Category: Bike Reviews
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Ibis Ripley SL Review: A U.S.-Built Downcountry Bike
The Ibis Ripley SL exists because the internet complained. When the last Ripley launched, people said it was too heavy. Too burly. Too far from what a Ripley “should” be. And instead of arguing in comment sections, Ibis Cycles listened. This is their answer. A lighter, sharper, speed-first Ripley. Short travel. 29-inch wheels. Built to…
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Orbea Rallon Review: Enduro Travel Without the Tradeoffs
Can a 170mm enduro bike be the only bike you need in your arsenal? This new Orbea Rallon might be one of the sexiest, looking bikes, and I’d say that the quality and rideability of the bike mirror its looks. I’ve now ridden this in a few different areas, including local trails around the shop,…
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Liv Pique X Review: Light, Fast, and Capable.
Every once in a while, life hands you something new to try. This past week, I lucked into two such opportunities: riding the brand-new Pique X ADV SL 0, and then, perhaps more daunting, writing a review about them. Reviewing bikes isn’t totally foreign territory for me, but it’s far from my daily comfort zone.…
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Ibis Ripmo AF Review: The Best Trail Bike Under $4000?
You asked for it — Ibis listened — today we have the new Ripmo AF. It takes the well-loved Ripmo platform and brings it to a more budget-friendly aluminum frame, without losing the balanced, do-it-all ride quality that made the carbon version a fan favorite. If you’re looking for one of the best mountain bikes…
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2025 Best eMTB: Head-to-Head Test & Review
We rounded up five full-power Bosch eMTBs and put them to the test. The Santa Cruz Vala, Santa Cruz Bullit, Orbea Wild, Mondraker Crafty and Transition Regulator CX, all went head-to-head in real-world trail conditions—no labs, no gimmicks, just dirt, sweat, and a whole lot of watts. If you’re trying to figure out which long-travel…
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2024 All-Mountain MTB Showdown
Alright, team, today we’re looking for the best all-mountain MTB so we’re talking Transition Sentinel, Santa Cruz Hightower, and the Ibis Ripmo. Welcome to the 2024 All-Mountain Showdown. We’re diving into the ins and outs of some of this year’s top all-mountain bikes. We spent a week in Moab riding these three back-to-back on some…
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Santa Cruz Hightower 4 Review: The Descender’s MTB
Alright, here we go with the tried and true Santa Cruz Hightower 4. This time, it’s back for the 4th edition. It sees basically the same updates that the new Bronson got, except this one is designed around 29” wheels only. Do these updates help it stack up against all the great new options we’ve…
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Transition Sentinel V3 Review: It Got Steeper?
Alright, we’re back, and today we’re talking about the Transition Sentinel V3. Changes in bike geo have been less and less radical in the past year or two. Still, it’s not often these days that you see bikes get steeper than their previous versions — But that’s exactly what we have with the V3 Sentinel.…
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Mondraker F-Podium Review: No Flex Stays?
Alright, we’re here to talk about the Mondraker F-Podium. Modern XC race bikes have been trending in a good direction lately. They’re way more fun and way less scary to ride fast than they used to be, and I’m a big fan. The majority of XC bikes have gone to a variation of a flex…
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Santa Cruz Bronson 5 Review: Mullet Wisdom
Here we go with the Santa Cruz Bronson 5. This time around, the Bronson sees some subtle yet important refinements. As MX bikes have been around a little longer, we are starting to understand more about their strengths and weaknesses and what would make them better. Santa Cruz has applied some modern MX understanding to…