Great Mountain Bikes for this Holiday Season 1

Thinking about a new ride for yourself or a super special mountain biker in your life this holiday season? Here is a list of bikes we'd recommend checking out.

Marin Rift Zone 3 Bike

We tested the 2020 Rift Zone 2 in our $2,000 Mountain Bike Comparison and had a blast on it! This bike is extremely fun and capable on descents and in corners.

• 6061 aluminum frame
• MultiTrac suspension platform
• 120mm rear travel and 130mm front travel
• Modern, aggressive geometry with a 455mm reach and 65.5-degree head angle (size M)
• 29-inch wheels
• Marzocchi/FOX suspension
• Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain
• Shimano MT420 brakes
• Vee tires
• X-Fusion dropper seatpost
• 5-year frame warranty
• Available at Jenson USA

Niner RIP 9 RDO 3-Star 27.5 Bike

In our first ride experience of the 4-star build, we'd rate this bike as an excellent option. It soaks up bumps, provides great rear wheel traction, is a smooth pedaler uphill, and is fun to ride. 

• RDO carbon fiber frame
• Constantly Varying Arc (CVA) suspension design
• 140mm rear travel and 150mm front travel
• 27.5-inch wheels
• Flip chip geometry adjustment in seat stay pivot
• Slacker and longer than the previous generation of RIP 9 RDO
• Sag indicator on the rocker link pivot
• FOX suspension
• SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Level brakes
• Maxxis tires
• SDG dropper seatpost
• 5-year warranty
• Available at Competitive Cyclist

Pivot Trail 429 Carbon 29 Race XT 1x Bike

Born from cross-country roots with a hint of some big bike influence, the 2019 Pivot Trail 429 bike received numerous updates making it more stable and capable.

• Full carbon frame featuring Pivot's proprietary, hollow core, internal molding technology
• dw-link rear suspension design
• 120mm rear travel and 130mm front travel
• 29-inch wheels
• 12x157mm Super Boost Plus rear axle spacing
• FOX suspension
• Shimano XT/SLX 11-speed drivetrain
• Shimano SLX brakes
• Maxxis tires
• FOX dropper seatpost
• 10-year frame warranty
• Available at Competitive Cyclist

Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon R Bike

The fourth generation of the Tallboy sports a little extra travel and massively updated, slacked-out geometry. A truly lightweight, snappy climber with more than enough to get it done on the way back down. We'd say the Tallboy 4 leads the charge for the future of short-travel mountain bikes.

• Carbon fiber frame with shock fender, shuttle guard, downtube protector, and ribbed chainstay protector
• Lower-link mounted Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension system
• 120mm rear travel and 130mm front travel
• 29-inch wheels
• Hi/Lo flip chip in lower shock mount
• Rear axle flip chip for 430/440mm chainstay length
• Boost 12x148mm rear axle spacing
• FOX suspension
• SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Level T brakes
• Maxxis tires
• Race Face dropper seatpost
• Lifetime frame warranty
• Available at Jenson USA

Eminent Onset NX Eagle Bike

Eminent is a newer brand breaking into the market, and we took a look at the Onset to see if the bite match the bark. Our impression was that it's a sure-footed and capable climber with incredible stability and planted feel when the trail turns downhill. It's got radical looks and the ride does, in fact, measure up to the appearance.

• Unidirectional carbon fiber frame
• AFS (Active Float Suspension) design with floating brake, floating shock, and long rocker
• 140mm rear travel and 150mm front travel
• 29-inch wheels
• FOX suspension
• SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• Shimano SLX brakes
• e*thirteen tires
• KS dropper seatpost
• 5-year frame warranty
• Available at Jenson USA

Kona Process 153 CR/DL 27.5 Bike

The Process 153 saw a big update in 2018 where significant improvements over the previous generation were made. In our test, we felt the G2 outperforms its predecessor in every regard, without compromise. Moreover, the updated Process 153 CR/DL puts itself squarely among the best all-mountain and enduro bikes at a competitive price. 

• Kona DH carbon frame with 6061 aluminum chainstays
• Beamer Independent Suspension design
• 153mm rear travel and 160mm front travel
• 27.5-inch wheels
• RockShox suspension
• SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Code RSC brakes
• Maxxis tires
• RockShox dropper seatpost
• 3-year carbon frame warranty
• Available at Jenson USA

Revel Rascal GX Eagle Bike

This Colorado-based bike brand merges decades of industry experience and a proven suspension design in a modern, carbon package. The Rascal was built to be a confidence inspiring bike that is capable and meant to be ridden all day. Whether you are climbing or partying down the trail, the Rascal is playful, nimble, and fast.

• Carbon fiber frame
• CBF (Canfield Balance Formula) suspension design
• 130mm rear travel and 140mm front travel
• 29-inch wheels
• RockShox suspension
• SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Guide R brakes
• Maxxis tires
• Crankbrothers dropper seatpost
• Lifetime frame warranty
• Available at Worldwide Cyclery

Alchemy Arktos 29 GX Eagle Bike

This bike is designed to get you uphill efficiently and downhill confidently all while being explosive under power.

• Sine dual-linkage suspension platform
• 140mm rear travel and 160mm front travel
• 29-inch wheels
• FOX suspension
• SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• Shimano XT brakes
• Maxxis tires
• X-Fusion dropper seatpost
• Lifetime frame warranty
• Available at Alchemy Bicycles

Yeti SB130 Carbon C1 Bike

The SB130 brings incredible versatility, lots of pep in its step, and the ability to keep things in check when it's really needed. Riding the SB130, we enjoy the new direction Yeti has headed as it makes their bikes more fun, sensitive, and bottomless with less compression damping to get things done. This bike is well suited as an everyday ripper and would suit many in search of that one-bike quiver.

• C-Series high-modulus carbon fiber frame and swing arm
• Switch Infinity suspension system with two-piece wishbone-style shock extender
• 130mm rear travel and 150mm front travel
• Compatible with both air and coil-sprung shocks
• 29-inch wheels
• FOX suspension
• SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Guide R brakes
• Maxxis tires
• FOX dropper seatpost
• Lifetime warranty and crash replacement program
• Available at Jenson USA

Devinci Troy Carbon 29 X01 Eagle Bike

The Troy 29 is a bike that deserves to be short-listed. From our experience aboard the Troy 29 GX LTD, we'd say it is a very well-balanced, all-mountain bike that packs a punch with an excellent equilibrium between efficiency, play, and plow.

• Carbon DMC-G frame with carbon link
• Split Pivot suspension design
• 140mm rear travel and 150mm front travel
• Super Boost Plus rear hub spacing (12x157mm)
• Two-position adjustable geometry
• 29-inch wheels
• RockShox suspension
• SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Guide RSC brakes
• Maxxis tires
• RockShox dropper seatpost
• Lifetime frame warranty
• Available at Competitive Cyclist