Category: Showdowns
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Yeti LT Review: A New Kind of Yeti
Would you be surprised to hear that the Yeti LT spends most of its life in the fast lane? With Yeti’s pedigree for racing, it only makes sense that the LT is a long-travel bike that craves speed. Like seriously, it can’t get enough. In a departure from traditional Yeti style, though, the LT foregoes…
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Ibis Oso HD Review: 12 bikes in one?
I’ve been wanting to make this Ibis Oso HD video for a long time. I saw the bike late last year and have been wanting to throw a leg over it ever since. I love my Ripmo AF, and if this thing rides anything like that, I’ll be stoked. For its second iteration, Ibis completely…
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Trek Fuel EX review: The Cornering King
Today we have the second-ever Trek bike on the channel, the Trek Fuel EX. It falls in the all-mountain category, where the bikes can tend to be a bit… beige. They intentionally lack some pizzazz or specialization in favor of versatility and well-roundedness. And I don’t mean that as an insult. All-mountain bikes are supposed…
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Starling Murmur Review: The Oddball Steel Full Suspension MTB
Today we have the Starling Murmur. This is a weird one, but a cool one. I’m calling this the Oddball build. It’s got very few big-name parts on it — mostly smaller, fringe, and boutique brands. Things like Cast tires, Madrone derailleur bits, Pro taper bars, you get the point. And that’s really the whole…
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TREK RAIL+ REVIEW: Why Boring is so Good
Well, the Trek Rail+ wasn’t on my bingo card. But here we are, and we are stoked to not only have a new brand in the shop, but to already have bikes to ride and review. The Rail+ is a bit boring — but in a very good way. It’s not flashy, it’s not dramatic,…
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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…