Core: Spot Honey Badger
Yes, EO readers, it has come to the point where our favorite mountain bike for most trails is a belt-drive single speed. It’s not just because we telemark and fly fish Tenkara rods—this thing is simply fun and it absolutely digs into technical climbs and flies on the downs. Credit the new geometry which gives it more guts and climbing mojo than the brand’s already awesome Rocker. The Gates Carbon Drive is hassle-free and oh-so-silent on lonely singletrack.
$2,599; spotbrand.com
Commuter: Raleigh Misceo Trail i11
Yep, we were high on Gates Carbon Drive bikes this season. But this is no single-speed–the Misceo Trail i11 features Shimano hydraulic brakes and internally geared Shimano Alfine components that give it 11 speeds on that belt (yes, it goes to 11), which makes it the best commuter bike you could own. No hassles in mud. It eats up dirt or pavement. No broken deraileurs or chains falling off. And you never get chain grease on your work pants.
$1,750; raleighusa.com
Ladies’ Choice: Specialized Amira SL4 Pro SRAM Compact
Our XX-chromosomed roadie editors swore by the Amira’s light, stiff FACT 11r carbon frame and female performance geometry. Plus, the SRAM componentry was a very welcome surprise at this price point.
$4,750; specialized.com
Singletrack: Giant Trance X 29er 0
Giant’s Trance X was our mainstay ride for a long time—it offered plush suspension alongside responsive climbing at a reasonable price. Sold. But the bike got left by the wayside as we fell in love with 29ers. No longer. The 5-inches-of-dreamy-travel 29er Trance X serves up internal cable routing and a suspension designed explicitly for big wheels that creates a shorter wheelbase.
$4,250; giant-bicycles.com
Park: Diamondback Mason
Meet the 29er hardtail made for the Valmont Bike Park (or any other freeriding with pedaling required). A product of the Pacific Northwest, the uber-slack Mason serves up 140 mm of travel in the front fork and a seat dropper for those big hits, but still has the stiffness (and big wheels) to dig in and climb.
$2,200; diamondback.com
Fixie: Big Shot Bikes
Big Shot Bikes is elevating the fixie beyond the provenance of tight-jean-wearing hipsters. But that doesn’t mean they’re taking away the ironic cool. The company lets you design your very own machine online, choosing the frame size, handlebar design, colors. The bikes spec with a flip flop hub, meaning you can run them as a fixie or a single speed, depending on how many PBRs you want to swill. Best of all, it’s a great price for a solid custom ride.
$429; bigshotbikes.com
