Vital's $2,500 Full-Suspension Budget Mountain Bike Comparison Test
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- We had a blast testing these mountain bikes!
Video Timeline
0:00 - Introduction
2:40 - Polygon Siskiu T8 Review
8:15 - Scott Spark 960 Review
15:49 - Devinci Marshall Review
23:08 - Cannondale Habit 5 Review
WIN A SRAM GX AXS DRIVETRAIN and help the trails in this video, no purchase necessary - www.vitalmtb.com/features/Win...
Vital's $2,000 Mountain Bike Comparison - 6 bikes tested - • Vital's $2,000 Full-Su...
YT Jeffsy 29 Base Review (because we know you'll ask : ) - • One-Minute Bike Review...
The perfect mountain biker gift - Vital Gear Club Subscription Box
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Vital MTB is stoked to bring your our $2,500 mountain bike comparison test with four full-suspension 29ers and four hard-hitting testers. About a year ago, we compared six $2,000 mountain bikes to see if a new rider buying a bike for the first time could really get a trail-ready bike at that price. We came away with plenty of smiles and tons of respect for the bikes we rode, so this time around, we’ve bumped the budget up another $500 to see what kind of difference that might make in bike durability and performance.
#MTB #mountainbike #mountainbiking
Amanda Wentz, Brad Howell, Trevor Trixie Boldi and Steve Wentz - our testers.
We’ve been lucky enough at Vital MTB to test some really nice, expensive bikes over the last 11 years, but we always love coming back to a more affordable price point. While we’re calling $2,500 affordable, we know this is not chump change, and $2,500 spent in the used bike market could land a really great bike that’s only a couple years old.
We found four full-suspension 29ers in the 120mm to 140mm rear travel range. They’re considered trail bikes, if you’re unaware of how mountain bikes are classified these days. This is a mountain bike that’s made to do a little bit of everything, and hopefully do it pretty well. It has more travel than a cross-country bike and less travel than what’s called an enduro bike.
Every bike we tested was a size medium, they are all aluminum frames, and coincidentally, they all featured 12-speed 1x drivetrains which means there is a single chainring up front at the cranks and no front derailleur, keeping the bike simple, efficient and quiet. While there were component similarities between the bikes, each bike was definitely its own machine, each with unique riding characteristics. The test took place in the Boise, Idaho, area at Wilson Creek, Table Rock, Eagle Bike Park and Boise Bike Park to find out where these bikes shine, who they’re best suited for and what could be improved.
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MB01EYUQGMGRFXJ 
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We had a blast testing these bikes! Which bike would you pick?
Video Timeline
0:00 - Introduction
2:40 - Polygon Siskiu T8 Review
8:15 - Scott Spark 960 Review
15:49 - Devinci Marshall Review
23:08 - Cannondale Habit 5 Review
WIN A SRAM GX AXS DRIVETRAIN and help the trails in this video, no purchase necessary - www.vitalmtb.com/features/Win-a-SRAM-GX-AXS-Eagle-Drivetrain-Worth-Over-1-000,3047
Vital's $2,000 Mountain Bike Comparison - 6 bikes tested - ruclips.net/video/DSYwTlth1oc/видео.html
YT Jeffsy 29 Base Review (because we know you'll ask : ) - ruclips.net/video/wECeRKsyGSE/видео.html
I bought the Polgon should be arriving 26th of April 😉
@@anishg777 I'm in Australia so I preorderd one nearly 6 weeks ago 😎
I went with the T8. Should receive it by June.
@@rocknrider like to know how ya like it I'm just getting back into MTB so this Polgon is a good start 👍🏻
Vitus mythique 27 VRX or Polygon siskiu T8
Dont know what to get???
Comparison video?
you guys started of great stating the metric weight along with the imperial numbers but quickly forgot after the first one XD
“For a highschooler”
Me, 30 working full time and still can’t afford one of these “affordable” bikes 😭
Hey man, have you tried Crippling Debt™? I used to not be able to afford things either but now I can buy anything I want with Crippling Debt™!
@@MidWestMTB LOL! 🤣
Have you heard of onlyfans?
@@gwilly3888 lmfao
@@gwilly3888 taek
I’ve been looking into the polygon siskiu t8 so this video helped a lot, thanks Vital MTB 🤘
Definitely recommend it!
Awesome selection of affordable mountain bikes. Thanks for sharing 🤙🏼
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE I SAW IT ON YOUR INSTAGARM STORY YAY
I love my Cannondale Habit 2 2020!
A beast. Upgraded to Dt swiss 240 and Carbon wheels now it’s a hard tail when the shock is closed due to stiffness, amazing!
Awesome. Just got the Siskiu T8, now to get the skills to match it.
That Scott would be perfect for my local Georgia trails
very well, Vital MTB.. i love it so much, enjoying every minute of this video.
Bought my devinci Marshall a month ago and have been loving it so far. It is my first full suspension bike and so far it has been amazing to learn on. It came with everything I needed and it didn't break the bank.
awesome!
A nice and thorough comparison video.
Yaaaayy, bikes I can afford
Thanks so much for making this vid
I love these videos! I watched the $2,000 one from the year before this one and just made my first purchase. These definitely help! Much appreciated. I think more of these would be awesome. Maybe a $3,500ish shootout next? Forgive me if that’s already on here. I just found y’all’s channel. Love it though. Thanks again and I’m looking forward to watching more of these to catch up on things and see what’s on the horizon for the future as far as the my next upgrade goes.
awesome, glad we could help! what's funny is these $2,500 bikes are now the $3,500 bikes HAHA (it's crazy how bike prices have gone in the last year or so) - we'll be working on more in the future for sure. if you have time, hit our website for a lot more reviews too - www.vitalmtb.com/product/main
I have spark 960 for 3 months now and I really like it. It is my first full suspension bike. It is great for XC rides and I have fun on trail too, even I am beginner
Whats really amazing about this is that this will be an amazing bike in 2nd hand market for next generation riders who is less fortunate,
I work at a bike shop and just spent a week in Utah with a $2350 Giant Trance 2. I was blown away with the stiffness of the rear triangle, it’s climbing and braking performance. Whatever voodoo Giant did with that frame blew away Santa Cruz and Specialized enduro bikes I’m used to riding.
I have a 9 y/o Trance x2. I think I'll upgrade to that. Tnx!
I really like this review format. Excellent work folks!
Siskiu t8 look sick🔥
Love it
An actual (kinda) affordable bike review video!! 👍👍
don't miss our $2,000 MTB review vid - ruclips.net/video/DSYwTlth1oc/видео.html
Love the review! Though I already did a pre-order in March , it's nice to know that I made the right decision. Currently waiting for my Polygon T8 coming in June. 🙂
I pre-ordered a T8 as well. I am super excited!
Same train
Same here! Can't wait to ride it!
Same here! My T8 pre-order back in the end of March had an estimated ship date of May 31st but now they show June 15th. The wait is killing me. This review has me champing at the bit even more! Great video!
@@TheBZAinNJ common story: pre-order drop down was taking mid may delivery for L size, invoice was processed for June 17th. Many companies project north of 5-6months delivery. Some, like YT, switched to a more fluid component spec, giving you equivalents, as the shortage is not with frames, rather component kits.
i just bought a banshee prime v1 for 2400 with fox factory suspension, a Deore drivetrain and stans wheels. there is good stuff out there
Nice review... Affordable bikes, pros, cons, upgrades and personality... Good job 👍
Thanks! 👍
I am not sure if you could only select bikes you could find but it would have been nice to see the Giant Trance 29 in this lineup.
Better reviews than Pinkbike.
So much better.
actually, pretty weak format. The conclusions were a joke.
@Tony G I would say pretty weak. Why waste so much time having every tester guess the weight and the conclusions don't really say anything meaningful.
Personally, I'll go back to Pink Bike.
Thank you guys
I use my Scott’s dual lockout literally every time I ride. I’m obsessed with it
Great vid
Drink a shot every time you hear "playful" in any mountain bike video
You had to bump the price up because bikes have gone up $500-$1000 in the past year.... Money printer go BRRRRR!!!!
I have the Marshall and I agree about the center of gravity. I’m looking to buy XT SPDs because they’re a few mm lower stack than my 530s. Crazy? Maybe different shoes would help. I did put a 160mm lyrik on it so that raised the BB even higher ☺️
whoa, a 160 lyrik!
Here is Vietnam, options are limited to a few manufactures, but the first two models are available to order from distributers, but at this time of year it's between the Scott 960 2022 with it's new hidden shock and whatever Polygon do to refine the T8 for next year. This review really helped, but I'm still stuck. The T8 is about 80% of the price of the 960, so I'm leaning that way.
I was looking for a full suspension MTB in exactly that price range and the Siskiu T8 made my final 3. In the end, I went with a slightly used 2021 Nukeproof Reactor C for just $100 over my budget. The bike market right now, both new and used, is definitely a buyers market.
I have the spark and absolutely love it. It all depends on your riding preference. I lean more toward the cross country style but still can hit jumps and the technical stuff when I want. As far as climbing, the spark will crush the rest.
I just purchased the Spark and love it have been on various terrains and handles them well.
Spark owns XC on world circuit
2:40 Polygon Siskiu T8: The tyre rub might be cus of too flexy wheels. but also if the frame is too flexy, but it might not be too flexy. but did you notice any difference in flex from left to right? did it flex more to the right or left? on 2014 Fuel EX the bike flexed to the left more, on that bike the flex was both due to flexy wheels and due to flexy frameset. So that's something you could investigate further to see if you can get rid of the tyre rub. But the bike seems to be built to be stiffer and more robust than that crappy Trek Fuel Ex I had.
I wish we could have seen how the Nukeproof Reactor Comp would have compared, but it was sadly a few hundred out of budget (hopefully we can see it in a
we enjoyed the reactor last year - ruclips.net/video/d93nlt1N1HM/видео.html and we have this build going too ruclips.net/video/d-Xwxz4nLF0/видео.html
This is an example of a really great comparison test.
Could you do the same for a $3000-3500 bugdet enduro bikes, including the new Polygon Siskiu N9, please?
N7 I love
these is my favorite type of videos that you guys make
You guys need to fire up a new one for the 2022's and 2023's full sus bikes!
Great review! It's pretty crazy how heavy trail bikes have gotten. And shame about the Devinci's price increase. $2100 for a Canadian-made frame was an incredible deal. Just wish it came in a more interesting color.
my thoughts exactly, i bought (pre-order) the bike at $2099 and im hopefully picking it up on tuesday. Im afraid im going to show up and they are going to want to full updated price. Will have to demand my deposit back I guess. Planning on giving it a new paint job if I really like it!
@@Ilovethisaccount500 Nice! Hope it works out for ya!
These direct to consumer bike brands are definitely making other brands more competitive. Interesting to see more of these pop up. Wonder what the long term reviews would be on these.
With Yeti entering the direct to consumer game you bet value has ran out the window....
Seriously, jokes aside it's a great thing for consumers, Polygon and Canyon are killing it with their offerings...
@@LaurentiusTriarius definitely also commemcal and YT. Pretty phenomenal part spec for the money.
It is tough to get bike fit online. What are the rider heights for comparison and how did that match up with the sizing charts, especially for Polygon.
I’m finally getting a full suspension and went with a Nukeproof Reactor Comp. It would be interesting to see how it stacks up to these.
we enjoyed the reactor last year (not the comp), but nukeproofs are really dialed these days - ruclips.net/video/d93nlt1N1HM/видео.html
Great review. I'm just glad to see a Cannondale without that God awful looking Lefty fork. Would've been nice to hear which bike each rider preferred as #1 bc they all have a riding/terrain preference
Loved this review!
Did you find the rear suspension design (single pivot vs faux bar vs horst vs whatever) made a big difference between these bikes? I've had one MTB (low end Kona Precept with single pivot) and am now thinking about getting a new bike in the $2,000'ish range. I'm wondering how much emphasis to place on rear suspension design vs components, especially since you can't upgrade suspension design later.
so we had 2 single pivots (scott and polygon), the split pivot devinci and the horst cannondale. the designs weren't a major factor in our opinion. the amount of travel is relatively low out back and the kinematics seemed well sorted for each bike and their intended riding use.
@@vitalmtb Thanks!
My polygon Siskiu t8 is coming next month
The thing rips!
Will be delayed a few months
Same here I've been waiting since March
I'd actually rather have 1x11 drivetrains. Save a little weight and increase durability. As long as similar range, I don't need the 12th gear. Brad, great job on the weight estimation! Another great Vital shootout, thanks guys!
I know why so many gears, I think 6 gears would be perfect for me.
Have you tested the Polygon T7? if so where can i find your test thank you
Hopefully parts supply chain issues will encourage more manufacturers to offer frame only and/or frameset only, (for something other than the highest end carbon frame.) If Devinci offers that Marshall frame only, it'd probably replace the Ripmo/Ripley AF currently at the top of my list. $2300-$2600 isn't bad for a complete full sus, but I'd replace almost all of those parts anyway, so I'd rather pay less for frame only.
any advice on good mountain bike for traveling from state to state through trailers parks, rocky roads, hard to ride places, with trailer attach to it... looking to buy soon for long journey trip any advice Dear brethrens under $600
Nice nice very Nice, more of like these please !
did you see our $2,000 MTB test? ruclips.net/video/DSYwTlth1oc/видео.html
Scott Spark 960: 10:14 good they went with a model with direct actuation instead of a servo wave with no bite point adjustment, cus those would render the brake useless for a small child, or person with small hands, cus the reach adjustment is not counteracted with the bite point adjustment, but with this brake, this is not a problem. But for me, budget Shimano brakes seemed like cursed, cus I had several sets leak everywhere, not all leaked from every spot. but seems like quality control might be an issue. I don't know this has improved since M6000.
The handling and geo, it's not a surprise what was told here, I wish more xc bikes got better geometry, longer reach, slacker head angle, and for all bikes really a chainstay that grows with the frame size.
I ride a Nicolai/Geometron G1, which I love. and I would probably love an XC bike with the same reach and similar or same head angle. My last bike had 70 deg head angle, it was not completely bad, but it was not as slack I wanted, it was a bit twitchy, but not so bad it was very hard to fight with the bike, but I love the 62 or 62.5 head angle what ever my bike has now.
That opening was epic :D
I love the Scott Spark
Wow, when bikes aren't available for major media outlets in the sport. I just can't wait... CAN NOT WAIT for all these bikes to hit the used market sparkling clean with the sellers trying to sell for MSRP (because they paid tax and upgraded the pedals!).
Can you please review some budget hard tails?
I'd love to get ur review on some of the Merida bikes - like the One.Twenty and One.Forty lineup
Unfortunately I don't think they will test Merida bikes because they aren't in the US. However, I think some Merida models are sold through Specialized here.
3:56 Finally understand what Head Tube Angle means!
nice!
@@vitalmtb Sick review guys!
Lmaooooo you purposely made those bikes fall over 😂 saw the log get pulled and everything
keen eye : )
@@vitalmtb thanks lol :)
subscribed sir
Do hubs next yeah ? Profile elite !
Pleas show/tell all measurements ect also in metric. thx.
Well I really enjoy my polygon T8 I would absolutely send that sucker to the bike shop to get set up. I ended having two 90° angle creases in the dropper post cable due to the crazy angle from the BB up to the seat post it was prolly set up like this from the factory and as a result it never worked all that well so I had to replace the housing and cable. same with the front brake hose, it ended up having a major crease in the brake hose it still works but it’s definitely a downer
was there grease in your headset?
@@duncankp1710 I went over all the bolts and bearings and added grease (as you should do with any new bike as the factory doesn't add a lot of grease) the dropper wouldn't be affected by the headset so I'm not sure what you're getting at but after these few blunders the bike was awesome and I love riding it. I had contacted support and they sent me over a new front brake cable and housing/cable for the dropper. it was just a QC issue and I'm sure not indicative for the company/bike
Worth considering the specialized status for this line up next time too!
status is awesome, but different category than these. we tried to get the stumpjumper alloy but they were not available. we have the alloy comp in for testing w/ a review soon. what's interesting is that the only status bikes found on specialized.com are the old DH statuses.
Or Giant Trance X
@@mrvwbug4423 Way better option that actually fits the category they were going for lol I've just been buzzin over the status so I wanted to mention it lol
@@dCip77 and @mrvwbug44 we tried to get a Trance for the test as well, but Giant didn't have any. Also a Trek Fuel ex5, but no dice.
Was in that budget category. Ended up with Stumpy alloy 2021 (it was before price increase). Components wise it's not a best deal, but it rides pretty well. As for Scott spark 970, it's not good deal, and the reason is rear 5x141mm axle.
we tried to get a stumpy alloy, but ended up with an alloy comp that we'll get reviewed soon. since it's $3,000, we didn't include it here.
That is a valuable warning. Although boost 141 isn't as bad as they paint it. It might even have higher clamping force on that axle than the common through ones.
@@polishguywithhardtospellna8227 QR has en insane clamping force, the only butt is getting a second set of wheels for the rear since is almost imposible to get QR microspline hubs.
Disappointed in the new Habit 5, but will keep my eyes peeled for a 2020
30:46 OMG that drop with the Siskiu - no chance that rear wheel is true anymore!
Why the trek fuel ex 5 is not on the comparison?
i wanted to know which one they would all pick
I am between the devinci and the cannondale. Anyone has a suggestion ?
I love my siskiu t8!
Hey, Are they doing the Boise Mtn Bike fest at Bogus this year?
yep - hit this insta link - instagram.com/boisemtnbikefestival/
Amen!!
Did you tested Scoot Spark size M? Who was riding on M size? What was the rider height?
yes. medium. riders were between 5'7" and 5'9" - all riders rode all bikes.
YT and Commencal also have great offerings for this price point.
agreed. check our jeffsy 29 review - ruclips.net/video/wECeRKsyGSE/видео.html
My 2018 YT Jeffsy was $2299 and its been great
we liked the jeffsy base 29 too - check it out - ruclips.net/video/wECeRKsyGSE/видео.html
I bought the polygon siskiu T8 😏🥰 its a Really good bike for the price !!
In that same price range is the Giant Trance X 29 3, their new aggressive trail bike, the 3 build is SX or Deore drivetrain, RS 35 gold fork, Fox DPS shock, DHF/Dissector tire combo and TRP 4 pots. I think it would win this test with ease. IMHO Cannondale needs to stick to XC bikes, it seems to be the only MTB they are good at.
we tried to get the giant but they didn't have any available at our time of testing.
What you guys think of specialized stumpjumper alloy $2400 us
looks good on paper. we tried to get one for this but they didn't have any. we have an alloy comp in house for testing ($3,000). stay tuned for that review, too.
Well which one did you guys prefer?
for those who think about the canyon spectral al my spectral broke at the same place two times in one year and i know someone with the same proplem so unfortunately i cant recommend it
That’s disappointing.
Polygon more affordable
This is crazy how heavy bikes are getting.
Kami suka Polygon ( we love Polygon).
Polygon Made in Indonesia
Polygon Bagus!
I'm curious if you guys would recommend these to more advanced riders? I am a weekend warrior for the most part, but been riding for decades. I recently switched from an Ibis Ripley to a Ripmo. I'm wondering if I can suggest these bikes to friends that have as much experience as I have. I like the price point! Bikes seem to be getting more ridiculous in price these days. The Devinci sounds like a great buy! Thanks.
if you or your friends aren't super abusive, these bikes will be up to the task for sure. the devinci has the right parts in the right places. bumping budget up to $3,000 or seeing what you can find used is also a good resource for experienced advanced riders.
The Ripmo is a seriously fast bike on the downhills though easing off the pace a little should be NBD, they all probably climb about as well as a Ripmo AF, which is a veritable lead weight of a bike (my Ripmo AF is 36lbs)
@@vitalmtb Thanks! Although these are decent bikes, I think you can stretch your dollar more on Used and get better setups. There are a lot of deals to be had Used despite the Pandemic, just have to be patient. I suggested this to my friend; he is set on a Carbon Ripley ( 2nd to Current Gen.) but wants to spend $3K or less. I've seen them for about that price point but you have to jump on them.
@@mrvwbug4423 I have the V1 Carbon. I love it, but sometimes miss my Ripley. Can't go wrong with either though.
I loved my Scott, but not the lockout 's. So i just took all that crap off and adjusted my suspension to work just like i like it, mine has fox suspension though
yeah, we're always curious why scott puts the suspension controls on the bikes/cockpit. they always seem to be more clutter than performance-enhancing.
Woo!
Can you use metric?
Otherwise great video!
No
Why won't anyone review the giant trance 3?
probably can't find one to get right now. looks like a great bike at a good price
Must try Patrol 591
when is the stumpjumper review video coming out😭
we have an alloy comp in the house. review in a month or so. we tried to get an alloy for this test but there weren't any available.
Isnt 29ers more expensive than 27.5 Wheels? Wuldn it make more sense to make a comparison of 27,5 bikes?
wheel size doesn't really impact price. this siskiu and the marshall are offered in 27.5 in smaller sizes and the price is the same.
Sad to not see commencal in this list
we tried. couldn't get everything we asked for.
@@vitalmtb that’s fair. Can’t have everything
I looked up the 970 and it’s almost 3k on the Scott website so either you guys have the price incorrect or Scott raised the price on the 970.
These bikes are all around $3k now, for that price you might as well spend the extra money and buy a Stumpjumper Alloy Comp. Full Fox suspension, drop seat, 12x1, big disc brakes, 32 lbs.
Tire rub on frames in 2021 is unacceptable
I'm unsure on their comment on that for the Polygon there's a very active facebook group for Polygon owners and people comment and complain about all kinds of things but I have never seen frame rubbing come up.
I tried getting the sisku t8 and yeah good luck with that. So instead i spent an extra $1300 and got a specialized stumpjumper. It was worth it.
And got half the bike. Dang
Just makes me want a new bike even more lol
1200 miles on the Poly and it is great!