Like a lot of mountain bike companies, Trek is a brand born from a lack of offerings. The dream was to start a nationwide chain of stores in America in the early 1970s, but things didn’t turn out like that and a lack of available bikes required a re-think. Before an era of globalization, good American bikes weren’t available so Trek set out to change that. They envisioned high-quality options from the middle price points all the way to the top shelf offerings but the focus was on road bikes. The company became synonymous with the American mountain bike scene with the release of the first Stumpjumper in 1981.
The allure of both downhill prowess and pedaling and climbing efficiency. When it comes to Pivot and the Switchblade, they deliver on that promise through the technology that started the company, the DW-Link suspension. The new Yeti SB120 is a 120mm trail bike featuring Yeti’s unique Switch Infinity suspension system and the SB120 is the shortest travel frame that uses it. Switch Infinity is a four-bar system with a sliding pivot to alter the pivot position for greater control of kinematics. It’s the rise-and-fall movement of the lower linkage that gives the SB120 a remarkably nuanced feel, adding even more sensitivity, auto grip, and flutter-fast responsiveness compared to purely short linkage systems. Canyon didn’t invent the direct-to-consumer sales model, but the German brand is arguably the first brand that really made it work in the bike industry.
The SB120 has an uncanny ability to make everything from tires to grips to saddle, to mid-corner or black-grade, boulder run body position feel totally in the right place. It’s a tribute to how dialed the overall geometry is on the SB120; it’s nothing radical, just a brilliant place to be to enjoy all sorts of trails. That makes the SB120 an overachiever on descents with flowing rocky, rooty sections with a ridiculous amount of speed sustain for a 120mm travel bike. Travel is available when needed but support and ride height is maintained through even the hardest corners and compressions. For all the details and to find out what over four decades of evolution rides like, check out our full review of the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Comp.
The pedals, which were made of cheap plastic to begin with, finally cracked and broke to pieces while riding. I rode the Superia without pedals (just with the rod that would’ve connected the pedal to the crankshaft) for some time, but I found that wore out my shoes (and feet) in quick succession. In cosmetically great condition, not tested thoroughly but kickstand works and the wheels don’t seem to have any problem moving. Although the technology helped define the brand it was the culture of giving back that kept it sustainable. For more details, we have a full review of the Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1 and our experiences with Fox Live Valve. The Huffy Corporation is a supplier of bicycles with headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, United States.
Today, Santa Cruz huffy cruiser bicycles and Julianna continue to hand-assemble all models in its California factory and they stand behind that process. They are so sure of the quality they put out that all Santa Cruz bikes come with a lifetime warranty covering the frame and fork. Since then Trek, like Specialized, has been one of the pivotal brands when it comes to introducing new tech into mountain biking. Under the Gary Fisher name, it was the first brand to make a commercial push with the 29er wheel. While that took some development and weathered much criticism, Trek has certainly come out on the right side of history with 29ers becoming the most common wheel size in almost every MTB discipline. Trek was also one of the brands that made huge inroads by introducing carbon fiber to mountain biking with its OCLV development.
The Stumpjumper model was the first in a long line of mountain bikes bearing the name Specialized. It remains in the lineup over 40 years later but the innovation has never stopped. The Evo Comp is the most affordable bike in the range and presents excellent value, not just because you get front and rear triangles made from Specialized’s FACT 11m carbon but also its versatility on the trails. With that in mind, we’ve put together some of the bike companies we reckon consistently make many of the best MTBs out there. Keep reading to see our list of the best mountain bike brands and our expert reviews of the top rated models they’ve recently released.
While tires were a normal wear-and-tear thing (as the bike was ridden nearly huffy cruiser bicycles daily over the span of time I had it, as long as the weather was good), the bike started having other issues. One of the first issues I had with this bike was a flat tire after my grandfather massively overinflated (and blew) a tire with his air compressor. Designers wanted to lower the Jekyll’s center of gravity, and its frame features a twin-spar downtube. This is a bike targeted at committed enduro riders, who never shy away from any black-rated descent. In 1985 a welder from California named John Parker turned his passion into a business and founded Yeti.