We survey the best downhill, enduro and trail bikes to see how geometry has evolved <\/p>
Geometry defines how your bike rides, influencing your weight distribution, riding position and, ultimately, your confidence on the trail.<\/p>\n
In the last few years, most frame manufacturers have pushed hard to stay ahead of the curve, moving further towards \u2018progressive\u2019 slack and low geometry, without pushing into the realms of the absurd.<\/p>\n
However, aside from a few outliers, the curve seems to be flattening, which begs the question: after 50 years of mountain biking, have manufacturers finally got geometry right?<\/p>\n
Mountain biking began in 1970s California with the creation of klunkers<\/a>. These rigid steel frames were inspired by beach cruisers and the motocross bikes of the day. They had slack head angles, low bottom brackets and long wheelbases to maximise stability.<\/p>\n As purpose-built mountain bikes<\/a> began to hit the mainstream around a decade later, their geometry looked more akin to road bikes<\/a>. Stems grew longer, wheelbases shrank and head angles began to steepen.<\/p>\n Thankfully, those days are well and truly over. In the last 10 years, the development of progressive geometry has accelerated. Industry outliers, increasingly technical trails and racetrack research adn development have all played their part in the continuous evolution of what MTB geometry<\/a> looks like today.<\/p>\n Are we still on a curve of innovation, or has the industry started to apply the brakes on progressive geometry? Let\u2019s look at some of the best downhill, enduro and trail bikes to see how their geometry has changed.<\/p>\n