Cross Country (XC) Mountain Bike Reviews
Which cross country mountain bike is fastest and lightest?
I modified my Santa Cruz Tallboy to make it the ultimate bike for BC Bike Race. And for the most part, everything worked out.
The Specialized Epic EVO nudges the racy XC bike into trail territory, making it the perfect choice for the BikeTransAlp multi-day stage race.
The latest Revel Ranger keeps the best attributes about the first version but makes it a better bike for the long haul.
The Rocky Mountain Element manages to fuse elements of XC, trail and enduro genetics into one incredibly fun and capable mountain bike package.
The latest Pivot Mach 4SL mountain bike gets considerably lighter, adds travel, and keeps its prized DW-Link suspension.
The Canyon Lux Trail isn't a short-travel trail bike; it's more precisely a long-travel XC mountain bike.
Like a great punk rock band, Evil's The Following is a downcountry bike that's much more powerful than the sum of its parts.
The 2022 Juliana Wilder is essentially an XC Trail bike that lands on the fun side of the MTB racing spectrum.
Full-size, full-capability folding mountain bikes have been around for a while. But how do they ride? Two models, tested.
The YT Izzo represents a big departure from the rowdy mountain bikes the brand has designed up until this point.
The Spot Ryve 115 has a unique suspension platform that feels almost energetic under pedaling.
The Sage Powerline titanium 29er mountain bike features timeless construction with a fairly progressive design that should serve riders for years to come. It's like getting an XC race bike, bikepacking rig, and everyday trail bike in a single package.
The Fezzari Signal Peak is a direct-to-consumer, aggressive cross-country/trail bike that offers considerable savings. We tested it in the arduous BC Bike Race.
Santa Cruz veers the Tallboy mountain bike away from the XC category and into a pedal-efficient machine, hungry for steep lines.
Matt tries out the new Viathon M1 hardtail mountain bike in Sun Valley, Idaho, and tries to figure out who it's really meant for.
With new geometry, suspension updates, and endless traction, the new Salsa Spearfish is more than just an XC 29er mountain bike.
Pivot replaces the Mach 4 and Mach 429 SL with the Mach 4 SL and blurs the lines between XC and trail bikes.
The Raleigh Tokul 3 hardtail mountain bike ticks most of the right boxes on the spec chart and looks great too.
The Ritchey Ultra adds modern touches like internal dropper post routing, a slacker head tube angle, and the ability to run wide tires to a classic, proven mountain bike design.
The Marin San Quentin is a hardtail mountain bike with modern, aggressive geometry and an affordable price.
The Cannondale Scalpel SE is a burlier, trail-worthy version of the Scalpel Si. Climbs like a bull-whipped horse and descends with confidence.
