Category: Showdowns
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Orbea Rallon RS Review: Is This the Future of Mountain Bikes?
The Orbea Rallon RS might be the future of pedal bikes. Or it might be a weird concept. Because this bike doesn’t fit anywhere cleanly. It looks like a Rallon – it’s listed as a pedal bike. But it has a motor, and it powers your shifting and your dropper off the same battery. Orbea…
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Forbidden Druid Lite Review: The Best Climbing eMTB Ever?
Today I’m riding the Forbidden Druid Lite, and I’m excited about this one for two reasons. First, it’s the very first Forbidden I’ve ever ridden. And if they all ride like this… well done, Forbidden. Seriously. Second, this is my first real experience with the DJI Avinox drive unit. I’ll admit it—I’ve been a bit…
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Orbea Wild ST Review: Sporty, Firm, and Surprisingly Focused
On paper, the Orbea Wild ST is a bit confusing. It has the same travel as a Rise LT but rides nothing like one. And it shares the exact same chassis as the full-travel Wild, yet doesn’t come close to the Wild’s big-mountain capability. It sits in this weird little gap where you naturally wonder,…
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Norco Sight VLT Review: The High-Pivot, Full-Power eMTB That’s Surprisingly Fun
Norco Sight VLT Review – high pivots usually mean plush, not playful — this one breaks that rule. The 2025 Norco Sight VLT CX C2 has 150mm of high-pivot travel, a Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit, and handling that makes full-power eMTBs feel fun again. Over most of a season riding this bike, I’ve…
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Yeti LTe Review: Stout AF
Yeti is back with another eMTB, and this time it’s a long travel, bulldozer of a bicycle, the LTe. If the Santa Cruz Bullit is the plush couch and the Orbea Wild is the firm race seat, the Yeti LTe sits squarely in the middle. It doesn’t erase the trail, and it doesn’t beat you…
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Norco Fluid VLT Review: Keeping it Simple
Some bikes feel like they’re built to bulldoze, others feel like they’re built to dance — and the Norco Fluid VLT definitely leans toward the latter. It’s a lightweight, mid-power e-MTB with Bosch’s compact SX motor, 140 millimeters of rear travel, and a geometry that screams quick and sharp. But here’s the real question —…
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Yeti MTe: The eMTB that doesn’t ride like one
We’re back with another eMTB, and this time around, it’s the lightweight Yeti MTe. The mentality behind the MTe is bike first, motor second. You know how a bike can completely disappear beneath you, and all you have to think about is the trail ahead? That’s a rare feeling on an eMTB, but not with…
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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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Santa Cruz Bullit Review: Bosch CX Meets Freeride
Alright, team, here we go with the Santa Cruz Bullit. 170mm of travel, a Bosch CX motor, and a downhill mindset—this is Santa Cruz’s biggest, burliest eMTB to date. It’s got all the travel and power you could ask for — and it’s ready for anything you throw at it. It’s a purpose-built gravity fiend…
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Mondraker Crafty Review: A Bosch-Powered Mountain goat
The Mondraker Crafty RR is a big-power eMTB built for riders who want serious range, serious traction, and a versatile bike that fits in almost anywhere. Out of the box, the bike does feel a bit tall, no question. But — and this is an important but — with a few smart setup tweaks, the…