Vital MTB Test Sessions - Enduro Bikes 51

Ah, yes, Test Sessions, Vital's long-standing, unbiased, unrelenting group test where we stack like-minded bikes against one another to find out where each shines or falls short. After a two-year hiatus, we are back with another Enduro Bike Test Sessions! We gathered six of the most popular enduro bikes, some with long-standing track records and some promising newcomers. We had a long list of options but narrowed it down to a few bikes we've had the highest demand to test from our comment sections and a few we've wanted to try. 

Enduro bikes have become the most popular mountain bike segment over the last decade, and for good reason. Designed for flat-out speed across a wide variety of terrain, with getting back to the top being a secondary focus, the performance of enduro bikes is a balancing act of pairing the confidence-inspiring feeling of a downhill bike with the more playful characteristics of a trail bike. These bikes will most often be used as the "daily driver" ridden on everything from fast and flowy singletrack, demanding double black diamond trails in the bike park, or even lined up against the best in the world at an EDR World Cup.

When we tested enduro bikes two years ago, mixed wheels and high-pivot suspension designs were all the rage. The high-pivot trend has tapered off slightly, but kinematics have been dialed in, and mixed wheeled setups have become the norm across all frame sizes. Speaking of frame sizes, we switched things up a bit with all three testers standing between six foot two and six foot four. All bikes were size XL with between 160-170mm of rear wheel travel. Two featured mixed wheels, two had high pivots, and two carried Enduro World Series titles. 

To cover a wide variety of terrain in a short time frame, we knew a bike park would serve as the best testing ground. It's also where most riders will find themselves aboard one of these bikes. An enduro bike should be able to descend with as little compromise as possible and use its travel as effectively as possible. Our goal was to get each bike up to speed and ride them as close to the limit as our abilities would allow, so we loaded up our 1Up USA rack and headed to Big Bear. Offering everything from flowy blue trails to demanding downhill tracks littered with heavy compressions, Snow Summit Bike Park provided the perfect mix of high-speed terrain for us to run through what these bikes are all about and throw a bit of everything at them across our three days of testing.

The Testers

Are you tired of every bike review being conducted by an 'average' height human? Well, with a combined height of 18 feet, 10 inches, this is Vital's tallest test yet. All three testers were over six feet tall, and all bikes tested were size XL. 

Other fun stats of all six bikes: combined reach: 3,064mm // combined wheelbase 7,804mm // combined stack 3,895mm

Charlie Sponsel	Jonny Simonetti	Lear Miller
Height: 6' 3" Weight: 190 lbs Years Riding: 21 Riding Style: Charlie aka TEAM ROBOT loves building jumps and berms, smashing rocks in a straight line, and he’s good at breaking stuff. He sounds grumpy when he talks about the bike industry, but we swear he’s a happy guy underneath it all.	Height: 6' 4" Weight: 225 lbs Years Riding: 20 Riding Style: Skatepark inspiration. Try to stay smooth and pedal as little as possible.	Height: 6’ 3" Weight: 185 lbs Years Riding: 25+ Riding Style: “Freeracer” after 15 years of racing, I like going fast. But the airtime counter is really the only clock I’m paying attention to these days.

Bike Setup

We set up all bikes with DH casing Maxxis tires and Tannus inserts inside to see what our hands are made of and to create the most realistic race-ready setup possible, as enduro race bikes are generally more focused on durability than saving weight. We ran through each bike before testing, dialing in shifting, bedding in brakes, and converting to tubeless where necessary. Thankfully, many of these bikes came ready to ride right out of the box; most only required installing the handlebar, throwing on the front wheel, and throwing away the dork disc from behind the cassette. 

After randomly selecting which bikes would be ridden on day one, our test crew was allowed to address any fit concerns, the two most common being handlebar stack height and spring weight. Thanks to Feedback Sports, we had a plethora of tools and stands to make setup a breeze, keeping us from shuffling through multi-tools all weekend. We had a variety of high-rise bars on hand, along with a few Sprindex adjustable rate coil springs to address these concerns. While these are all size XL, we were surprised to see more than a few short headtubes, making taller bars necessary to achieve a comfortable riding position. 

The Bikes

We tested the Nukeproof Mega, Canyon Strive, and Specialized Enduro, holding things down as some established names in the Enduro bike category. The rest of the bikes were newer, less covered options, including the newly released Trek Slash, Deviate Claymore, which has been growing in popularity, and an Intense Tracer 279, which we were all curious about. 

Nukeproof Mega 290 

Highlights

• 29-inch wheels
• 160mm (6.3-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Carbon fiber frame
• 64 degree head tube angle 
• 78 degree seat tube angle
• 495mm reach (size XL)
• 440mm chainstay length across all sizes
• Horst-link suspension
• Internal cable routing
• Waterbottle and accessory mounts
• 3D molded rubber downtube and chainstay protection
• Clear full-length frame protection 
• 12x148mm Boost rear hub spacing
• SRAM UDH and T-Type compatibility 
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• Price: $5,899 USD as tested (Carbon Elite)

Read the full Vital Test Sessions review of the Nukeproof Mega 290 

Deviate Claymore

Highlights

• 29-inch wheels
• 165mm (6.5-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Full carbon frame construction 
• 64.3 degree head tube angle 
• 78 degree seat tube angle
• 520mm reach (size XL)
• 441mm chainstay length across all sizes
• High pivot suspension with idler
• 18t chain idler
• External cable routing with recess along top tube to conceal
• Waterbottle and accessory mounts
• Bolt-on carbon downtube protector, bonded rubber chainstay protector
• Fully customizable build spec
• 12x148mm Boost hub spacing
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• $9,675 USD as tested

Trek Slash

Highlights

• 29/27.5-inch wheels
• 170mm (6.7-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Full carbon frame construction 
• 63.3 degree adjustable head tube angle 
• 76.7 degree size specific seat tube angle
• 513mm reach (size XL)
• 439.2mm size-specific chainstay length
• High pivot suspension with idler
• 19t chain idler
• Active Braking Pivot for fully active suspension under braking
• Internal cable routing
• Internal downtube frame storage
• Bolt-on downtube protection in multiple locations
• Molded chainstay protection
• Integrated rear fender
• 12x148mm Boost rear hub spacing
• SRAM UDH and T-Type compatibility 
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• Price: $9,499 USD as tested (9.9 AXS XO T-Type)

Read the full Vital Test Sessions review of the Trek Slash 

Specialized Enduro

Highlights

• 29-inch wheels
• 170mm (6.7-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Full carbon fiber frame
• 64.3 degree head tube angle (high) 63.9 (low)
• 76 degree seat tube angle
• 511mm reach (size S5)
• 442mm chainstay length across all sizes
• Horst-link suspension
• Internal downtube storage
• Steertube mounted multitool
• Internal cable routing
• Bolt-on downtube protection
• Molded chainstay protection 
• Integrated rear fender
• 12x148mm Boost rear hub spacing 
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• Price: $7,000 USD as tested (Expert)

Intense Tracer 279

Highlights

• 29/27.5-inch wheels
• 170mm (6.7-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Full carbon fiber frame
• Carbon fiber upper link
• 64.5 degree head tube angle (high) 64 degree (low)
• 77.9 degree seat tube angle (high) 77.4 (low)
• 505mm reach (size XL high) 500mm (low)
• 437mm chainstay length across all sizes
• JS-link suspension
• Internal downtube storage
• Internal cable routing
• Molded full-length downtube protection
• Molded chainstay protection 
• Integrated rear fender
• 12x148mm Boost rear hub spacing 
• SRAM UDH and T-Type compatibility 
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• Price: $6,899 USD as tested (Pro)

Canyon Strive

Highlights

• 29-inch wheels
• 160mm (6.3-inches) rear travel // 170mm (6.7-inches) fork travel
• Carbon fiber frame
• 64 degree head tube angle 
• 78 degree seat tube angle
• 525, 530, and 535mm adjustable reach (size XL) 
• 435mm chainstay length across all sizes
• Horst-link suspension with Shapeshifter for adjustable travel and geometry on the fly
• Internal cable routing
• Waterbottle and accessory mounts
• 3D molded rubber downtube and chainstay protection
• Clear frame protection on high-wear areas 
• 12x148mm Boost rear hub spacing
• SRAM UDH and T-Type compatibility 
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs
• Price: $4,999 USD as tested (CFR Underdog)

What's The Bottom Line?

Over our three days of riding, we covered 60 laps, and descended an accumulative 72,000 feet of elevation. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. In the end, we separated the bikes into two categories: bikes we would take home for free under the condition that we could not change the frame size or any component, and bikes we would buy with our own money and have the ability to change whatever we like. Each bike had its own strong suit, and some paired with one tester better than another. 

Despite the rear shock lacking a bit of adjustment, Charlie and I both chose the Nukeproof Mega as the bike we would take home after the test, free of charge. The Mega offered a comfortable fit and stable yet playful feel, making it fun across a wide variety of terrain. Lear decided on the Trek Slash due to its confidence-inspiring geometry and ability to make almost any line attainable with its super stable suspension design. He felt these two attributes would make the bike a great fit for riding more aggressive terrain and racing. 

When it came time to empty our own pockets and pick a bike, things shifted slightly across the group. Charlie picked the Specialized Enduro because of how the handling characteristics paired with his riding style. He would opt for an S4 over the S5 we tested to dial in the fit, larger brake rotors for more stopping power, and a taller bar to get the contact points where he likes. With all these changes in place, he believes the Enduro would be a great all-around bike for a bit of everything. 

I settled on the Canyon Strive for its "best of both worlds" suspension performance thanks to the Shapeshifter and performance-focused component spec at a great price. The ground-hugging suspension in the 160mm travel setting performed very well at higher speeds, while the 140mm mode created a lively feeling across smoother terrain. I would opt for a size Large rather than XL, I think the smaller size would make park riding even more fun, the agile handling would better fit the terrain I ride every day and be necessary for racing where things become less predictable. 

Lear chose the Nukeproof Mega for its immediately comfortable fit, playful nature on the trail, and how well it handled every trail. He's less concerned with flat-out speed and more interested in being able to place the bike wherever he likes, and the Mega satisfied those intentions. The lack of adjustability wasn't a concern as he prefers the "set it and forget it" approach. While we did put a different handlebar on the Mega for testing, it's worth noting we did not change stack height from the stock 38mm rise bar.

All of these bikes were impressive in their own right and were a blast to ride in their own ways. What impressed us most was how bikes like the Deviate Claymore paired such a planted feeling in aggressive terrain with a lightfooted feeling when pumping and jumping through undulations out of a rather high pivot platform. Other honorable mentions include the Canyon Strive for the ability to adapt in a way that is actually useful with the flick of a switch, as well as the Nukeproof Mega for a feeling that is equal parts enduro to trail in terms of handling. Compared to our last enduro bike test, this test pool provided a more consistent experience across the board for riding gravity-fed terrain. The bikes we all favored most were on the more conservative side of geometry, proving that the longest, lowest, and slackest bikes aren't always necessary, especially when looking at riding a wider variety of terrain. 

We thankfully made it out of the test without any broken components and not a single tire puncture or rim dent. Thankfully for consumers, these bikes all come with a rather impressive spec right out of the box and should warrant a similar experience should you choose to rip the bike park regularly. Snow Summit put these bikes through the wringer and put a smile on our faces in the process.

We stayed right at the base of the mountain, courtesy of Visit Big Bear, and couldn't have asked for a more convenient way to spend the week testing bikes. With our condo less than a minute from the Snow Summit village, we could easily head back to our unit between laps to swap bikes and had plenty of space to work on our bikes. Off the bike, we were thankful to have enough room for our whole test crew, as well as a pool and hot tub within walking distance to relax after each day's testing. Big Bear has a wide variety of food options and a great downtown we explored when looking to mix up our dinner plans or just grab some ice cream afterward. If you'd like to explore Snow Summit or Big Bear, California for yourself, visit BigBearMountainResort.com or BigBear.com for more information.​

Big thanks to those who sponsored this test and made our trip possible!

• Tannus 
• 1UP USA 
• Feedback Sports
• Visit Big Bear
• Snow Summit
• Maxxis