2014 Vital MTB Test Sessions - That's A Wrap 23

More bikes, more miles, and more whiskey than ever before… Vital tests over two dozen new bikes in the hills of Sedona, Arizona.

Last year we started a yearly tradition by rounding up over two dozen of the most exciting trail, all-mountain, and enduro bikes on the market and flogging them in the desert. We’re back for 2014, and we’re going bigger than ever.

Once again, five Pro-level test riders took to the trails for Vital MTB’s Test Sessions. Our goal? To ride 25 of the hottest 2014 bikes into the ground, escape the cold, lose our baby fat, and ultimately bring you the best bike reviews on the planet. When we started Test Sessions last year we made a point of providing you with the most honest, unbiased reviews you’ll find anywhere, and you can count on more of the same this time around.

Sedona Is Hard To Beat

Sedona seems to be a popular choice for us media types these days, and for good reason. The trails are good. Damn good. They’re so rad, in fact, that Vital’s own Brandon Turman showed up three weeks early to “scout” the trails before the bikes arrived (someone had to do it).

Having shown up weeks ahead of schedule, dicing in the dirt with the locals, and riding nearly every trail in the area beforehand, we had a huge advantage going in - we knew where the best sections of trail were for testing. Not constrained to riding the same monotonous loop over and over, each day we’d link up several of the best climbs and descents the area has to offer, ensuring each bike saw a wide variety of rowdy terrain under every rider. High speed hucks, daring roll-ins, OMG rock gardens, slow tech, ledgy climbs, and giggle-because-you’re-still-alive-at-the-bottom chutes were the name of the game. We rode it all in the name of science.

Once again we found ourselves partnered up with the highly-skilled gents at Over The Edge Sports. Thanks to them the bikes were dialed in when our crew arrived, maximizing our trail time. With their help all the elements for testing mountain bikes that are supposed to "do everything" were in place.

25 Bikes You Want To Ride

Each year we see a few shifts in the industry. Yeah, there’s the wheel size thing that’s been beaten to death, but what we also saw as a clear trend this time around was a focus on smarter specs. Companies are learning what riders love and what actually works, and they’re finally spec’ing bikes the way they should be out of the box. We all have a crazy switch that occasionally comes on when we’re out riding, and it’s good to see that bikes are being made to keep up.

As predicted, we also saw a massive influx of 27.5-inch (650b) wheeled bikes. Last year we had just four, this year we had 15. Seven 29ers and two of the last standing 26-inch bikes also made the mix. The 25 steeds ranged from a pedal-friendly 120mm of travel to near freeride status at 170mm. There were 14 carbon bikes, 10 aluminum, and even one steel rig thrown in to keep it real. With builds from $3,000 to $9,995 weighing 26.3 to 32.1-pounds, we also tried to keep what’s affordable in perspective while getting a taste of the best. You can catch a preview of the bikes in this gallery.

Vital MTB’s 2014 Test Sessions, By The Numbers

A Diverse Test Crew

In order to bring you the most well-rounded reviews possible, we sought out test riders with tons of experience as well as a wide variety of riding styles and backgrounds. There were a few new faces in the group this time around. Together they bring a combined 71 years of mountain biking to the table, and many of those were spent as Pro racers. Some of them routinely crush out hundreds of miles a week, others test prototype stuff before it hits the market, some ride clips and some ride flats, and a handful are engineers or trail-builders by trade. The common theme is that they all ride hard, ride often, and know how to articulate what they’re feeling on the trail.

Every bike was ridden by multiple riders and saw use on multiple trails. Riding all kinds of bikes on great trails was only part of the job, however. Each night, the testers had "homework" to do as they filled out questionnaires and discussed the bikes' performances. They'd chat about the day’s ride, compare notes, argue over beers and embrace their inner bike nerd. All told, we think you’ll dig what they came up with.

Starting Monday, January 20, Vital MTB will be releasing 2 to 3 fresh bike reviews per week. The reviews can be accessed 24/7 in our MTB Product Guide, for free and at your convenience, as you try to decide which 2014 mountain bike is best for you.