The world's best mountain bikes
Looking for a bike that climbs hills like a mountain goat, or that'll do all the peddling for you? Dirt have named the best to cater for thrill-seekers...and those needing the help of a 250-watt motor.
Best All-Rounder
Is there a mountain bike that can do it all? Climb up the hills like a mountain goat and descend faster than a scalded cat? Enter: the Trek Slash. When you’re ascending you feel the benefits of massive 29-inch diameter wheels, a featherweight carbon-fibre construction and a telescopic seatpost that can be raised or lowered for maximum efficiency. Point it downwards, though, and you’ll be thankful for all 160mm of its suspension as well as a near-perfect frame geometry and a penthouse-level spec of parts and tech. In mountain biking they call this a ‘quiver killer’ – the only bike you’ll ever need.
For more info, see dirtmountainbike.com
Photography: Laurence Crossman-Emms
Best E-Mountain Bike
If all that pedalling sounds too much like hard work, then you need to get on board the e-mtb trend. Basically, you take a standard mountain bike then add a lithium battery and a 250-watt motor so you can ride further, harder and faster – in most people’s mind a win-win. This is relatively new technology so there are plenty of duds around but you can’t go wrong with the Merida eOneSixty 900E, proven to be more rugged than most e-mtbs. You may not have heard of Merida but it’s one of Taiwan’s biggest companies and actually owns nearly half of Specialized. Our kind of electric dream…
For more info, see dirtmountainbike.com
Photography: Laurence Crossman-Emms
Best Downhill Bike
If you want to get from the top to the bottom of a hill as fast as possible then there are few bikes more capable than the Specialized S-Works Demo 8. The bike features a unique, asymmetrical, fully carbon-fibre frame that houses a rear shock custom built by Moto GP legends Öhlins. The bike has 203.2mm of suspension travel that tames the bumpiest tracks. If you want proof, look no further than Aaron Gwin who piloted it to the 2015 Downhill World Cup title. It’s an instantly eye-catching and uncompromising machine. There really isn’t anything better when the going gets rough.
For more info, see dirtmountainbike.com
Photography: Laurence Crossman-Emms
