Test Sessions
Back in 2013, Vital MTB set out with a mission to bring you the most honest, unbiased reviews you'll find anywhere. The yearly tradition continues today as we keep riding and rating the most exciting new bikes in great locations.
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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, Arizona during Vital MTB Test Sessions to see if this price point model can take a serious beating...
Posted by
bturman on 3/23/2017 10:58am
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TEST RIDE - Specialized Enduro Comp 650b from Test Sessions (Video)
Posted by sspomer on
2017 Intense Recluse Elite
Overall Review
Recluse: [noun] A solitary person who avoids the company of others. Brown Recluse: [noun] One of two poisonous spiders in North America. The bite of the brown recluse causes necrosis (death) of the tissue. Intense Recluse: [noun] A brand new carbon fiber all-mountain bicycle from a reputable American company. Was the new robin egg blue head turner from California going to be more like the hermit in the woods or the small nightmarish spider that causes your skin to turn black and die? Perhaps it would be neither, instead providing a ride so good that it would "keep you alone, out in front of...
Posted by
bturman on 3/17/2017 10:23am
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2017 Commencal Meta AM V4.2 Race Eagle 650b
Overall Review
"[The wilderness] had caressed him, and-lo!-he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh and sealed his soul to his own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation." - Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness The boys from the mountain country of Andorra have created something dark indeed. The Commencal Meta AM V4.2 looks like the graphic stylings of Dead Kennedys and Metallica's hate child, but would it ride like one? We set out to see during this year's Vital MTB Test Sessions. The long, low, slack beast checks all the boxes of a...
Posted by
bturman on 3/15/2017 9:43am
Related:
TEST RIDE - Commencal Meta AM v4.2 from Test Sessions (Video)
Posted by sspomer on
2017 Pivot Firebird Carbon Pro XT/XTR
Overall Review
With a complete overhaul for 2017, the Pivot Firebird gets some key geometry updates inspired by its downhill counter part, the Phoenix, complete with a brand new dw-link suspension layout. Featuring 170mm of front and rear wheel travel, the Firebird comes prepared to handle the gnarliest trails. We were stoked to get this bad boy out on some of Tucson, Arizona’s rocky, loose trails during Vital MTB Test Sessions to find out if these changes result in big gains. Highlights Carbon frame 27.5-inch wheels 170mm (6.7-inches) of rear wheel travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel dw-link suspension...
Posted by
bturman on 3/13/2017 10:28am
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2016 YT Jeffsy CF Comp 1 29
Overall Review
YThas made quite the leap into the suspension bike arena in the last few years. They've had notable freeriders and slopestyle riders before, but now with UCI World Cup Downhill Champion Aaron Gwin and some enduro racers on their side they have really moved into the big leagues with the bikes they have to offer. The Jeffsy 29 is one of their newest offerings, sporting 29-inch wheels and an ultra progressive suspension system they have come to be known for. As their first trail bike, it's designed to be an "everyday" ride. We put it to the test during the 2017 Vital MTB Test Sessions. Highlights...
Posted by
bturman on 3/10/2017 11:21am
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2017 Yeti SB5 Beti Carbon XT/SLX
Overall Review
One of Yeti’s most popular bikes, the SB5, has a twin sister in the Beti lineup. For 2017 the bike received a number of sweet updates atop women’s specific contact points, a lighter shock tune, and a gorgeous paint job. Built for “hard charging women who want the ideal trail bike,” we dropped in on Tucson’s Mount Lemmon during Vital MTB Test Sessions to find out if the second generation Beti can back up the bold statement. Highlights Full carbon frame 27.5-inch wheels 127mm (5.0-inches) of rear wheel travel // 150mm (5.9-inches) fork travel Switch Infinity suspension design Tapered Inset...
Posted by
bturman on 3/7/2017 11:40am
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2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol Race with Pistola Setup
Vital Review
Review - 2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol from Vital MTB Test Sessions (Product Review)
Overall Review
"Why does the guerrilla fighter fight? We must come to the inevitable conclusion that the guerrilla fighter is a social reformer, that he takes up arms responding to the angry protest of the people against their oppressors, and that he fights in order to change the social system that keeps all his unarmed brothers in ignominy and misery." - Che Guevara Debatably the tactics of guerrilla warfare were originally penned by Sun Tzu in The Art of War around 600 B.C. At its heart it is a series of tactics that a small army employs to fight against a much larger army. Guerrilla warfare is an agent of...
Posted by
bturman on 3/1/2017 10:33pm
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2017 Giant Trance Advanced 0
Overall Review
The 2017 Giant Trance Advanced sports nearly everything one could want out of a spec sheet. Do you want a carbon mainframe? Look no further. Want a really lightweight bike that can also rip down the trails? Sign us up. Want carbon wheels? The new Boost standard? A Metric shock? Every Trance Advanced model has those, too. With 10mm more travel up front compared to years past, the new Trance also sports 150mm/140mm of travel front and rear while rolling on 27.5-inch wheels. That's not all that's been updated, though, with an entirely new frame at work. Giant claims this bad boy is capable of...
Posted by
bturman on 2/27/2017 2:06pm
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2017 Devinci Django Carbon 29 SLX/XT
Overall Review
The Devinci Django was born as a completely new bike in early 2016, first with 27.5-inch wheels and later joined by 29-inch version. As the brand's first attempt to create a truly worthy 120mm travel trail bike, we couldn’t wait to see if the Django was ready to be unchained. We headed to Tucson, Arizona for Vital MTB Test Sessions to give it a proper go in a wide variety of terrain. Highlights Carbon DCM-G frame 29-inch wheels 120mm (4.7-inches) of rear wheel travel // 130mm (5.1-inches) fork travel Split Pivot suspension design Tapered headtube Internal cable routing FRG Cup compatible Two...
Posted by
bturman on 2/23/2017 6:09pm
Related:
TEST RIDE - Devinci Django Carbon 29 from 2017 Test Sessions (Video)
Posted by sspomer on
2017 Evil Calling X0 Eagle
Overall Review
Evil seems to have a habit of coming out with cool new stuff right about the time we get to testing. We were going to try out one of their other models, but when organizing Vital MTB Test Sessions this year they offered up a brand new rig. Of course we jumped at the chance to try out the fresh ride, as it looks to have some refinement and new features to fit into Evil’s growing line of trail weapons. Fun is a resounding theme in Evil’s line of bikes, and this 130mm travel ripper is no different. Unlike some manufacturers, they don’t have standard lines of cross-country, freeride, or race bikes...
Posted by
bturman on 2/22/2017 3:59pm
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TEST RIDE - Evil's The Calling from 2017 Test Sessions (Video)
Posted by sspomer on
Just The Bangers - 2017 Vital MTB Test Sessions Photo Gallery (Photo Album)
Posted by bturman on
2017 Vital MTB Trail Bike Test Sessions Introduction (Feature)
Posted by bturman on