What are people's favorite true trail bikes in 2026?

I can vouch for the overbuilt tallboy. Amazing set up. highly recommended. Can dig further into detail on it if desired but would highly recommend one

The Spur is a pretty sweet bike and you'd fit in with everyone else in Bellingham with a TR on your headtube. If an alloy frame is desired a Norco Fluid is a pretty awesome mid travel trail bike and would be very appropriate to slap a 140mm 36 on the front of it. Its probably closer to the jack of trades category with a bias to the gravity side of things (similar to the Tallboy). There are some alloy builds for less than the sale price on a carbon Spur frame set. Its more work to strip a frame and then rebuild it, but think of all the extra spare parts to add to the "I'll use this some day" bin. And the Fluid C2 build has some parts worth keeping/reselling at $2999. Just my $0.02 on my lunch break.

I spent a bunch of time demo'ing trail bikes over the last 6 months.  A few impressions below, I'm 6'2" so a few of my impressions are driven off of that.

-Tallboy is still the benchmark and nearly impossible to beat and the geometry has no surprises, nor weird steps between sizes.  A platform that can punch above or below it's weight depending on the build you go for.  A new one is coming, but it will be more of a nudge towards all mountain, yet still a trail bike.  

-I prefer the smuggler to the spur.  The spur gets progressively more weird the further away from medium you go and in XL, is not for me.  The smuggler is nearly the perfect bike with my only complaint being that I wish it had more stack in L/XL sizes.  It is a true trail bike in a sense where it can go bigger then you'd expect, but doesn't quite pedal as well as it otherwise should.  This is where the tallboy outshines it a bit.

-Stumpjumper 15 is absolutely worth a look, but for some reason feels like the boring choice in this segment.  Maybe that's because it does everything you ask of it, nothing that you don't and it rides exactly like you want it to ride.  

-Giant trance adv 29 is on no ones radar, but really is an impressive bike for the segment.  (you can get a size L, livevalve model for 50% off right now) It's worth a look because I can almost guarantee it will be better then you think it will be, and checks a lot of boxes... but no one ever lusts over riding a giant.  Definitely at least worth a nudge because you can sometimes find insane deals on giants

-Orbea Occam is definitely a great bike, maybe a bit too stiff and less stack and shorter chainstays then I want for a given size.  That being said, the aluminum model actually feels more compliant then the carbon model and their aluminum frames are incredibly light.  You get the great braking kinematics that you get out of trek, but a more interesting platform and amazing color options.  full build pricing can be good enough to warrant buying that and parting out the build kit.  

-Norco revolver (130mm version).  I'm including this in here because it was a bike that caught me off guard in the test rides I did.  It is not a "trail bike", but then again I wouldn't consider the spur a trail bike.  Pretty damn fast on the pedals.  

-Kona Hei Hei G10 - I liked this bike in size Large, not so much in XL but it is a great bike and the pricing is quite good.  

I don't have one but have ridden a Raww Jibb and that would be my choice.  I will have one some day.

True trail bike lol what even is that supposed to mean. I own a Switchblade which is not enduro, and judging by the way you are talking it's not going to be a true trail bike either. I guess I'll soon just have to create my own category 🤔

I shall call it: Trail bike. 👌

Pretty partial to the smuggler. Fox 36 at 140mm. float x at 130 or 140mm with a super poppy fast setup. The smiles that thing makes grossly outweighs the park bike and eeeb. Kinda wish that there was a way to make it a mullet with out having the bb/cranks too low. 

Forbidden Druid V2. It makes me happy every time I ride it and I'd pretty much ride it anywhere. 

People getting offended when I question downcountry bikes to be referred to as true trail bikes. As I stated I do own a Switchblade and that is a trail bike. That's why I find the term true trail bike to be misleading at best.

Another vote for the Smuggler; super-versatile platform and I've seen weight-focused builds around 27lbs without doing anything crazy.

No one's offended; you got downvoted because OP asked a specific question and you responded w/ incoherent word salad that didn't contribute to the thread.

https://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/trail/2023-optic/#models

Optic Gen 2. The $3500 spec looks like a great deal. Could quickly lighten it with some different parts too. Tempted to buy one myself. The Fluid looks pretty good too. Anyone here have the Gen 2 Optic? I'd love to hear feedback. Seems like the reviewers loved the bike and the geo is still up to date.

I own a Spur. Its a fun and fast bike. Light and very tossable. Covers ground very efficiently and handles really well in the corners. Rips smoother trails. Frame is a bit of a noodle but I don't mind some flex. I use it for the smoother trails and XC style rides in my area. It beats me up too much on rougher stuff and it requires precise riding when near your limit because the window for recovery from errors is quite a bit smaller than a longer travel trail/all mtn/enduro rig. A pal here who is more comfortable with wiping out and taking a beating than I am rides his Spur like a maniac even on rough stuff. Indeed it can be done, but you better be sharp and ready. 

I love my Bronson v5 but it's closer to an Enduro bike than a general trail bike.  I had a Smuggler v1 and that thing was a hoot but it was too easy for me to hit the limit of the bike (rather than skill limit). For that reason I'd never get a downcountry bike again.  Only lesser travel bike that's tempted me has been the Druid.

This forum in a nutshell is just gravity, gravity and even more gravity. Once every blue moon you might just see someone talk about something else, and now all of a sudden even that teeny tiny sliver is going to be dissected as if it doesn't exist anymore. 

The gaps are just growing and growing and also when so many throw electric motorcycles into the gravity ballpark. To be honest I hardly ever see or hear anyone talk about trail riding anymore, and I find it pretty damn sad, and I'm talking all over internet. 

So, my comments were on point and then some because if nobody question things any more, we all become sheep. I tell the truth whether people want it or not, because honesty is a positive. A person can simply decide to disagree for the sake of disagreement, which is why truth should be shared regardless of what someone think or feel about it. I like transparency, and sadly this forum is no different than so many other places online where people fear truth like the plague. 

Most people in here would rather beat the same old horse to death for the millionth time, and I just wish there would be a bit more than that. 

The downvotes on this forum are just disturbing at best, because so often it comes from someone who are afraid of truth. If it wasn't there you'd have to type out your opinion, and that would defuse a lot of that because it of course would demand more courage.

So, if you don't like truth you're gonna have it regardless or else you're asking me to lie. Think about that for a second.

My Bronson is overbuilt because I am a talentless hack, but it can be built for aggro trail duties with light duty suspension and wheels.

Respectfully, you're living your own story of distress with this post.  He wants a trail bike, he categorized that as a "true trail bike" and gave some examples.  If you're hung up on the semantics, that's your prerogative, but just realize that this is an agenda and distress that you are feeling and imparting on this process.  

Truthfully, anything not a race bike, is a trail bike.  I bought what I feel is a trail bike, and that turned out to be a 150/160 bike (hightower 4)... but that's a different type of trail bike, some would call it an all mountain bike.  Either way, these are all just mushy categories and it's natural to try and give shape/buckets to things in order to have a conversation.  

Or you know, pick topic XXXXXX and be a dick about it... which is sorta SOP in the mtb world.  

I don’t know if it’s a true trailbike but I use it as one : Giant trance advanced 2024/25/26 could be it, reasonable geometry, no weird kinematic, so pretty predictable in every moment. Geometry can be tailored with headset cup and flipchip, and depending on the wheelset tires combo could be built under 14kg. The price is a bit steep but if you can find a discount the build kit of the carbon is reasonable, comes with a 36, 140 rear 150 front or 150/160 and giant carbon wheelset that aren’t bad for weight (1800g in 29) and ride feel if you like compliant wheels. If you want something more light, faster pedalling an old Ibis ripley v4s could be it, if you like the geometry and find one. 

Just to clarify, you're talking about the "Trance X Advanced".  That bike is sold as a 29/29, 140/150 bike with a 52.5mm stroke shock.  They used to sell an SX version of it, that was MX, 150/160 with a 55mm stroke shock.  Probably one of the best giant bikes made in the last decade that they completely screwed up with their naming scheme, lack of marketing and dealer network.  Pro-tip, you can also run that bike 150/160 with the full 29 setup.  

You can get C framesets from Santa Cruz.  I just bought a C level hightower 4 and I previously bought a C level nomad 6.  They rarely discount frame only purchases however... the only place I've seen deep discounts on SC frames is from Jenson.  

you might be suprised how the evo rides with some light wheels/tires.  Not saying their isn’t true trail bikes that will be better.  But a wheel set is cheaper and takes less space.

I'll vouch for the Norco Optic Gen2.

I bought one on a whim when Jenson had the frames on sale for $1400, ended up doing a budget build with some leftover parts I had from a Santa Cruz Chameleon, but after riding it I decided to fully invest in a build for it. Went on a bargain bin shopping spree about a year and a half ago and found the lightest stuff I could get a good deal on. Biggest improvement was getting a set of sub-1700g wheels for it (ENVE M630), as it made the bike feel significantly lighter, but I still get to run 2.5" tires.

Best description for it in my mind is feels like a short-travel Enduro bike. Slack, low, but has a much better pedaling platform than my Megatower.  I felt that I was fairly over-biked for a lot of the stuff I ride, and this fits the bill perfectly. It's happiest riding places where I'm doing a lot of miles/vert but where the trails aren't crazy technical and more flowy.  I built it with Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT in mind (I call it the Burke Bike), the stuff I ride that's within 1hr of NYC (Westchester, North Jerz, etc.), but I also ride it when I'm in AZ at places like Hawes and SoMo (the easier parts, I still want my MT for a lot of it).

Big fan, I've really come around to the fun of a slack ~125-130mm bike. Great addition to the stable, especially when my shortest travel bike had 165mm.

holy shit you're right, I am afraid of the truth (plague) especially on a topic as subjective as "x travel means y bike category." keep fighting the good fight my man ✊

re: original topic, I've spent the last year modifying my Status 140 more towards a Stumpy Evo-level capability build instead of buying a new bike because there weren't any S3 Evo frames anywhere on the internet when I was at the buy a new bike vs upgrade my existing crossroads. 

you can definitely find some carbon Marin Rift Zone frames out there for cheeeeeeeeeeap right now, wouldn't be a terrible option

+1 to the Norcos, Smuggler, Druid V2 and Tallboy. The Spur is a sweet bike, but too much on the XC side IMHO. And yeah, frames are stupid expensive. Forbidden and Transition have sales from time to time, and I'd seriously consider buying a complete Norco carbon bike on sale and stripping it. 

This is a good call, Transition had complete Deore Smuggler builds for less than a frame a while back; craziness!

Depending on your height, the Propain Hugene might be worth a look. Long seat tubes seem to deter shorter riders, but not an issue on my XL with a 210 dropper. The V2 has been one of my favorite bikes and works well on a variety of terrain. Frame prices and complete builds are quite reasonable with all of the sales.  

Raww currently has V1 Jibb frames on a killer sale.  I'm not sure what Tariffs are fro Germany so it may make it expensive.

https://raawmtb.com/en-us/collections/frames-bikes/products/jibb-v1-fra…

Haha is this a setup? I have the C3 and mention it any chance I get. A couple others on these boards have it and all agree it rips. The Bryn Atkinson special! 

the jibb is too heavy, therefore if you like the Jibb, you are gravity oriented.. which is fine. I am as well, and own a Madonna... but I did get a killer deal on a Cannondale Habit, 140mm pike, shock with stroke for 130mm.. DTSwiss XMC trail wheelset.. with light trail tires or high volume XC tires, it's a rocket, and I think its more comparable to the smuggler... there is nothing adjustable in the frame ( no flip-chip, no storage), just a solid thought out trail bike with a lot of versatility.. I think the tallboy is benchmark of versatility from pretending-XC to pretending-light-enduro... the Habit you can make it almost a stumpy evo 160/140mm.. I think the Druid is a DH-ler's trail bike.. 

I rode a Smuggler for a year, and it definitely ticks the boxes for you it seems - I definitely enjoyed it as a bike that can handle pretty much everything short of full-on enduro quests. Another trail bike that I really enjoyed was the Nukeproof Reactor, although at 140/150 it may not be the step down in travel you are looking for. Definitely a fun and lively ride though (more so than the Smuggler I would say).

I'm hesitant to chime in as I see the discussion has veered pretty heavily towards pricing, but I'd throw the Ibis Ripley V5 into the mix. I've been on one for about a year and a half and it's a really impressive trail bike. 130/140 travel, 29 or MX wheels with a flip chip that keeps the geometry intact, well executed in-frame storage, and DW Link suspension. I run mine a few different ways - stock suspension (Float/34) for a lighter, sportier feel and a Vivid air/Lyrik for more support and rowdier riding. Also change up the wheels between full 29 (cover ground more efficiently) and MX (fun!). It's one of my favorite bikes ever and I've had a bunch. There is an aluminum frame option with all of the same functionality, but it comes with a weight penalty. Anyhow, that's my take, lots of good suggestions in this thread.