit of attention with their trail bike, proving yet again that steel is a perfectly viable material for high-performance mountain bikes. Following the SST came the Steezl, a 140- or 155-millimeter all-mountain bike, designed around 160- or 170-millimeter forks.

The front triangle is made of steel and the rear of aluminum. You can run the Steezl with 29-inch wheels, or with a 27.5-inch wheel in the back to make it a mullet bike. The 64-degree head angle and 77-degree seat angle are typical of most all-mountain bikes now.

While the material selection and straight lines of the Steezl鈥檚 frame construction may look simplistic and traditional, the manufacturing methods are anything but. All of the cleverly machined, laser cut, and 3D-printed frame details are made and assembled in the United States, which is a huge point of pride for the team at Reeb.

In a world of increasingly chunky bike profiles, the Steezl really stands out. But it’s not just the streamlined layout and color that set this bike apart鈥攊t also offers a ride quality that matches the craftsmanship. There’s no one distinct element of the Steezl that defines the ride quality to me, it’s just a nicely rounded package. It鈥檚 an easy bike to feel comfortable on, but also a good bike to challenge yourself if you so desire. It鈥檚 fun, quiet, and super capable.

This is the bike I brought with me to Crankworx Whistler this year, so it saw about two weeks of park laps and nasty pedal trails in addition to all the more typical riding around home in Bellingham, Washington. 鈥擠ario DiGiulio

Best Park Bike

Devinci Chainsaw

Tested Build: GX 12s
Weight: 37 lbs (size M)
Sizing: S-XL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Eats bumps without feeling glued to the ground
鈯� Excellent value
鈯� Versatile configurations
鈯� Climbing is a chore鈥攏o lockout on shock
鈯� G2 RE brakes hold back descending capabilities

When Devinici set out to build their fresh new gravity bike, they honored Canadian downhill legend, the late Steve Smith, by using his nickname, the 鈥淐hainsaw.鈥� The brand built the bike to ride the middle ground between an enduro weapon and a downhill race sled鈥攁ll without breaking the bank.

The Canadian-made alloy frame begins at a reasonable $3,599 with a 29er build fit for pedaling up and then charging down. There鈥檚 also a dual-crown version with a 27.5-inch rear wheel to cater to the freeride crowd and aspiring downhill racers.

Featuring the same bump-erasing, high-pivot suspension design as the Spartan HP model, the Chainsaw squeezes out 170 millimeters of rear wheel travel. That can be boosted to 180 millimeters by removing an internal travel spacer, which would best suit the downhill configuration. Need more suspension options? The Chainsaw is designed to accommodate a coil or air shock, too.

By just looking at the geometry table, you might guess that the Chainsaw GX is ready for the gnarliest lines with a 62.9-degree head tube angle. If that鈥檚 too much to handle for your regular lunch lap, an offset chip on the frame can be flipped to the 鈥淗I鈥� setting to speed up those steering traits. In addition, that flip chip can be used to correct the geometry, should you wish to run a 27.5-inch rear wheel instead of the 29-inch.

Between all the fork, shock, and wheel configurations, the possibilities are endless with the Chainsaw. It鈥檚 certainly a bike that prioritizes descending with comfort and confidence. However, riders concerned with climbing efficiency may be turned off by the increased chain friction from its high-pivot design and the lack of a climb switch on the Enduro models.

Most Versatile Racer

We Are One Arrival 170

Tested Build: XO
Weight: 32.2 lbs (size L)
Sizing available: M-XL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Craftsmanship is just as good as premium brands
鈯� Energetic for a 170-millimeter-travel bike
鈯� Incredibly versatile
鈯� Requires more focus to descend steep, rough tracks
鈯� Limited frame sizes

If you鈥檙e looking for a truly do-it-all machine this could be the one. Thanks to crafty engineering, the Arrival鈥檚 frame can transform into three distinct bikes by only changing the rear shock and rocker links. When paired with similar-length forks it can become a 130-millimeter trail bike and a 150- or 170-millimeter enduro bike.

When you need it to, it pedals like a short travel bike, which is why we had no trouble choosing to take it along for all-day backcountry tours where the terrain changed at a moment鈥檚 notice.

The Arrival 170 is hands down the best climbing long-travel bike I鈥檝e ridden yet. I could be fooled on the uphills if you told me it only had 150 millimeters of rear travel. The comfortable seat tube angle is neither too relaxed nor too steep, making climbing a dream. In fact, the Arrival came with me on multiple backcountry days in Squamish where I鈥檇 normally grab a 120-millimeter-travel bike. Its efficiency made me question, why not have the safety of more travel on these types of rides when you鈥檙e absolutely bagged by the time you get to the downhill segments?

After spending a good chunk of the late summer on the new Arrival, I can confidently say that it鈥檚 best suited to enduro racing, and less so to freeriding. Sure, the travel, angles, and sturdiness are there, but it requires a little more poise and control at high speeds and in steeper zones. If you’re looking for a long-travel bike that has nearly all corners covered, the Arrival 170 should be at the top of your list. 鈥擬att Beer

Most Energetic Racer

Ibis HD6

Tested Build: XX Eagle T-Type AXS
Weight: 30.66 lbs (size M)
Sizing available: 1-5 (SM-XXL)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Can charge rough trails yet remains alive on flatter terrain
鈯� Quiet and efficient rear suspension
鈯� Low stack height and greater fork sag gave us pause on steeper trails

The all-new HD6 was developed for enduro racing, making it the most aggressive bike in the Ibis catalog. With 165 millimeters of rear wheel travel and a whopping 180 millimeters in the fork, it isn鈥檛 afraid to handle technical trails. Deferring from the recognizable looks of past Ibis models, the HD6鈥檚 compact carbon frame rides on a 29-inch front wheel and a nimble 27.5-inch wheel out back, helping it accelerate out of corners and generate speed in the blink of an eye.

Like all Ibis full suspension bikes, the highly efficient nature of a DW-Link platform works to calm down bumps of all sizes without feeling like a wet noodle when you need to stomp on the pedals.

Being a high performance machine with a focus on enduro racing, its lightweight component package doesn鈥檛 come cheaply. Our XX test model costs nearly $12,000, although the GX build is half that number and retains that Factory level suspension. But it鈥檚 hard to find fault with the components on the highest-end package. The top-level kit weighs just 30.6 pounds and leaves little to be desired. SRAM鈥檚 premium XX AXS Transmission delivers the latest in drivetrain technology鈥攚irelessly at that鈥攁nd Fox takes care of the suspension with its highly favored Factory 38 fork and X2 shock.

Moving against industry trends, the chainstays never deviate from a 435-millimeter length, meaning the rider鈥檚 balance may not be the most stable at the upper end of the size spectrum. In addition, the single-size rear wheel option and the inability to change the geometry without aftermarket components make it less than versatile. Furthermore, we found a peculiarity in the handling, notably on severely steep trails. An already low front-end height had a way of making the steering twitchier than expected as the lengthy fork eagerly pushed through the travel.

The HD6 is all about getting up to speed in the blink of an eye, snapping around tight corners, and providing a comfortable ride on long descents; characteristics of an ideal enduro race. For riders less concerned with clocking their times, it also won鈥檛 be a burden on less demanding trails either. 鈥擬att Beer

Best Enduro Frame

Raaw Madonna V3

Tested Build: Custom
Weight: 35.8 lbs (size L)
Sizing available: S-XXL

Pros and Cons
鈯� Beautiful handling on the descent
鈯� Robust construction and excellent weather sealing
鈯� Not the lightest
鈯� Expensive for an aluminum frame

The Raaw Madonna V3 frame is for riders looking for a fast and reliable option that puts function before fashion. While there have been numerous updates from the previous version, the overarching ethos of the Raaw Madonna remains the same. I’d call this a mountain biker’s mountain bike鈥攊t’s not some carbon eye candy that works best when it鈥檚 hanging off the back of a Sprinter van.

The aluminum frame has big bearings that are double-sealed against the elements, the cables are all externally routed, and the straight head tube, chainstay flip chips, and swappable lower shock mounts allow for plenty of geometry adjustments.

The geometry is dialed in its stock configuration鈥攖he chainstays are fairly long, the bottom bracket is low, and the stack height is fairly high, which creates the ideal position for attacking steep terrain. For riders that love going fast, the Madonna is an absolute riot. It corners like its on rails, and has gobs of grip for maintaining traction when things get slippery.

It’s quiet and composed without feeling too muted or dull, and it can smash down a rough trail with the best of them, especially when it’s set up with a coil shock rather than an air shock. 鈥擬ike Kazimer

How to Choose an Enduro Bike

Yes, all enduro bikes are aiming at getting you downhill, fast. But it鈥檚 important to consider climbing performance as well, assuming you won鈥檛 be using your enduro bike solely at bike parks. Also, keep in mind the type of terrain you鈥檒l be riding鈥攊s it going to be steeper? More technical? Do you need a bike that focuses on excellent traction? Will you have to deal with lots of flat sections and mellower trails as well? Are you planning on hitting jumps and being playful, or will you be racing? Would a mullet bike serve you?

Answering these questions will help inform if you鈥檇 do better with a bike that has longer versus shorter travel, various head and seat angles, or a heavier versus lighter bike. It鈥檚 also a good idea to look around at what locals are on in the area you鈥檒l be primarily riding.

Once you鈥檝e nailed down these key factors, the field will have significantly narrowed down. See if you can get on a few test rides before you commit to anything, and ask your friends or your local bike shop gear nerds what they鈥檝e been liking these days. Enduro bikes are so good now that chances are you won鈥檛 go wrong, as long as you get your basics down.

You must take a bike at least for a spin around the block before you pull the trigger. You might find that you鈥檙e uncomfortable on a bike with a certain geometry that you鈥檙e not used to鈥攁nd although sometimes it does take some more time on the bike鈥攜ou鈥檒l know if you鈥檙e just not sitting right. Taking it for a spin will also help the shop determine which size is best for you.

How We Test

• Number of Testers: 5
• Number of Products Tested: 18
• Number of Crashes Sustained: Countless

PinkBike leads our mountain bike testing and just like in previous years, the team took out as many trail bikes as they could over the whole year. They tested trail bikes in Bellingham, Washington, and Squamish, BC, in a wide range of conditions that included everything from muddy, rainy days to ones with blue skies and perfect dirt. Testing was lead by Mike Kazimer, the managing tech editor for PinkBike, who is based in Bellingham, Washington and manages all mountain bike gear coverage.

We tested most of the enduro bikes at the 2023 Enduro Bike Field Test last year in Whistler, British Columbia, and you can Of all the enduro bikes we tested, rear travel amounts ranged from 158 to 180 millimeters, with carbon, aluminum, and steel frames. We tested bikes on lift-serviced trails and we pedaled them uphill to experience them to their fullest extent.

Meet the Lead Testers

is the managing tech editor for Pinkbike and has been entrenched in the mountain bike world for well over 20 years. From crushing cardboard boxes as a shop grom to his current role as Pinkbike, he’s long been fascinated with the elegant simplicity of human powered machines. Based in Bellingham, Washington, Kazimer’s no stranger to wet weather, and his favorite rides tend to be long, technical forays deep into the forest.

Tech editor for Pinkbike, also based in Bellingham.

Tech editor for Pinkbike based in Squamish, British Columbia, and a former World Cup Downhill racer.

The post Get Up to Go Down with Our Favorite Enduro Bikes appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The electric-mountain bike market has grown exponentially in the last decade, and this year鈥檚 options are better than ever. Whether you鈥檙e looking for an option that feels the same as a regular mountain bike or you want a hard-charging chop-crusher, we singled out the best four of the year.

We tested eight bikes this year from Bellingham to Squamish, and these four performed the best.

At a Glance

• Editor鈥檚 Choice:
• Best Lightweight e-MTB: Devinci E-Troy Lite ($7,399)
• Best for Quick Lunch Breaks:
• Best Race e-MTB:
• Best All-Around:
• How We Test
• Meet Out Lead Testers
• How to Choose an E-Mountain Bike

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Editor鈥檚 Choice

Orbea Wild M-LTD

Build: M-LTD
Weight: 49.8 lbs (size L)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extremely calm and composed
鈯� Powerful Bosch motor with wireless controller, display
鈯� No mixed wheel options in any sizes

Orbea’s new Wild eMTB arrived at the party with revised geometry, a stiffer frame, and Bosch’s latest CX Race motor. All of the models roll on 29-inch wheels and have 160-millimeters of rear travel, but Orbea’s MyO program allows for a wide range of configuration options. Riders can select from a 160 or 170-millimeter fork, a 625-watt-hour or 750-watt-hour battery, the option to add on a display or light package, and to customize the paint scheme.

Orbea did a great job eliminating any unnecessary bells and whistles on the Wild. All too often, e-mountain bikes have big displays, awkward remotes, and a rat’s nest of wires cluttering the cockpit. With the Wild, there’s a small wireless remote on the left-hand side of the handlebar, Bosch’s System Controller integrated into the top tube鈥攁nd that’s it. It’s clean, effective, and there aren’t any vulnerable delicate parts waiting to get smashed to bits in a crash.

A series of LED lights indicate the battery level, and another light at the top of the display shows what mode the bike is in. There are four levels: Eco, Tour+, eMTB, and Race. It’s possible to add on Bosch’s Kiox display for riders that want to see more information at a glance, but I’m a fan of the less is more approach鈥攌nowing what the mode and the battery percentage is all the information I need.

The Wild will blast up short, punchy climbs with ease, but it’s also possible to creep up extra-steep, technical sections the way a rock crawler would. Grab some brake here, a half-pedal stroke there, top it off with a final out-of-the-saddle lunge, and the Wild will get up some seriously awkward sections of trail. The high-end Bosch motor plays a large role in this equation, but the geometry shouldn’t be overlooked. The seated climbing position is upright and centers the rider between the wheels, reducing the number of times you’ll need to make dramatic weight shifts to maintain traction. When it is time to stand up, the higher front end makes it easier to lift the front end up and over obstacles.

Bigger jumps and drops didn’t pose any problems, and even when I used all of the travel there wasn’t any unwanted clanking or harshness at the end of the stroke. It’s the sort of bike that makes you want to go fast, just to see what will happen.

The new Wild may have been designed with racing in mind, but there’s no need to go near a race course to enjoy it. It’s fast, powerful, and incredibly composed while climbing and descending, making it an excellent all-rounder for riders who prefer their trails on the trickier, more technical side.

Best Lightweight e-MTB

Devinci E-Troy Lite

Build: GX AXS 12S
Weight: 43 lbs (size M)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Confident and playful descender
鈯� Top-performing and natural-feeling Bosch motor
鈯� Excellent value for components and a Made in Canada frame
鈯� The walk mode isn’t the easiest to use
鈯� Noisy on the downhill

The new Devinci E-Troy Lite will convert the e-mountain bike skeptics out there. It delivers power so seamlessly and naturally that it makes you feel like you鈥檙e a fitter version of yourself on the climbs. Not only is the climbing smooth and enjoyable, but the E-Troy Lite is a supremely confident descender with well-balanced suspension.

We reviewed back in January before the Canadian brand released the E-Troy Lite this spring, Devinci’s first lightweight e-mountain bike. It comes with a Bosch Performance Line SX motor with 55 Newton-meters of torque compared to the 85 Newton-meters of torque on the full-powered bike and has a smaller battery as well. With the same amount of travel but a slightly steeper headtube angle, the E-Troy Lite weighs over 10 pounds less than the full-powered bike. All sizes of the E-Troy Lite have mixed wheels.

While climbing, there are four assist modes that are easy to toggle through using the small wireless shifter on the thumb-actuated mini remote. While on eMTB mode, it really feels like you’re being rewarded for putting down watts since the motor reacts to rider input. I spent the majority of the time in the Tour+ (second) and eMTB (third) modes on singletrack climbs since they provided the perfect amount of assistance without burning through the battery or feeling like they were overpowering me. I never felt like I needed to jam on the brakes on a climb, which is certainly a feeling I’ve had with some full-powered eMTBs. Without a range extender, I found that the E-Troy Lite could do an 18-mile ride with about 3,200 feet of climbing (though that number will change based on your effort, the mode, your weight, and the trails).

There are some bikes that you just feel comfortable on out of the box while descending, and the E-Troy Lite is absolutely one of them. The geometry is dialed with a 63.6-degree head tube angle, putting you in a confident and strong position when things get steep and rough. While the bike is able to track well and absorb trail chatter, it also feels lively and light, thanks to the active suspension. My current daily rider weighs around 34 pounds, so the extra weight of the E-Troy Lite doesn’t feel as unwieldy as a full-powered e-mountain bike does. Most importantly, I found the E-Troy Lite perfectly manageable to slow down and control on descents, which isn’t something that I take for granted on a full-powered eMTB. There’s still more fatigue in my hands at the end of a long descent than on a lighter bike, but decidedly less so than on a full-powered eMTB.

While it’s a touch noisy on the descents, the E-Troy Lite makes up for it by being a joy to both climb and descend. In addition, the aluminum frame is made in Canada and the parts are well-selected for the bike’s intended use and it comes at a reasonable price. 鈥擲arah Moore

Best for Quick Lunch Breaks

Santa Cruz Heckler SL

Build: GX AXS
Weight: 42.6 lbs (size L)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Relatively light, making it easy to handle
鈯� Quiet and unobtrusive motor
鈯� Smaller battery limits max ride length

The Heckler SL is powered by Fazua’s Ride 60 motor and a 430-watt-hour battery, a relatively light system that keeps the bike’s weight in the low 40-pound range. The frame has a much slimmer look than the full-powered Heckler, and from a distance, it doesn’t immediately stand out as an e-MTB. All models roll on mixed wheels, with a 160-millimeter fork and 150 millimeters of rear travel.

Climbing on the Heckler SL is a calm and quiet affair, especially in the lower two motor modes. The noise increases slightly with the highest level of assistance, but it’s still pretty subdued. The maximum level of assistance is similar to the middle 鈥淭rail鈥� mode of a full-powered eMTB, which gives it a less frantic feeling on singletrack, and means there’s less chance of inadvertently pedaling yourself off the trail.

On the descents, the Heckler SL delivers a very impressive level of grip, especially when it comes to maintaining traction on slippery, off-camber sections of trail. It sticks to the ground incredibly well when necessary, but it’s also a good jumper. It’s noticeably easier to bunnyhop or pop off natural lips compared to a heavier, full-powered e-MTB, and its composed nature in the air is reminiscent of how a downhill bike feels.

Choosing between a mid-power e-MTB and a full-power option really comes down to what sort of ride experience you’re looking for. The handling of a bike like the Heckler SL feels much closer to a non-motorized mountain bike, and it could be the ticket for riders looking to squeeze more miles during a lunch or after-work ride.

Best Race e-MTB

Canyon StriveOn

Build: CFR LTD
Weight: 50.9 lbs (size L)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Relatively light, making it easy to handle
鈯� Quiet and unobtrusive motor
鈯� Smaller battery limits max ride length

Canyon鈥檚 new StriveOn has a penchant for racing, with an unabashedly full-powered 85Nm of torque and a maximum 600-watt power output delivered by the Bosch CX motor. The highest-end model can be equipped with Bosch’s CX Race motor, which is 150 grams lighter and provides extra overrun in Race mode for an additional climbing boost.

The geometry of the StriveOn isn’t too far off from its non-electric counterpart but with the notable omission of the Strive’s adjustability. Starting from the Strive’s downhill position, the Strive:On gets longer chainstays and a steeper seat tube angle to better navigate tech climbing, plus a shorter reach in the handlebars to keep the bike maneuverable.

With four size options, and a reach range from 450 to 525 millimeters, the fit of the StriveOn is definitely biased towards bigger riders. Canyon’s reach numbers are generally pretty aggressive for how long they are per size, but riders looking to size down for more agility will hit the low end of the range pretty quickly. Looking at the StriveOn as a standard enduro bike, it’s simply a well-sorted machine, with great geometry and handling characteristics. Where the head angle and reach might seem a bit extreme relative to current high-level pedal bikes, the extra system weight makes that long reach and slack front end feel calmer than you鈥檇 expect.

All told, the StriveOn proved to be an excellent bike for tackling gnarly terrain. The Strive is eager to remind you that you’re on an ebike on the climbs, but there were plenty of moments on the descents where the extra bulk faded away, making for some truly excellent runs.

Best All-Around E-MTB

Specialized Turbo Levo SL

Build: S-Works
Weight: 39.3 lbs (size S4)

Pros and Cons
鈯� Lightweight for a 50Nm eMTB
鈯� Adaptable for most riding zones or style
鈯� Plush suspension is the right amount of active
鈯� Expensive
鈯� Main battery isn鈥檛 easily removable

In my mind, the Levo SL is the pinnacle of what e-bikes could be鈥攐r all bikes, for that matter. First, it weighs as much as some enduro bikes, which includes its motor. This S-Works model is shod with the cream of the crop components; Fox Factory suspension that is tuned specifically by Specialized, SRAM鈥檚 bulletproof XX Transmission shifting, and carbon nearly everywhere possible on the bike.

As for that tiny motor, it鈥檚 gained 15Nm of torque over the previous generation (50Nm up from 35). A tidy display screen that can be personalized using the straightforward Specialized app is built into the top tube. On the handlebars, you can shuffle through a few of the chosen screens, toggle the assist, and activate the walk mode with ease. A 320Wh battery is located in the downtube. If you鈥檙e looking for extra juice, a 160-watt-hour range extender nestles into the bottle cage and firmly locks onto the charge port.

Its impeccable FSR suspension handles everything from stutter bumps to eroded downhill tracks. The whole time we rode it, the chain and motor clutch barely made a peep. That鈥檚 perhaps the best part of all鈥攖he silence and buttery suspension make it easy to forget that you鈥檙e ripping downhill with a motor hidden in the frame.

Bottom Line: It can be as aggressive as current downhill bikes, or as upright as some cross-country mountain bikes. It works for hauling down the steeps or remaining sharp in rolling terrain. Overall, it鈥檚 just about as adaptable as its motorless sibling, the Stumpjumper Evo.

How to Choose an E-Mountain Bike

Electric bikes have evolved at a break-neck speed in the past five years or so, transforming from huge, bulky beasts into much more refined and svelte electric machines. Though there is still ample room for progress, many of the problems with the first couple of generations of ebikes have been smoothed out. However, buying an e-mountain bike has become even more of a project thanks to all of the new tech that has come out to solve said problems.

For a full rundown on how to buy an e-mountain bike in our current market, check out PinkBike鈥檚 . Managing tech editor Mike Kazimer provides tips by asking questions like: what are you friends riding? How far do you typically go? What type of riding are you planning on doing? How much money do you want to spend? Of course, you can opt to go for a regular mountain bike that isn鈥檛 motored, but if you鈥檙e set on going electric, make sure you鈥檙e paying close attention to these factors.

How We Test

• Number of Bikes Tested: 8
• Number of Testers: 3

The bikes included in this roundup are the result of rolling testing done in Whistler, Squamish, and Bellingham throughout the year by the Pinkbike crew. We also rode some bikes at Crankworx Whistler, one of a multi-stop series of mountain bike festivals put on at multiple locations around the world every year.

Conditions ranged from dusty, rutted-out downhill trails to muddy, technical rides in the rainforest of Squamish. We took some bikes out for over and tested them in as many different types of trails as possible. Testers particularly considered the electric mountain bike’s climbing prowess, descending abilities, and sound levels.

Meet Our Lead Testers

: Managing tech editor for Pinkbike, alien skeptic.

: Tech editor for PinkBike, based in Bellingham, WA.

: Tech editor for Pinkbike, former World Cup Downhill racer.

The post The Best Electric Mountain Bikes to Take You Farther appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.