2023 Pinkbike Awards: Mountain Bike of the Year Nominees

All of us here at Pinkbike enjoy getting our XC kicks in too, but 2023's crop of favorites are decidedly skewed towards the gravity-oriented side of things, and even the shorter travel options ended up on the list in large part due to their descending prowess. Modern enduro bikes climb better than ever, which makes it easier to justify pedaling around that slacked-out sled on mellower terrain.

This year's selections are also an indication of the bikes that were new for 2023 - there were more new enduro bikes released than shorter travel trail or XC machines, although I'd expect that to change next season, especially with the Olympics on the horizon. For now, take a look at these six worthy nominees for the 2023 Mountain Bike of the Year.






Why it's nominated

Ibis may have developed the HD6 with input from their now-defunct Enduro World Cup race team, but you don't need to be a hardcore racer to have a good time aboard this carbon machine. It's impressively light and maneuverable for a bike with 165mm of travel and a 180mm fork, and its handling made it a favorite in and out of the Whistler Bike Park during the recent Enduro Field Test.

The stubby head tube could make it a little harder for taller riders to get the front end high enough, and fans of long chainstay won't find them here, but the HD6's climbing and descending abilities shine bright enough to make those relatively minor gripes. During the Field Test, it earned itself the 'palate cleanser' nickname, since it was the bike that testers gravitated towards when they wanted a predictable, easygoing ride.

The HD6 does a great job of balancing traction and efficiency on both the climbs and descents, making it an excellent option for riders looking for a very versatile longer travel bike. To top it all off, the switch to a straight top tube helps make the HD6 one of the best-looking bikes in Ibis' lineup.

From the First Ride:

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Why it's nominated

Reeb earned a Pinkbike award nomination last year for the 120mm SST, and this year they made it onto the shortlist with the 155mm Steezl. The Steezl pairs a steel front end with an aluminum swingarm, all of it welded up in Lyons, Colorado. It may look fairly basic from a distance, but there's an impressive amount of machining and 3D-printing that goes into each frame. Take the bottom bracket area, for example – its creation involves a laser that melts and fuses metallic powders.

On the trail, the Steezl continued to impress, a comfortable climber that's well suited to big days in the saddle spent hunting rowdy descents. It felt best with a 170mm fork and burlier tires, a setup that tipped it more into the enduro realm, but it can just as easily be set up with a 160mm fork and trail tires for more of an all-round setup. The bottom bracket is a touch high, which means the Steezl doesn't have as much of an in-bike feeling as other options, but for riders who prefer to take charge rather than be a passenger, the Steezl is a great option.


From the First Ride:

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Why it's nominated

We Are One launched their first enduro bike back in 2021, and in the time since they've steadily been adding more options, all based around the same Canadian-made carbon frame. Depending on the shock and linkage kit, the Arrival can be set up with 130, 152, or 170mm of travel. It's the 170mm version that impressed us this year, thanks to its small bump sensitivity, great climbing performance, and overall nimble feel.

This isn't a bike that smashes the trail into oblivion; instead, it's more of a live wire, a long travel machine that feels remarkably agile, making it an excellent option for enduro racers or anyone whose preferred speeds are fast and faster, no matter the trail style.

The frame quality shouldn't be overlooked either – the Arrival looks stunning in person, and it's clear that the crew at We Are One spent some serious time sorting out the little details.


From the review:

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Why it's nominated

Forbidden deserves credit for being one of the early arrivals to the modern high pivot party, and they're still one of the only companies using this design for a shorter travel trail bike.

Version 2.0 of the Forbidden Druid now uses an inverted Horst Link layout for its 130mm of rear travel, a change that was done to improve the suppleness of the suspension, and to reduce pedal kickback deeper in the travel. As an added bonus, the new idler pulley location means that there's no longer a need for a lower chainguide in order to achieve enough chainwrap.

For many riders, the sight of an idler pulley usually brings to mind long travel, gravity-oriented machines. And while that's often the case, the Druid is a testament to how well the design can work on the climbs - the rear wheel is able to maintain traction on sections of trail where other bikes would spin out or get hung up.

As for descending, that's the cherry on top – the Druid carries speed impressively well, and easily eats up chunky sections of trail, a shining example of just how capable a modern trail bike can be.

From the First Ride:

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Why it's nominated

The Slash was completely revamped for 2023, emerging with 170mm of travel courtesy of a high pivot suspension layout. There's also a wide range of geometry adjustments, similar to what we previously saw on the Fuel EX. The head angle can be altered by plus or minus one degree, it's compatible with either a 27.5” or 29” rear wheel, and there's also a chip that can be flipped to alter the amount of shock progression. On top of all that, there are five frame sizes to choose from, all with relatively short seat tube lengths in order to allow riders to size up or down if they'd like.

Even with all that travel and the high pivot suspension design, the Slash sits firmly in the 'fast' category – it would make a formidable enduro race bike, thanks to how unflappable it feels at higher speeds. It's no one-trick pony, though, and somehow it never felt like a handful, even when picking through slow speed, awkward maneuvers.

Yes, we initially experienced a handful of chain derailments, which isn't something that should happen on a high-end bike like this. Thankfully the solution ended up being a spacer swap on the lower pulley wheel, a quick fix that eliminated our one real complaint, and put the Slash back on our list of favorites.


From the review:

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Why it's nominated

It only takes one three-letter word to summarize why the Scor 2030 made it onto this list: FUN. With its stubby back end and relatively slack head angle, the 2030 is incredibly entertaining, especially on technical, rolling terrain. Pumping, manualing, and jumping are the 2030's strong suits, but it also squeezes every last drop of performance out of its 120mm of travel. That trait allows it to perform better than most bikes in this travel bracket when faced with chunky sections of trail.

The frame itself ticks all the boxes when it comes to the features we'd expect to see on a modern trail bike - there's in frame storage, angle-adjusting headset cups, well-sealed bearings, and effective chainslap protection that helps keep the 2030 satisfyingly silent. The 2030 is one of those bikes that makes you want to keep on riding, sneaking in as many miles as possible before it's time to return to reality.


From the review:

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