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Over a decade ago, Kona helped spark The Mountain Bike Geometry Revolution. Their Process line of aggressive full-suspension models were some of the first to get the “longer, lower, slacker” treatment that is so ubiquitous today. And although the 2024 Kona Process 134 harbors the same rebellious spirit as its ancestors, Travis found it was uniquely approachable.
Inspired by the original Manitou FS bike, created by Doug Bradbury in 1993, the Manitou FS II features a monocoque frame with a unique linkage design at the dropout and pinion gearbox yoke, utilizing a Manitou fork on the front and rear seat stay. Manitou’s bikes are iconic and pushed the envelope since its founding in 1986 and this retro-inspired FS II is no different. Check it out at Manitou!
Check out Doug’s personal 1987 Manitou in our Vintage Bicycles category!
As seen in our recent Bespoked event coverage, Dresden-based Actofive has made some exciting updates to the I-TRAIN trail/downcountry platform. Designed to be active, ultra-efficient, and super fun, the Actofive I-TRAIN MK2 is a CNC machined full-suspension frame with 120, 130, or 140 mm of rear wheel travel and up to 150 mm in the front. Let’s take a closer look below…
The motion of suspension pivots is not like the motion of a hub or bottom bracket or derailleur pulley. Pivots are not constantly spinning full circles, and they don’t need to have particularly light action. They need to survive rocking back and forth just a few degrees, thousands of times a ride. And ideally, they need to last long enough that you’re not pressing them out of your frame every season. That’s one reason some bike brands have opted for bushings instead of bearings in some pivot locations. There’s more surface area contact, and potentially lower maintenance. That’s exactly what the new Enduro MAX Solid Lube Black Oxide suspension bearings are designed to offer.
With a frame that will clear a 3″ tire but a fork that will only clear a 2.8″, the Lauf Elja mountain bike chassis might be the wildest creation from the brand yet. Let’s take a closer look…
We’ve got a wonderful Readers’ Rides today, that doubles as a review, sent in from our buddy Jason Fitzgibbon, who submitted his UNpaved Cycles Vertigo single pivot steel full suspension. Read on as he supplies a beautifully documented review of this bike…
Whenever we veer into the mainstream by covering a bike from The Big Three, we do it because that bike has something special going on. And the Giant Trance 29 2 certainly is special. Travis spent a month aboard the moderate-travel, moderate-price trail bike. He praised its modern features, sophisticated suspension, and thoughtful spec. It does need bigger brake rotors, but that’s kind of a compliment if you think about it.
We’re back with Readers’ Rides after a couple of weeks’ hiatus, and today’s submission comes from Auguste Bicycles in Causse Méjean, the South of France, with a wild full suspension…
The Apogee One, which we featured in our MADE coverage last year, is now open for pre-order. The kit includes the front triangle, rear swingarm, Free-Float Module, and shock. The Free-Float Module is a unique aluminum assemblage that contains the frame’s kinematics and shock while freeing up the front triangle for lots of framebag space and keeping the center of gravity low. These bikes are made in the Pacific Northwest.
The Apogee One Founders Edition is a run of 25 and retails for $3,995. See more at Apogee One.
Marin just announced a refreshed Rift Zone lineup with complete aluminum builds starting at $1799. The Rift Zone comes in four models, all built upon the same playful Series 3 aluminum MultiTrac frames that debuted two years ago…
Brooke’s preference for mountain bikes leans towards longer and slacker varieties. However, when the opportunity arose to test the all-new Liv Pique 29 Advanced, she couldn’t resist. There’s something to be said about a race-bred bike, no matter the terrain it’s intended for. The review of this cross-country race machine coincided with Brooke’s own training and participation in the Downieville Classic All-Mountain Championships, where light and lean Liv Pique proved to offer an edge.
And special thanks to Ryan Cleek for the stunning photoset!
YT just announced a Jeffsy UNCAGED ($4,999) in a stunning paint job with a build spec to match. Leading us to ask for more silver in complete builds, please…
Today Spencer is digging into the downcountry offering from Spot Bikes, the Ryve. Spot Bikes had a major makeover some years ago and since then have brought to market a number of full-suspension mountain bikes that utilize their intriguing Living Link suspension design. Living Link incorporates a small titanium leaf spring into the lower linkage, imbuing some rather enjoyable riding attributes. To sum it up succinctly, the Spot Ryve has pop – lotsa pop. Combine that with lightweight construction and thoughtful details, and you get one hell of a trail bike, even at only 115 mm travel. Let’s take a closer look…
Pairing with today’s launch of the third-generation Ripmo, Ibis is releasing the fifth iteration of the Ripley. In fact they’re more than just a pair…
The Ibis Ripmo may be the perfect bike. And how could Ibis update the perfect bike? Well, Travis got a couple short weeks on the new 2025 Ibis Ripmo V3, and it turns out you can do a lot more than just straighten the top tube.
As Kona exhaled a sigh of relief and regained its footing under the founders, the brand just announced the new Process 153 and Process 134 models. The Process lineup has been lauded as legit do-it-all machines for a decade and this third generation further solidifies their legacy. Read on for the updates…
For our second-ever high-pivot bike review, Travis tests the third-generation Norco Optic. Turns out short travel and short chainstays pair pretty well with high pivots and high speed, both downhill and uphill.
John is down in Melbourne, Australia, documenting the Made Bike Show Australia 2024 framebuilder showcase and has a special sneak peek gallery today featuring Woods Bicycle Company‘s Effigear-equipped El Camino steel full suspension. Let’s check it out!
