$2,500 Full-Suspension Mountain Bike Comparison Test
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- čas přidán 5. 05. 2024
- Can a rider buying a full-suspension mountain bike get durability and peak on-trail performance for under $2,500? Vital MTBers, welcome to the third edition of our budget mountain bike comparison test. “Budget” is a relative word and $2,500 is a ton of money to spend on a bike you have to pedal yourself. Over the years, however, we’ve come to realize that if we want a full-suspension mountain bike that can withstand the rigors of lots of miles on legit trails, this is the price range to be in. Any cheaper and the bikes and their parts just don’t perform or hold up to real riding over time.
A huge thanks goes to our video supporters
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We’re testing new bikes here, but never forget the used market, which can bring a lot of bang for the buck if you know what to look for. Additionally, new bike prices are constantly changing with some big sales and discounts to be found, so keep in mind that the prices reflected in this video may differ from what you find today.
We rounded up 6 full-suspension 29ers in the 130mm to 140mm rear travel range. These are considered trail bikes if you’re unaware of how mountain bikes are classified. A trail bike is made to do a little bit of everything, and hopefully do it pretty well. It has more travel than a cross-country bike and less travel than what’s called an enduro bike. Some of our test bikes are purchased at local bike shops, while the others are ordered directly from the brands online and prices here don’t reflect shipping costs or taxes. Bikes bought from a local shop will be assembled and ready to ride out the door, while direct-to-consumer bikes require some assembly upon delivery. All the direct brands we tested provide the necessary assembly tools in the packaging like hex wrenches and shock pumps.
Every bike in our test has 29-inch wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and a 1x drivetrain which means there are 11 or 12 speeds on the rear gear cluster and only one chainring at the cranks. While there are component similarities between the bikes, each model is definitely its own machine with unique fit and riding characteristics.
This year, for good measure, we threw in a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Alloy which is currently on sale for $3,200. Would $1,000 price bump provide enough performance benefit to make our testers want to ignore the other bikes?
Join us for some fun as we put these bikes to the test near Reno, Nevada, and hopefully, you’ll get some insight about which bike may be best for you.
Video Contents
0:00 - Intro
1:42 - Bike Sizing, Testers, Overview of Test Fleet
3:40 - Bike Weight Challenge
5:18 - Marin Rift Zone 29 2 - $2,299
9:40 - Giant Trance X 29 2 - $2,280
12:39 - Rossignol Mandate Deore 11 - $1,499
16:10 - Polygon Siskiu T8 - $1,999
19:28 - Rocky Mountain Instinct A10 - $2,029
22:17 - Norco Fluid FS A3 - $2,249
25:19 - Would Our Testers Spend $1,000 More on a Nicer Stumpjumper?
We had a blast testing these wallet-friendly mountain bikes, and we hope that you’ve learned which bike may be best for you. Whether you’re spending $2,000 or $200 dollars on a bike, it’s all about the ride and all we want is that you get out on the trails and experience the joy a bike can bring. If you have any questions or comments, let us know down below and we’ll see you on the trails!
#MTB #mountainbike #bike - Sport
I love these budget tests, thanks for posting them.
Glad you like them!
@vitalmtb sorry to bother you what would be the best budget all trail-enduro full suspension mountain bike for the money today
@@aguacatecontreras8311 A great budget trail/enduro bike is the Marin Alpine Trail...160/150mm travel and great spec and geo for the price. Polygon has some good offerings as well. Jenson USA has the Marin alpine trail 7 for $1900 right now, it has a Yari fork and a select plus rear shock.....thats a crazy deal
I really enjoy a budgt bike review. It is what normal people can afford and it is great info for someone trying to get into the sport with a more capable bike than a Walmart bike. It is crazy when there is $10k + bikes. I am not sure who is buying those bikes and I make $140k/year.
Totally agree. $1k to $2k is a big difference. $5k to $10k is hardly noticeable.
I agree that having these budget reviews is great. I would say that I know a lot of people who buy $5k - $8k bikes (including me) because we race frequently and look for any additional performance gains we can get. I know a lot of guys who drive $60k pickup trucks and wonder why people would spend more than $2k on a bike. I drive a 9 year old car that has been paid off for 6 years and prefer to spend a few thousand more on a great bike. It’s all priorities.
I agree about the priorities. I have a stable of bikes for the wife and I. Each have a trail bike, enduro bike, DH bike, fat tire bike & eMTB. Probably why we have kept our 2004 F150 for nearly 20 years so we can buy new bikes.
To be honest: nope.
Id rather have the high spec top bikes even tough I'm not gonna buy it. It's like watching a Porsche being reviewed even knowing i can never afford one.
There is this thing called dreaming and wow.
It's like watching a movie vs docu. Both cool but movie is cooler!
@@pascalkrieger3415Dang you are insufferable
One of the best vids all year. Would love to see a hardtail test in the same price range.
Having purchased the Marín half way through the year I'm SO glad I did and did so thinking of those upgrades they mention @ the end. Great handling bike and Best bang for the buck, obviously
It needs to said for newer riders that 2500 for a bike is expensive. I got along perfectly fine riding real Colorado trails with a 1400 dollar brand new full suspension Giant Stance 2. It was reliable and the parts held up no problem. You get more features and better equipment if you spend more but you don’t have to spend 2500 dollars like these guys are saying to have a reliable rig to go ride. Don’t buy a Walmart bike and you’ll be good. Even my 600 dollar new Specialized Rock Hopper did just fine with no reliability issues. You have to look at this thru the right lenses. Guys like on this video that are used to riding double blacks with 170mm travel bikes that cost 10 grand will say these 2500 dollar bikes aren’t that great. 2500 dollar bikes are really really good and 1500 dollar bikes are still good and keep you on the trails reliably
Right. I'm sure a Siskiu T6 for $1500 is gonna be just as reliable as the Siskiu T8 for $2300
I love how you critically go on to detail comparing these bikes. love your review still best bike for geometry marin
Loved this!! Great job.
Love this type of review. I'm hoping next year to switch to full sus on a budget. Too bad I can't buy anything right now cause the deals are pretty crazy. They were selling that Norco fluid here for only $2k cad. Obviously the spec isn't the best but at that price it doesn't matter.
One bike that looks really interesting to me is the updated 2024 giant stance, which now has thru axle and better geo. Hopefully you guys get to test that one when it comes out.
Also it's nice to know that the 2 piston Shimano brakes work alright because most cheap bikes come with those but I've never tried them.
Great video. Great selection of bikes
👍🏻👍🏻
I've had my Polygon T8 for almost a year now. It's been a solid performer.
I appreciate how the context for the price range is set as well as tips on checking the used market. 👍 Kudos Vital.
Great review! I'm looking to get my fiance a MTB at this price point and this video was super helpful!
Well I wish this video was out when I was getting my first real MTB bike I had to do a lot of research and got the marine rift zone 2 witch I love and am slowly doing up grades and am happy with my bike but would have been easy to buy something that I didn’t like or fit so these videos are worth there weight in gold I love your brake down and I also learn a few thing about my bike I didn’t no it had a micro spline so thanks for that great video and I no it’s gonna help people. 👍
I'm surprised the Canyon Spectral 125 didn't make the list. Excellent review and comparison though! Loved it.
I was surprised and impressed to learn about the inclusion of a freehub on the Marin, a bike I'm looking at. That and the Alpine Trail, and the Ibis Ripmo.
Recently purchased the Marin rift zone Xr for $2300. I have about 20 miles on it so far. I’m 5 foot 10” tall and weight 220 fully kitted on the size large. Things I like, this bike is an all a rounder, corners playfully with that short rear end, the shimano 4 piston brakes have all the stopping power in the world when pushing it to the limit, dual Maxxis assegies have a ton of grip in various terrain, the Marzocchi z1 air took some effort to dial in but is nice and soft off the top and provides predictable mid stroke and bottom out protection. The rear fox float X tracks the ground on chop and edges but if very poppy and playful for coming out of berms and getting in the air considering its heft, with a 65.5 degree hta it feels nimble and quick around tight switchbacks, and initiating corners. Things that could be better depending on your style of riding or terrain you ride would be: faster rolling rear tire, (dissector/trail boss, even a specialized eliminator would work), converting to tubeless sooner that later, I’ve yet to do it, and some DMR V11 pedels for there grip and slight con cavity.
The Marin bars and cockpit setup are plenty good and I don’t plan on upgrading any of it until it breaks or wears out. Overall a joy of a bike to ride and play on, it really is made for fun! Great video
Bought the same bike in size Medium, love the spec but bummed it came with Sunrace cassette which means HG hubs.
What a fun video, thank you. 😃👍🏾
Great video
Great test 👍
The deals on the Rossignols are insane. I didn't even know they made bikes.
Really enjoyed watching this. I feel like this review is for most people who just want a capable bike to have fun with on the trails and think spending $5k or more is the only way to get a nice mountain bike. Marin makes great bikes. I really enjoyed my first real mountain bike, the Bobcat Trail 3 hardtail. If I were to get a full suspension, it would be the Rift Zone for sure.
I bought my son the Norco Fluid A3 and shortly after the Rockshox 35 developed a bushing issue. It was sent to RS and they sent back a Pike Ultimate (C2.1)! So now it's a bit lighter and much nicer to ride :) Next upgrades will be a GX shifter and nicer wheels.
Wow nice job Rockshox!
Bikes Direct has Motobecane bikes priced $1500 to $3500. Why are they never included in these reviews ? Makes me wonder if these reviews are biased by whomever is paying the reviewers...
Without question, a famtastic comparison video.
I would have liked a bit more detail describing suspenion pedal bob or brake jack. Or just more info about handling.
Still a great video
Thanks
👍
Can't be happier to have bought my Jeffsy Core 2 last year. It's not spec as well this year.
I used to run the vee snap trail a month ago, thing is they hook pretty well until you get to harder patches as you said, I saved a front wheel washout followed by a 180 drift. Pretty intense but I politely removed them from my rims, straight to the pile 😂
For anyone wondering, the "11spd" Shimano Deore RD-M5100-SGS is happy to double as 12spd just by replacing the shifter to 12spd (SL-M6100/7100/8100). The RD-M5100-SGS and RD-M6100-SGS is basically the same product with different paint jobs.
but you still need to replace the chain and cassette, which becomes expensive because of the hg freehub body
Helpful video!
I been riding a V1 Carbon Ripmo for a few years now (XT/Ibis Carbon wheels with I9s). I do consider cheaper bikes as a next ride since many seem happy with them for the most part and am tired of spending money on these bikes as much as I love them!...LOL.. I'd love to demo a Marin.
It seems these cheaper bikes are getting progressively better and better and am beginning to believe it makes more sense to buy one over the pricier bikes. It's just a matter of finding the right one.
Got the stumpjumper alloy back in 21 for $2999 cad and put a $1000 in it over time upgrading myself. Learned alot and happy with the bike.
Same here, I got the Stumpy alloy back in 21 for $2200 USD and I have upgraded the brakes, wheels ( which was covered by the shop due the factory wheels being too weak, shout out to Contes bike shop) and rear suspension. The bike has been awesome since the upgrades and still rides strong today.
Same here, I got the Stumpy alloy back in 21 for $2200 USD and I have upgraded the brakes, wheels ( which was covered by the shop due the factory wheels being too weak, shout out to Contes bike shop) and rear suspension. The bike has been awesome since the upgrades and still rides strong today.
I agree with the Marin Tires assessment. Stock tires are garbage. Also, if you are a heavier rider (190lbs+), I wouldn’t buy a Marin as the frame in the larger frame sizes has a weak top tube; I cracked mine on a descent.
I would get the Rift Zone XR instead of the stumpy
In my opinion, the best budget bike a mountain bikers can buy if they are on a budget (talking about an enduro bikes) is Radon Jab 9.0. Comes with a Rockshox Zeb Select+ and Magura MT5's and the bike comes in at about 2300USD (or around 1800USD because they are the mostly on sale). I hope you guys will take the bike in consideration if you ever man a budget enduro bike video. Cheers!
I bought a bike with a 150mm Bomber Z2 (27.5) and after five rides the bushings (plastic) were finished. I'm a 45 year old dad, only 165lbs with full kit and I don't jump or do big drops. I wanted to love the Bomber since I had those original ones way back, but I would stay away from the Z2. Fortunately Fox replaced the lowers for free (under warranty) this time.
Where is the review part of this video? It seems like a first-look overview, mostly about spec. Why was the Marin everyone's favorite? Did I miss the part where they talk about the ride quality of the bikes?
I'll offer this having ridden several of these and having watched lots of reviews on all of these:
Best part spec: Polygon T8 (tires and suspension are worth about $600 more than the next closest bike in this group)
Most plush rear suspension: Instinct
Best climber: Trance X
Best downhill: Instinct/Norco Fluid
The stumpjumper is a great all-arounder but even with the sale there are better values out there.
I watched this again, still confused about how the Marin was a favorite. The negatives on the Instinct was the tires and brakes. The tire on the Marin came off the rim while riding... Can't get much worse than that. The brakes that the Marin has can be put on the Instinct for about $100 including installation
The black Fox T-Shirt looks awesome, got links?
I'm looking for my first (moving to Tucson) and probably last (62 yo) mountain bike.
I road bike now and know what good and bad feels like and will spend what it takes, but don't want to waste money.
I appreciate the look into bikes in the $2G range.
I think there needs to be better regulation on what bike companies tell you is coming on your bike and what is actually delivered. I bought a Norco FS1 this year and multiple parts on the bike were not what was advertised. They hide behind their disclaimer that they have the right to change out parts but if they're advertising certain parts and replace them with cheaper parts without telling the consumer then that is a problem. Unfortunately for a lot of us I can't tell if one parts is better or worse than the other so I'm left wondering if I've been taken to the cleaners. It came with completely different rims that seem to be the exact same as the ones I got on my $1,200 mountain bike I started mountain biking with, rather than the ones that were advertised.
My Spur was supposed to come with Race Face rims but came with WTB crummy rims.
I bought a Giant Trance X1 a little over 2 years ago and been slowly upgrading it and it is a totally diferent and much more capable bike. Now that I'm done with the upgrades I don't feel the need to buy something more expensive.
....something to think about based on my experience. Sx eagle is good for one season on the shifter and maybe 2 seasons on the cassette. Plan on that if you get one of these with SX. I rode a carbon Giant trance for a few years. It was a fun bike
The most important thing was upgraded on the Polygon: the seat tube-top tube gusset. The tall triangle shaped one from previous years was known to fail where the gusset welds met the top tube.
I just bought a T8 and didn't know about the rear hub😢 I was planning to upgrade rims but this is gonna up that cost
@@travisgibson5545if you end up keeping the HG freehub body I’d highly recommend the Shimano link glide drivetrains. They are super solid and perform well. Also I picked up a set of Hunt Enduro Wide V2’s with an hg freehub for $400 and they’ve stood up to a ton of abuse, and have good hubs.
The budget bikes are so good now a days that the question we should be asking is why do we even spend more. I remember 15-20 years ago, where the 2k mtb market was filled with terrible Heyes or Juicy 3 brakes, nickel coated non-adjustable super heavy forks and no name shocks. The geo was terrible and the bike weight was about 1.7 tons, the tires were made out of paper and the wheels were made out of rubber. It was absolutely terrible. Back then you were pretty much forced to spend good money on a mtb to get something half decent. Now look at these bikes. They are amazing for the price. At our store we sell a somewhat lesser known bike called the Kellys Thorx 10 for about €2500, and that bike is amazing for the price. It even has a vpp rear susp and rides really good. Im very impressed with the budget bikes of now a days
Great review, thank you! My son and I both have GIANT Trance 29 2 under and Trance X 29 2 - both are under $2000. loving it.
Hi their.. Can you guys make one with XC bikes? Thanks in advance. And I'm a new subscriber 💪
& why didn't the girls their opinion?
That Rocky is gorgeous
I own the Giant X3 in 27.5 .... I hated the levers of the Tektro brakes despite the fact that they have a super strong bite so I swapped them for Shimano MT6100 4 caliper set; the anchors for the bottle cage are too close to the neck so there's no room for a regular bottle inside that small triangle but you install a side load cage and a small bottle and problem solved. I ride the bike on the High setting of the flip chip, it works for me. The bike is heavy but it rides like a dream and it's trouble free. My options were the Marin, the Trek Fuel and the Trance, at the end, the Trance won me over. The fact that Trek does not offer the Fuel with 27.5" wheels is plain stupid.
Vital always delivers!
With black friday sales and the overstocking of bikes and brand needing to get rid of them i think now is a really good time to buy. There are some super sick deals out there. Often you can save 15-20%. In addition these bikes are actually in stock and you dont need to wait 2 months for them to have them shipped from Asia.
It’s even better than that. There’s currently deals in the UK like I’ve never seen in over 20 years of riding bikes. Santa Cruz 5010 at 40% off. Some of the really high end stuff is actually borderline affordable at the moment. It’s not going to let up anytime soon either. Definitely a good time to buy a new bike, but conversely it’s also a terrible time to sell a second hand bike.
you didnt mentions the hubs on some of the other bikes vs the marin
How do you not have a YT on this list?
Great review! I looked at several of these before I ended up buying a YT Izzo Core 2. It was a couple of hundred more than most bikes on this test but was well worth the carbon frame and overall better suspension and brake components. Would be curious to know your opinions on how it compares to the Marin as that was clearly the favorite on this test. In my opinion YT’s are hard to beat in terms of value and overall quality for the money.
indeed, the capra uncaged 10 cf currently goes for 2800 but has fox performance fork and coil shock, code r brakes, gx transmission with xd body, full carbon frame and 2,5 maxxis tires
How does the Izzo smooth out the bumps?
@@user-rj9ui3sz8u great on everything except super chunky enduro type terrain. Compared to my friends 2019 Stumpjumper it’s a much more solid feeling platform while also pedaling uphill faster and absorbes the bumps better. The only upgrade the Core 2 would need is a better cassette and derailleur. I switched mine over completely to Shimano XT but it’s not necessary
@@mrmotovisor3417 Thanks, my last bike was a 2019 Stumpjumper alloy and now I have a Spur. The IZZO sounds like it would be right up my alley. Off the top suppleness is most important to me.
I picked up a trek top fuel w hydro discs, fox shocks front/rear for $175 off marketplace. Can destroy any trails in pisgah w it, will be racing xc next year with it. My main ride is a $56 goodwill diamondback from 1997. A new 1x8 and vee pads, I will ride it till I take top ten in local stravas… my $85 27.5 giant is my enduro bike I hope… so much rusty time, honestly wish injust got a rift zone 😂😂😂😂😂😂 and didnt deal w used crap..
If you ask me the best all MTB on a budget is the polygon colossus n7 at 1999$ it’s specked very well with good parts and suspension and I really don’t like when y’all say cheap bikes it can be a deterrent for some people who are actually looking to buy one of these bikes and as of today the polygon n7 is 1799$ you can’t beat that
I’m glad someone is converting these seems absurd for a normal person to spend more than this on a bike.
Hi all I have giant advanced pro 2 29 what a trail bike it is to ride thanks
I really wonder why Rose Bikes is never mentioned. They sell the Root Miller 3 for 2700 atm and it has full Fox Factory parts as well as a sram x01 derailleur e13 dropper and dtswiss rims. I bought the bike for 4k last year but i think if you consider "Budget bikes" now its the time to mention it
Polygon and Marin are made by the same folks I believe...I have a Polygon and it has been rock solid for 3K and counting!
Yours has a slx gearset and microspline hub 😢
11 speed, no Microspline@@travisgibson5545
Those brakes came stock on my giant trance, I had to replace the levers with TRP levers that fit... Other than that they were good brakes.
Then I put shimano brakes on anyway. 😂
how tall (in cm) is your tester who rides marin in size large ?
That's funny that the Instinct actually has more reach than its big brother the Altitude.
i feel like 2 of the bros are actually bros. is that correct? also, great video for those of us who still want to dream of 2010 mtb pricing!
And why not the Specialized? Oh because it is a Specialized.
People already have their mind made up about that brand. You either like the brand because it is a quality bike and bike frame. Or you bash on it because it is the big S. The brand that everyone knows and loves to role their eyes at.
I feel like Specialized bikes are like the Yankees. You either love it or love to find things grip about from the brand.
Would rather hear about rider experience rather than all the details of each bike, that can be given in a list on screen.
I want feedback - how they ranked and what came last etc ...
Love me a shootout video
never bought anything more expensive than 2K USD
I've ridden my Remedy 7 (1500 USD) with a RS 35 GOLD and some cheap shock for over 2 years before upgrading.
I cased some of the biggest jumps in central EU. I've ridden some of the gnarliest DH tracks around and it was more than enough for my 95kg ass.
Where is the Commencal?
Vital mtv Sorry to bother you what would be the best budget all trail - enduro full suspension today
most of these brands have 150mm travel bikes in similar price ranges. there are A LOT of good deals out there, so do some research and see which may be best for your riding style and terrain.
Marin’s website says it uses HG and a sunrace 11-51t cassette? Which is it? I’ll prob end up getting the Marin as I can get one for $1900 with military discount locally. Then, upgrade the brakes to XT 4 piston F+R as I am a bigger guy. Also, prob get an ispec Shimano XT shifter and Shimano ispec dropper remote with the brake upgrade 🤷♂️
if you can see one locally, you should be able to tell which cassette is on there. we'll reach out to marin to see if they specify what comes on it now. as noted in vid, our shock on the marin was nicer than listed on their site, too.
Marix Rift Zone XR 23 came with sunrace cassette on the one i bought recently.
Just bought a YT Izzo Comp 2 for 2,500 on sale. How do you feel it would stack up against this pack?
miles away in performance i'd say, half carbon frame with fox performance fork and shock, even at full price is better than the specialized
Asik juga sepedanya
I bought my girlfriend an Instinct A10, and after putting my old fox 36 forks on, switching to Michelins, and throwing a set of XT brakes on, it's a missile. The stock brakes sucked.
I just cant get over the weight. My 30 pound full sus feels like a sled already compared to my 27 pound 26er. Cant image dragging around 4 to 10 more lbs.
Do you think its worth it improve my suspensions on my stumpjumper comp alloy to fox 36 factory 150mm or 34 factory 140mm in front and factory dps with cascade link to 138mm in back? i love the bike but i feel like in steep trails i suffer a bit
Help me guys give me yr toughts
Get the 36 grip2 fork and ditch the dps rear shock for a float x
@@That.Guy. do you think will be worth the difference? This is an hard investment
Absolutely 100% not worth the investment. And if you do decide to buy a new fork, get the performance elite fork instead of the factory fork. It's exactly the same fork, just with black stanchions instead of kashima. We just did the Vital Enduro Test Session and none of us noticed a difference between factory and performance elite forks@@fishingoccasions1034
you can get a deore 11 speed cassette with a 51 tooth rear cog
8:15 I would prefer HG at this kind of build. Wheel upgrade should happen first anyway
You can get most mid-high end wheelsets in HG - just buy an MS/XD freehub body if you upgrade your drivetrain.
I don't know why but it's still hard to buy these bikes, because where i live they cost a lot more than you say in the video, but the most important problem is the trails in my country are made for enduro and downhill bikes, this means that the bikes from the video won't hold up
The Marin would be a decent platform to start with
i mean it's good but here the trails are downhill bikes only, so you need at least an enduro@@Number18ster
If you are prepared to wait for a good sale you can get a great bike for under 3k USD. I paid less than than for a 2023 trek slash 8 new which will keep up with bikes which cost twice that
Damn bikes have gotten heavy, 15.4kg with pedals is the lightest, makes me really appreciate my 2019 norco fluid fs1, that was 15 and a half kg but with some upgrades it now weighs 13.8kg with pedals.
Depends on how you ride, but I would argue they used to be too light. Once you start getting up to decent speeds, stuff starts to break on a light bike. I would take 2-3 extra kgs for reliability.
@@vlbz Now they've gone too far in the other direction, I ride at decent speeds on chunky stuff and not broken anything on the bike in the 3 and a half years I've owned it, except for a wheelset (buckled) dt swiss ex471 rims, but they lasted about 4 years on two different bikes, heavy bikes drain your energy faster on longer rides, plus they're generally a bit sluggish in everything they do, except bombing downhill in a straight line.
@@benjy288 makes no difference for me. Sticky enduro/dh tires slow me down a lot. Suspension maybe makes a very minor difference, I'm not even sure. The weight of the bike I couldn't even tell by riding it.
@@vlbz Really? I can tell easily, heavier bikes accelerate slower, are harder to pedal up hill, drain your energy faster on longer rides, are harder to get a rebound pop, aren't as nimble, they're basically worse in every area, about the only advantage they do have is they're more planted on fast rough stuff.
@@benjy288 maybe because I'm not exactly skinny, and the bike weights nothing in comparison.
Budget?!
don't know if it exists in the us, but radon makes really good bikes for little money..
crazy to call 2500 budget thats more than my first car
More than my current car. Got a nice 2004 Subaru Outback for 1900
duudes for this money you can get trek slash, nukeproof mega or even giga those bikes are not regular cheep bikes.
Why no Canyon?
or YT
Entry level is my budget.
I kove the marin bikes, but i gotta say their rims are so bad. I really dont think Vee tires are the problem.
For me rift zone is the best among the others...
How come no one tests YT bikes? They seem so much cheaper for what you get compared to a lot of other brands... Are they just bad?
no they are good its just a lot of these channels work with bike shops and manufactures and barely ever talk about direct to consumer companies
Why not talk about how they climb?
Primero en ver el vídeo
You can just get a top of the line used for the same price
Huge sales right now - 30% 0ff
2.500 IS a budget bike. But people that get into Mountanbiking wont by a bike that's so expensive. You might wanna do a Budget Budget Bike rewiev like +-800-1000€/$/£ . And a vid on what to look for on used bikes
yeah this is like for the people who already have been riding cheaper hardtails or something and want to upgrade not for people just starting out
YT Jeffsy CORE 1 beats all these.
the new jeffsy came out as we were doing this test and it's an insane value! check out first ride feature here - www.vitalmtb.com/features/starting-2799-updated-geo-and-travel-yt-jeffsy-first-ride
I love that $2500 is cheap. To 99% of people that’s insane.
polygon did...
just look used
As a trance x 29 owner, can confirm the bike is amazing. I did upgrade to a gx derailuer, spank hex hub, higher rise bars, and a shorter stem. The Frame is so good you don't feel guilty upgrading.
that sounds like a fun upgrade!
@vitalmtb I have done a lot more, but I consider those real game changers. It was a great bike for the price, now it's an amazing bike.
Put some light wheels on it. I put a set of Roval Control Carbon wheels on mine and it’s night and day. Definitely feel it would hold its own against any trail bike out there.
What do you all do with the bikes after the tests? I am asking because, after purchasing a used bike and ended up having to save more money to fix and upgrade only to find out that it had been stolen. So, needless to say, I gave it back to the original owner and now I am out over $2000 and have no bike, so if you want to send something my way, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ladies and fellers.
I love my Rift Zone 2. Had a great full season this year, It shreds and takes on anything i threw at it here in Montana. I did upgrade my tires right off the bat though, to maxxis.