This multi-time Editors’ Choice award winner keeps getting better. Completely redesigned this year, the latest model loses some weight and improves handling over the previous generation. Notably, the frame is longer and slacker than the previous one, making it more fun to rip around trails off the racecourse while still retaining the model’s signature pinpoint accuracy.
Testers praised the redesigned Brain rear suspension because it reacts more quickly to bumps yet remains every bit as efficient. Plus (on a bike at this price, there better be a plus) the SWAT storage system lets you carry tools and ride essentials without having to mount a seat bag or carry a pack. And there’s room for two water bottles inside the frame.