An Ode to the Humble Trail Bike

In a world full of suspension progression, high pivots, and flip-chips, I feel compelled to wax poetic about the humble trail bike. Unsung and overlooked as a realistic solution for those after one bike to do it all. The jack of all trades, master of none machine that will take you on a 30+ mile epic or bang laps in the bike park all weekend. It might not be as stiff on the climbs or as forgiving on the descents, but the hat must tip to this Goldilocks platform that continues to surprise me.

_{Left : My old 2019 Cannondale Habit that frequently sang me the song of bottom-out but kept me smiling up climb trails and double black steeps. Right : My 2021 Orbea Occam is in full meathead mode with a 160mm coil fork, coil shock, inserts, and an embarrassingly neglected rear wheel.}

When people ask me what bike they should get, I always consider their unique circumstances. What trails do you ride? Do you put more emphasis on the climb or on the way back down? What is your skill level as a rider? Will you be spending any time in the bike park? No matter how these questions are answered, my suggestion is usually the same: get a trail bike. Its versatility will shock you.

With geometry numbers that aren't as relaxed and obtuse as an enduro rig but not quite nearing the tight angles of XC bikes, trail bikes offer a nice balance. There are fringe examples that push enduro-geometry to their shorter travel bikes, which I am delighted to see. On the other end of the scale, we see “downcountry” injecting trail bike geometry into XC millimeters of travel - Also here for that.

130-150mm of travel is the sweet spot for the majority of riders, but the industry is gracious enough to offer a much wider range depending on what your individual proclivities are. Plenty of factors will sway and nudge a decision, and to each their own, but from years spent on bike shop floors, responding to customer service calls, and answering questions from friends and family, the grail is usually a trail bike.

Yes, you will face moments when you are severely under or overbiked, but the porridge will be just right for the most part. I believe trail bikes offer a consistent neutrality that gets overshadowed by the buzzwords and progress made in other segments of the industry, maybe that is just the nature of the beast, and I’m the old man shaking my fist at the sky.

_{Left : My 2022 Esker Japhy on a cold and sketchy 35-mile ride in the dead of winter. Right : 2021 Occam in "mid-trail mode" with a Fox X2 and Fox 36 Grip2.}

I have spent more time on trail bikes than anything else, so perhaps I’m biased, or maybe the proof is sitting there in the pudding. This isn't to say I stick to the blue and green trails, but that is where the shorter travel feels most in its element. However, outside of its comfort zone, the little ol’ trail bike still knows how to boogie if you are willing to ask for the dance. Just be ready to lead.

On a humble 140/140 trail bike platform, I have over-forked and underbiked my way through some complex situations; I have experimented with coil shocks and forks or a mix of the two, DH casings, inserts, and just about every other ingredient you could toss into the mix, I have spent days in the bike park, ignorantly plowing through chunder and braking bumps, as well as hours on the same saddle tagging peaks in all day epics from my front door. All on the same bike, with only minor tweaks to ensure I’m not showing up with a gun to a knife fight or whatever the saying is.

_{The Occam has a relatively simple wardrobe to make its seasonal transformation.}

Although I nod in agreement with these amalgamations of disciplines, my affection always falls back to the trail bike for sticking with what it knows and does best. A true north that has solidified its place as the everyday platform, salt of the earth, and little engine that could. We salute you trail bikes.