FINALE

2022 ENDURO BIKE SHOOTOUT

PRESENTED BY FOX RACING AND MAXXIS TIRES

By Drew Rohde | Photos Dusten Ryen

Well, after countless hours of testing, writing and maybe even some friendly arguing, our Enduro Bike Shootout and group review is complete. Our crew did not take the task lightly as we know these bikes aren’t cheap and we considered things like riding intention, versatility, and different types of performance attributes to offer our best picks for the widest variety of riders possible. We know that not everyone rides the same way or on the same trails and for that reason we break down our top picks with some lengthy explanations of why we think they’re the best enduro mountain bikes in the test.

Of course, we’d like to thank you, our viewers and readers for paying attention as well as the brands who sent us these bikes for review. Of course, taking the time to create this in-depth series and so many videos wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support of our series sponsors, Fox Racing and Maxxis tires. Maxxis gave each of our bikes predictable traction and performance and Fox Racing helped us look good while knowing we were safe and protected.

Now, without further ado, let’s get into the top picks from our Enduro Shootout.

Everyman’s Enduro Bike

Fezzari La Sal Peak

Honorable Mentions
Canfield Lithium
Specialized Enduro

With the Everyman’s category, we tried to pick a category name that would exemplify the crew’s sentiment on which bike they would recommend to the widest range of riders. While some enduro bikes may be more pin-pointed or eek out a bit more performance in certain aspects of the trail, the Everyman bike recommendations do well just about everywhere. They don’t polarize riders or only perform at the highest level of riding and for that reason, we feel confident suggesting these as a great all-around enduro bike.

Racer’s Pick

Orbea Rallon

Honorable Mentions
Specialized Enduro
Cannondale Jekyll

For the enduro racing mountain bikers out there who are looking for a bike to shave seconds and improve their all out performance, the Racer’s Pick category is for you. We realize different regions have different types of tracks so we’ve got some notable mentions that will cover a broad range of race tracks and rider types.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Like the rest of you out there, our editors also have their own riding style, terrain preferences and things they like about bikes. As you can see, each member of our test crew have chosen the bike that suits their riding style and needs best.

DREW’S TOP CHOICE

SPECIALIZED ENDURO

Why: I love a fluttery and lively feeling suspension platform and the Enduro blends suppleness with progressivity well. It is a stable yet playful bike in a variety of terrain and the water bottle mount and in-frame storage put it just above the Canfield Lithium for my go-to pick.

DARIO’S TOP CHOICE

CANNONDALE JEKYLL

Why: It’s built different! For my home trails in Bellingham, WA full of big climbs and demanding downhills, the blend of stability and handling make it a very fun and capable bike. I like that it makes me want to push harder.

SOURPATCH’S TOP CHOICE

CANYON TORQUE 29

Why: Instant Comfort. Climbs decently well for a big travel rig. Best Value to Performance Ratio. Likes to go fast and eats up rough terrain, though the brake jack on steep, technical descents can be annoying.