2021 Pinkbike Awards: Mountain Bike of the Year Nominees
Mountain Bike of the Year Nominees
The 2021 Mountain Bike of the Year Nominees create an interesting quartet. The Norco Range sits on one side, holding down the fort for the gravity-oriented, high-pivot crowd. On the other end of the spectrum is the svelte Rocky Mountain Element, which recently shed its staid cross-country geometry for much more exciting numbers.
The Trek Top Fuel makes an appearance, another bike that's moved away from being a purebred XC-race bike into something more well-rounded, and for many riders, more fun. The final contender is the Transition Spire, which has geometry numbers that look like they were lifted from a DH bike and yet somehow manages to be relatively lively out on the trail.
Last year it was Specialized's ultra-adaptable Stumpjumper EVO that took home the win. Which bike will emerge victorious this time around?
Why it's nominated
It's not a stretch to say that the Norco Range exemplifies the zeitgeist of the enduro and downhill worlds for 2021. High pivot suspension designs were everywhere this year, with everyone from Cannondale to Kavenz bringing new models to the table. It was the Range that stood out above the rest with its 170mm of travel and 29” wheels, a long travel beast that prioritizes downhill performance above everything else.
The Range is billed as an enduro race bike, and while it can certainly hold its own on gnarlier tracks, it's really more of a downhill bike that can be pedaled back to the top than anything else. Of course, that 37-pound weight does mean those climbs might take a little longer than they would on a lightweight trail bike.
As fun as the latest crop of versatile all-rounders can be, there's something special about hopping aboard a bike that has such a laser focus on delivering a good time when gravity takes over. Any concerns about weight fly out the window as soon as the trail points downward – the Range is a seriously addictive bike to ride, thanks to its well balanced geometry, low center of gravity, and coil-sprung suspension that absolutely erases bumps.
The Range's unapologetic nature helped it earn it a nomination for Pinkbke's Mountain Bike of the Year. It's meant to go downhill as fast as possible, and out on the trail it does an outstanding job of doing exactly that.
From the review:
 | The Range just eats bumps of any size and its linear kinematic nature could be compared to jumping onto an airbag versus landing on a trampoline. Energy is absorbed early and then dissipated, always using the right amount of travel. This made it dead simple to anticipate how the bike would react on any size impact and give you time to position your body weight accordingly. |
Why it's nominated
Trek Trek's Top Fuel used to be an XC-race oriented whippet, with the expected handling traits for a bike in that category - it was light, fast, and a little twitchy at times on the descents. The new Top Fuel is a decidedly different machine, one that we included in the Downcountry category of our most recent Field Test, although the argument could also be made that this is a short travel trail bike.
It's the Top Fuel's versatility that earned it a nomination this year – it can hold its own in the occasional cross-country or marathon race, all while still being an excellent option for a daily driver, a bike that can handle pretty much anything short of the absolute roughest and steepest trails. The suspension is well supported when standing up out of the saddle and putting the power down, and it retains that support on the descents, which helps ensure that 120mm of travel isn't used up too quickly.
The Top Fuel is also available in a whopping 7 different sizes to accommodate a wide range of rider heights, and there are 9 different complete bikes to fit different budgets. Plus, it's got snack storage in the downtube, so that stash of gummy bears will never be more than a few seconds away.
From the Field Test:
| The whole bike seems to just will you on to hit things faster and with more precision. It damps the trail very well and is remarkably predictable and consistent. For a bike that is so capable. though, it also packs a mighty punch when it comes to gaining elevation. |
Why it's nominated
The Bike of the Year awards are more than just a beauty contest, but the Rocky Mountain Element's striking good looks sure don't hurt its case. The new frame also underwent a massive geometry update (the head angle is now a whopping 4-degrees slacker than the previous version), which puts the Element at the cutting edge when it comes to downcountry / short travel trail bike geometry.
The idea of a 65-degree head angle on a 120mm bike would have seemed outlandish a few years ago – that number used to be reserved for longer travel enduro bikes. In fact, it's identical to what's found on Rocky's own 160mm Altitude in the neutral setting, and that bike is only a year old. As it turns out, Rocky's decision to shed some of their more conservative ways when it comes to geometry was a very, very good one.
The Element's progressive numbers made it a popular pick during our recent Field Test up in Pemberton, BC. Pemberton has no shortage of long, steep climbs followed by even steeper descents, and on those trails the Element was an absolute blast, where it exhibited an excellent blend of traction and efficiency.
For riders with slightly tamer terrain it's possible to steepen the head angle by 1-degree via Rocky's ever-present flip chip adjustment, but in this case the Ride-4 adjustments makes sense, and allow riders to fine-tune the Element to suit their needs.
From the review:
| Through steeper turns or sections, it’s amazing the level of confidence this bike can inspire. The geometry keeps your weight very central on anything like demanding trails, however, that does come at the cost of precision on flatter turns. The Rocky does a good job of picking its battles and striking a balance between making-flatter-trails-fun and getting your down more challenging trails. It also manages to keep the weight down which, to me at least, is a big bonus. |
Why it's nominated
On paper, the 170mm Transition Spire looks like it should be a handful. After all, it has a 63-degree head angle (62.5-degrees in the slack setting), 446mm chainstays, and 29” wheels. And yet, somehow the carbon Spire manages to have a lighter, livelier ride than anyone expected. The fairly light weight of the carbon frame undoubtedly helps here – the aluminum version is still tons of fun to ride, but it doesn't feel nearly as zippy.
Transition also exercised just enough restraint when it came to pick the reach numbers for the Spire, and that decision to hold back just a little bit was a good one. Instead of feeling big and unwieldy, the Spire falls into the 'just right' category, a bike that's easy to get along with, especially in the steep terrain it was designed for.
'Versatile' isn't an adjective that typically accompanies a description of a 170mm bike, but in this case it's appropriate. The Spire is a prime example that numbers on a screen don't tell the whole store – one ride on this machine is all it takes to realize that it's no one trick pony.
From the review:
| The Spire manages to do one of the most basic and fundamental things a good mountain bike should do - it should make you smile, and it delivers in droves. The way the bike tracks and hunkers down when riding rough terrain is very confidence inspiring. It just makes you feel like you can bulldoze anything. For a bike that makes you think you can climb any hill of your choosing, this is doubly impressive. |
Honorable Electric Mentions
There's currently no eMTB of the Year award, and the internet would obviously explode if there was a motor on the Mountain Bike of the Year, so for now we're doling out two honorable mentions for e-bikes that stood out from the crowd.
I called the Specialized's Turbo Levo the “new benchmark” when I reviewed it earlier this year, and that same sentiment still holds true, although the competition is heating up as more bikes are released with bigger batteries and better integration.
The Levo's smooth power delivery, integrated display, 700 Wh battery and adjustable geometry make it one of the best options currently on the market for riders looking for a full-power e-bike that can make short work of the gnarliest climbs and descents.
The price is really the only downside – this certainly isn't a budget friendly option. However, an alloy version was recently released with all of the same features as its carbon counterpart, including the wide range of geometry adjustment options.
Rather than modify their existing suspension platform to accept a motor, Yeti designed the 160E from the ground up, complete with a new 6-bar suspension system called Sixfinity. Slightly silly name aside, the new design works very well, delivering anti-squat values that only deviate by 9% across the entire range of the cassette. That's a desirable trait for an e-bike, since the motor makes it possible to climb in harder gears than you would on a non-motorized bike. The consistent anti-squat amount creates a well-supported, and very predictable suspension feel while climbing and descending, traits that left test riders impressed during the eMTB Field Test at Sun Peaks.
It'll be interesting to see where Yeti takes the Sixfinity design in the future – the 160E is a well-executed first step into the electric arena, but there's plenty of room for the Colorado company to add longer and shorter travel options into their lineup.
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-We Are One Arrival
Funny how all the negative comments towards WR1 are all Americans, cracks me up.
EMTB should be awarded by another tribe of riders.
i like the Trek out of the selection above.
wouldn't mined seeing Ibis Exie in the list.
Be safe be well,
Incognito Robin
Your welcome.
* www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXUspgyOBOo
* www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEKl25cfBVI
I don't own one yet, and I'm not looking to upgrade for at least 1 more season, but high-pivot bikes in the 150-170mm range are certainly on my list when the time comes.
If memory serves, your own reviewers were pretty on the fence about how the Norco (admittedly, a new suspension layout for high-pivot) and Transition stacked up against the incumbent Specialized Enduro from 2019. In fact, the Enduro seemed to more-or-less keep its throne based on the round table at the end.
They put how the bike rides and performs over how and where it's manufactured.
So it's fair to ask why the Norco and Transition would be considered for bike of the year when they are seemingly no more impressive than control bike(s) from a few seasons ago.
Maybe we're thinking the bigger picture, and you need to look into this a bit more to understand why SO MANY people are calling this out.
Supply chain is a lot harder than geo. I kinda of think the Arrival and the Exie are ground breaking considering the way they are manufactured locally and are also amazing rides.
MY bike is not on this list?
How can you Pinkbike editors not understand that MY favorite bike MUST be your favourite bike too..."
Grow up, people.
Seems a fair list to me, I'd certainly have the Spire over the We Are One.
The words PB chose to describe The Arrival gave many readers a new dream bike. It beat many of the other bikes in the field test. And now it’s not on the list, while others who was beaten is. It just doesn’t make sense.
So most here has never ridden any of these. At least not all of them. The impression and understanding they have and communicate is purely reflecting the editors of PB
Ironically.
BTWm the Exie is more groundbreaking than a “boutique” bike.
m.pinkbike.com/news/field-test-2022-niner-jet-9-rdo-the-easy-rider.html
*Assuming these bikes fall in the same category, which is not the case in my example above;
**This would not aplly to specific cases, such as the Spire, in which it's clear that the carbon version has a different feeling from the alloy one.
Turns out the downtube is fragile like an eggshell at a whopping 0.8mm thick, and a bunch of us seem to have broken them in the same spot. Right under the downtube protector. Specialized deny’s warranty coverage. We’ve got broken bikes.
Maybe you guys can throw some rocks at the candidates before making your decision this year? Please.
THE BIKE WE ALREADY OWN AND CAN RIDE ON ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!
With lead times becoming a bad joke, the bike we can hop on and enjoy ourselves the most on is the bike we already own.
Conversely, as our light-trail or downcountry or XC+ bikes grow longer front triangles and slacker HTA and steeper STA, wheelbases grow...a lot! Today's 120mm downcountry bikes are longer than a previous generation Hightower and are nearly 100mm longer than an OG Ripley. Again, sure there's benefit to that, but at a cost. Really long bikes in relatively flatter terrain or rolling terrain make for lethargic handling, slower directional changes, more challenge in tight trails and less pop.
I've had a lot of bikes and ride frequently. Over the past 3 months I've been carefully comparing the 2021 Epic Evo to the Transition Spur to a couple of other comparable bikes. In the end, I sold the Spur because the Evo is a better bike for the intended purpose. It is more nimble, has a similar rear suspension feel and simply feels significantly better on 20 mile rides with XC, trail and aggressive trail riding. I believe it's because the Evo keeps reasonable HTA, STA and reach numbers to keep the wheelbase and comfort at a nice compromise. Interestingly, even on fast and more aggressive downhill trails, my times on the Evo are just as fast.
The Spur seems to be truing too hard to be a Stumpjumper, which is probably a more logical choice as it is a lighter frame with more suspension, similar angles and a SWAT box. Not every bike needs to be or benefits from being slack, long and low in my opinion. I expect we will see some bikes, particularly shorter travel bikes, stepping back from 65HTA and 78+STA to more modest numbers. That's my $0.02 worth for the day...
For a "one" bike, it's definitely as close as I've ever gotten. 27ish lb, good pedaling, capable descending, dialed geo (for me), it was "good" for a lot of rides. But also, not the "best" for a lot of rides. Try as I might, I just don't think I'll ever be a one-bike kind of guy, but these super slack down-country bikes are great for the people who are.
I'm switching to an Epic Evo for my short travel and a Stumpy Evo for my long travel, and I'm hoping the Epic clicks for me like it did for you.
Refer to rule #12: www.velominati.com/comment-page-8
"The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner."
It's all about what you like and the Spur is a great looking bike that has fantastic capabilities 'for a 120' bike as does the Evo. This is precisely why there are so many makers making so many different bikes! Merry Christmas and enjoy that Spur! Time to ride!
I definitely see the argument for reach making a big difference, though.
It is as I have foreseen it.
Also, Rocky Mountain uses some of the nicest pivot hardware in the industry. If I could swing it, I’d put an Element in the quiver.
@norcobicycles pushed the high pivot range incredibly hard. The popular (at least in 2020) model from their lineup, the Sight, received barely a mention. Why?
My guess is they either didn't order enough frames, or have a glut of the Ranges. It's a misplaced focus, bring us a bike that is useful for the majority of riders (Sight).
I hope the return of “freeride” or downduro bikes makes it to trek, a 170-180mm abp bike would be lovely. Especially as my LBS of 25 years has now switched to being a trek store.
IMHO is a great bike, but the main difference with his predecessor (201
WeAreOne Arrival not even nominated?!?!
North American made carbon.
WTH is going on over there?
Regardless if you like the bike or not, it is the most important bike of the year based solely on the manufacturing. Not to mention it’s a beauty.