The best mountain bikes of 2024

Ask anyone who has been riding for more than a few seasons, and they’ll tell you that mountain bikes keep getting better and better. Looking at this year’s crop of Singletracks readers’ favorite bikes, these are going to be tough to top! After considering hundreds of nominations, we collected thousands of votes, and these are *officially* the best bikes of 2024.

In addition to crowning the best bikes in the five categories below based on reader votes, we’ve also included our editors’ picks within select bike and component categories based on dozens of long-term bike reviews.

Best gravel bike of 2024: Santa Cruz Stigmata

It should come as no surprise that mountain bikers’ favorite gravel bike of 2024 is the Santa Cruz Stigmata. It’s one of the few gravel bikes with a sub-70° head tube angle that helps on steeper and more technical descents, and with room for tires up to 50mm wide (about 2in), it’s a bike that shreds both gravel and singletrack, too. Frame and complete builds are available at Competitive Cyclist.

Gravel bike runner-up: Salsa Cutthroat

Singletracks readers also like the Salsa Cutthroat, another sub-70° head tube angle gravel bike. It’s a popular choice for long-distance bikepacking routes like the Tour Divide, where it fits right in among the flat and drop-bar mountain bikes. Complete bikes can be found at Worldwide Cyclery.

Best cross-country bike of 2024: Revel Ranger

The Revel Ranger is a tough mountain bike to classify. The brand calls it a downcountry bike, but with just 115mm of rear suspension travel, it’s got less squish than some full suspension XC race bikes. In Matt Miller’s review of the Ranger last year, he noted it’s “a cross-country bike, with trail bike characteristics,” and though there isn’t a lot of rear squish, the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension design allows riders to take full advantage of the rear travel. Available at Worldwide Cyclery.

Cross-country bike runner-up: Specialized Epic

The Specialized Epic, with 120mm of suspension travel front/rear, was updated this year, and the eighth iteration gets even lighter with updated suspension kinematics and geometry. Choose from multiple builds at Specialized.

Best trail bike of 2024 and editor’s pick: Revel Rascal

With two Revel bikes receiving the most votes in their categories, you might think the voting was rigged. (It wasn’t, though Revel was one of the brands that encouraged their customers to vote.) Having tested the V2 Revel Rascal this year, I can confirm it’s an excellent mountain bike, and worthy of bike-of-the-year honors. It’s also my editor’s pick for the short-travel trail bike category. There really does seem to be something to the CBF suspension design, and Revel does an excellent job with their frame finishes and build selections. Buy from Worldwide Cyclery.

Trail bike runner-up: Ibis Ripley

The Ibis Ripley, with 130mm of DW-Link rear suspension travel, was updated in 2024 to share a frame with its bigger sibling, the Ripmo. The latest Ripley sports in-frame storage this time around and geometry that’s progressed a bit, but more importantly, has been refined for better size-specific fits. Available at Jenson USA.

Editor’s pick all-mountain bike of 2024: The Specialized Stumpjumper

In my recent review of the Specialized Stumpjumper 15, I wrote, “I’ve easily tested more than 100 mountain bikes over the years, but none have been as capable and refined as the Specialized Stumpjumper 15.” With 150/145mm of suspension travel front/rear, the Stumpjumper moves from trail to all-mountain territory for a bike that’s capable enough to handle just about anything. Shop builds at Specialized.

Best all-mountain bike of 2024: Canfield Tilt

Like Revel, Canfield is a small, Colorado-based bike brand with a loyal following. It’s clear that Tilt riders are passionate about this all-mountain bike, which features 150/138mm of travel front and rear. Singletracks chose the Canfield Tilt as one of our favorites in 2021, and though it received only minor updates in 2022, it’s clearly still a popular bike thanks to its progressive geometry and effective CBF suspension design. Buy from Canfield.

All-mountain bike runner-up: Ibis Ripmo

Riders love the Ibis Ripmo for the same reasons they love the Ripley, and the latest updates make this great bike even better. Available at Competitive Cyclist.

The freshly updated Pivot Switchblade deserves honorable mention in the all-mountain category, receiving nearly as many votes as the Ripmo. I tested the third-generation Switchblade earlier this year and found it to be an incredibly fun and capable descender that can also climb comfortably all day long. Shop builds at Jenson USA.

Best enduro bike of 2024: Yeti SB165

The Yeti SB165 landed this spring with mixed wheels, 165mm of Switch Infinity rear suspension travel, improved stiffness, and additional ground clearance. All of that adds up to an enduro race bike that’s designed to be ridden fast and rough. Buy a frame or complete build from Competitive Cyclist.

Enduro bike runner-up: Santa Cruz Megatower

Aside from fresh colors, the Santa Cruz Megatower hasn’t been updated substantially since 2022, but it’s still an incredibly capable and popular enduro bike among Singletracks readers. With 165mm of VPP rear suspension, buyers can add another 5mm with a longer-stroke shock to make it an even 170mm. Shop complete builds and frames at Jenson USA.

Best MTB components of 2024

As great as these mountain bikes are, without the right components, you’re basically left with a fancy piece of wall art. This year saw some major new and improved product announcements, from updated Fox Transfer dropper posts to new SRAM brakes and drivetrains. These are the standout components of 2024, according to Singletracks readers and our editors.

BEST MTB DRIVETRAIN FOR THE MONEY: Shimano XT. Singletracks readers overwhelmingly chose the Shimano XT drivetrain as the best value when it comes to mountain bike drivetrains, thanks to reliable performance at a reasonable price. A complete XT drivetrain is priced at about $350. Buy from Thunder Mountain Bikes.

EDITOR’S PICK MOUNTAIN BIKE DRIVETRAIN: SRAM GX Eagle Transmission. We’ve tested three levels of the new SRAM wireless drivetrain system and found that GX Eagle Transmission delivers excellent performance. (S1000 does too, though you’ll need to buy a bike to get it.) The T-type drivetrain is easy to install and maintain, making it our choice for any build. Available at Jenson USA.

BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE BRAKES: Shimano XT. Though the Shimano XT brakes haven’t seen an update for some time, readers clearly favor the brakes for their reliable stopping power, ease of maintenance, and excellent value.

EDITOR’S PICK MTB BRAKES: SRAM Maven Ultimate. Greg tested the SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes this year and concluded, “Once you’ve sampled their revolutionary stopping prowess, there’s no way you’ll be able to go back to the brakes you were running before.” Even the bronze-level Mavens we’ve tested offer gobs of stopping power with good modulation and quiet operation. Shop for Maven brakes at Worldwide Cyclery.

BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRE, FRONT: Maxxis Minion DHF. The Minion DHF is a popular choice thanks to its predictable cornering performance and the availability of countless variations so riders can get exactly the performance they need. Compare prices and sizes of the Maxxis Minion DHF.

BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRE, REAR: Maxxis Minion DHR II and Continental Kryptotal Re (tie): With so many bike builds matching the Maxxis Minion DHF with a DHR II tire in the rear, we’re not surprised to see the DHR is a popular tire as well. What is surprising is to see the relative newcomer Continental Kryptotal Re tied with the DHR II! Based on our tests, the Kryptotal Re definitely delivers and is worth a look if you’re in the market for a grippy rear tire. Find the Kryptotal Re at REI.

BEST DROPPER POST: Fox Transfer. Fox updated the Transfer dropper post this year, improving bushing and seals for improved performance and reliability. The latest Fox Transfer dropper posts feature adjustable travel, and buyers can choose posts with up to 240mm of drop.

BEST TUBELESS TIRE SEALANT: Stans. There are a lot of choices when it comes to tubeless tire sealant today, and Singletracks readers still prefer Stans. Based on our tests, it’s definitely a top performer.