The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 26 - The Three Most Important Mountain Bikes

Oct 8, 2020
by Mike Levy  
photo
Art by Taj Mihelich


While mountain biking doesn't have the long history that most mainstream sports can brag about, our gear-centric niche has seen plenty of notable and important mountain bikes over the years. What makes a bike important? Well, that's up for debate, which is exactly what we do in episode 26.

For @mikekazimer and myself, 'most important' means bikes that changed the game a bit but also one or two that we lusted after. My pick includes Kona's Process 111, Rocky Mountain's RM9, and all the early Intense M-series machines that Palmer, Tomac, and many other legends raced. Kazimer picked the 2013/14 Specialized Enduro, Intense M1, and Santa Cruz's Blur 4X. James has Chris Porter's Nicolai Ion 16, YT's Sponsoree, and the Scott Spark on his list. @brianpark thought about it more than the rest of us (of course) and picked the '81 Stumpjumper, AMP's B2 from 1993, and the first Santa Cruz Nomad.

So, what does 'most important' mean to you? And what three bikes are you going to put on your list?

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever else you get your podcasts.





THE PINKBIKE PODCAST // EPISODE 26 - THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT MOUNTAIN BIKES
Oct 8, 2020

Does anyone have the Redalp on their list?

Hosted by Mike Levy (usually) and featuring a rotating cast of the editorial team and other guests, the Pinkbike Podcast is a weekly update on all the latest stories from around the world of mountain biking, as well as some frank discussion about tech, racing, and everything in between.

Previous Pinkbike Podcasts
Episode 1 - Why Are Bikes So Expensive?
Episode 2 - Where the Hell is the Grim Donut?
Episode 3 - Pond Beaver Tech
Episode 4 - Why is Every Bike a Trail Bike?
Episode 5 - Can You Trust Bike Reviews?
Episode 6 - Over Biked Or Under Biked?
Episode 7 - Wild Project Bikes
Episode 8 - Do We Need an Even Larger Wheel Size?
Episode 9 - Why Are We Doing a Cross-Country Field Test?
Episode 10 - Getting Nerdy About Bike Setup
Episode 11 - Are We Going Racing This Year?
Episode 12 - What's the Future of Bike Shops?
Episode 13 - Are Bikes Too Regular Now?
Episode 14 - What Bikes Would Pinkbike Editors Buy?
Episode 15 - What's Holding Mountain Biking Back?
Episode 16 - Who's Your Mountain Biking Hero?
Episode 17 - XC Field Test Insider
Episode 18 - Electronics on your Mountain Bike: Good or Bad?
Episode 19 - The Hardtail Episode
Episode 20 - MTB Conspiracy Theories
Episode 21 - Stuff We Were Wrong About
Episode 22 - Does Your Riding Style Match Your Personality?
Episode 23 - Grim Donut 2 is Live!
Episode 24 - Why Even Buy a DH Bike?
Episode 25 - Fall Field Test Preview

Author Info:
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Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

140 Comments
  • 54 6
 My three most important are the 3 in my garage. One is mine and the others are my boys, 9 and 13. It is so amazing taking them out to ride!
  • 3 1
 Beat me to it.. Mine, my 2yr old's balance bike, and my 4yr old's Early Rider 16" belt drive. My son (4) is starting to hit dirt with minimal climbs, my daughter (2) rocks the balance bike around our hood.
  • 2 0
 My two boys are 5 and 7, and the youngest has just learned to ride properly. Looking forward to seeing them overtake me one day.
  • 44 0
 Kona Stinky- if we had phones and YouTube/insta in 2009, Friday Fails would be 96% fullface-sunglasses, Roach pads and Kona Stinkys
  • 1 0
 Absolutely, these were everywhere!
  • 1 0
 I still want one, the 2005 brown deelux
  • 2 0
 I was honestly surprised NO ONE mentioned the stinky.
  • 2 0
 @raddad0410: perhaps because the Pipeline, RM6/7/9 seemingly paved the way for the Stinky, Norco VPS. This is propbably just my interpretation of the era but those RMs were way beyond what came before and really kicked off the free-ride bike age.
  • 38 0
 The right answer is obviously the 2012 Trek Session as no other bike has created as many Pinkbike comments as that dang bike.
  • 16 2
 OG process 111 is king!
I haven’t been at it for terribly long. But I’m thinking maybe the First specialized enduro with 29” wheels is a good choice (ahead of its time). Maybe the gen2 patrol also since it kind of sparked the super slack and short offset fork trend?
  • 14 1
 Kazimer is SOOO close if not spot on, imo. The 13/14 Enduro was SO FAR ahead of its time, and basically created that segment for mountain bikes a decade before anyone else used that term. I understand the Nomad choice by Brian but it was a reaction to the Enduro. The M1 absolutely needs to be on the list. There is NO other mountain bike that got rebranded and raced by SO MANY WC teams in any disciplines. I certainly don't follow xc trends as much but the Blur 4x and a lot of other 4x bikes during that time were essentially downcountry bikes decades before anyone thought of that silly term.
  • 8 0
 sorry I meant to say the 2006 Enduro was the super important one.
  • 4 0
 Blur 4x was a legendary bike and concept. Ratboy should be on that thing
  • 2 1
 @NorCalNomad: Then I'd say it must be the 2003 Enduro SX. That's what these later Enduro SX (and later SX) models were derived from, innit?
  • 4 0
 We down county in the 90s here - it was called North Shore XC
  • 1 0
 Levy is smart to include the 111. At the time I demoed one and it completely smashed my mold for what an ultra capable trail bike should have/be. For sure it has contributed to the current smash up that makes catergorizing bikes all but impossible.
  • 9 0
 No Iron Horse Sunday? Bike first released 15 years ago and still been loved that much by the community. Still active discussion about it on some portals after 125+ pages. I don't know any other bike that was re-welden by some owners to make it longer and slacker, I think there was a version for a new size of wheels too. Awesome bike and I miss my one soo much.
  • 6 1
 Another interesting bike from that era is Specialized Demo. I remember everybody complained that this thing is too low and too long + super short chainstay that becomes a trend later. My wife still owns demo 7 2007 in size medium, and that thing has 430 reach (in 2007 !!), modern yt tues or canyon sender have similar sizing. This bike was long and low long before Mondraker / Nicolai pushed that trend.
  • 7 0
 @trototo: and don't forget the SX trail! what an epic little bike that was, much more of a game changer than the bottlerocket
  • 1 0
 double post
  • 14 4
 Slingshot, Klein Mantra and Softride.
  • 14 0
 3 very unimportant but interesting bikes.
  • 15 0
 More cautionary tales than mountain bikes really.
  • 6 0
 First Enduro 29 for bringing big wheels to the long travel bikes, Trek session for the memes and Schwinn Cruiser from 1973 without which we wouldn’t have this whole fun sport.
  • 2 0
 There were other long travel 29ers at the time, like the Lenz bikes and BMC Trailfox, but none of them had the market penetration the big S did.
  • 7 1
 For better or for worse, I don't know how you can look at what wheelsize everyone is running and not mention a Gary Fisher or Niner 29er, at least a trailbike like the Hifi or WFO.
  • 2 0
 What's hilarious as besides the mentioning the first horst link design, suspension design and pedalling platform have not had the impact that people arguing on the internet 15 years ago would have thought they would have. Nobody talks about the Specialized Epic being one of the most important bikes.
  • 9 0
 Some great picks but where is the Sunday??
  • 2 0
 100%. Where was the IH love?
  • 3 0
 @schlockinz: I dunno, even Kaz said in a recent podcast he’d love to ride one again
  • 2 3
 The Sunday was an extremely successful and popular bike, but it wasn't really a game changer for the industry in any significant way. It didn't bring in radical new geometry, suspension (dw-link already existed, and the Sunday's suspension actually wasn't particularly good if you didn't have a position sensitive shock), materials or anything else that didn't already exist. They were pretty hard to break though which was arguably a first in DH bikes, and they were light ish at the time. By comparison, the M1 was the bike that really shoved the entire industry towards adequately low, slack angles.
  • 2 0
 @Socket: Technically you are correct but what the sunday DID was massively widen the coverage of downhill due to the bike and Sam, all of a sudden kids new what downhill was. Monster energy and madcatz stickers were everywhere and new (and old) riders wanted to be like Sam so the bikes were everywhere, the other revolutionary thing the bike did for its time was corner, unbelievable how they glued when banked over. A truly inspirational and overlooked bike for it's time IMO
  • 1 0
 @sewer-rat: I wouldn't really agree with you there, it wasn't Sam or the Sunday that brought on improved coverage, it was almost entirely Freecaster who were responsible for that (big thanks to Raymond Dulieu for that). Sam was just winning on a Sunday at the time. You can't really claim the bike was a particularly important one in my opinion, because it didn't prompt the rest of the industry to shift in a particular way to copy its characteristics (unlike say Intense, Mondraker, Pole/Geometron). You could argue that Giant copied dw-link with Maestro, but they actually had the Glory and Faith out the same year the Sunday was available. They cornered well, but it wasn't particularly exceptional (the geometry was actually less progressive than what Intense had, for example), it was really only Sam who was winning on them, and that's because he's Sam Hill - he also won races on Intense, Specialized and Nukeproof. I owned a Sunday and it was a good, solid bike but it wasn't a real game changer on any technical front. The best thing about it was that it didn't have any particularly big flaws - the geometry was good, the suspension was usable, it was lightish, it was reliable, it looked good. But none of those on their own was new.
  • 1 0
 @Socket: solid response and I get it mate, all down to opinion I guess Salute
  • 7 1
 2 things:
1: Brian, your anti rocky bias from your friendly departure is palpable in this episode


And 2: you guys gotta wrangle up RC for an episode. Dont care which topic it is.
  • 4 0
 What do you mean? Im a fan of the RMB brand, and love many of the people there. I definitely don’t have an anti-Rocky bias. We recorded this a few weeks ago so I don’t remember everything I said in here but I don’t remember anything anti Rocky? Oh maybe I did talk shit on RM7/9, but in my defence that bike was horrendous. It did change the game though, so fair play for that. For the record I thought about including the Pipeline in my list—it was an important bike and a precursor to a lot of modern ideas despite its URT.

And agreed re RC.
  • 2 0
 @brianpark: Ha, I was just giving you a hard time fishing for a reply just like this one! I did think it was kinda funny that they were a bit of a punching bag this episode (Flatline is ugly too - which it is).
  • 1 0
 @j-t-g: OG Flatline was errr not to my taste. 2nd gen Flatline was a nice looking, solid, privateer DH bike. Smile
  • 5 1
 Original 1984 Fat Chance, complete with magura moto levers, since "mountain bike" components weren't even a thing yet. Mountain biking had to start somewhere.

Sam Hill ~2008 Iron Horse Sunday World Cup

2005 SC nomad, the original enduro bike
  • 4 0
 DMR Trailstar (original)
I'd view this as one of the original do it all hardtails. You could argue the original Klunkers were that too but I don't think these were being used on the jump lines quite the way the Trailstar was. Yet the Trailstar wasn't a DJ bike exclusively. It really was up for anything. A blueprint for most versatile (steel) hardtails we're seeing today.

Specialized Enduro SX 2003
A "supercross" (BSX, DS, 4X, anything) bike with 80mm rear travel. Raced to second place in the Lisbon urban DH race by Anneke Beerten, used for messing about by Matt Hunter in The Collective. Basically a bike designed to be competitive in a specialized (no pun) discipline but used way outside that. It eventually became the inspiration for the later Enduro (SX) models and obviously other brands jumped in too. But I view this one as the bike that started it all.

Orange 222 (or whichever DH bike they made at whichever point)
Obviously it is always in the rider but I don't think there is another bike brand that has supported more different riders who at some point in their career have become World Cup and/or Worlds champion. Greg Minnaar, Josh Bryceland, Tracey Hannah, a guy named Peaty. I could be very wrong here and it may not matter shit if they haven't become champ on their very bike. And you are all more right than I am here. But this is my comment so I all that's left for you to do is respond and vote, sorry. Orange bikes are legendary. There, I said it.
  • 1 0
 Not sure the time frame of the DMR but Spooky had some really interesting HT frames in the mid to late 90's.

The Metalhead is the first DJ frame that I can think of with the adjustable dropouts and US BB and HT gussets.

Plus the Spooky punk rock vibe was a like nothing else at the time (I'll always remember the sticker/t-shirt tosses at Mt Snow, VT!)
  • 4 0
 When I heard the topic, I started going through 3 bikes in my head and then thought how could the OG Stumpjumper not be on the list? So it’s really a top 2. The other two I thought of were the Amp B2 (which I owNed and @Mikelevy the chainstays are still on one piece—cause the top tube snapped first) and the Enduro 29. So partial agreement with @mikekazimer but @brianpark wins fo sho.
  • 3 0
 There are two bikes that are without any question. With third i have hard time. First one is. AMP. I think it doesnt make difference what model. But as a birth of Horst link type of suspension its just absolutelly crucial in taking us from prehistory into bikes as we know them now. System was purchased by Specialized, but licensed by countless companies. Now since patents are over Its still being used on new bikes. Second one is Outlend. Small canadian company in mid nineties created something that became another step up from Horst link system. And now in 2020, basically whole world rides on one of few variants of Virtual pivot. Third one is debatable. But despite otherwise im not so much in the fanclub of that guy, I think that when Gary Fisher in early 2000s created those hardtails with Genesis geometry, he started really breakthrough in how we looke at geometry. Till then it was short frame/long stem.. But after Genesis concept paradime shifted.
  • 2 0
 Shit. How could I forget Genesis/G2 geometry? Really important. Good call.
  • 1 0
 G2 geometry was the first step in the right direction for 29ers, but even those bikes left a lot to be desired..
  • 1 0
 @brianpark: Only now i red the summary on the top. So i see we picked similar bikes! Smile AMP is pivotal. Nomad was great and important bike.. but off course there would be no Nomad and arguably even no Santa Cruz company today, if there wasnt Outland. Their patents acquisition was genius move by Santa. Cheers, Jan
  • 2 0
 I'm riding a 2003 Gary Fisher FS using the Genesis system. Seems like a stable and well built assembly.
  • 3 0
 As a Canadian I think it is important to remember those early days In the bike industry when Pippen Osboren (syncros banshee) designed and Paul Brodie built those first Rockys with wildly sloping top tubes. Paul perfected it in his hand built bikes. And the sloping top tube is a design element that all mountain bikes share today.
  • 1 0
 DeKerf too!!!
  • 1 0
 Pippen is also responsible for my terrible decision to buy a Banshee Scream in 2004, and I’ve never recovered emotionally from that.
  • 6 0
 Any glossy Klein for the 90's, Manitou Full Suspension bikes and Specialized Pitch. The pitch was my first real enduro bike.
  • 6 0
 Nothing better than a Klein paint job and a hand welded Manitou.
  • 5 0
 1. Kona Hardtail from the mid 90's. Sloping downtubes FTW 2. OG 29er Tallboy. Start of FS 29ers not sucking 3. Process 111. Modern, long, low and slack 29er
  • 2 0
 Totally agree with Kona HT from the mid 90's. I liked my 1993 Lava Dome so much I did the same geo on a custom Rhygin I had made in '97. I remember Christian from Rhygin asking why I wanted an 18" seat tube on a large (19") frame.
  • 4 0
 I had to come back with more... Hans reys 1995 Gt Zasker LT that sketchy Cannondale we all got to know Aaron chase on. Waders 2001 RM7, the one he won the first rampage on, oh baby.
  • 3 0
 I honestly cannot believe the Mountain Cycle San Andreas is not on the list for anyone. It was ahead of it's time with Monocoque Construction, and inverted fork, and disk brakes. As this bike was "Improved" (using Improved loosely here). Racers like Shaums March and John Kirkcaldy were on the Mountain Cycle Team in '96. I would also lump Foes into this era as well. These frames were ahead of the Intense M1 - although everyone as you all pointed out was racing on the M1 in the late 90's which was pretty awesome to see.
  • 6 0
 I did so much googling during this one.
  • 2 0
 QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST: We're starting to see more brands have bikes that have proportional dimensions that scale with bike size (Norco's 'Gravity Tune' being an example). What do you guys think about scaling TRAVEL with bike size? For example, someone who is 6'4" tall (76") is ~27% taller than someone who is 5' (60"). Should this person be looking for a bike with ~27% more travel? All other angles being the same, should the 5' person be on a 130 bike, while the 6'4" person is on a 160mm bike? The travel on these bikes is proportionally the same when compared to their height.
  • 3 0
 You gotta put a Banshee runner up in there somewhere. Modern/adjustable geo and wheel sizes/drop outs. If you had a banshee with a 1x10 hack you were already years ahead of the game.
  • 2 0
 My first bike, Bridgestone MB-6, got me into riding, The Trek 8700 allowed me to do some racing and was a great, first “good bike”, and my current Banshee Prime has been wonderful on the techy riding I’ve been fortunate enough to ride like: Squamish/Whistler, Blackrock, Pinecrest Peak, etc... it even works great on long rides!

But for mountain biking I’d have to say the 3 most important bikes in history was the first Stumpjumper because it brought off-road riding to a larger audience, the first intense DH bikes radically changed gravity riding, and the Rocky Mountain Fro-ride bikes.
  • 2 0
 I would have to say that the original Norco two50 deserves a place on the list of most influential bikes. It is the grandfather to all the modern slopestyle bikes and helped usher in a new style or riding with mountain bikes (dirt jump bikes) invading the streets, skate parks and dirt jump spots.
  • 2 0
 The original Stumpjumper definitely deserves a spot.. The M1 changed the game as far as DH goes.. The Enduro 29 is a good choice... That bike showed that longer travel 29ers were possible.. The Amp bike, also the Outland VPP, Iron Horse Sunday, and the GT DH-I all honorable mentions..
  • 2 0
 #1 Santa Cruz v10 Carbon - “First” production carbon DH bike when everyone thought it would snap.

#2 Kona Stinky - Cover bike of every MTB mag/advert from 1999 to 2010. Plus World Cup winner.... or was that the stab?!

#3 Specialized Stumpjumper - For all the reasons Brian said...
  • 2 0
 Next podcast theme:

Bike frame/parts materials. Is Carbon here to stay, will Aluminum make comeback?

Is Carbon really the best material for mountain bikes, or is it just a industry push.
Was that only bad luck that I was beating or aluminum for years and years and crack carbon frame in 2 months?

Will bikes get enough expensive so Titanium does not seem to be too expensive anymore?

I guess its hard to test durability while always riding new bikes for testing, but is durability even relevant?
  • 2 0
 Cannondale Prophet: introduced in 2005
140mm travel,
67.5degree head tube angle,
steepish seattube angle for the time (73.5-75.0)
low bottom bracket
leftymax with 1.5 inch head-tube, which was extremely stiff/precise made me realize my fox 32s/revelations/OG pikes were total garbage,
tubeless tires f/r rear stock on all models vs many bikes at the time that you had to convert
  • 5 0
 Transition Bottlerocket! And the two other bikes in my garage.
  • 4 0
 Yeah! This. Guys on Bottlerockets got me into this sport 13 years ago, and now I finally own one. It's shocking how not sucky that bike still is.
  • 3 0
 @bemorestoked: I saw a BR at Killington this summer and that bike still looks good. I was actually blown away how nice it looked. The lines were ahead of it's time. I had ridden mine on DJ's, pedal trail and freeride shit and it was blast.
  • 2 0
 I just acquired a Bottlerocket after wanting one for about two years and it is wonderful!
  • 1 0
 Another great one from the Pinkbike crew. Was thrilled to hear the Stumpy on there, as that's the one that kicked it off. Always wanted to own an M1, but I don't do a lot of gravity riding so it would be garage art....Nice hearing the 'why' of each choice and I can't disagree with any of them.
  • 1 0
 I live in wisconsin and the winters get really harsh so I store my bikes indoors during the winter months but what should I do about the sealant in the tires, will it dry out? Do I have to worrie about the oil in the forks and shocks? What else do I need to do to winterize my bike for a long winter in a dry basement?
  • 1 0
 I had that 1st gen Nomad. Put a dhx coil on the back and a 66 coil on the front. The crown on the 66 was so wide that I had to put a spacer under the lower headset race so that I wouldn't dent the swoopy downtube. Looked like a chopper. Yep...so much dumb fun.
  • 4 0
 The Heckler was long before it - and the bike you described
  • 3 0
 @regdunlop: I agree on the Heckler, especially the 2nd gen 5 inch one. In those days they rode beyond the old 32mm forks of the day. Until the 36 came out. There was the OG Enduro back then and the RM Slayer, those bikes bridged the gap between XC and freeride in the day.

1st gen Nomad is worth a mention.
  • 2 0
 @Heckles: I rode Mtn Creek NJ (it might have been Diablo back then) on a Heckler Gen 5 in the early 2000's and it wasn't bad. Come to think of it I'm surprised it wasn't named on the podcast as there weren't that many bikes that were that capable back then. Even looking at it now it still has the modern SC look to it. Such a fun bike that you could pedal all day on.
  • 2 0
 @Heckles: the Marz z1 made dh bikes back in the early -mid 2000s so much better on the shore - my buddies Stinky became something that you didnt need to shuttle. Im sure guys would say the same for the Norco vps and Cove bikes - the Cove Hummer should also be mentioned from the mid 90s - could fit wider rims / tires, had hydraulic brakes , sloped tt - wasnt a xc race machine for a ti bike
My Intense 5.5 was a much better climber than the Nomad(shorter) - I believe the Knolly endorphin was the cats ass at the time for mid travel - 2006-2008
  • 6 0
 GRIM DONUT!
  • 1 0
 Just stop it. lolol
  • 3 0
 Kona Stinky, Norco Shore, and Rocky Mountain RMX were all a huge part of freeriding and the evolution of longer travel, burlier bikes, etc.
  • 3 0
 Santa Cruz Bullit. Who remembers the superheros? And Shaums on his Mountain Cycle San Andreas. Plush was the first freeride vid I remember.
  • 3 0
 Most important Bike Parts...:
Marzocchi Z1
Rockshox Boxxer
The first non square ended BB and crankset
Hayes Disc

Next podcast topic?
  • 3 0
 Oooh yeah lots to talk about there. Remember when at least one person would snap a BB axle on every ride?
  • 1 0
 The first YT Wickeds and Canyon Torques that showed everyone that it was possible to make a well specced full suspension bike for a decent price. 26" wheels and laughable geometry by today's standards but imo those were the bikes that really made people think about how good direct sales could be.
  • 1 0
 Perhaps this one didn't make as much of an impact on the west coast, but where I live the bike that put 29ers on the map was the Surly Karate Monkey. I remember talking to the owner of a local shop who got a bunch of the framesets in and was building them up for anyone he could get to listen to him. I don't remember what I thought at the time, but at least for me, that was the beginning of the wheel wars that are still raging today!
  • 1 0
 This might sound weird, but the most important mountain bike isn’t a mountain bike. It’s the Gravel bike. The modern gravel bike is part 90’s mountain bike, part road bike, is environmentally friendly ( can be ridden from your house, not matter where you live), created its own bike and racing segment, has brought in tons of new riders and makes fire roads and tame trails challenging and fun.
  • 1 0
 Well, i still ride my 2014 Enduro 29, but i have to admit i'm looking for something new.

Specifically i'd like a bike that has more reach, around 480mm.
A shorter seattube, that's very important bc i have short legs
and it should be more efficient to pedal.
Probably a 29er, maybe mullet.
Around 140 to 160 mm Fork and between 130 to 150 mm of rear travel.
It must withstand a heavy rider
I have some ideas but i'd like some input, maybe @mikekazimer can weigh in too?

cheers
  • 2 0
 Sounds like you described the Commencal Meta TR.
  • 1 0
 Thanks Mike!
  • 1 0
 The original Kona Satori (2013) came out before the process 111 (2014), that bike changed my mind on what you could do with a 29er. 29ers were no longer only xc race bikes at that point in my eyes
  • 1 1
 question for next podcast.
what do you think about the debate of dose politics have a place in mtb.

for example should mtb be an escape form the badness and stress of the real world and everyone can just get along and ride their bikes all having fun together.

or dose the conversations around things in the world at the moment have a place in the sport

(im wondering what your opinion is im not trying to start a fight)

i am asking this after seeing the 2020 commencal world champs dh bikes
and some other stuff i have seen from brands and riders on social media
and reading the comments.
  • 5 1
 If you're an empathetic human that cares for the wellbeing of others then there's no need to use MTB as an "escape" from those conversations.
  • 3 0
 2004 Norco six... rode it downhill and uphill.. first truly capable all mountain bike
  • 3 0
 The STUMPY has bridged generations. I haven't had one since the 80s, but it's been significant the entire time.
  • 1 0
 didnt hear podcast yet but i would say stumpy too. its never radical or bringing anything that new but it always is good bike no mater what. for 200 years its bike to get if you dont have some special wishes. its like vw golf- its nothing special but its so damn good
  • 2 0
 @mironfs: Yep, the all around wonder. I always forgot about them
Then you see a new one, and theyre still rad.
  • 2 0
 I would agree with the first stumpjumper.
For me it s the 2007 Yeti 575. It was already a long (6”) travel trail bike at the time with agressive geo, for the time.
  • 2 0
 Nothing from Turner? DHR, RFX, Highline, Rail were known work horses at the time. And they all still look really good today!
  • 3 0
 I know it won't be my 2005 Gary Fisher Cake DLX
  • 3 0
 Bianchi BASS (and all its relatives)
  • 1 1
 Pivot Firebird circa 2009. 166mm travel and fully pedal-able all day.
DW link
Floating front derailleur
#26forlife (not really)
My wife still has hers for park laps, mine was stolen in July.
  • 3 0
 I pick the Balfa BB7, the Trek 69'er, and the Cannondale Raven!
  • 4 0
 Tallboy...made 29" work.
  • 2 0
 Chris Porters Nicolai G16 would be on my list. This bike pushed geometry more than any other bike.
  • 1 0
 The Santa Cruz TR / TRC seemed pretty groundbreaking. I may have been living in a bubble but can’t remember another like it at that time.
  • 2 0
 The first SC Nomad, and Kona Process 111 are at the top of my list for sure.
  • 1 0
 I always like it when I learn something from the podcast. The news was sorely missed though. It's become my weekly info session.
  • 2 0
 We are in the middle of Field Test so we recorded this one a few weeks ago. The news will be back!
  • 1 0
 @brianpark: makes sense. It did feel a bit rushed. Happy to have James killing it again now that mountain boarding season is over!
  • 3 0
 San Andreas Mountain Cycle, Intense M1, 24Bicycles Le Toy3
  • 3 0
 Kona Stinky in the PNW for sure
  • 1 0
 And of course the Rocky Mountain Pipeline
  • 1 0
 Manitou Bradbury ... " the least clever way to make full suspension"... this hurts to ear, please how many years all mx motocross linkage was like that?
  • 2 0
 Surly Pugsley; name another bike that has started such a distinct category in the past 20 years.
  • 2 0
 Pitch
Process 153
Privateer 141?
  • 1 0
 +161
  • 1 0
 since its episode 26...should be the 26ers from the 90's that got mountain biking on the map
  • 1 0
 I’m still kicking myself for choosing a 2013 giant reign instead of a 2013 specialized enduro.
  • 1 0
 1986 Brodie Romax - 1st bike with a sloping top tube - everything lies in it wake for design.
  • 1 0
 Klein Attitude, Willits (the first real MTB 29er) and Porter´s Nicolai Ion 16.
  • 1 0
 Rockhopper if we are talking the bike that has gotten so many oriole into riding
  • 1 0
 How about the 1981 Stumpjumper? That bike spread mountain biking across the country in the blink of an eye.
  • 1 0
 I guess:
- Breezer number One
- GT LTS
- Specialized Levo
  • 1 0
 when stevie smith won at MSA DH
  • 1 0
 niner’s first bike for me it was a 2010 RIP
  • 1 0
 The 2018 Transition Sentinel basically changed bike geometry.
  • 2 1
 previous bike, current bike, next bike
  • 2 0
 Brian nailed it!
  • 1 0
 Why not the Ibis Bow Ti? That seems right up Levy’s alley?
  • 1 0
 Trek Liquid. Kind of the first mainstream "all mountain" bike
  • 1 0
 Kabush was on a Turner Nitrous XC full suspension.
  • 1 0
 My own list of 'big 3' brands for MTB is Specialized, Kona, Santa Cruz
  • 1 0
 Ibis Mojo?
  • 2 3
 as someone new to the sport, the pole stamina kicked it off with the long and slack movement
  • 1 0
 Pole’s work with machining bikes is significant and deserves mentioning but they were definitely not the catalyst for the long/slack movement.
  • 2 0
 @brianpark: ah yeah I see that from my downvotes lol, I'm no industry insider
  • 1 0
 Session Hardrock Stumpie
  • 1 0
 Trek Y-33
  • 1 2
 The Cannondale Magic bike by Alex Pong, Bender's Karpiel, and the Specialized Levo.
  • 1 0
 #1 imo Banshee spitfire.
  • 3 4
 The 3 in my garage.







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