Five Banger Bike Checks of 2015

Call us Captain Obvious, but if there is something that every mountain biker likes, it's bikes. More specifically, sick bikes. Luckily for us, Vital MTB members build the sickest bikes on the net, and they never hesitate to show them off in our Bike Check section. And for those who made it past the bouncer, their pride and joy was featured for Bike of the Day - a very exclusive club that only admits 300-odd new members per year. But behind every door there is always another one, and this one leads to the inner circle, the ultimate honor and holy grail of any bike fettler: The Five Banger Bike Check Club. Only the sickest builds of them all make it this far. If your bike is one of the five shown below, congrats, you're doing it right!

The Enduro Bruiser - Santa Cruz Nomad 3

The 3rd generation of Santa Cruz's Nomad needs no introduction. It feels at home on either side of the mountain, and it can be built for almost anything. In this case, "anything" means "to get rad". Vital member czajko didn't pull any punches when he put together this blacked-out beauty, with just a few splashes of gold to brighten up the murdered out theme. Cane Creek and BOS share suspension duties while SRAM and Shimano take on shifting and braking. One big happy family!

Going Green - Canfield Jedi DVO Edition

If you're going green, you should go all the way. Canfield Rider 4000 (sic!) took note and matched his Canfield Jedi DVO Edition with parts from Spank, for a fully Vital-approved color scheme. The Force is definitely strong with this one!

Swedish Squish - Specialized Demo

The Specialized Demo has been winning World Cups under Aaron Gwin for a couple of years already, and thanks to Gary North and his sick shred-sled, now it's set to win the internet too. Öhlins is Swedish for "go faster", and the only problem we see with this build is the absolute lack of any suitable excuse for not beating all your mates. Even removing the chain won't do the trick!

Studio Steeze - Liteville 601

They say the devil is in the detail. 26" wheels and an aluminum frame doesn't sound like a sure-fire way to nab Bike of the Day in 2015, but this lovingly assembled Liteville is proof of the owner's passion for doing it right. Studio shots do the bike justice!

Cleaning House - REEB Cycles Destroyer

A dirtjumper in the top five bike checks of the year? Hell yeah! Handbuilt frame, ultra-clean belt-drive transmission, and tan-walled rubber - Tory Power's Destroyer was an easy choice!