2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol Race with Pistola Setup
Blown Away
The Good
Geometry; Suspension kinematics; High quality, USA made aluminum frame
The Bad
The small spacer used for the top bolt on the ISCG tabs; Cockpit feels short at first, but only when seated
Overall Review
I just can't believe how much fun I have had on this bike! The Trail Pistol climbs really well, making easy work of ascents. The steep seat tube angle puts you over the pedals making it easy to climb incredibly steep pitches. Seated, there is no noticeable pedal bob, and the heavily damped Deluxe rear shock keeps bob to a minimum during out of the saddle assaults. Initially, I found the steeper seat tube angle in combination to feel very strange and foreign, but not uncomfortable. After having
2017 Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon C S 29
Overall Review
Santa Cruz’s Hightower was just released a year ago, benefiting from the company's continued refinement of the VPP suspension system. It combines 135mm of travel with 29-inch or 27.5+ wheels to create a bike that can take on a wide variety of terrain while keeping up speed and staying as efficient as possible. With the most travel of any 29/27.5+ bike in their lineup, the Hightower is more than just an efficiency sled with some travel – it is truly a do-it-all bike. Santa Cruz has some of the
2017 Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon C S 29
8
Vital Rating:
2017 Liv Hail Advanced 1
Overall Review
Totally new to Liv for 2017 is the Hail series. This line of enduro/all-mountain bikes was designed from the ground up to fit and perform for women riders looking to ride technical trails. A first of its kind, this women’s bike has a healthy 160mm of travel front and rear and 27.5-inch wheels. The Hail has one goal in mind: to get you to the bottom of the mountain… and fast! Lucky us as Tucson, Arizona's Mount Lemmon loomed over the desert during Vital MTB's 2017 Test Sessions. There will be mud
2017 Liv Hail Advanced 1
1
Vital Rating:
RockShox Reverb 1X Remote
Vital Review
First Ride: RockShox Reverb 1X Remote
Overall Review
We ask a lot from our dropper seatposts - we want them to go up and down on command, lock out entirely, stay smooth, offer infinite adjustability, hold up to the constant abuse of dust and mud, and to do it over and over for months on end without ever servicing the things. From a designer's standpoint that is a very tall order, and it turns out manufacturing a good dropper is very difficult thing to do. RockShox has been at it for years, however, and while they've no doubt had their fair share
RockShox Reverb 1X Remote
5
1
Vital Rating:
2015 YT Tues CF Comp Bike
The Good
The Frame and Suspension kinematics
The Bad
The components, namely the SRAM components.
Overall Review
The frame is great. The feel of the bike on the trail is confidence inspiring. It manages to feel both aggressive and relaxed at the same time. The rear suspension is really progressive which means that it starts out supple, but gets stiffer as it moves through the travel, which helps prevent bottoming. There are lots of reviews out there about how great the YT Tues CF feels, so I wont go into more detail there. The bottom line is that I love the bike, but here's what I didn't like: Day one on
2015 YT Tues CF Comp Bike
1
1
Member Rating:
2017 Norco Optic C9.2
Overall Review
Entering the scene in the spring of 2016, the new Optic is Norco’s addition to the growing short-travel trail bike market. Featuring 110mm of rear wheel travel, our test bike is built around 29-inch wheels but is also available in a surprisingly similar 27.5-inch option. The Optic was created simply to be a fun bike and is aimed at riders seeking a pedal smashing ride with trail capability. The varied and rocky terrain of Tucson, Arizona was a great place to see if Norco’s latest model lives up
2017 Norco Optic C9.2
1
1
Vital Rating:
2017 Ellsworth Rogue Sixty XT 1X
Overall Review
"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it all from birth and thereby not bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tent show whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a muddled field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." – Cormac McCarthy, Blood
2017 Ellsworth Rogue Sixty XT 1X
6
Vital Rating:
2017 Specialized Enduro Comp 650b
Overall Review
Hailing from a long legacy of trail and enduro performance, the 2017 Specialized Enduro brings some updates to a classic design. Available in both 650b (27.5) and 29/6Fattie (27.5+) versions, the new frame is longer, lower, comes in more sizes, and sports a little more travel. With 170mm of suspension and not-quite-plus 2.6-inch tires, the new Enduro is on the leading edge of new trends in an ever-changing category. We thrashed the Enduro Comp 650b down the loose and rocky trails of Tucson
2017 Specialized Enduro Comp 650b
3
14
Vital Rating: