Out of all the Field Tests we've done over the years, this crop of bikes has to be one of the most interesting. We were able to bring in eight enduro machines that fly in the face of the notion that all modern mountain bikes look and ride the same.
Rear travel amounts ranged from 158mm to 180mm, and carbon, aluminum, and steel frames were all represented. The enduro category is a broad one, and this test illustrates just how many ways there are to design bikes that can descend just about anything, and still pedal reasonably well. How much effort that pedaling takes does vary, and we made sure to take all the bikes on some techy climbs to see how they fared away from the convenience of a chair lift.
The exact definition of an enduro bike in 2023 is a tough thing to pin down, but we put together the below video to help explain what we're looking for when testing bikes in this category.
The BikesThe aluminum Nicolai Nucleon has looks that garnered all sorts of questions from other riders, thanks to its high pivot suspension layout and unique Lal drivetrain. All those pulley wheels make it look like it was designed by Rube Goldberg, and it certainly stands out from the crowd. Well, most crowds – we also managed to get in a Unno Burn and Pole Onni, two more bikes with looks that set them apart.
The Ibis HD6 ended up being referred to as 'the palate cleanser', a refreshingly easy bike to ride compared to some of the others with, umm, 'different' ride characteristics. The Nukeproof Giga falls into a similar category, with plenty of travel but nicely neutral handling.
The last time we rode the aluminum Commencal Meta SX it had a link-driven single pivot suspension layout, but this time it's back with a new dual link design and revised geometry. The Trek Slash also made another appearance, returning with a new high pivot frame design, more travel, and mixed wheels.
And don't forget about the Chromag Lowdown – it may look simple, but that steel and aluminum machine left an impression on all the testers.
Testing took place in Whistler, BC, where we took advantage of perfect fall conditions to rack up lap after lap in the Creekside zone, and on the endless pedal-accessed trails away from the lifts. Control tires were provided by Maxxis, and all the bikes were set up with an Assegai front and DHR II rear tire with Double Down casings.
Dario DiGiulioHeight: 6'3" / 191cm
Weight: 180 lbs / 81.8 kg
Notes: Tech editor, the king of customization.
Mike KazimerHeight: 5'11" / 180cm
Weight: 160 lbs / 72.6 kg
Notes: Managing tech editor, serial cereal eater
Matt BeerHeight: 5'10" / 178 cm
Weight: 170 lb / 77 kg
Notes: Tech editor, fast... and late
Henry QuinneyHeight: 6' / 183 cm
Weight: 172lb / 78 kg
Notes: Tech editor, full-time Branston pickle enthusiast
The 2023 Enduro Field Test is presented Bluegrass
I kind of lost interest in field tests a bit (also because I‘m trying to internalise the „my bike is all the bike I need“-mindset a bit more), but I think those bikes will have me watching every review
at least he seems to not crack our german chainstays
I did get let down by an electrical failure of the most over hyped product of the last 6 months- Sram transmission that came factory fitted. I don’t care that you can start on it when a 2 cent battery terminal pin can leave you stranded with no shifting.
Couple guys I know with high pivot on other brands had the same issue and had to change chain rings and chains and jockey wheels to fix it while the bike was still new. Only difference is they're not influencers with a decent size following to show the results to. Seems like a hit or miss if you buy one, will yours have the same issue or will you be one of the luckier ones?
To be fair, the Nukeproof has better value builds as well.
I think it is worst on the S.Enduro the clearance issues than the Unno. That Unno Burn looks amazing,that seat tube looks weird but when you see one in real life the bike is very beautiful and turn heads around.
Mainly because they didn’t charge above msrp for the components on the complete bike, unlike other brands.
The same is true for the WR1 Arrival.
Every cm you move back or forward the seat you need to adjust 3mm up or down your saddle too.
It seems like you speak from experience.
Was your dad's ride so ugly?
Not to mention that Onni can be had as an ebike, with a dual crown, at an extremely good price of half of what some big brands dare to charge.
looks even worse, but i bet they are nearly indestructable.
oh and afaik RAAW buys their rear triangles from nicolai
Not that there's likely to be a "best bike for everyone" out of this lot.
Edit: Sorry didn't read all the Enduro comments before posting.
Pick one.
Absolute clown shoes
For my skill level, I get more out of running a harder rear tire to make the climb easier. Grip is not the limiting factor for me on the descent.
youtu.be/BS9ugdl1FZc?si=B1bYjHmBLJ_mm0m_
These high spec models fetch a pretty penny…
To me any mullet bike looks a little funky with the small rear wheel,hard to many bikes to look great just for being mullet.
That Pole bike is the bike many people would said is ugly,but I think it is very different hehehe.
Totally agree on the Trek bike,from the main stream bike brands it is on the top of funny looking bikes.
And the mullet thing I think is about symmetry,it made my brain do not liking too much my Demo in the mullet setup but it rides quite nice. It just the way it looks compared to equal size wheeled bikes.
To me bikes are like dogs,rare to see one I do not like hehehe. Trek bikes are quite particular,I do not like them too much,but if someone gift me one I would happily ride it 100%,like any bike on this test.
i believe we arnt really looking at enduro bikes but more pedalable park bikes.
I want to prioritize my bike for high consequence situations (high speed/rough terrain) over lower consequence situations (slower tight turns). My skillset is the limiting factor, not the bike.
What i found was, that despite me having more travel, my balls haven't grown and i've ended up not really taking advantage of the Slayers benefits/attributes. So i mostly just ended up with a bouncier burlier bike that i was still rubbish on.
After 12 months i've just swapped back to a Fuel 9.8 and it's awesome how much 'better' it is for 99% of my riding.. I didn't/don't think for a second that the Slayer was 'holding me back' but i was unable to take advantage of it's skillsets. The Fuel, i can take more advantage of more aspects of it as a bike.
I'm betting in a few weeks you'll be flying on the Izzo and getting times better than on the Enduro.
That said, the Ibis is impressively light for the capabilities for an enduro rig.
But they’re really not similarly spec’ed.
The frame material and suspension ( fork and shock)are similar and nothing else: AXS Xx versus xo/ GX, carbon vs Alu wheels, house brand aluminum handlebars and stems vs carbon, hayes brakes versus codes, etc…
I like to think of it in terms of cars. Speed and efficiency aren’t everything when climbing. A small car is efficient in going up hills fast and is easily negotiable in tight spots but a lifted jeep could climb anything in any conditions but just slower. But bikes are more nuanced.
- REALLY getting the saddle out of the way,
- a balanced head angle (64° for me), reach (I like it short) and stack (high is playful for me),
- yes - I’d like an adjustable chain stay,
- room for a full-size water bottle,
- in-frame storage and tool carrying features,
- a very quiet bike,
- serviceable pivots,
- accessible hardware such as shock settings and fitting,
- less proprietary components to fuss with,
- feel in terms of balance between soft and stiff,
…
It’ll be interesting to hear how you appreciate rear shock
- suppleness off the top,
- mid-stroke support,
- a balanced bottom-out resistance,
- linearity vs progression,
- anti-squat,
- anti-rise,
and
- how this relates to being able to match to the fork.
I’m really keen to hear you comments on what contributes to these things, being the linkage, the shock, or the combination of these (and maybe other components).
What my current bike lacks are these things.
- I can’t get the saddle out of the way to get a 240 dropper in or a 210 or 180 if I pass it over to someone shorter than me.
- I don’t have in-frame storage.
- I have two extra bolts on the bottom of my top-tube but have yet to find a convenient tool carrying kit, and my bike has no special tool carrying features.
- I have short chain stays that are nice for my home trails but I wouldn’t mind playing around with longer if I’d have had adjustable chain stays.
- The 600 ml water bottle pops out if filled up in rowdy terrain and I guess I just have to put some strap on to keep it in place, or get a different cage but this feels like I don’t have time to bother with.
Doing so on my Meta SX V4 allows me to use the 600mL Fidlock.
I think the points about women generally being lighter riders with less upper body strength are particularly important when it comes to how a bike feels to the tester, in terms of compliance, balance and suspension behaviour.
All jokes of course, looking forward to the reviews.
The lowdown is definitely on my shortlist. And I can’t help, and I seem to be the only one, but I LOVE the look of the Unno!
I wonder just how many bikes have been sold on impulse and a PB review….
The average weight is 16,3 Kg without pedals. So it brings the average weight with pedals to 16,7 Kg...36,8 Lbs!
Even if geometry improved a lot for climbing I doubt that you can easily use it in enduro (where DH are more important but you have to climb also).
Climb 1000/1200 meters in a half day with nearly 17 Kg bikes...why?
My old freeride bike (scott Voltage FR in 2011) weighted 17 Kg also.
As for me these bikes are more Freeride bikes that can pedal a few not enduro bikes.
I can't feel a difference if I have a full water bottle, or no water bottle on my bike. I also can't notice if I have a light, a tool wrap? or a tube strapped to my bike.
Kaz - Nukeproof
Dario: - Ibis
Henry - Unno, and he won't be happy about it
Matt - Pole
It doesn’t hinder PB editors on 200mm DH bike with saddle height equal to like 120mm dropper - but nooooo 170mm Enduro bike with post lower than 240mm Ghaaaastly!
Most contributors (myself included) recognize PB's direction and have moved on
@leelau I feel like you can do video and photo articles on trail culture. Could be tough but it could be as trail building porn. It doesn’t have to be a long form article.
Hell, even bike mags don’t write shit about trails.
Got to get motivated to start writing again but like @BrianColes said (thanks for the kick in the pants Brian) it's worthwhile getting the word out about advocacy
Average head angle : 63.8°
Average seat angle : 77.7875°
Average price : 8436.625$
Asking for a friend...
Btw, where is Levi? Is he waiting for gravel Field Test on Pinkbike?
Assuming Zerode makes some frame changes for the E shift Pinion, that would be the bike I'd be most interested in seeing reviewed; I'm on a Zerode Taniwha Mx now.
Most of these people don't even ride the bikes PB is reviewing, they're like folks who drive big lifted 4 x 4's that have never been off the pavement.
I'm kind of over the comments section. It's just stoopidsauce.
Let me start out by saying that I'm really excited for this one and I do really appreciate your work. I think you guys do a fantastic job overall. I especially like that most bikes tend to get a pretty fair and balanced assessment, without any unfair criticism or praise that goes way over the top. Good job, keep it up!
Although, once again, I don't really get the selection of bikes here. It seems like the most popular enduro bikes are missing from the line-up, except for maybe the Commencal and the Trek. I don't get why you're always excluding the fan favourites (aka the brands everyone is buying) and rather test these oddballs like the Nicolai, Chromag and Unno. Not that these are any less interesting, but I bet a lot of people would find these test more helpful and relevant if they included predominantly bikes from the most popular brands.
That being said, I'm currently shopping for a new enduro and as luck would have it, the model I've narrowed it down to is actually included. Definitley looking forward to the review.
TL;DR: Could you please explain your choice of review bikes? Seems a bit odd that the most popular models aren't included. Other than that you're doing a great job
Is that what you want?
That's how it goes about 100% of the time for cars and motorcycles and many other hobbies. Not comparing all the popular brands that people are more likely to buy makes it seem like you guys are scared to show preference because of conflict of interest.
Two filters for me :
- At least 170mm (more travel always preferred 180mm plus)
- Dual Crown compatible
Example: Fezzari La Sal Peak.
There are Enduro bikes that are dually compatible - Geometry numbers still suited for uphill -
A bike that covers the bases.
"Super Enduro" etc..is just silly marketing to sell more / another category of bike.
Oh..'"super enduro".. is that what it's called?
Thanks for informing me on the silly,
newish category
I had to take the DC off my megatower after a V1 to V2 warranty and I realized SC stopped allowing DC of the V2.
Thank you!
Yeti SB165?
Intense Tracer?
Propain tyee or Spindrift?
Norco Range?
Forbidden Dreadnaught?
Transition Patrol/Spire?
YT Capra
Canyon ?
Pivot Firebird?
Lots there to discuss, Oh and the big S has something as well NO?
Come on PB, lets stack the testing a bit deeper.
Tim Hortons vs Dennys vs IHOP vs Sheetz
"My dude, it's all good. I didn't get fired, and there's no need for a PR about me taking some time off. It's as simple as that and the same as I've already commented under a previous podcast: I'm just taking some time off. Nothing is wrong, I just feel like I need a break from the internet and computers "
cut short for relevance