On The Pedals
By Jason Giacchino

Which Bike is Best?

Being a part of the bicycle press has its fair share of benefits just as it has its responsibilities. In any gathering of riders I know that it’s only a matter of time before someone decides to quietly ask: “So, which bike do you own?”

The question of course is the mannered method of asking something a bit more direct: Which bike is the best? After all, it would make perfect sense for an editor to go and purchase what he deems the most superior of all of the entrants studied.

Wanting the insider hook-up to that elusive bike without flaw is a perfectly natural human response. I find myself slightly amused every time the topic comes up because regardless of how I respond to the question, there is no correct answer. The reason for this is indeed a simple one: We test bikes under an umbrella of factors designed to represent a very wide range of riders. With each passing season, the mountain bike market becomes ever-more specialized. The concept of a single bike intended to do everything is becoming more and more of a pipe dream with each new technological development that works its way into bike shops. The segregation of the various disciplines of riding style isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but the confusion begins to mount when riders start to question the bike’s intended-use barriers. Need examples?
Will this 40 lb downhill bike be capable of pedaling uphill when my friends and I decide to tackle some multi-use trails? Can this flimsy cross country fork handle drops over 6 feet?

We kind of understand what the manufacturer had in mind when they developed the frame in question and carefully selected the component mix to accompany their design but what we really want to know is how well does it do what it wasn’t intended to do? This is one of close to two-dozen factors we take into consideration each time we set off the local hot spot with a test bike. Because of the diversity in the mountain bike world, we are forced to evaluate products as they pertain to the “average rider”; the individual who wants to be able to take his bike everywhere and still have it perform reasonably well.

Then there is another factor to consider. Every moment our editors spend in the saddle of a test bike is a moment that they are not riding their own personal bike. There is little doubt that I know many of our recent test bikes much more thoroughly than I know my own Iron Horse MKIII Sport. In fact, I talked about my late-season purchase of the bike just before winter’s arrival in my last column and at present, my latest acquisition is still indoors awaiting its debut ride!

Finally, and to quote the Matrix here, there is a phrase that most riders need to really spend some time on before considering any bike at all: Nosce te ipsum. This is Latin for Know Thyself. Perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a bike is coming to terms with our own expectations. Sometimes it’s tough to be realistic when browsing the catalog. If you happen to ride tight rutted singletrack then don’t go and buy a 45 lb downhill racer with the hopes that maybe one day you’re friends would like to try a shuttle run. I think more often than not, we like to paint pictures when it comes time to select a new bike. For that brief moment we aren’t tied to any one facet of the sport and the fantasy of trying something totally out of character can get the best of us. If you want to talk about buyer’s remorse, there are few moments as painful as when the reality of trying to negotiate your new overweight, long-travel downhill rig up your old technical ascending trail happens to sink in. Fantasies can be good, but just make sure you select a bike that is capable of handling what it is you ride most often and not what it is you would like to someday try. If you are serious about expanding into new segments then compromises can be made. There are bikes out there that do a little of everything well. I like to think my own bike purchase was the result of knowing exactly what type of riding I plan on enjoying this season. Whether or not I succeeded will remain a mystery until all of this snow melts.

Keeping such knowledge in mind, it really comes as no surprise that I choose my words very carefully when someone asks me what bike graces my own work shop. Since there is no correct answer I like to just smile and act as if I didn’t catch the question. It isn’t pretty but it sure beats lying.

Questions? Comments? Love letters? Send 'em to Editor@mountainbiketales.com.