Vital’s $2,500 Full Suspension Mountain Bike Comparison Test – Mountain Bike Feature

CA rider who purchases a full-suspension mountain bike gets durability and peak performance on the trail for less than $2,500? Vital MTBers, welcome to the third edition of our affordable mountain bike comparison test. “Budget” is a relative word and $2,500 is a lot of money to spend on a bike that you have to pedal yourself. Over the years, however, we’ve realized that if we want a full-suspension mountain bike that can withstand the rigors of many miles of real trails, this is where we need to start. If it’s cheaper, over time the bikes and their parts will simply stop working and won’t hold up to real riding.

We test new bikes here, but never forget the used market, which can give you a lot of bang for your buck if you know what to look for. Additionally, for some, the prices of new bikes are constantly changing big sales and discounts so keep in mind that the prices shown in this video may differ from what you find today.

The bikes + 1

We have put together 6 full suspension 29ers ranging from 130 mm to 140 mm travel on the rear wheel. These are considered trail bikes if you don’t know how mountain bikes are classified. A trail bike is designed to do a little bit of everything, and hopefully do it pretty well. It has more suspension travel than a cross-country bike and less suspension travel than a so-called enduro bike. Some of our test bikes are purchased from local bike shops, while others are ordered directly from the brands online. The prices stated here do not include shipping costs or taxes. Bikes purchased from a local store will be assembled and ready to ride, while bikes shipped directly to the end user will need to be assembled upon delivery. For all direct brands we tested, the necessary assembly tools such as Allen keys and shock pumps are included in the packaging.

Every bike in our test has 29-inch wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and a 1-speed drivetrain, meaning there are 11 or 12 gears on the rear shift block and just one chainring on the cranks. Although there are components similarities between the bikes, each model is definitely its own machine with unique fit and riding characteristics.

This year we included a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Alloy for good measure, which is currently on sale for $3,200. Would a $1,000 price increase provide enough of a performance advantage to make our testers ignore the other bikes?

Tester and bike sizing

Which size mountain bike you should ride depends on your personal preferences. Our testers, Jason Schroeder, Steve Wentz, Rick Reed, Johan and Nils Hjord, ranged in height from 175cm (5’9″) to 184cm (6ft). Our smaller testers are on the borderline, brand-wise between medium and large Recommendations. All bikes tested are size Large except the Giant, which is medium. And since riding with more friends is more fun, we had Schralper Amanda Wentz on hand to disassemble the Giant and brought even the 6’4″ Vital with collaborator and mechanic-wizard Jonny Simonetti is supposed to throw a leg over a few bikes, causing damage and forming shapes for the camera. The main feedback on the test comes from Jason, Johan, Rick and Steve.

Join us for some fun as we put these bikes to the test near Reno, Nevada. We had a lot of fun testing these wallet-friendly mountain bikes and hope you’ve figured out which bike is best for you. Whether you’re spending $2,000 or $200 on a bike, the ride is key and we want you to experience the joy a bike can bring on the trails. If you have any questions or comments, let us know below and we’ll see you on the trails!

Video content

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 1:42 – Bike sizes, testers, overview of the test fleet
• 3:40 p.m. – Bike Weight Challenge
• 5:18 – Marin Rift Zone 29 2 – $2,299
• 9:40 – Giant Trance X 29 2 – $2,280
• 12:39 – Rossignol mandate Deore 11 – $1,499
• 16:10 – Polygon Siskiu T8 – $1,999
• 19:28 – Rocky Mountain Instinct A10 – $2,029
• 22:17 – Norco Fluid FS A3 – $2,249
• 25:19 – Would our testers spend $1,000 more on a? $3,200 Stumpjumper Comp alloy?

A big thank you to Feedback sport, Leatt And Sky Tavern

for supporting our affordable bike efforts in 2023!