It’s not really the longer, lower, slacker treatment, more like the crazier, shorter, more fun treatment. Shimano’s lineup is still roughly the same as it has been for a long time. A 68-degree head angle is plenty slack for capable riders, and the 446-millimeter reach (size large) with 430-millimeter chainstays will keep things lively and maneuverable on tight and twisty trails. Santa Cruz is one of the brands that offering from small to XXL sizing, so you can expect to be able to really dial in your fit. This might be the biggest consideration when thinking about a cross-country bike. Santa Cruz Stigmata 2020 cyclocross bike Review 9/10 Santa Cruz is best known for its mountain bikes, but it’s brought some of that knowledge to … Geometry has changed quite a bit over the years for XC bikes. Check out Jonathon Weber’s review of the Sniper Trail, If there’s a bike that defines this category, it might just be the SB100. ... has been completely redesigned for 2020, giving it … The mountain bike industry is at a pretty good point in time when it comes to drivetrains. This remote system adjusts both the front and rear suspension at the same time, with three stops from open to fully closed. Racers in particular appreciate the added top end a 2X drivetrain can offer, though some choose to get the same effect by simply going with a 36T or even 38T chainring on a 1×12 drivetrain. Widgets, Explore   The Ryve, which comes in either 100- or 115-millimeter flavors, is essentially a shorter-travel version aimed for the aggressive XC/marathon crowd, or really just anyone who wants a fun-loving bike with heaps of get-up-and-go. Most of the builds come with a 120-millimeter front end though, and are what you might call “BCXC” bikes. Stems on XC bikes are much shorter than they used to be also. Marathon, BCXC, light trail—this is the one genre that has resisted industry-standard (excuse the oxymoron) nomenclature. On paper, this bike might not seem like a good fit for this list. With those factors in mind, it’s more than likely that you’ll settle on the right bike. The short-travel XC/trail crossover category is one of the few flavors of bikes that aren’t meant for racing or going fast down a hill. You’ll get a Fox 34 Rhythm and DPS Performance, a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, Level T brakes with 180-millimeters rotors and WTB ST i25 TCS rims. A 66.5-degree head angle is mated with 76-degree seat angle and a 475-millimeter reach on a large. Thanks, your survey has been submitted to the Mass.gov team! While their upper-level M9000 XTR brake is made for XC, a cheaper option like the SLX or XT offers enough power most of the time and saves a lot of money. Unless you’re absolutely new to mountain biking, you’ll probably want to go with clipless pedals on your XC bike. 0 shares. Up and down, you’d be hard-pressed to beat out the SB100. Well, have you noticed that price tag? Don’t think it can’t hang in the rough either— Spencer Paxson clocked over 32,000 feet of climbing and descending in one day on this bike, lapping one of the steeper and gnarlier trails in Bellingham, Washington. Longer, slacker and, wait for it, steeper is the name of the game with the latest Ripley. Most hardtails will come with a 100-120mm travel suspension fork to keep the hands and wrists happy, while a full-suspension will get around the same amount for the rear travel also. A 66.5-degree head angle is mated with 76-degree seat angle and a 475-millimeter reach on a large. Both have KYB suspension, six-speed gearboxes and electric start. Available in either an alloy, alloy rear/carbon front, or full-carbon frame, the Element starts at a reasonable $2,500 and ends at a eye-watering $7,100. Go with what your current needs demand, but expect a little progression in your riding abilities as well. This is less about jumps and slamming berms and more about pedalling miles and crossing fells. The current generation of the Ripley shares the same roots as the OG, but quite a bit has changed over the years in the geometry department to make the Ripley the short-travel menace it is. 12 Best Cross Country (XC) Helmets 2020 [CPSC, CE Certified] Dion Lewis Updated Dec 16, 2020 Best Cross-Country Bike 7. This is what makes the sprightly nature of the suspension platform, and why we pondered how it would be in a short-travel package. Your information has been successfully processed! While there’s a great abundance of options on the market to choose from, we’ve gathered this list of 10 of our favorite non-directional-country bikes. That’s the sort of shenanigans the Ripley is meant for. The Living Link suspension is a tricky one to put a finger on. More important though, it’s the first in the Spark lineup to spec a Fox 34 instead of a 32. IMBA Epics | The original version was one of the first bikes in this category to turn heads and make people rethink their life choices. hills well? Wheelbases have been stretched on XC bikes for stability. Cross Country or XC electric mountain bikes are designed to handle a mix of rough forest paths, singletrack, gravel, or paved sections well. Most mountain bikes on the market are coming standard with a 1×12 speed drivetrain and if not, you can score a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain for under $500. XC bikes are more aggressive and confidence-inspiring than ever, while maintaining and even improving the pedaling efficiency that they’re known for. It’s simpler and easier to maintain than a drivetrain with a front derailleur and the range of gears is enough to get mountain bikers up steep climbs and still offer enough gearing to go fast downhill. With a bias towards trail riding, the Spark 940 really is an engaging and capable bike. This helps us keep doing what we do best–bringing you thoughtful and objective reviews, telling you stories of our sport’s greatest people, places and events, and showing you photos of impossibly huge landscapes populated by one tiny, tiny rider. Fresh off a 2020 redesign, the Ripmo V2 impressed our testers and is the best overall trail bike we've ever tested. Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links in this article. Scott Spark 940. Hammer up whatever you want, the more technical the better, reverse and repeat. and descending in one day on this bike, lapping one of the steeper and gnarlier trails in Bellingham, Washington. Rather than beat you to death with ‘pedaling efficiency,’ the Hei Hei is made to take some of the brunt of trail chatter to save you energy on long epics or on rougher trails. The bikes in the XC line from GasGas are aimed at western-style cross-country riding and racing and are stripped of lights and instruments. But like some newer XC bikes, the 69-degree head tube is a bit more relaxed, giving the bike a more playful, versatile ride. Up, down, you’d be hard-pressed to beat out the SB100. The NX-level build of the Ripley offers great value, even though it’s technically the budget build. That definitely helps put it on the nerdy XC end of the short-travel spectrum, but not so much that it comes with a strict spandex dress code. Check out Mike Ferrentino’s review of the Trance 29 Adv Pro 0 from the latest Bible of Bike Tests here. There are a couple builds of the Sniper Trail, but the Expert will get you some bang for your buck. With a minimal weight penalty, you get a lot more smashy-smashy capabilities up front with the 34. The Living Link suspension is a tricky one to put a finger on. Review of the Diamondback Overdrive 29 Hardtail Mountain Bike BEST FULL SUSPENSION BIKEPACKING BIKE. It’s not just trail and enduro bikes that have gotten better with modern geometry. Subscribe to BIKE’s Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Your hammering will be aided by Specialized’s refined but still polarizing Brain suspension technology. Ride your bike across the US - … While most of these bikes will be busy hammering out miles, the Trance 29 is more likely to be hammering out laps on the local gravity track. The short-travel XC/trail crossover category is one of the few flavors of bikes that. A carbon or titanium rigid post can save weight, but doesn’t help with descending. It’s also possible just to upgrade those with time. They support the most casual level of mountain biking with lightweight frames, shorter travel (usually 120mm), and sometimes narrower tires. Granted, you can lap the loops if you really want to, but the Sniper Trail is probably happier smashing rocks chasing your buddies around on an after-work trail ride or weekend epic. This might be the biggest consideration when thinking about a cross-country bike. Technical xc mtb specifications. You might call them the downhiller’s XC bike, or the XC nerd’s downhill bike. The Tallboy is offered in three frame materials: alloy, C carbon or CC carbon. Enter your email address to receive our top stories via email each week. This isn’t going to be much of a question either. Upon first glance, you may think the Sniper Trail is an XC pureblood. Bike Magazine has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. The engine is either connected to a manual or DCT. What makes the 0 model special is the custom DVO Saphire D1 and Topaz 2 T3 that come stock. Before you keep scrolling, there are three more models of the Trance 29 that aren’t nearly $9,000. The bike is lighter and more powerful for 2020 with a 1,084cc four-stroke parallel-twin engine that’s fuel-injected and puts out 101 hp. SRAM’s Level brakes are made for cross-country use and are specced on a lot of newer XC bikes. It feels like it has both more. Find places to cross-country ski in the parks. Rocky Mountain’s RIDE-9 flip chips allow you to tweak the Element’s geo and leverage curve quite a bit as well, with a full degree in both the head and seat angle, as well as 10 millimeters in the reach. Super narrow handlebars of the past have widened considerably and long stems have become shorter. On paper, this bike might not seem like a good fit for this list. This is a light, fast, efficient 29” bike with just enough suspension to suck up trail bumps. For XC bikes, head angles generally fall between 68 and 70-degrees. Then you see the dropper post, the 66.5-degree head angle and 180mm/160mm brake rotors. The 2020 Calibre Bikes Bossnut 3 hit the Go Outdoors shelves in August this year boasting new geometry, better components and dare I say it, even better value. What we like: Super fast, efficient, and powerful, but with just enough cushioning to handle some techy terrain. Company   Here at off-road.cc, we love this budget busting trail bike, it's fun, it's upgradable and in it's full suspension form it’s a great, accessible introduction to mountain biking. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. If there’s a bike that defines this category, it might just be the SB100. It’s possible to save money and weight by getting a cross country bike that doesn’t have a dropper, or carbon bits. The Hei Hei is nearly an institution at this point—this ain’t its first rodeo. DVO is primarily a gravity-oriented brand, and if there was ever a short-travel bike that deserved capable, gravity-oriented suspension, it would be the Trance 29. At SCOTT Sports, we offer a range of cross-country mountain bikes in differents sizes from XS to XL.