Bicycling’s Best Mountain Bikes of 2021
Award-winning mountain bikes tested and reviewed by our editors.
Juliana Furtado CC X01 RSV
Price: $8,099 (with carbon rims)
Weight: 29 LB (S)
The newest iteration of this 27.5-inch women’s trail bike uses the latest version of the company’s VPP suspension platform, which makes it playful and smooth. Other changes include a 10mm increase in front travel to 140mm, and the addition of a 52-tooth cog (on the 1x12-speed SRAM X01 drivetrain). This version keeps the flip chip, which lets the rider switch between high and low riding positions. It’s a fast bike that’s more about having fun than chasing Strava segments.
Canyon Spectral:ON CF 9
Price: $8,500
Weight: 49 LB (M)
The 2021 Spectral:ON gets a major upgrade with Shimano’s new EP8 motor and a bigger 630Wh battery. Shimano’s latest e-bike motor is one of the best: lighter than many, relatively quiet, powerful, and efficient, with excellent power profiles (Trail mode is particularly impressive). The Spectral:ON has a smaller 27.5-inch rear wheel—29er up front—to grant the bike some of the shortest chainstays around (435mm). Coupled with a steepish 66.5-degree head angle, those figures make this one of the more agile 150mm e-bikes out there.
BMC Twostroke 01 One
Price: $4,299
Weight: 21.6 LB (XL)
The Twostroke 01 One is a high-performance hardtail with a cleverly orchestrated combination of high-end and more economical parts to retain the feel of a pro-level bike at a somewhat more attainable price. It is smooth and comfortable at high speed, yet agile and maneuverable on tight, twisty, and technical trails. The carbon hardtail is stiff and responsive to pedaling input, but has a subdued ride—offering both the performance that hardtail purists love and the comfort newer XC riders will appreciate.
Specialized S-Works Epic
Price: $12,000 (as tested)
Weight: 22.9 LB (XL)
This world-beating race bike is lighter than its predecessor, with a stiffer frame and improved BRAIN suspension that more smoothly and quickly transitions from locked out to wide open when you need it. The Epic’s efficient power transfer is unmistakable, as close to that of a rigid bike as it gets. Modern geometry (read: longer, lower, slacker) makes it faster on the downhills, and the 1,240-gram Roval Control SL wheels keep the Epic’s weight incredibly low.
Evil Offering X01 i9 Hydra
Price: $7,399
Weight: 30.5 LB (M)
The 140mm-travel Offering is one of those bikes that has been so damn good you just hoped Evil didn’t mess up a good thing when it came time to update it. Evil didn’t. It tinkered with the geometry and features that needed some improvement—stiffer rear end, better tire clearance, full-length internal routing—but for the most part, left the 29er alone. The result is one of the flat-out best mid-travel trail bikes you can buy: quicker handling and livelier than most, with suspension that’s silkier than butter on a hot biscuit. The Offering is nonstop entertainment and a near-perfect trail bike.
Yeti SB115 Turq T2
Price: $7,300
Weight: 27.6 LB (M)
For riders who want to poke at the long, low, slack trend with sharpened pitchforks, there’s the SB115. Yeti designed the model around its lightweight SB100 frame but developed a new upper link to boost travel by 15mm. Yet the angles stay the same as that fast (though not racy) trail bike. Its 67.6-degree head angle and 430mm reach on a size medium make it feel lively and poppy. But the burlier parts and excellent suspension let it fly downhill, too.
Ibis Ripley AF
Price: $2,999
Weight: 32.5 LB (M)
This complete aluminum Ripley costs the same as just the frame of the carbon version. It’s a remarkable value—you get the same efficient and balanced DW-Link suspension but better stability at speed on steeper trails, thanks to geometry that’s one-degree slacker than on the existing carbon Ripley models. The build on this bike is superb, too, highlighted by the excellent Shimano Deore 12-speed group.
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1
Price: $5,500
Weight: 27.3 LB (XL)
The 120mm-travel (front and rear) Scalpel is nearly as light and efficient-pedaling as an XC race bike, with rear-wheel traction so good it feels like cheating. But the extra travel gives it the suds to go big on descents. It also comes with in-frame storage—a system Cannondale calls Stash—that can hold a multitool, tire plug, and CO2. The Scalpel is a daily rider for anyone who wants to go insanely fast both uphill and down.
Trek Fuel EX 8 GX
Price: $3,500
Weight: 31 LB (M)
The EX 8 is one of the most exciting all-around trail bikes we’ve tested. It climbs well and descends decently, too. But more compelling for most of us is that it excels at everything in between, especially for the price. The build is full of capable parts, including a crisp-shifting SRAM Eagle GX drivetrain, strong G2 four-piston brakes, Bontrager wheels with a fast-engaging rear hub, and excellent tires. It is a reasonably priced bike that doesn’t leave the rider wanting for much more.
Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29
Price: $1,200
Weight: 30.5 LB (XL)
Updated geometry and an air-sprung fork make this version of the Rockhopper agile and easy to manage on technical trails. The tubeless-ready wheels and tires and a 12-speed drivetrain further boost its capabilities—it rides as nicely as some bikes that cost much more. The Expert version comes in seven sizes (the lowest-priced one costs $550), with 26-, 27.5-, and 29-inch-wheel options, depending on frame size. All of this makes the Expert not only a great first mountain bike but also a legitimate option for more experienced riders looking to save a few bucks.
Salsa Blackthorn Carbon GX Eagle
Price: $6,299
Weight: 32.3 LB (M)
This is a beast of a bike, with 29-inch wheels, big frame tubes, and long and slack geometry—it’s one of the longest bikes in the 140mm category. It’s heavy and tough, which is not surprising, given that it shares a frame with the brand’s Cassidy enduro bike, yet has impressive pedaling manners and the ability to claw up technical climbs with grace. It’s not for the rider seeking a typical 140mm trail bike; it’s for the one who wants big-bike capabilities and short-travel crispness.
Spot Mayhem 150 5 Star
Price: $6,199
Weight: 31 LB (M)
This new 29er from Spot is for riders who want an efficient-pedaling, responsive machine that’s more playful than plush. With 150mm of rear travel, a Fox 38 fork, a 1,205mm wheelbase (size medium), and a 64.5-degree head angle in the lower of two geometry settings, you can squeeze plenty of juice out of the rough stuff. But Spot’s Living Link suspension climbs efficiently and gives the bike an energetic ride that responds quickly to your input—whether you’re grinding up a climb, whipping around a switchback, or popping over a gap.
Trek Slash 9.9 X01
Price: $8,000
Weight: 31.6 LB (M)
This is a big bike. The latest version of this 29er gets a longer reach, a stretched wheelbase, and a bump in rear travel up to 160mm. But don’t let these increases scare you. Trek kept the Slash relatively light and its geometry modest for the category, so you don’t need to ride pro lines or be descending an EWS track to enjoy it. The bike is remarkably crisp and nimble, with beautiful rear suspension and a trail-bike feel—meaning, despite the weight, it feels okay on big climbs and mellow trails.
Scott Genius 920
Price: $5,500
Weight: 29.6 LB (M)
The Genius is a mighty-morpher that can accommodate 27.5- and 29-inch wheels (by adjusting the two-position flip chip in the upper link) and has a handlebar remote that lets you toggle between three suspension modes on the fly. Like most bikes from the Swiss brand, the Genius is light for its class, and designed to climb efficiently. Still, the bike has modern geometry that helps it feel stable on the descents, and the high-quality suspension sucks up big hits.
Rocky Mountain Altitude Carbon 70
Price: $7,329
Weight: 31.3 LB (M)
This is a big 160mm-travel (rear), 170mm (front) 29er enduro bike that wants to be your everyday rider. Shockingly spry and efficient, it forces you to rethink how entertaining a 31-pound long-travel bike could be on flowy singletrack. But it also shreds steep trails, chunder, and bike parks. All that versatility comes from ample suspension and geometry adjustments—one chip changes chainstay length, another has nine positions to help you fine-tune the bike’s angles and shock rate.
Jen is the associate test director for Bicycling and Runner’s World. Born and raised 10 minutes from the office, she spent her youth exploring the same roads and trails that she’d ultimately use to test bikes for Mountain Bike and Bicycling (for which—over the past 18 years, at different times, and with some overlap—she was a copy editor, senior editor, and managing editor). Today she prefers mellow rides with her 11-year-old boy, pushing the limits of where e-bikes can go, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a start line.
