MBUK TRAIL Bike of the year 2020
Wet and muddy rides formed the core of our testing, with the slick conditions proving challenging enough for the trail bikes to show their true colours. However, as is often the case, taking the shortlisted bikes away from our regular trail haunts and onto steeper, drier tracks (this time, north of Madrid, where BlackTown Trails operate) really helped us pin down the top three. Before we headed out, we thought we had our order sorted, but the change of scene, and additional feedback from Rob, Luke and Sarah, resulted in some minor tweaking to the order, along with plenty of discussion about which bike should win overall – and why.
Trying to define what makes a great trail bike is challenging. Should we prioritise descending capability at the expense of climbing prowess? Or is a bike that’s a drag uphill too far removed from the ‘essence’ of a trail bike? In the end, it was the best all-round performer that bagged the top spot. The second-placed bike was a close runner-up, but we felt its bias towards descending made it slightly less versatile overall. Coming
