29er

The Good:

~ Easily over-forked, to 150-160mm ~ Climbs stepped, rock faces like a Boss
~ Sends five foot drops to flat, without issue
~ Potential to build 26-pound Trail rocket
~ One of the toughest carbon fiber frames in the industry
~ Begs to be ridden fast and hard

The Bad:

~ Your skills will need to catch up

Overall Review: I have tested a whole gaggle of bikes: 1) Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 2) Yeti SB95c 3) Ibis Ripley v.4 4) Pivot Mach 429 Trail 5) Trek Remedy 9.9 6) Cannondale Jekyll Carbon 1 7) Transition Scout 8) Kona Process 134 9) Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL When the smoke cleared.... on...

Posted by Zachariah on 11/5/2019 8:19 AM

Depending on the time of year, the orientation of celestial bodies or the status of soybean futures, I may or may not care how mountain bikes are labeled. I started riding in the mid-1990s, and every ride I went on was a “cross-country” ride. The only other kind of riding was downhill, and in th...

Posted by sspomer on 10/29/2019 9:02 AM

Breaking tradition and revolutionizing the short-travel trail bike, Santa Cruz has packed a full case of radness into a tight little package with the fourth-generation Tallboy 4. Straying from the usual shorter travel equals steeper head angle and shorter reach equation, Santa Cruz trickl...

Posted by dstucki on 8/19/2019 9:34 PM

When Devinci launched the Django in 2016, it came in either a 27.5 or 29-inch platform. The aim was simple: a fun trail bike for exploring the hills. Vital tested and loved the 29-inch iteration (the only form offered now) so when we were invited out to Bromont, Canada to try out the late...

Posted by BHowell on 8/13/2019 2:46 PM

The Giant Reign has been in production for 15 years, and on the verge of getting its driver license it has undergone some serious changes. We were invited to Revelstoke, British Columbia to have a look and get some quality time on the new rig. Surprises lay around every corner. Across every mo...

Posted by Mint on 8/6/2019 5:46 PM

Kona is a brand with a history of doing things their way. Their pseudo-delinquent, never-not-having-fun attitude has delivered some noteworthy bikes piloted by amazing athletes. A few weeks back we traveled to Bellingham, Washington for a visit with Kona to learn about what they had in th...

Posted by BHowell on 8/6/2019 1:44 PM

Ihave learned a thing or two over the years of racing downhill – how to separate the wheat from the chaff as the old saying goes. So when I got the call to swing my leg over one of the most anticipated downhill bikes, from one of the most established brands, at one of the premier downhill riding...

Posted by BrianBuell on 7/8/2019 3:19 PM

Inits debut, the Santa Cruz Hightower developed a bit of a reputation for being a “dad bike.” It was a pretty good all-rounder that just seemed to lack a certain amount of excitement surrounding its geometry and capability. Fast forward to now… dad grows a beard, gets some neck tats and s...

Posted by dstucki on 7/1/2019 5:08 PM

The time has come to unveil the latest weapon in the Santa Cruz Bicycles arsenal. Meet the Megatower – a bike that is a big enough departure from its predecessor that it deserves its own name. From some perspectives, the Santa Cruz Hightower LT was a compromise, and the race-driven brand ...

Posted by bturman on 3/15/2019 5:07 AM

The Good:

Excellent climbing position and pedaling platform.
Cutting edge geometry seems to work.
Plows through any line, but still pops and plays.
Quiet, and the internal routing is clean and easy.
Can race enduro almost out of the box.
Highly tunable suspension.
Truly a bike to progress on.
Can run a coil(trying a push shock soon)
Water bottle!

The Bad:

Expensive, particularly this build with no carbon wheels.
Tires are not up to race spec for most tracks.
Did I say expensive?
Sizing could be tricky.
Definitely requires an aggressive riding style and position to really attack the corners( this is also a pro I think)

Overall Review: I don’t have time to type up a full review, but I have put about 100 miles on a demo SB 150 in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA.  I have also been on the SB 130 an equal amount of time and I will give thoughts on that bike another time.   My experience on the SB 150 has been really fu...

Posted by yetimike2019 on 3/2/2019 8:42 AM

Last fall we flogged Kona’s updated Process G2 and had a blast doing it. The update improved every single trait of the bike, but many folks were left wondering, “Where’s the wagon wheeler?” Kona hinted at the fact that a 29-inch Process 153 was in the works. Shortly after the release of the Proc...

Posted by hurricanejoel on 12/18/2018 9:15 AM

The last time we spent some miles aboard the Devinci Troy was back in 2016 during Vital MTB Test Sessions. At the time, we were impressed with the (then 27.5) bike’s ability to be pushed hard. A lot has changed since our last ride. With new standards, shock mounts, suspension improvements, wheel...

Posted by hurricanejoel on 11/25/2018 10:16 AM

SB130 Highlights 29-inch wheels High-modulus carbon fiber frame and swing arm with C-Series and TURQ material options 130mm (5.1-inches) rear travel // 150mm (5.9-inches) travel fork with shorter 44mm offset Switch Infinity suspension system with two-piece wishbone-style shock e...

Posted by bturman on 9/10/2018 1:51 AM

SB150 Highlights 29-inch wheels High-modulus carbon fiber frame and swing arm with C-Series and TURQ material options 150mm (5.9-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inch) travel fork with shorter 44mm offset Switch Infinity suspension system with two-piece wishbone-style shock ext...

Posted by bturman on 8/27/2018 3:30 AM

The Good:

Fast, corner slayer, does not feel like a big bike at all

The Bad:

brand name

Overall Review: I had a chance to ride this bike in Crested Butte last weekend. The bike is amazing, corners like a bmx, I was laying this puppy side ways on the berms and the rear just railed. Very impressed by the new design, chatted with Tyler for a while. A very passionate and knowledgeable individual. Bike...

Posted by Alta_Racks on 8/26/2018 11:27 AM

There is something good going on in the Salt Lake and Park City region. It seems that when a bike company wants to have a good time, these sprawling mountains offer plenty of opportunity. Fezzari very recently invited us to the area to ride their latest bike, a big 150/160mm travel 29er. Free of...

Posted by BHowell on 8/24/2018 4:03 PM

Giant’s trail focused Trance platform has seen its fair share of changes over the years, adhering to both emerging standards and bouncing between wheel sizes. Yet for the 2019 Trance, Giant has potentially made its most significant leap forward to date. Taking cues from their enduro smashing ...

Posted by ollyforster on 8/6/2018 8:46 AM

The phrase “Made for Fun” is written somewhere on all of Marin’s bikes, their steadfast mantra. It is an ideology emphasized in the brand’s catalog, as there are no “filler” bikes or wonky in-betweeners, just fun shred-ready bikes that stack the ratio of smiles per mile. The ethos of the re-birt...

Posted by sideshow on 7/5/2018 10:06 AM

The Good:

Stiffness / Geo / Spec / Viper red

The Bad:

No carbon wheels as standard / Talas

Overall Review: The slash9.9 is nothing but wildfire, it’s smouldering looks hide what’s it’s built for and that’s speed. The Slash as a whole loves speed the faster you go the suspension starts to sing, traction is never a issue part being 29r and geo/suspension balance. Fox X2 never fails to impress through v...

Posted by endurofactory on 6/1/2018 1:18 AM

Pivot's Mach 429 Trail was born from cross-country roots with a hint of some big bike influence. During a previous Vital MTB Test Sessions it wowed us with its incredible sense of efficiency and playful, spritely, rocket ship feel, but it often fell behind when trail conditions got hairy. New ...

Posted by bturman on 5/16/2018 6:20 PM

During the 2018 Vital MTB Long-Travel 29er Test Sessions, the Trek Slash went head-to-head with four other leading bikes. What follows are our thoughts specific to the Slash. Be sure to check out the main feature for an in-depth comparison video, timed testing results, and more. Highlig...

Posted by bturman on 3/2/2018 11:00 PM

During the 2018 Vital MTB Long-Travel 29er Test Sessions, the Transition Sentinel went head-to-head with four other leading bikes. What follows are our thoughts specific to the Sentinel. Be sure to check out the main feature for an in-depth comparison video, timed testing results, and mor...

Posted by bturman on 3/2/2018 10:40 PM

During the 2018 Vital MTB Long-Travel 29er Test Sessions, the Specialized Enduro Coil 29 went head-to-head with four other leading bikes. What follows are our thoughts specific to the Enduro. Be sure to check out the main feature for an in-depth comparison video, timed testing results, an...

Posted by bturman on 3/2/2018 10:23 PM

During the 2018 Vital MTB Long-Travel 29er Test Sessions, Evil's The Wreckoning went head-to-head with four other leading bikes. What follows are our thoughts specific to The Wreckoning. Be sure to check out the main feature for an in-depth comparison video, timed testing results, and mor...

Posted by bturman on 3/2/2018 10:08 PM

During the 2018 Vital MTB Long-Travel 29er Test Sessions, the Orbea Rallon went head-to-head with four other leading bikes. What follows are our thoughts specific to the Rallon. Be sure to check out the main feature for an in-depth comparison video, timed testing results, and more. High...

Posted by bturman on 3/2/2018 10:00 PM

The Good:

Endless DH capabilities || Stable || Cool Factor

The Bad:

Bad Pedal Bob || Limited Rear Tire Clearance || $$$

Overall Review: Hello everyone! I got a chance to do a ride review on one of my bucket list bikes – the Evil Wreckoning. Man is this a DH monster. I could honestly see myself slapping a DH fork on this and just having it be my DH bike. It was that good. Anyways, check it out and let me know what you think. If y...

Posted by TamiJean on 12/7/2017 12:17 AM

The Good:

___________________

The Bad:

____________________

Overall Review: NOTE: This is not a Vital Review, I am simply following the format, as I think it is well structured, and would like to use it to allow a common read of a review. So a few weeks back Transition released a video detailing their new SBG geometry, (seen HERE) where they described how lengthenin...

Posted by Rconroy on 11/5/2017 3:22 PM

Big wheels keep on turning, or at least that’s how the saying goes. Wagon-wheeled bikes have come into the limelight this year, and for good reason. When paired with capable suspension and well-thought-out geometry, they offer rock crushing roll-over and traction smaller-wheeled bikes simply can...

Posted by jeff.brines on 10/26/2017 7:28 AM

The Good:

• Descending prowess (one of the most capable 29" bikes on the planet)
• Suspension kinematics
• Geometry (in intended environment)
• Fit (long)
• Chassis stiffness
• Eagle drivetrain
• FOX 36 GRIP damper performs better than expected
• Good candidate (long and slack) for playing with reduced offset forks (44, 42mm)
• Good wheels for intended use and price point

The Bad:

• ThruShaft shock durability
• Knock Block seems unnecessary
• Value could be better
• Seatpost leaves a lot to be desired
• With pedals my bike weighs a hair under 33-pounds
• Too much bike for most trail riding situations

Overall Review: Hey Vital MTBers, Jeff Brines here! This is not a formal review like I am accustom to doing, just some thoughts on my personal bike – a 2018 Trek Slash 9.8. Yes, this is the bike I paid for and chose as my race bike going into next season (even though I'm not sure how much I'll be racing...

Posted by jeff.brines on 9/13/2017 3:33 PM

What began as a friendship within Colorado's once thriving downhill racing scene has since turned into a full-time bike building endeavor, and the partners heading up the Denver-based Guerrilla Gravity bike brand continue to push ahead with interesting new designs. Month after month they keep ex...

Posted by bturman on 7/17/2017 5:37 PM