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

I second this. I got on one and was genuinely suprised . Now I’ve got my own. ~26lbs,  so pretty lean build but downhills much better then you would guess a 26lb 130-120 bike to ride . I don’t mind taking it on some pretty rowdy stuff with people on mostly bigger bikes 

Just confirmed with Propain that this is just a standard phrase that is used with all promotions...just refers to stock levels of certain components, which will dictate how long the discount runs for. Not a new bike coming.

Spent the weekend on the Forbidden Reya, and wow what fast and capable bike. I would guess it’s about eight pounds lighter than my normal bike. Climbing was effortless and the reduced rolling resistance made acceleration noticeable  

This probably wouldn’t be my only bike for what I normally ride, but was great for its intended use and a bit beyond  

Was impressed with the motive brakes, but I think these would be replaced with something else if was my only bike.  The forecaster tires in exo+ casing held up better than expected.  I did have some traction moments , but if you get used to they are great  rear had a cushcore installed . I’d like to try one in dd casing for rear is they ever came out  

Now I need to stretch 

What spec model was it?

I just pulled the trigger and put a float SL on my optic. I need to play with it a bit more but got it in the ballpark pretty quick. Lsc all the way on, 25% sag. I'll go out one day and do some bracketing of the fork and shock to work on the balance between the two, as the fork is still running settings I had dialled in for use on my hardtail. The lockout is great and much welcome on the road etc. Bike feels a little less sure footed through tech but is definitely better under power and a little more spritely. Went from 454 grams to 277 incl hardware.

OP was talking about expensive framesets, so it probably won’t do, but I’m still absolutely in love with my REEB SST. Something about the suspension design and steel frame make it feel just muted enough to ride on almost anything, but still super spritely and playful. It’s the perfect rig to play “bike LEGO” with, because it plays well with a super light and fast build, burly setup with a coil shock, and anything in between.

I feel this way about my Starling Murmur as well. It's simple, reliable, and a fun neutral frame to test out new parts on - changes in the rear shock are especially noticeable and the adjustable shock mount is a nice feature.

In the time since this thread started, my Gen 2 Optic let go, so I'm upgrading to a carbon Sight under warranty. I'm converting it to 29/29 with the missing link kit and bringing my build over minus the suspension. Very interested to compare and contrast with largely identical parts and on the same trails.

That will be a very different experience! I had one for a short time and adored it, honestly still wish I had one now. Keen to hear what you think once you have some time on it. Pic of mine because sharing is caring.

I've also come off the Optic and snagged a very flash current gen ASR locally.