The 10 Best Mountain Bikes of 2023
By: Jon Kennedy: Bike Buyer | July 14, 2023
In the past, shopping for mountain bikes used to be simple with only a few brands making decent bikes, and even those brands had a limited selection of models. Now nearly every brand has a large, complicated lineup packed with various wheel sizes, geometry numbers, and amounts of travel. It can be harder than ever to figure out which style of bike will be the best mountain bike for you, so we’re here to break things down and make it easy.
New This Year:
These are the standout mountain bikes in every category. Looking for an ultralight XC whip? We’ve got our top pick on this list. Looking for a DH bike that you can pedal? We’ve covered those too, as well as everything in between. There’s never been a better time to be a mountain biker, bikes are more capable, reliable, and versatile than ever before. But, when making a purchase of this magnitude, you want to be confident in your choice. Every bike on this list has good, modern geometry, a smart component spec, and a well-designed suspension that will be efficient on climbs and supple on the way down. So what are you waiting for? New bike day is just around the corner!
Santa Cruz Hightower
Of all the things that make mountain biking great, it's got to be the turns that are the best. Or actually, it's skipping through a rock garden. Or completing a multi-trail epic, starting at dawn and collapsing back where you started as the sun goes down, bruised, battered, and buzzing. And laying off the brakes as you jam towards the lip of a jump, determined to finally clear a gap. The Santa Cruz Bicycles Hightower Mountain Bike knows that all of these things are great at any given time, and does more than any other bike out there to excel at every single aspect of aggressive trail riding.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 150 | Rear: 145 | 29” | $3,799.00 - $11549 |
Santa Cruz Megatower
When all is said and done, you're not going to look back on your life and regret your decision to get the Santa Cruz Bicycles Megatower Mountain Bike. Sure, it was all a bit much, what with all that travel, those massive brakes, and the in-frame storage. But mountain biking was your thing, and you wanted the best bike you could get for flying down your favorite trails at mind-numbing speeds. Santa Cruz's S builds always strike that perfect balance between reasonably too much and way too much, which is exactly where the Megatower likes to be. It was the golden age of mountain biking, and we loved it!
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 170 | Rear: 165 | 29” | $5,649.00 - $11699 |
Santa Cruz 5010
We're willing to bet Santa Cruz changing the name of their "Solo" to "5010" is the first bike-related use of l33tspeak. Pretty cool. The Santa Cruz Bicycles 5010 Mountain Bike is a cheat code for trail fun, with an unmatched ability to unlock new lines, transfers, and gaps, flicking around like the fun bike it's always been. An overclocked short travel bike that'll handle everything from dirt jumps to all day backcountry pedals, it's surprisingly adept at all the fun parts of mountain biking. This thing is like an ebike, but with a motor that runs on stoke. A whee-bike? Whatever. TL;DR: the 5010 is the most fun bike IRL. Get one!
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 140 | Rear: 130 | Mixed Wheel | $5299.00 - $10649 |
Santa Cruz Tallboy
A budget bike that blows away many bikes that have another digit on their price tags, the Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy Mountain Bike takes a proven trail killer and makes it as accessible as possible. There's no electronic shifting or marginally better carbon parts here, Santa Cruz left the more expensive stuff in the corner and made a bike that'll go all in - right dang now. Hemming and hawing over high-end parts and supercomposite construction can be exhausting. Grab one of these and use your energy on the trails!
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 130 | Rear: 120 | 29” | $3,599.00 - $10399 |
Norco Storm 5
The Norco Storm 5 Complete Mountain Bike is pure summer vacation bike. Made for light trail action, dusty country roads, and those fun bike paths that lead to the ice cream shop, this is a comfortable and versatile ride that'll happily do the business on the daily commute, too. Mountain biking isn't all about bananas maneuvers and aggro workouts, sometimes it's just needing a bit more off-road capability than a road or hybrid bike offers. The Storm 5 is a welcome addition to anyone's garage.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 100 | Rear: | 29” | $719.00 |
Devinci Marshall A 29 SX 12s
The Devinci Marshall A 29 SX 12s Complete Mountain Bike combines versatile geometry, smart design, and dependable parts to make for one of the best value bikes on the planet. Its 130mm of Split Pivot suspension is plusher in chunky zones than any platform that pedals this well has a right to be, and when combined with 140mm up front? Simply trail-perfect. A mid-travel bike with extremely durable components, made from lightweight and tough aluminum: this is a smart buy.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 140 | Rear: 130 | 29” | $2,649.00 |
Scott Aspect 940
The Scott Aspect 940 Complete Mountain Bike is an excellent choice for riders dipping their toes into mountain biking for the first time. A lightweight Aluminum frame and XC friendly geometry is complemented by quality Shimano components and hydraulic disc brakes for top shelf stopping power. A very capable bike for riders on a budget.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 100 | Rear: | 29” | $1,029.99 |
Devinci Spartan Carbon 29 GX 12s
Just when you thought everything had chilled out for a bit, the Devinci Spartan Carbon 29 GX 12s Complete Mountain Bike shows up to blow the doors off your current bike. It's all here: size-optimized chainstays, a geo flip chip, a high-pivot version of their Split Pivot suspension, and it's all wrapped up in classic Devinci beauty. It's hard to make a beast like this look pretty, but Devinci seems to be able to do it every time. A full-on enduro race bike that's down for absolutely anything, the Spartan 29 is your favorite bike yet.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 170 | Rear: 160 | 29” | $6,199.00 |
Scott Ransom 910
The Scott Ransom 910 Complete Mountain Bike is a long travel 29er built for the heaviest trails. It has 170mm of travel and Fox's fantastic 38 fork so it can bash through sections you've never found rideable, and with its TwinLoc system you can get to those trails with something left in the tank when you summit. The idea of discussing being overbiked or underbiked is becoming less and less relevant as we see bikes like this--a lightweight heavy hitter with no weaknesses. The Ransom is quick, extremely capable in a variety of terrain, and a great choice for aggressive riders who spend their days pedaling to the scary stuff.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 170 | Rear: 170 | 29” | $6,499.99 |
Santa Cruz Blur
If you only wanted a participation trophy, you could've just shown up to the start line with your current bike. But you've entered a race to do your best, and the Santa Cruz Bicycles Blur Mountain Bike puts you in position to do just that. This latest incarnation of Santa Cruz's fastest offering is quicker than ever before, with a streamlined suspension design and lightweight components from SRAM. Of course, it's still a Santa Cruz, so it's actually fun to ride too.
| Travel | Wheel Size | Original Price |
| Front: 100 | Rear: 100 | 29” | $4499.00 - $5599 |
Learn More With Our Other Bike Guides:
- Mountain Bikes - How to Choose
- Mountain Bikes - Size and Fit Guide
- Mountain Bikes - How to Get Started Mountain Biking
- Mountain Bikes - How to Choose a Wheel Size
- Mountain Bikes - Suspension Basics
- Mountain Bikes - How to Choose a Mountian Bike Dropper Post
- Mountain Bikes - How to Choose MTB Handlebars
- Mountain Bikes - How to Choose MTB Pedals
- Mountain Bikes - How to Change Bike Pedals
- Mountain Bikes - How to Clean
- Mountain Bikes - How to Bleed SRAM Brakes
- Mountain Bikes - How to Bleed Shimano Brakes
- Mountain Bikes - How to Convert to Tubeless Tires
- Mountain Bikes - How to Replace Internal Cable Housing
- Mountain Bikes - How to Adjust Your Rear Derailleur
- Mountain Bikes - How to Bleed a RockShox Reverb Seatpost
- Mountain Bikes - How to Service Fox and RockShox Fork Lowers
- Mountain Biking - What to Bring Mountain Biking
- Mountain Biking - What to Wear Mountain Biking
- Mountain Biking - How to Choose Knee Pads
- Bikes - Size and Fit Guide
- Gravel Bikes - How To Get Started Gravel Biking
- eBikes - Classes, Features & More
- eBikes - Where to Ride eBikes
- Bike Accessories - Helmet Size & Fit Guide
- Bike Accessories - How to Choose Bike Shoes
- Bikes - How to Choose Bike Tires
- Bikes - How to Change Bike Pedals
- Bikes - How to Repair & Replace a Bike Chain
- Bikes - How to Choose Accessories
- Bikes - Urban Riding Tips
- Travel & Destination Guides - Where to Mountain Bike
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The Selection Process:
Our bike buyer has an endless amount of knowledge on all things bike stemming from years of experience in the bike industry in tandem with their countless hours out on the dirt, gravel, and tarmac. evo's buyers assess all products coming to market, lean into this knowledge, and put together this selection of the best products. They have a unique perspective as they truly see everything offered across the category.
Colin Edwards
Meet Colin Edwards, evo's in-house Bike Buyer and mountain biking aficionado. With 15+ years of e-commerce buying experience under his belt, Colin is the go-to guy for all things related to "Riding Dirt." He's worked across various categories, including bike, snowboard, travel, climbing, and surfing, giving him the know-how to recognize and select top-notch mountain biking products for evo's customers.
Colin's been shredding trails since he was a kid, starting on his trusty hardtail Trek 800 Sport. Born and raised in Utah, he recently made the move to Bellingham, WA with his partner, Kenz. Colin's real-world biking experience, combined with his background in product trends, relationship building, and sales analysis, makes him an invaluable asset to the evo team.
When he's not busy handpicking the raddest gear, you'll find Colin ripping through PNW trails or hunting for the world's best dirt. And when the snow falls, he's all about snowboarding. Colin also loves trail running and exploring the PNW's stunning landscape with his two dogs and Kenz.
With Colin's expertise and passion fueling evo's mountain biking selection, you can trust that his recommendations are spot-on and tailored to the evo community's adventurous spirit.