2024 BUDGET BIKE ROUNDUP

FIVE SUB-$2,500 FULL SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES TESTED

Photos by Dusten Ryen & Brian Niles
Sponsored by Leatt & Tifosi Optics

For this year’s Budget Bike Roundup, we set out to test five of the best full suspension mountain bikes under $2,500 that we could find. We opted to knock $500 off of the price cap from last year’s group test, in a quest to really push and find the ultimate in value to performance ratio. At the end of testing, we’re confident that we’ve found a few bikes that deliver incredibly high bang for minimal buck.

Over the course of a month, we took this crop of five mountain bikes to a variety of terrain around Central Oregon. We were able to log some good miles in the saddle on mellower trails close to town in Bend, OR, as well as shuttle some more gnarly gravity-fed trails further from home. This let us get the full picture of how each of these bikes performed, so that we could provide our recommendations for the spectrum of different riders looking for the best affordable mountain bike.

While we were unanimously disappointed by some aspects of these reasonably priced MTBs and disagreed on a couple of points, the crew was united by the smiles and high-fives shared along the way. There’s no denying that you can still have fun on a cheaper mountain bike than the five-figure machines that often land with us to test. In fact, once again there were times where we were left wondering if these cheaper bikes could even offer more fun than their premium counterparts.

Ultimately, we were left with two bikes that stood out above the rest. The remainder of the bikes had their good points that would likely leave the right customer satisfied with their purchase, and really served to affirm how good mountain bikes of all price points are these days. Check out the video or stay tuned for our articles to see where the strengths and weaknesses of each of these bikes lied. For now, let us give you a little overview of the contenders.

This Affordable Mountain Bike group test was made possible thanks to the support of Leatt MTB and Tifosi Optics. We’d like to extend a huge thanks to these brands for keeping us comfortable and protected during our Budget Bike group test. Check out Leatt for some quality mountain bike apparel and protection, and Tifosi for your eyewear needs both on and off the bike. Although they sponsored this production, we stand by their products and would genuinely recommend them to fans and friends alike.

THE BIKES

ARI CASCADE PEAK | ELITE

MSRP: $2,499 (Introductory offer: $2,299)
Rear Travel: 135mm
Fork Travel: 140mm
Wheelsize: 29”

The Ari Cascade Peak is the newest bike in this lineup to hit the market. Ari recently updated this bike to closely mirror their premium Delano Peak trail bike, but come in at aggressive price points thanks to its aluminum alloy frame and more affordable component specs.

As an all-round trail bike, the Cascade Peak offers a balanced ride for both up and down the hill. With spec levels down to $1,999 (introductory offer of $1,899 at the time of writing) that all use the same high-quality frame, the value that Ari is able to offer is notable.

GT SENSOR | SPORT

MSRP: $2,300
Rear Travel: 130mm
Fork Travel: 140mm
Wheelsize: 29”

The Sensor is GT’s do-it-all Trail machine. Offered in a wide range of build specs and with both alloy and carbon frames, just about every rider should be able to find the GT Sensor that suits them.

We tested the cheapest GT Sensor build on the market, with their alloy-frame Sensor Sport running $2,300 at MSRP. While the components spec of this bike had initially left us concerned about its performance and durability, we were reminded of the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” time and time again when riding this bike.

MARIN RIFT ZONE | 2 29

MSRP: $2,299
Rear Travel: 130mm
Fork Travel: 140mm
Wheelsize: 29”

The Rift Zone received an update last year to bring it up to Marin’s idea of a modern trail bike. This alloy-framed, “Made For Fun” 29er has the longest Reach and shortest Chainstay length on test, signaling its slightly more rowdy intentions than the typical trail bikes at this price point.

The Rift Zone 2 build was not flashy, but highly functional, and didn’t lose out much in the way of performance compared with the considerably higher priced Rift Zone XR we rode for a standalone review when it was first released.

POLYGON COLLOSUS | N7

MSRP: $2,299
Rear Travel: 170mm
Fork Travel: 170mm
Wheelsize: 29”

The Collosus N7 is Polygon’s budget Enduro machine, and was a different offering to the other four bikes in this group test. With 170mm travel, this long-travel brawler may not be the ideal bike for riders without trails that demand it. However for enduro riders on a budget, or for those more concerned with comfort than efficiency, it may be worth considering.

We won’t hide the fact that this bike impressed the whole team when ridden in suitable terrain. The spec offering at this price point is very impressive, and the resulting performance would justify a price tag well above its $2,299 MSRP.

TREK FUEL EX | 5

MSRP: $2,499
Rear Travel: 130mm
Fork Travel: 140mm
Wheelsize: 29”

Trek’s Gen 5 Fuel EX has been on the market for quite a while at this point, but should not be discounted for less aggressive riders. As the bike in this group test with the least aggressive geometry – conservative, or “outdated” if you like – the Fuel EX could offer a more agile and climb-focused ride. The frame quality is excellent, as you’d expect from Trek. When you combine it with the brick-and-mortar support of a Trek retailer, it goes some way to explaining the higher price tag and relatively cheap spec.

Trek’s decision to spec the Gen 5 Fuel EX 5 with a burly 35mm inner width rim and 2.6” rubber is somewhat contentious. The wheels are likely to withstand abuse well, and the tires can offer increased comfort over a more conventional 2.4”-2.5” tire spec. However the detriment to the acceleration of the bike was notable.

EDITOR’S PICKS

BEST “DO-IT-ALL” MOUNTAIN BIKE UNDER $2,500

MARIN RIFT ZONE 2

No matter the trail or the day, the Marin was always ready to have fun. It is the bike we all agreed would be the one bike we’d like to keep for versatility and general mountain bike riding. It comes with a competent spec, presents a solid value and the lively, poppy suspension platform make it a bike that loves to move around and bop on the trail. Whether you’re looking for a comfortable on the ground mountain bike or something that will effortlessly lift into the air and slide into corners, Marin have really nailed it with this bike. Of course, like all our budget-minded bikes, component upgrades will be in your future if you’re particularly heavy or riding hard, but the backbone of this bike will allow you to grow into it with style and speed.

BEST “ENDURO” MOUNTAIN BIKE UNDER $2,500

POLYGON COLLOSUS

The spec and appearance the Colossus presents itself with could easily fool a passerby into thinking this bike costs much more. The suspension package is a real standout and while it may not be the best or lightest bike to get up the mountain, it is absolutely the fastest down! A tire, wheel spec upgrade and minor personalization could drop significant weight and make this capable shredder even more impressive on the trail. Our crew has been thoroughly impressed with how little this bike holds us back on even the gnarliest of descents compared to bikes that cost nearly $10,000.

There we have it! Five of the best performing bikes under $2,500 went head-to-head in the name of budget-friendly science. All of these bikes were enjoyable to ride, but two bikes – The Marin Rift Zone 2 and Polygon Collosus N7 – stood out as particularly fun and well-performing mountain bikes for the money.

We’d like to extend a huge thanks to all of the participating brands for sending us these affordable full suspension mountain bikes to test. And of course, another huge thanks to Leatt and Tifosi Optics for kitting us out and supporting this feature.

Leave a comment below or on the YouTube video if you’ve got any feedback, experiences or questions that we can help to answer. And if you’ve made it this far, then a huge thank you for coming along for the ride with us!

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