Mountain Bike of the Year: NomineesWhat sort of attributes should the Mountain Bike of the Year winner possess? The champ obviously has to offer best-in-class performance, that much is a no-brainer, and it's something that all three of our candidates can lay claim to in one way or another. But beyond that, the MBOY nominees include the ultra-pricey Trek Remedy 29 9.9 that makes other do-it-all bikes look like they'd be better described as do-it-all-so-so bikes, Cannondale's questionably coloured Habit Carbon SE that is among the best handling rigs out there, and YT's insanely priced, carbon fiber Tues CF Comp downhill bike that looks and rides like it should cost twice as much as it actually does.
Will a 208mm travel downhill bike win, or is it the 140mm travel 29er that's going to take home the MBOY honours? And don't forget about the 120mm travel, 27.5'' wheeled bike that dares to be different.
Trek Remedy 29 9.9 For when you have $9,000 burning a hole in your pocket Given that it has a $8,799.99 USD price tag on it, the Remedy 29 9.9 better perform well. But it doesn't... it performs incredibly well, almost to the point where it's not fair to other bikes in the same travel bracket, not to mention shaming some shorter and longer travel machines when talking about areas where they should be able to easily beat the Remedy. The 140mm travel 9.9 weighs just 25.8lb, a number helped in no small part by its obviously lightweight frame and XX1 drivetrain, but let's not look past the dropper post and 140mm travel Pike RCT3 fork, components that say, "I may be light, but I'm ready to get rowdy if you are."
The Remedy 29 9.9 is here because it
blurs the lines between categories - I'm trying really hard not to refer to it as a "quiver killer" but that is basically what Trek has created. The bike ascends like a Saturn V rocket, but it's also the very same chassis that's won hairy stages at Enduro World Series events, making it an all-rounder that's worthy of putting on your list of dream bikes. Of course, the 9.9's price is also a good reason that many of us will only be able to dream of it.
Cannondale Habit Carbon SE Low on travel, big on fun It's probably not out of line to say that the 120mm travel Habit Carbon SE's mother might have been a cross-country whippet and its father a husky trail bike, with their 27.5lb offspring clearly growing up to be a high-spirited thing that doesn't give a shit if it confuses people about its intentions so long as the rider is having fun. Sure, you could do a cross-country race on the Habit, and no one would tell you that you can't show up to an enduro with the bike, but,
having spent a handful of months rallying the turquoise machine around B.C., I can vouch that it's best suited to simply riding like a delinquent as often as possible.
The $4,480 USD Habit's otherworldly handling is the reason it made the shortlist, and it's like a cross-country bike if cross-country bikes were more about having a good time than breathing through your eyeballs for a few hours while pretending you're enjoying yourself. You can ride it all day without feeling like you're being punished for something, but then it reminds you exactly why you're out there: for fun. It's also a good reminder that travel doesn't define a bike, and neither does its appearance.
YT Tues CF Comp Pick all three: performance, carbon fiber, and saving money You may not agree with YT's direct-to-consumer sales model, but there's no denying that their business plan allows them to absolutely slaughter the competition when it comes to what you get for your dinero. Case in point: $4,295 USD will buy you the 208mm travel Tues CF Comp, a mostly carbon fiber downhill bike that includes things like a RockShox BoXXer Team RC fork, a Vivid R2C shock, SRAM's Guide brakes, and a DT Swiss wheelset shod with a 2.4” Maxxis HighRoller II tires. And, almost unbelievably, spending another $500 USD will get you the CF Pro model that comes with BOS suspension and a seven-speed X01 DH drivetrain, although it's the Comp that we reviewed earlier in the year.
It wouldn't matter how well the Tues is priced if its geometry was wack, but it most certainly isn't - the bike features smart numbers that won't hold any downhiller back.
The bike rides extremely well, even forgetting about its superb price that looks like it's lifted out of a Black Friday sale flyer, all of which puts it firmly on the Mountain Bike of the Year candidate list.
Click here for information about the judging and selection criteria for Pinkbike's Year-End Awards.
I'm sure those companies spend more on advertising on PB than the ones making bikes I'm actually excited about...
1. Santa Cruz Nomad. Because I own it and it does everything well. Thought I'd still need my DH bike for Whistler, but after a couple days on the Nomad in the park, the Aurum went up for sale. I've ridden this bike hard for over a year now and only had to do the pivot bearings once. Great bike. Best I've owned. I know it won last year, but so what.
2. Giant Reign. Huge bang for the buck and all the right angles
3. Norco Range. Smartly spec'd. Good bang for the buck. Oh and they all come stock with 170mm forks this year! Pretty rad. FSR suspension lay out. easy on the eyes too!
I'm going to throw in a wild card….
4. Evil Following. It just looks rad. I would love to take one for a rip. Very intrigued. Also, when's that Wreckoning coming out?
2. Santa Cruz Bronson
3. Santa Cruz Bronson
*Product of the year- THE PLUS SIZES!!
That's my list.
That said, it'd be nice to see some bikes that are pushing envelopes and taking things in a new direction. Maybe a short travel 29er with modern geometry like the Evil Following or Transition Smuggler, or a 27.5+ bike.
It will always be hard to narrow it down with having so many bike categories but for the pure fun of things lets just make our own TOP 3 BIKES for 2015 (with a few words) so everyone can have their cake and eat it too:
1) Evil Following / Insurgent (Same brand, same ride = Awesome)
2) Trek Remedy 29 / Slash (Hard to argue their overall performance)
3) YT Capra (enough said)
I know, I cheated and place 5 up their but they are tied for me, it could go either way... Happy holiday's to all
I know what you're going to say. Bikes nominates are released that year, and that there aren't enough bikes released in each category to compete. I would say that used to be the case but that things are changing. Especially when you don't create super narrow definitions.
Enduro:
Remedy 29 / Bronson / Following / Stumpy 6+
Trail:
Habit / 5010 / etc...
DH:
Tues / V10 / Demo / etc...
Then you could also have categories like: Hardtail / XC / etc
Give it a thought...
If those were the pinkbike editor's favorite choices of ALL the bikes you had the chance to ride over the last year may I ask what kind of trails you guys were riding?
Seems like there needs to be more categories. IE - AM / gravity enduro / XC etc...
I have a hard time imagining the crackandfail would match up well against a TON of gravity enduro built bikes out there....
-Pertinent numbers, but not the sum of all the parts and how it rides.-
"Absolutely confused why these bikes are up for bike of the year."
-Probably because PB thought they should be and they didn't ask you, go figure.-
"1. Santa Cruz Nomad. Because I own it and it does everything well."
-It's ok, it's still a good bike, other people's opinion may vary.-
"I don't think any of these bikes would have been in my top 5 or even top 10."
-And when you start reviewing bikes you are more than welcome to submit your opinion in award form.-
"Literally the 1st time I have been aware of the cannondale habit !"
-It's ok, I live under a rock too.-
"That's a bit... disappointing."
-Buck up man, it's an opinion based award, unfortunately not your opinion.-
"I'm butthurt. My current bike is not on the list and I know it's the best evarrr because I ride it."
-That about sums it up.-
I've only tried the remedy, and it's definitely the most balanced bike I can think of. It could hold it's own in a XC race, and we saw how capable it is in the EWS competing against the latest and greatest enduro bikes. I felt confortable on it from the get go. Pinkbike picked the model they reviewed, but you can get the 9.8 for 5800$,the main difference being X1/xt groupset instead of XX1/xtr. I don't know if it's the best, but it's for sure a very very solid bike.
The cannondale is a bit of a wildcard, but it's the kind of bike that makes sense for a lot of people who don't have the terrain/skills/riding style to justify a slack long travel bike.
We want you guys to review the bikes. When you give us such obvious gross exaggerations, I'm sorry but I don't believe you anymore. And no, I am not taking the "rocket" comment literally, but I simply do not believe that the Remedy climbs anywhere near as well as a bike like my Mojo HD3.
Evil? Are you crazy? Looks fast, rides fast, breaks fast.
Can even count how many carbon spesh's I've seen broken this year, lol
Hahaha
Anyhow, specialized can afford anyone. They didn't want him. The money is in enduro. Wait and see what happens to DH race teams over the next 2-3 years. Times they are a changing. Companies focus are sifting. Nobody is buying DH bikes
I'm saying that similarly equipped bikes cost about the same. For example, Santa Cruz Tallboy vs Specialized Epic. Both with a carbon frame and X01 build kits will cost "ABOUT" the same. If you step down to the aluminum frame and or a X1 or GX groupset, they'll again cost "ABOUT" the same. Exceptions obviously exist for brands like YT that sell direct or boutique brands with limited production.
The same as Android vs iPhone. Flagship models both cost about the same. Sure, you can get a phone that "has the Android operating system on it" for cheaper than the cheapest iPhone but it's a low end piece of shit. Flagship comparable Android and iPhone models both cost about the same.
a top of the line trek DH bike is 12k a top of the line giant DH bike is just over 8k.
The Session 9.9 is $9999, Giant Glory Advanced $8500 msrp. Sram spec vs Shimano/Fox. The Session is nice, the Glory may edge it out "value" wise but it's not a landslide victory imo. I'd rather have the Session. I don't know why the 30% difference in Canada...
my bad, the session 9.9 in Canada is $12,999.99 figure that out! the session is shimano/fox and the giant is sram/RS i'd say it's pretty even. I'd even bet on the Giant being lighter with the ex471's, xo drivetrain vs saint as well as you could upgrade the fork to air for $200 if you wanted to save almost a pound more...
Secondly, you can't compare "top of the line" to "top of the line" between different companies when that means two different things. A top of the line Civic is going to cost a lot less than a top of the line Lambo, but that's not a fair comparison because they top out at different levels.
Comparing a carbon framed bike with the same components between manufacturers will be about the same. For example, Evil Following X01 build and Stumpjumper Expert. The Stumpjumper is $600 cheaper, but comes with X1 instead of X01, hence the price gap.
Trek's higher level carbons are stupid expensive. That aside, compare bikes with similar specs (ex: carbon frame with X01 build or aluminum frame with SLX build) and you'll see that prices are all in the same ballpark. I'm not talking about last years clearance shit. I'm talking about current retail prices.
no one is talking about last years clearance shit but you. pahaha man you dont have good englush
Comparing apples to apples, bikes are similarly priced or they wouldn't sell. Same groupset, frame material, and fork are going to be within a couple hundred bucks of each other. I'm waiting for you to prove me wrong. You have to put words in my mouth in order to make me wrong, which makes YOU wrong.
I wouldn't expect some idiot child 15 year old like you to understand.
The Habit is the only one I've demoed (fun as shit) and most of the others I'm interested based on what I read on PB or else because it looks weird and Aaron Gwin dominated on it. But I will let PB tell me that the Remedy and Tues were more worthy.
"But I was just riding it along…."
Bike shops are going to pay for the industry being too greedy.
All I use shops for is buying maintamce parts. No way I'm paying a 35% mark up on a bike. I'll buy used before I support that.
Good points. I like the trickle down of innovation, but I'm not willing to pay for it in year one. As for great support from manufacturers for new bikes...that's debatable. I know 3 guys who have lost the better part of a season waiting for replacement parts for new bikes.
The shop ships the parts away. 6-8 weeks later the part comes, or in one case 10weeks. If I spend over 5K on a bike and there is a manufacturers mistake, I want a loaner bike till it gets replaced.
Here ,there was no offer of a loaner bike during the wait. What did I just pay the shop a 35% mark up for?
Its like the Federal Election.. 3 shitty choices.
Wallowy crap drcv might feel how some people like their bikes to feel.
But not others.
And they're designed where it's flat. And everyone still runs long stems. So when you put a short stem on it for more aggressive riding.
It just isn't a long enough bike for the size.
And when you buy the next size up to get a better wheelbase.
The seat tube is too tall and usually can't fit the 6" dropper we'd all love.
Plus, The bearings get pressed right into the carbon bb shell. So that loosens up with time and you've gotta get trek special edition bigger bearings.
Till those get loose too and you have to glue them in. Which voids the warranty. Even though the defect is their fault in the first place.
But all that doesn't mean it can't be the best bike in the world for someone.
I love reading about Porsches and I love reading about 10k mountain bikes.
The bike of the year should be a bike that can be attained by the largest percentage of riders and their budget, and is capable to take on the widest range of challenges found when riding a mountain bike. Out of these 3 if they hadn't picked the Remedy 9.9 I wouldn't have disagreed with them; being able to spend a few weeks on one its understandable why these bikes are very very popular.
You can buy a Cannondale at BSP. There's a store in Langley, probably about 15 min's by car from your home.
I disagree that BOTY should be a bike that can be attained by the largest percentage of riders and their budget. Simply because one person is a doctor doesn't mean I'm ready to plunk down $9000. On the other hand there are people who work have a fraction of that income and would spend $7-8K on a bike, in a heart beat. Forget personal budget, focus on a bike that performs better than the rest and all you have to do is look at a lower spec'd version if your budget is compromised.
"I don't need to ride the Trek because I know its not fun because of it's geometry" 28 yrs old.
Sometimes I think the most dangerous/annoying person in the world is the dude between 26-29 who thinks he knows everything. Grow up you two clowns, especially the douche with the "lol. hahahahaha" shit. Your the diarrhea of the internet, not adding a thing to the discussion other than your worthless and bullshit opinion.
The Remedy is obviously a great bike (I haven't ridden it). I get a little sensitive when I spot negative bias towards a brand, whether that's Specialized or Trek, the two brands that bring it out the most. When the two guys I was referring to post over 10 comments, all negative, I just feel the need to respond in kind. Regardless of price or geometry the bike must be special or it wouldn't get so much publicity or praise. Now, I gotta go get those pesky kids off my lawn.
Me, I'm 30% bigger/taller than your average cyclist, and that's a problem. Brands/models that push the envelope for light weight, run proprietary shocks (spec/trek), or high leverage ratios (spec) are dismissed out of hand. It's not the bike's fault.
Warranty tends to be a reflection of the bike company itself, not the man in the middle.
Every brand has failures, how it gets handled makes all the difference. If you didn't buy your bike from a shop, then you're having to contact company/obtain RA (which can be a nightmare itself depending on the brand), disassemble, ship, then reassemble. That's a lot of time that most people who can afford a decent bike would prefer not to waste, if they are even capable of properly doing the work. Most consumers would rather bring it in, have it fixed free of charge, and pick it up when its ready. I have to eat the labor and shipping but that's part of the deal.
Again, I never said LBS model is the only way. But its still the right choice for a lot of consumers and companies who are concerned with the quality of the process AND the product.
I was the one who said the LBS is the only way, because up until this point, it literally has been. I still don't understand why people wouldn't "agree" with this model, as the article states. I don't even get the sense from you that you don't agree with it.
Cheers
Yes, YT definitely belongs on the list in my humble opinion but with all the great reviews on Yeti and Pivot why are they not on the list?
I personally would have 10 nominees for each category/discipline. You can't possibly compare a DH rig to that of an XC rig can you?
But the other two?
This is not budget bike of the year, right? So, what exactly does the Tues do better than an Intense M16c or Santa V10?
And with the Tues on the list, allround capability or "do it all bike" also does not seem to have been the selection criteria, so why not a bike like the Kona Process 167? Or, as others have already mentioned, the Evil Insurgent? The Pivot Mach4?
And if alround capability does matter, why not the Specialized S-Works Enduro?
My personal bike of the year would have been the Scott Voltage, by the way. A DH bike for the average rider, not designed to win World Cups on, but simple, quite affordable, and capable of accepting a dual crown as well as a single crown fork, the perfect Park machine.
What about the Rocky Mountain Maiden? I know it's got hellofa price tag but same goes for the Trek remedy pictured above.......
*confused*
Rocky Mtn Instinct 970 msl - because I cracked the carbon frame twice
Rocky Mtn Alltitude msl - becasue anybody i know who rides one cracked the carbon also.
How sweet was the rm6 warranty machine?
DH
Enduro
XC
Makes more sense right? Probably not
Review of Habit 1200$
Positive footnote Pinkbike take 500$
Deduction for delivering top build -100$
Deduction for supplying Richard Cunningham with premium beard oil -230$
Shipping back (UPS economic) 75$
Ad in the banner above 125$ per day
Positive comments from fake PB user accounts 50$ per comment (deducted after a month)
Product of the year nominee 25000$
Winner of the Product of the year 650000$ (10% discount)
I'm waiting for Jared Graves or Troy Brosnan to chime in, saying that Spec pays Pinkbike so much for advertising, that they are just showing up as ungrateful basterds - The Lawsuit is being prepared as we speak. May wait forever though...
And if that isn't possible.
Maybe give it a different title.
Like
Best bike we rode.
Calling something bike of the year without testing them all is misleading.
Besides that.
One of your choices is a lefty.
And nobody besides some Lycra wearing no mountain living roadie on dirt has your back on that one.
Also, it's noble of you to answer to those who complain about the list.
@ mcdog Meta V4 is a great bike, but compared to the Supreme V4 there's no comparison (Supreme innovates, plus its works and looks nice considering the weird design)
@remymetailler I hope ad money from big brands doesn't influence this award. If it does, pb is betraying the trust of thousands of passionate mtbikers, which as we all know would be the worst crime ever.
Rémy, should I question your honesty when you say that the Supreme V4 is so great?
I hope the only fact we can blame pb for is for saying "850mm bars are too narrow".
There are some seriously awesome bikes out there too from Smaller companies...Canfield, Evil, Black Market etc. Find one that fits your needs and with good customer support and values that work for you. Great to see YT on the list up there with the big dogs. $9k Trek really?? Or you could have 2 ripping bikes from rad companies like above mentioned..choices..its all good.
I like this bit the best.
"Nominees will be judged primarily upon their ultimate performance, technical design aspects, component specification, and application to their category. Suggested retail pricing and perceived value will be considered, but will not be emphasized."
"Nominees will be judged primarily upon their ultimate performance, technical design aspects, component specification, and application to their category. "
Leaving out the SB6 seems to me to be an anomaly.
I would be interested in hearing from @mikekazimer why it does not make the cut. I would have thought that it comes up very highly in all criteria, and perhaps top of the class in "ultimate performance". It may be out of the "dating rules" but I thought that it is a 2015 bike...
I guess I'm not the only one who would like to see the full list of "new" bikes where you have taken these 3 bikes out of. Perhaps we would better understand it.
I am/was very lucky to ride some nice enduro bikes in the last 2 years: specialized enduro 29er, cannondale jekyll team, cube stereo in sub 25lbs and the devinci spartan as latest. now riding EVIL the following since two weeks. faster than on any of those bikes before. uphill and downhill. it is incredible. hard to describe. it does everything better than the 29er specialized but never feels to short on travel. very nice feedback. very well balanced. it is so maneuverable, you would never think its a 29er while riding. it is my biggest surprise since years. the only thing which sucks: BB is very low, even in the HIGH setting. almost 8mm lower than the spartan O_O... after weeks still hitting stones ecc on almost every uphill ... hard to admit: for my skills 130+120mm on 29er is not just ok but faster!....and I think for the skills of the most of my buddies. sad this bike was obviously not ridden by the PB stuff for a long period (otherwise I bet it was here, too!).
The canondale....really? Is pinkbike getting its advice from Trump? The nominations make as much sense to me as Trumps statements.
The Habit is probably the funnest bike you have never ridden.
Yes there are many bikes I have never had a chance to ride. You, have you had the chance to ride every bike offered today? Likely not. But thanks for the point
There are marginals out there riding all kinds of Suspention set ups and wheel sizes.
Maybe one day we'll get some Frankenstein 29 plus DH bike ? Who knows?
I've had my share of bikes, I like them slack and rigged for the way down. The reign has its short comings but it's one hell of a bike for the value. Mind you i switched the wheels and dropped some weight here and there. I got mine down to 26lbs and it's been a blast.
Tones of great bikes to choose from these days with a confusing amount of set ups. Whatever you chose to ride there will always be someone who will have a different view and Someone who can blow by you on q hardtail no matter the trail your on.
In my neck of the woods I know people who ride all kinds of rigs, DH, trail, enduro, xc hardtails and everyone can rip it up. What matters is enjoying yourself and enjoying your ride.
My point on the Reign was that they basically populated western Canada's trail systems this summer. At least one bike shop in Squamish couldn't get enough of them in. The bikes were basically unavailable in either Alberta or BC by June. You needed to be lucky to find one. I guess riders considering price, geometry and value got what they were looking for. Summer race circuits had many and so did the resorts.
It was a surprise that it had not made on to this list. I however think there were better bikes this model, Alu or carbon appeared to be somewhat popular.
read, ugly and inappropriate
Every year the prices go up $500. All I see is a greedy industry
Why don't you create a people's choice bike of the year contest for readers who actually purchased new bikes for the year? Have them do a survey that rates the bike on a scale in the outcome and let the numbers speak for themselves. That would be the most objective method, wouldn't it?
2. Evil Following
3. Evil Insurgent
How about surveying how many of those blew up for their sponsored racers.
Oh that's right. You'd get lied to anyway.
You guys are boneheads
Rocky mountain owns the shore...