Definitely think the KTM scarp MT should be in there, especially as just switching the shock stroke and fork can turn the bike form a down country weapon into a XC race bike 🙂
As I get older and my desire for "the gnar" wanes a bit, I really like the prospect of these DC bikes. Big days out without white-knuckle descents gets a thumbs up from me. The Yeti looks glorious. Just wish I had pockets that deep!
Just built a dream build Trek Top Fuel with 130mm traditional offset fork and it's insanely good... I've owned a stumpy ST, overforked SB100, and others and so far my top fuel is the best yet...
This is the issue with the way MTN bike mags constantly shift their terminology. 130/120mm bikes used to be mid travel trail bikes. Now they arent even short travel trail bikes, they are apparently almost cross country bikes. Desspite being longer and slacker than mid travel trail bikes from 5 years ago
Ha, yeah. Gravel bikes are basically rigid 90s mountain bikes with drop bars... That being said, you can get skinny short travel forks for gravel bikes now too! 🙈
i couldn't help it but recognise how forward thinking my mongoose had. 2018 model advertised as cross country with 120mm travel and 67 head angle. fits the downcountry category like a glove. also 3:04, switch infinity is only a fancy way to call a single pivot.
Besides the SB115, the Tallboy was the first short travel bike I've seen factory spec'd with a Maxxis Minion DHF. The way I see it, the tires dictate the ride.
Nice picks and video. What would your pick for downcountry alloy bikes? That would be nice to see . Not everybody can afford top carbon bikes. Thank you.
you gotta pay to play. Kona doesn't play the "hey man, test my bike and you can keep it". The Hei Hei certainly needs to be in this group. Waaaaaaay back in 2016, Kona came out with an all new Hei Hei. Most of that technology has been borrowed from their neighbor, Transition. Tweak the headtube angle a little, move the top tube down to be in line with the rear axle, and you pretty much have a spur. The "flex-stay" design on the Spur is directly that of this 2016 Hei Hei. Accelerating, the Hei Hei smokes the Spur and most of these other bikes, hands down.
I never found myself asking "WHAT is a Down-Country bike?" but rather "What's the DIFFERENCE between a DC and a Trail bike?". And I honestly still don't know.
Slightly shorter travel. As trail bikes have become bigger and bigger travel they are more like yesterday's 'All Mountain' or Enduro bikes. XC is still shorter travel so they've created another 'in between' category. In a nutshell XC =100mm, Trail = 140mm, Down Country = 120mm.
I believe Pinkbike suggested that anything with 130mm of travel or more would be considered trail and not Down Country. So a YT Izzo or Yeti SB115 would fall into trail category instead of Down country. Some companies are still calling down country bikes XC Marathon bikes.
@@DEXVD imagine just calling them longer or shorter travel trail bikes? Honestly the DC bike is just the trail bike of 5-10 years ago because the trail bikes of today are the all mountain bikes if 5-10 years ago.
@@boojiboy2275 I think the intention is a bit different, like a XCM bike a down country bike is supposed to be light weight compared to a trail bike, more of a beefed up XC bike than a short travel trail bike as a lot of the companies are using their lightweight XC frames as opposed to their trail frames and removing travel.
@@DEXVD Ok so a longer travel XC bike vs a short travel trail bike lol. I thought they had started doing that about 5 years ago. I remember the Scott Spark and Trek Top Fuel for example increasing from 100mm to 120mm fork. All good I guess. Just choose the bike that suits you and your style of riding.
Maybe the YT Izzo has been missed but at the same time, I've read elsewhere that the line between down country and trail should be >120mm of travel which would exclude the Izzo and the Yeti SB115. Would like to see the Rocky Mountain Element and Norco Revolver FS 120 thrown in against the Spur and Epic Evo.
Izzo is a trail bike, feels dull and wooden on aggressive xc trails, but great everywhere else, had a Pro Race and sold it. Ripley, Spur and Hei Hei are tons more fun
@@shaun1900 Interesting heard a lot of positive reviews of it when it first came out, sounded like an awesome bike, the Spur sounds pretty interesting haven't heard much about the Hei Hei lately
@@DEXVD its not a bad bike in any way, I just think as a down country (light duty trail bike) it wasn't that great, it just sits more in the aggressive Trail / Light enduro IMHO.
Banshee wrote this story over 6 years ago with the Phantom. Progressive Geometry, 105mm rear travel in the V1/2 and now 115mm rear travel in the V3, the Phantom has been rock'n the short travel, bomb'n the descents and plastering permanent smiles on MTBers long before Down Country became a thing.
Hard to list all of the bikes available. Personally, I have a Spot Ryve 115. I didn't really think of it as "down-country" when I bought it, but that is essentially what it is.
I love my SB100, which I set up with i9 Trail 270 24h and Rekon 2.4 (f) and Rekon Race 2.35 (r). If I had to buy one now I'd probably buy the SB115 or the Revel Ranger. The Revel Ranger should definitely be on this list, imo
All fabulous bikes, and all rally expensive. I'm dying to see the reviews for the Vitus Rapide FS - slack, light, full sus, adn cheap (not that you can actually get hold of one); it really fits into the Downcountry genre.
I do indeed a downcountry XC hadtail aluminium bike. Not so radical in headangle: 68-69 degrees is enough. 120 mm fork in front is enough! What would be the frames to keep in mind for such a task, other than Specialized Chisel?
You left out the Norco Fluid fs1, 120mm out back 130mm up front, 429mm chainstays, 66.5 degree head angle, a bit heavy stock but its reasonably cheap so you have money to spend on upgrades, I've got mine down to 30.5 pounds with pedals, its an absolute blast to ride.
The ironic part is, each new bike category is touted as the "quiver killer bike," aka, the do-it-all bikes that renders the rest in your collection unnecessary haha
more marketing BS i'm gonna sell a bike specifically designed for people with mullets or hairy legs with 1 mile of fork travel. it's called the millet bike. 30 miles of rear lockout, , 300 mm rotors, wireless, permanent charge and it has wings. i also have a bridge for sale
I have read elsewhere maybe on Pinkbike that the line between trail and Down Country is Trail is >120mm of travel front or rear while Down Country is that narrow >100mm to
Right let's just STOP this right now. There is NO such thing as Downcountry Bikes!! These are Trail Bikes nothing more. I am really starting to hate this industry with the utter crap they are coming out with!!
its a trail bike, bought one expecting a down country type bike and promptly sold it - too wooden and dull on my local trails but great as an aggressive trail bike.
Why are the phrases “Emperor’s new clothes” and “reinventing the wheel” springing to mind? Give me full suspension downhill penny-farthing sized unicycles! And call them trail hybrid mono-wheel crossovers or some other wank you’ve just made up so I’ll feel more inclined to buy them! I don’t think.
@@gregoryvierra6114 you’re lucky 🍀. I waited for 6 months for a bike and finally they pushed it back again so I found a frame at a local bike shop and built it frame up.
Nice looking bike but poor quality control or poor transport.Rear wheel has major issues right out of the box. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Rear axle is bent! Derailleur is misaligned.Since the rear wheel comes assembled I would have expected better.Assembly instructions poorly written, but that was not unexpected...just annoying.I just had the bike checked at a shop and was told that I should contact the seller about getting a whole rear wheel assembly with cartridge. (The bike shop could not do anything to help me).Not a good experience with this bike, so lesson learned.Added 3 stars for excellent customer serviceUpdate Sept 8 2020Just received a complete replacement wheel for free. Great service and an otherwise fine bike.
Which one would you pick? Or have we missed one? 🚵 let us know in the comments!
Definitely the Orbea Oiz TR!!!!
why don't do the 5 top best downhill bike
Definitely think the KTM scarp MT should be in there, especially as just switching the shock stroke and fork can turn the bike form a down country weapon into a XC race bike 🙂
Why am I even watching this when there ain't even a mountain anywhere near me lmao just gorgeous bikes
That transition spur is beyond beautiful.
As I get older and my desire for "the gnar" wanes a bit, I really like the prospect of these DC bikes. Big days out without white-knuckle descents gets a thumbs up from me. The Yeti looks glorious. Just wish I had pockets that deep!
I love my Trek Top Fuel! Last summer I did an xc race one day and then went to the dh park the next week
Just built a dream build Trek Top Fuel with 130mm traditional offset fork and it's insanely good... I've owned a stumpy ST, overforked SB100, and others and so far my top fuel is the best yet...
Tallboy should have made this list. That transition looks like a pretty neat ride too
I ride a 2016 Cannondale Habit, which is considered a "Downcountry"by todays standards, but was advertised as "Trailbike" back in the days 💁🏼♂️
Nope
Yep, same here
This is the issue with the way MTN bike mags constantly shift their terminology. 130/120mm bikes used to be mid travel trail bikes. Now they arent even short travel trail bikes, they are apparently almost cross country bikes. Desspite being longer and slacker than mid travel trail bikes from 5 years ago
What's next, an enduro gravelbike? Cross country bmx?
Crosstrail seems a cool name 🤟
Ha, yeah. Gravel bikes are basically rigid 90s mountain bikes with drop bars... That being said, you can get skinny short travel forks for gravel bikes now too! 🙈
@@flashman2008 well I'm making fun of new creations of the bike industry but I would actually really like to own a gravelbike lol
And a downhill road bike 😅🤭
@@roebbiej Yeah, me too! 🤣
😂 I like the little jokes you throw in there. Eating one too many caffeinated energy gels.
i couldn't help it but recognise how forward thinking my mongoose had. 2018 model advertised as cross country with 120mm travel and 67 head angle. fits the downcountry category like a glove. also 3:04, switch infinity is only a fancy way to call a single pivot.
What you think about the Trek Top Fuel?
I know that I’m late to the party, but I’d add the Ibis Ripley to your list. The Spur is so sweet, btw.
Intense Sniper T. The OG down country bike
Scott Spark! Was released years ago, but still a great bike!!
Yes! That's what I ride. The later versions are even more 'downcountry' oriented
I expected the Orbea Oiz TR to be included on the list.
I have the aluminum version, weight is quite high, converted everything to xtr to reduce some grams
@@vtwl24 Orbea's Aluminum frames look really nice. Such clean welds.
Besides the SB115, the Tallboy was the first short travel bike I've seen factory spec'd with a Maxxis Minion DHF. The way I see it, the tires dictate the ride.
Not really,alot of manufactures spec lighter tires and lighter sidewalls to make the bike lighter on paper
Internal rim width is a big clue as well. The narrower the internal rim profile, the more likely it is to be closer to an XC bike.
Can't wait to try my Transition Spur Deore spec. Ordered it back in december !
NS BIKES 🤩
Nice picks and video. What would your pick for downcountry alloy bikes?
That would be nice to see . Not everybody can afford top carbon bikes.
Thank you.
Kona HeiHei needs more love.
just got to the end of the vid and thought "no hie hie ?"
*hei hei ( before the spelling nazis shoot me down)
you gotta pay to play. Kona doesn't play the "hey man, test my bike and you can keep it". The Hei Hei certainly needs to be in this group. Waaaaaaay back in 2016, Kona came out with an all new Hei Hei. Most of that technology has been borrowed from their neighbor, Transition. Tweak the headtube angle a little, move the top tube down to be in line with the rear axle, and you pretty much have a spur. The "flex-stay" design on the Spur is directly that of this 2016 Hei Hei. Accelerating, the Hei Hei smokes the Spur and most of these other bikes, hands down.
Nice list. I think you could have included the Orbea Oiz TR.
Crazy how in 2014 a very good carbon frame had a msrp of 2k. Fast forward 8 years and the average is 3.3k - 4k for a carbon frame.
Insane prices !
Take a look at the Intense Sniper XC and Trail. Doing Down-country
since 2018!
I never found myself asking "WHAT is a Down-Country bike?" but rather "What's the DIFFERENCE between a DC and a Trail bike?". And I honestly still don't know.
Slightly shorter travel. As trail bikes have become bigger and bigger travel they are more like yesterday's 'All Mountain' or Enduro bikes. XC is still shorter travel so they've created another 'in between' category. In a nutshell XC =100mm, Trail = 140mm, Down Country = 120mm.
I believe Pinkbike suggested that anything with 130mm of travel or more would be considered trail and not Down Country. So a YT Izzo or Yeti SB115 would fall into trail category instead of Down country. Some companies are still calling down country bikes XC Marathon bikes.
@@DEXVD imagine just calling them longer or shorter travel trail bikes? Honestly the DC bike is just the trail bike of 5-10 years ago because the trail bikes of today are the all mountain bikes if 5-10 years ago.
@@boojiboy2275 I think the intention is a bit different, like a XCM bike a down country bike is supposed to be light weight compared to a trail bike, more of a beefed up XC bike than a short travel trail bike as a lot of the companies are using their lightweight XC frames as opposed to their trail frames and removing travel.
@@DEXVD Ok so a longer travel XC bike vs a short travel trail bike lol. I thought they had started doing that about 5 years ago. I remember the Scott Spark and Trek Top Fuel for example increasing from 100mm to 120mm fork. All good I guess. Just choose the bike that suits you and your style of riding.
Maybe the YT Izzo has been missed but at the same time, I've read elsewhere that the line between down country and trail should be >120mm of travel which would exclude the Izzo and the Yeti SB115. Would like to see the Rocky Mountain Element and Norco Revolver FS 120 thrown in against the Spur and Epic Evo.
Izzo is a trail bike, feels dull and wooden on aggressive xc trails, but great everywhere else, had a Pro Race and sold it. Ripley, Spur and Hei Hei are tons more fun
@@shaun1900 Interesting heard a lot of positive reviews of it when it first came out, sounded like an awesome bike, the Spur sounds pretty interesting haven't heard much about the Hei Hei lately
@@DEXVD its not a bad bike in any way, I just think as a down country (light duty trail bike) it wasn't that great, it just sits more in the aggressive Trail / Light enduro IMHO.
Funny. I sold my Izzo Pro Race for the Spur. Zero regrets.
@@gregoryvierra6114 good call.
I am waiting for the all-carbon downhill unicycle with 13 speed and 105 mm travel
I bought and love my Ibis Ripley w/Fox Factory grip 2 fork, medium build for well under 6 K 👍
Banshee wrote this story over 6 years ago with the Phantom. Progressive Geometry, 105mm rear travel in the V1/2 and now 115mm rear travel in the V3, the Phantom has been rock'n the short travel, bomb'n the descents and plastering permanent smiles on MTBers long before Down Country became a thing.
Hard to list all of the bikes available. Personally, I have a Spot Ryve 115. I didn't really think of it as "down-country" when I bought it, but that is essentially what it is.
I love my SB100, which I set up with i9 Trail 270 24h and Rekon 2.4 (f) and Rekon Race 2.35 (r). If I had to buy one now I'd probably buy the SB115 or the Revel Ranger. The Revel Ranger should definitely be on this list, imo
All fabulous bikes, and all rally expensive. I'm dying to see the reviews for the Vitus Rapide FS - slack, light, full sus, adn cheap (not that you can actually get hold of one); it really fits into the Downcountry genre.
Would go with the Revel Ranger over any of these, perfect example for this segment.
Nice video but it would have been nice to atleast see a little card with some geo of the bikes.
It’s a new name for a sort travel trail bike, to well sell more trail bikes.
Where's the Ibis Ripley or the Devinci Djago?
i just wish
merida ninety-six downcontry was on the list
but great video
keep em' coming
I do indeed a downcountry XC hadtail aluminium bike. Not so radical in headangle: 68-69 degrees is enough. 120 mm fork in front is enough!
What would be the frames to keep in mind for such a task, other than Specialized Chisel?
You left out the Norco Fluid fs1, 120mm out back 130mm up front, 429mm chainstays, 66.5 degree head angle, a bit heavy stock but its reasonably cheap so you have money to spend on upgrades, I've got mine down to 30.5 pounds with pedals, its an absolute blast to ride.
Being a rider who has been in the sport since '87, I simply call these types of bikes - Mountain Bikes.
What about the Orbea Oiz TR? I read many great reviews about it.
😆 So we all need to add another bike to the armoury? Thanks bike manufacturers 😆👍🏻
The ironic part is, each new bike category is touted as the "quiver killer bike," aka, the do-it-all bikes that renders the rest in your collection unnecessary haha
The new Cannondale Scalpel.. ? 🧐🧐🧐
But that's just an 80s mountain bike. :) #everybikeisadowncountrybike
Good, that Yeti in the list. Bad, that the wrong one;) Should be Arc
Huh? I have the Arc and Spur and they’re very different bikes.
what about the Spark from Scott? best sold bike
I bought a 2022 Santa Cruz Blur TR 120 front 115 rear. Very different from my 2008 Specialized Epic.
Xc/DC is a legit genre of MTB. It's perfect for the person who only needs one bike that can do a little bit of both spectrums of MTB.
Back in the days it was called ALL MOUNTAIN
So, I ride 435mm reach with 90mm stem, so 490mm reach with a 35mm stem should put me in the same position, does this sound right?
Spur because it has the best kickstand in the game. 1:04
Why is the Kona Hei Hei never on these comparisons?
Missed the Revel Ranger!
Inbetween XC and trail bikes, these look good for hilly but def not mountain areas like the Surrey Hills in UK
Ibis Ripley 4
more marketing BS
i'm gonna sell a bike specifically designed for people with mullets or hairy legs with 1 mile of fork travel. it's called the millet bike. 30 miles of rear lockout, , 300 mm rotors, wireless, permanent charge and it has wings. i also have a bridge for sale
Orbea Oiz TR???????
Scott Spark. Not the rc, just the spark
Trailbike, it's called Trailbike.
I wouldve thought it would be the TR version of the Synonym, not the RC version
Please mention the song name in the first half of the video
What about the intense sniper t?
can we just make these the new xc thing and leave the older style for the pros
No Izzo? Maybe it’s more of a trail bike I suppose
Tallboy!!!
Synonim TR = vitus rapide FS, and many more:)
Wot, no Scalpel SE?
Nice bikes for dentists 🤪
I love my Marin Rift zone 29er and I would consider that my wallet friendly 'downcountry' bike !
lol why are most of these slacker then my 150mm trail bike
No shit, the geometry on some of these is more „progressive“ than on my Nukeproof Mega290 from 2016..
‘Coz marketing!
And longer too probably
@@grooveseeker6269 ye because i like smaller bikes ?
Polygon Siskiu D7
So 120mm trail bikes ?
Two of them have no remote lockout, not what I expect from a fast down country bike
Banshee Phantom
Scott Spark 920 ?
Isn’t down county what trail bikes use to be?
Yep
I have read elsewhere maybe on Pinkbike that the line between trail and Down Country is Trail is >120mm of travel front or rear while Down Country is that narrow >100mm to
Entire scale is shifting. For instance, Enduro bikes are basically like Downhill bikes now
Please mention the song name at 2:19
Nah I've had it with marketing. Its a trail bike.
You've missed nicolai Saturn 11 (or 14)
I rather have a down country bike rather than Xc because downhill is a lot more fun than on an xc bike with a high seat
BMC fourstroke LT?
Or we could call them what they are, lightweight trail bikes. Doesen't sound as flashy but it;s the truth.
You will only hear down country from the industry, not from anyone that has ridden more than 5 minutes.
Right let's just STOP this right now. There is NO such thing as Downcountry Bikes!! These are Trail Bikes nothing more. I am really starting to hate this industry with the utter crap they are coming out with!!
YT Izzo!
its a trail bike, bought one expecting a down country type bike and promptly sold it - too wooden and dull on my local trails but great as an aggressive trail bike.
And where is Scott Spark?
Dude check out my downhill uphill flat land drag race road gravel Street BMX bike.
I'm not really seeing the difference between a trail bike and a "downcountry" bike
Where is Whyte S120?
Norco Optic? I would love the Transition Spur though. And that Yeti looks amazing. Both very pricey bikes. Base Optic model is half the price.
parkpre trail 29....the best one!! 66 angle , 120mm front/rear very easy and stiff
YT Izzo missing
Why are the phrases “Emperor’s new clothes” and “reinventing the wheel” springing to mind? Give me full suspension downhill penny-farthing sized unicycles! And call them trail hybrid mono-wheel crossovers or some other wank you’ve just made up so I’ll feel more inclined to buy them! I don’t think.
Orbea Oiz Trail
pivot mach 4 sl
Downcountry new bike industry marketing speak to get mug punters to buy another bike they don't need.🙄 When are we going to have an upcountry bike?🤣
Then what the heck is a trail bike?
Good luck finding these bikes in stock, XL and many others have been ghosts.
I bought an XL Spur in February.
@@gregoryvierra6114 you’re lucky 🍀. I waited for 6 months for a bike and finally they pushed it back again so I found a frame at a local bike shop and built it frame up.
Nice looking bike but poor quality control or poor transport.Rear wheel has major issues right out of the box. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Rear axle is bent! Derailleur is misaligned.Since the rear wheel comes assembled I would have expected better.Assembly instructions poorly written, but that was not unexpected...just annoying.I just had the bike checked at a shop and was told that I should contact the seller about getting a whole rear wheel assembly with cartridge. (The bike shop could not do anything to help me).Not a good experience with this bike, so lesson learned.Added 3 stars for excellent customer serviceUpdate Sept 8 2020Just received a complete replacement wheel for free. Great service and an otherwise fine bike.
had to give this a thumbs down for parroting bike industry mumbo jumbo.. you lose a lot of credibility imo
Damn dude that's hardcore
100% Agree! They should fire this presenter my least favorite and this upload is a good example why.
until you ride a Hei Hei, Ripley, Spur or SB115 and it makes sense - amazing bikes for 99% of what 99% of people ride.
We need more made up disciplines for more made up bicycles . The industry knows its punters so well. Peace ✌🏻
Tallboy.