There’s an obligatory ‘trail’ version in the shape of the 120mm fork, 115mm rear travel Scalpel SI Carbon SE, but slack seat tube and tall ride height make that less convincing than it could be as a trail-tamer. Runner Up: Trek Fuel EX 5 plus — $2,250 Trek’s 130-millimeter-travel Fuel EX chassis can handle just about anything outside of bike parks and full-on downhill tracks. As far as component spec goes, the Apine Trail 7 is on par with any of the other bikes in this price bracket. Add that excellent suspension control and the Spark can blitz properly technical terrain as emphatically as it can dominate between the course tapes. Also especially if you’re a fan of Giant’s Maestro linkage, which has earned its place among the leading dual-link designs of today. In terms of specifics, that can be as simple as wider handlebars (that you can trim down to taste) or enough space in the frame to run wider tyres. Frame material: Aluminium or … But Giant’s full sus racer is superbly smooth and super fast even in its cheapest alloy frame format. 2020 Trek Top Fuel … Geometry is still spicy from a trail bike point of view, but the 69-degree head and 460mm reach (size large) are reasonably confident and roomy for a race bike. Compare that to the head angle on the Trek Top Fuel (68°) and the Norco Revolver 120 (67.4°) – two XC bikes with similar travel and intentions. We’d also suggest getting the saw out before you get tangled up on the start line. Top Fuel is a full suspension cross country mountain bike that’s equally suited to XC racing and off-the-beaten-singletrack adventures. Travel:120/120mm The great news is that’s creating some really versatile high-velocity, short-travel machines that are as happy raving on your favourite singletrack as they are ripping up the race track. Travel (R/F): 130/140mm Specs, reviews & prices for the 2016 Trek Top Fuel 8. Best lightweight mountain bikes under 10kg Scott Spark 900 Ultimate AXS Bike: Model Year: 2021 Riding Type: Trail Rider: Unisex Sizes and Geometry: SM, MD, LG, XL View Geometry. Wheels: 29 Practical touches like a screw-in bottom bracket, grease ported pivot bearings, frame armour and fully sleeved internal control lines make it happy to hunt down Strava KOMs day after day and keep servicing easy, too. Headtube Angle: 68.7° – 69.8°bikes.com. That means the EVO has a seriously slack 66.5° head angle, which is aggro trail-bike territory for a lot of brands. Headtube Angle: 65°marinbikes.com. For a start Giant is one of the largest and smartest alloy (and carbon) bike manufactures in the world with decades of tech experience behind the company and the ability to handle every process from raw materials to finished frames. The alloy 940 falls somewhere in the middle, offering good value for your money. Check out this post for a selection of hardtails starting below $1,000. The long offset fork and 69.5-degree head angle also set up a steering dynamic that tends to lunge rather than lean in progressively, so that takes some getting used to. Travel (R/F): 165/180mm Headtube Angle: 67.5°marinbikes.com. The lightweight RockShox SID fork, steep 70-degree head angle and short wheelbase mean the emphasis is on you to keep it straight and safe in tougher technical sections though. Most of the latest short-travel suspension frames can take an internally routed dropper seatpost too, although it’s still rare for bikes to come with them fitted. Headtube Angle: 66.9°fezzari.com. A half push the TwinLoc lever makes the XC-oriented Spark even more XC oriented by dropping the travel from 120 millimeters to 85, and pushing the lever all the way will turn it effectively into a rigid. – The “Honorable Mention” is also a solid value, but maybe not quite as good as the first two, or perhaps doesn’t quite fit within the budget. No cheap alloy race version in 2020, Carbon weight for an alloy price, super supple, flow boosting suspension, Lightweight wheels and proper tyres underline proper race performance, Obviously flexy when pushed or pedalled hard, 780mm bar needs chopping down, Featherweight frame with flat out enduro geometry, Impressively light even with a dropper post as standard, That 60mm stem needs to go straight away. You can get on a full carbon Epic from £3700 upwards too and if you fancy something slightly rowdier, then the Evo versions get 120mm forks, chunkier tyres and a dropper post but still come out lighter than many ‘race’ bikes. Truly state of the art racer loaded with Fox’s Live Valve suspension tech, Weight: 9.4kg | Travel: (F/R) 100/100mm | Remote lockout: Auto | Wheels: DT Swiss XRC 1200 carbon | Group: Shimano XTR. Pivot’s bikes are always beautifully put together and relatively rare too, making them a genuine premium head-turner as well as a fantastic podium-hunting machine. Specialized has slackened and stretched things slightly with the latest model though, so while a 69.5-degree head angle is still nervy it’s not as hysterical as the previous Epic. This ‘automatic’ activation removes any worries about remote lockout flicking. With XC courses getting tougher all the time they’re increasingly taking handling, tyre and component cues from trail/enduro bikes, too. Choose the 120mm travel ‘Trail’ Spark and that angle is 67-degrees but it’s still a lighter chassis than most race frames. 100mm (4in) is definitely the default amount of real-wheel movement for race bikes. Learn more, Which full-suspension mountain bikes are fastest when cross-country gets crazy? Even as it stands this is a truly radical race bike that looks as stunning as it rides and has already repaid five years of development by the Spanish company with some impressive World Cup results in 2019. Wheels: 27.5 Travel (R/F): 120/120mm Obviously pilots like Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Mathieu Van Der Poel are a big part of that rapidly growing trophy collection, but having blasted the Lux round a World Cup track ourselves we know it’s certainly not slowing them down. I really like my 9.8 from 2018. Travel (R/F): 140/140mm If $2,500 is more than you want to spend on a mountain bike, then you must be a completely reasonable human being. Despite only weighing 1680g the broad, carbon rimmed Reynolds TR309 wheelset is very stiff and precise under power. Fox also supply the weight saving, shaved leg Step-Cast fork with its fresh stiffened crown for surprisingly good steering accuracy. Having moved up to 115mm of rear travel, with a bigger 120mm fork and a slacker 67.5° head angle to boot, the latest Top Fuel has certainly notched up the capability stakes, but it’s also taken a dramatic U-Turn away from its previous World Cup XC racing intentions. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. At 1790g with shock, the frame is still the lightest mass-production, full-suspension frame available and even the affordable alloy Sparks are lighter than a lot of brands’ carbon bikes. Fox’s latest Step Cast 32 fork is significantly stiffer and more able to cope with aggressive lines while the FIT4 damping is the benchmark for big control from short travel. $3,999.99. Good value for the features they offer. If you want to add more suspension to a similarly radical yet lightweight package then there are two 120mm travel Synonym TR models with suitably beefed up specs to match. Mondraker was the first major brand to use extreme DH bred slack and super-long geometry on its trail bikes and now it has gone super-progressive on the new XC FS bike. There’s a 27.5-inch wheel option on the small size bikes, too. They Jeffsy is 11-speed with a Shimano XT shifting system, but with the TRS+ cassette actually has a 511-percent range (larger than SRAM Eagle’s 500 percent). Maxxis Rekon Race tyres fully exploit the consistent ground connection for excellent traction too, with frame compliance also helping preserve grip where stiffer bikes might skip or slip. Travel (R/F): 110/130mm Shimano electric fans should note it’s not Di2 ready, but there are SRAM AXS Live Valve versions on the complete bike menu if you can pony up €14,400. An efficiency optimised ‘XCO’ version of Mondraker’s highly evolved Zero Suspension uses a trunnion top mount for maximum sensitivity and a low shock rate for impressive impact appetite. Bigger or more belligerent riders should note that the 780mm bars have more than enough leverage to tie it in knots if you get too excited with them though. That’s great for speed and reducing fatigue over rough ground but you’ll definitely want to hit that remote button if you’re charging hard on smoother surfaces. However, realistically there’s not much you’d really need to change out of the box—the Process is more than capable of handling the stress of repeated bike park laps. Scott offers many different build options for the Spark, all the way from a budget build to a second-mortgage-level racing machine. © But it still offers Ride 9 geometry and suspension rate adjustments. Scott’s combination of trail geometry, super lightweight and unique multi-mode remote suspension has delivered more top level race wins than any other FS bike, Weight: 10.5kg | Travel (F/R): 100/100-70mm | Remote lockout: Both | Wheels: Syncros Silverton Carbon | Group: SRAM X01 Eagle. You even get Fox’s superlight 32 Step-Cast cutaway leg fork to create a properly light race bike at a price where most rivals are several pounds heavier. Inside Line cabling keeps the rear shock remote cable totally hidden within the broad, flat top tube and the combined fork, shock and dropper post (if fitted) Squidlock remote lever is a really neat piece. Wheels: 29 Spin rather than stomp though and the super supple, short-stroke suspension flows over roots, rocks, ruts and other speed-choking chatter like it isn’t there. ... Scott Spark RC 900 Team Issue AXS Carbon 2021. Compare forks, shocks, wheels and other components on current and past MTB’s. A Trans-X dropper and WTB ST i29 TCS rims round out the build. On the way down though, you could probably just straight line everything in sight if you wish. Scott has always pushed a really progressive agenda with its Spark geometry, too, with even this race-specific RC version getting a 68.5-degree head angle for confident carving. Travel (R/F): 153/160mm Orbea’s Oiz family has been a popular privateer racer for years. The 25mm internal rims are seriously light though and that combines with a race-ready weight watchers spec including a carbon-railed saddle, SRAM’s wireless AXS group and even a Quarq power crank as standard on this money-is-no-object flagship model. Travel (R/F): 150/160mm If you’re thinking about a lot of upgrades down the trail though, and find yourself willing to shell out another $700 (about the cost of a dropper post, fresh tires and a new set of brakes), the Alloy Comp retails at $2,625 and offers upgrades to—well—just about everything. Santa Cruz Tallboy. Keeping the ride smooth, a RockShox SID Select + fork is paired with a custom RockShox NUDE 3-mode rear shock via our TwinLoc Suspension System. The impressive accuracy of the frame definitely helps tough out the most treacherous sections though and rearward axle path means impact appetite is impressive for a 100mm frame. There are some 120mm bikes that are still light and tight enough for racing though, as well as shorter travel bikes like BMC’s TeamElite softail or Trek’s recently unveiled 60mm travel Supercaliber, with it’s unique ‘pump-action-shotgun-style' shock arrangement. That means while BRAIN is obviously a big advantage if you like the binary feel, it’s the twitchy handling of the Epic that’s more of a defining characteristic. If you want more travel and technical ability for marathon racing then Canyon’s brand new Neuron CF SLX 9.0 could be perfect, with 1130/120mm of suspension, slacker angles and a frame weight of only 2.28kg bringing the whole bike in under 11.8kg. Add super quick Maxxis Aspen tyres and you’ve got a proper performance wheel pack. The 29er version of the Fuel EX has been a long favorite of Bike, and the plus-size version is aimed at bringing a capable trail bike to riders who want something that boosts the confidence but doesn’t drain the wallet. Wheels: 27.5 I ride mainly single track on mild to medium difficulty trails. EddieFiola. Despite a lightweight 2.1kg, flex stay frame the power kick from the Lux is seriously solid. Now to test that efficiency they also created the EvoLap-Technology which basically simulates forces exerted on the frame, and therefore Scott could adjust the design of the frame accordingly. Heading into the Summer, Trek’s light weight full suspension specialist is getting an update. Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XTR Carbon/Black 2021. Trek Top fuel 9.8 vs Giant Anthem similar??? View and share reviews, comments and questions on mountain bikes. The brakes are upgraded to SRAM Guide RS, and the cockpit is made up of Race Face Turbine R bits, which perform just as well as they look. The annual drool-on-carbon show that is the Bible of Bike Tests is soon to launch, and with it, several dozen reviews of bikes most of us will never be able to afford. Wheels: 29 While it’s weird looking down at just one leg at first, the Lefty fork is much stiffer tracking than most lightweight peers. Your information has been successfully processed! If i'd had to replace my top fuel right now I think I would go Scott Spark or something like that. It’s 350g lighter than the previous Epic and the latest, neatest BRAIN 2.0 set up is only adding a similar amount of weight to a double remote and cable set-up. A set of WTB i29 TCS wheels (like many other bikes in this roundup) are mounted with Maxxis rubber, and can be set up tubeless from the factory if desired. When you're looking for something right in between, The follow-up to the most underrated bike of 2018, Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from Trek Fuel EX 5, Scott Spark 960 or Specialized Stumpjumper ST 29 (base model) Which one would you get? Wheels: 29 Best mountain bike helmets 2020: the best MTB helmets of the year. On a smooth surface such as a fire-road climb or flat-out sprint down the start/finish straight nothing is faster than a super-light hardtail like the ones in our sub 10kg XCO bikes buyers guide here. If you really want to go all out though the Scalpel SI Hi-MOD World Cup comes with SRAM XX1 Eagle wireless transmission and Enve wheels and finishing kit for a 9kg weight and £9.5K price tag. Thank you for signing up. Nearly 20 years on the latest Blur shares the same high-velocity vibe as using an evolved - but still power optimised - version of VPP suspension. Bike Perfect is supported by its audience. Specialized S-Works Epic full-suspension: 48 wins from 2016 – 2018 You will receive a verification email shortly. Test riding one might be as simple as heading to your local dealer, and if you actually decided to make the purchase, you’ll get the accompanying service, support and advice, which have measurable value. With the frame weight of the Spark at 1749 grams, Scott has created their all-new HMXS carbon fibre grade to deliver minimum weight, without compromising on efficiency. Like the new Giant Trance, the Trek Fuel EX carries on with few changes following a significant update in 2017. It’s the 480mm reach (size large) and 76.5-degree seat angle that pushes the Podium’s Forward Geometry into the flat-out freak category. Even set up with tubes, though, the 2.8-inch Schwalbe Nobby Nics will certainly provide gobs of traction. Top Fuel combines lightweight and lockout for racers, with impressive control and trail-ready components for ravers, Weight: 12.2kg | Travel (F/R): 120/115mm | Remote lockout: Both | Wheels: Bontrager Kovee 30mm carbon | Group: SRAM GX Eagle. The neat TwinLoc lever simultaneously stiffens and locks the fork to match so you’re not fighting with twin remotes or mismatched feel from either end. With no fewer than eight RC models and nine standard Spark models, there’s a huge range of specifications and prices to choose from, ranging from the £1800 Spark 970 to the superlative £11,000 SL. Polish podium hunter mixes EWS geometry with XCO weight to crush technical courses, Weight: 10.5kg | Travel: (F/R) 100/100mm | Remote lockout: front/rear/both | Group: SRAM X01, X1, GX mix. Short reach and twitchy handling, Light but very tight feeling and lifetime warrantied frame and wheel set, Totally future-proofed and trail-capable, yet still superlight frame, Brilliant base suspension enhanced with Fox Live Valve auto adjust, Cutting edge design means credit card melting price, Progressive trail handling in a hyperfast lightweight format, Excellent Zero suspension and brilliant power metered speed spec, Radical geometry deserves a dropper to maximise control, Super light, seriously efficient suspension frame, Pick the SL version for more forgiving geometry, XCO World Champion, Nino Schurter, aboard his Scott Spark RC 900, Full-suspension mountain bikes: everything you need to know, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Best lightweight mountain bikes under 10kg, Vee Tires launches new Attack HPL gravity rubber option, MS Mondraker Team welcomes three new riders to all-star lineup, UCI Announces 2022 MTB World Cup Calendar. The full carbon-framed Jeffsy is adorned with Rockshox suspension—a Pike RCT3 and Monarch RT3. While Scotts Spark has always had a unique multi-mode (open-traction - 70mm of firmer travel - locked) functionality, the current bikes are the first with a really sorted open-mode for flat out technical terrain speed. Headtube Angle: 67°-67.5°yt-industries.com. It also keeps the rear wheel more consistently connected for better technical climbing traction and cornering speed. It also offers a range of four different colourways or a complete custom paint option. It also comes with a rigid seatpost instead of a dropper, which doesn’t help with its “I only ride lifts” vibe. Unlike many bikes at this price point, the Abajo is held up by X-Fusion suspension both front and rear with the McQueen RCP fork and O2 Pro RL shock. This combines sub 2kg frame weight (sub 10kg bike weights) with 60mm of rear wheel travel via its unique IsoStrut ‘pump-action-shotgun’ top tube embedded shock set-up. Price: from £2,999. Discover your next great ride with Top Fuel 9.8 SL. It was only the increased complexity of the TwistLoc (a grip shifter style suspension lockout) and the weak brakes that pushed it off the top spot. Mondraker’s progressive trail-slaying geometry and sorted suspension in a super-light, XC speed format, Weight: 10.2kg | Travel: (F/R) 100/100mm | Remote lockout: Both | Wheels: DT Swiss XRC 1200 carbon | Group: Shimano XTR. Eleven-percent more. Reach is reasonably roomy at 460mm on a large but the 69-degree head angle is still fast and furious for hustling tight singletrack and pilot prioritising on flat-out descents. But then again it is a brick-and-mortar bike, which offers a few perks. A healthy dose of e*thirteen goodness comes stock as well, including a TRS+ cassette, tires, seatpost and TRS wheels. Carbon weight for alloy cost with super-supple suspension for stand-out, fast and floated fun, Weight: 12.3kg | Travel: (F/R) 100/90mm | Remote lockout: front/rear/both | Wheels: Giant XCR alloy | Group: Shimano SLX. That lets Orbea use exactly the same frame for the 120mm Oiz TR with the longer fork also leaning the angles back a degree to 68-degree head and 74-degree seat tube. This system uses an array of sensors, a central battery and brain to monitor trail inputs and automatically adjust fork and rear shock damping to respond perfectly to every load, from peak pedal torque to the ugliest impacts or rock garden charges. Wheels: 29 Huge selection of mountain bikes from brands such as Trek… Their Abajo Peak is a mid-level, mid-travel, big-wheeled trail bike. A deliberately low shock ratio keeps the feel taut off the top but gives the Canyon an impressively controlled response to serious slams, so you can go full gas through any situation. All rights reserved. Headtube Angle: 67.2°scott-sports.com. A set of Giant’s own hoops come stock (with a 30-millimeter inner width) already set up tubeless on Maxxis High Roller II rubber—a nod toward Giant’s designation of “XC Trail” for the Anthem. Wheels: 29 That’s why you’ll rarely see multiple World and Olympic champion Nino Schurter off his Scott Spark or his nemesis Mathieu Van Der Poel not riding his Canyon Lux. For the 2020 model year, the Trek Top Fuel is evolving from a light weight, competition focused race bike to become a more versatile and capable bike capable of … Free Member. Posted by 1 year ago. The Recon fork is bumped up to 140 millimeters of travel from the standard 130 millimeters for the 29er. Specs, reviews & prices for the 2021 Trek Top Fuel 8 NX.