The 9 Best Enduro Mountain Bikes of 2022
By: Jon Kennedy: Bike Buyer | June 8, 2022
“Enduro” went from being a niche race discipline to the hottest thing in mountain biking very quickly. That’s probably because it encapsulates what many of us like the most about riding in an easily digestible format. Pedal mellow trails to the top of the mountain, and then shred the meanest descents you can find. Elegant and simple. And as this riding style has emerged, bike brands have tailored their offerings to meet it. Now every brand has a long travel bike with good pedaling manners, perfect for the winch and plummet style of riding that enduro encourages. So we’ve put together this list of the best enduro bikes on the market. These are the bikes that most perfectly walk that line of pedaling efficiency and downhill capability.
New This Year:
So if you like climbing under your own power, but descending hard, technical trails, there’s an enduro bike on this list for you. And, if you’re just looking for a very capable all-rounder, you should also be taking a hard look at enduro bikes while choosing a mountain bike. Every bike on this list will happily pedal mellow trails all day, or take on the gnarliest bike park descents you can point it down. That’s the magic of enduro after all! These bikes do it all.
Santa Cruz Bronson C R
Spend your time thinking about something other than whether your bike is right for the day's ride. With the Santa Cruz Bicycles Bronson C R Complete Mountain Bike, it is. 99 times out of 100, a Bronson will fit right in: a competent pedaler and a confident descender for its whole career, the new Bronson gets even more capable with the addition of a mixed wheel setup. Set it up in low mode for max stability, or keep the flip chip in high for general-purpose mountain biking. With a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, solid suspension components, and the rip-any-trail pedigree that comes with being Santa Cruz's fan-favorite model, the Bronsons are always on point. The Bronson is one of the most fun and versatile bikes on the market, it’s nearly impossible to head out for a ride on one without coming home with a grin on your face.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM NX Eagle | 150 mm | $5399 |
Evil Wreckoning GX
Smash, bash, and crash with a laugh: that's the name of the game with the Evil Wreckoning GX Complete Mountain Bike. A pedalable version of a dream DH bike, this bike is hard to classify and impossible to outgun. With its short rear end, it's a manual machine, but its long front end gives it a super stable high-speed straightline platform. And somehow it's not stuck in the pudding on the climbs. Rockshox's new ZEB fork is a match for the stiff Superboost+ rear end, and gnarly meats on 29" wheels mean you'll be launching those iffy gaps with confidence. This Wreckoning is ridiculous, in all the right ways. If you like going fast, and big, the Evil Wreckoning is happy to keep up with you through all your sends.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM GX Eagle | 165 mm | $7299 |
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. This bike was built for speed, pure and simple. So if you like going fast, this is your rig.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM GX Eagle | 160 mm | $6579 |
Santa Cruz Nomad C S
The bike everyone wants to ride at the component level most would choose, the Santa Cruz Bicycles Nomad C S Complete Mountain Bike makes a lot of sense for a lot of riders. This is a bicycle without a real performance ceiling - the harder you push it the more it comes alive. This latest model sports proportional rear ends, meaning the ride quality doesn't suffer at the ends of the sizing spectrum: they all rip equally hard. Pair that with a new, stiffer suspension layout and the components to get the most out of it, and the Nomad is an all-time all-mountain bike. The Nomad has a long legacy of excellence, and this latest version is the most capable and versatile yet.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM GX Eagle | 170 mm | $6699 |
Orbea Rallon M20
A Basque army knife of a bike, the Orbea Rallon M20 Complete Mountain Bike comes roaring out of the Pyrenees ready for action. Orbea has made some small but not insignificant tweaks to these carbon enduro race bikes: the angles are a bit more aggressive, for better stability and confidence at ridiculous speeds, and they've added internal frame storage (and included a tool kit too!). This takes the Rallon from the super-fast category and plants it firmly in the super-duper fast camp. With Fox suspension and Shimano parts everywhere, this is as dependable as it is capable. The Rallon is an enduro phenom that'll nom-nom on all the crunchy terrain your trails can serve up, hungry for more. The Rallon gets it all done, from all-day races to all-day shuttles, it’s a versatile, capable bike.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| Shimano SLX | 160 mm | $5499 |
Yeti SB150 T1
Designed to reach EWS podiums, the Yeti Cycles SB150 T1 Complete Mountain Bike is serious business. Turns out it's fun too if your idea of fun is flying warp speed down trails, launching off blind drops into root balls, and smashing through rock gardens. So yeah: it's a blast! The SB150 makes use of an advanced suspension design, rock-solid components, and progressive geometry to become much more than just a mountain bike. This is a transformative machine capable of time travel. The Yeti SB 150 has sat on top of too many race podiums to count, so if that’s your goal, this is a great bike to get you there.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| Shimano XT | 150 mm | $8600 |
Marin Alpine Trail 7
Boasting a bomber Series 4 Aluminum Frame and the acclaimed MultiTrac suspension system, the Marin Alpine Trail 7 Complete Mountain Bike offers incredible value without sacrificing an ounce of trail-ready performance. The geometry is dialed for the all day enduro rider with a slack head tube angle, steep seat tube and long reach keeping it plenty efficient for climbing while giving you more confidence than ever on burly downhill sections. Whether you're threading the needle on techy steeps or getting loose on the jumps, the Marin Alpine Trail 7 Complete Mountain Bike is ideal for the trail rider hell bent on having a good time.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| Shimano Deore | 150 mm | $2999 |
Evil Offering GX
Do you know those edits where riders are flicking their bikes around, keeping their front tire off the ground half the time, and pretty much making it impossible for you to think about anything other than getting out on your bike as soon as possible? The Evil Offering GX Complete Mountain Bike embodies that vibe in bike form. With solid componentry to back up its ripping design, this is a bike that takes fun very seriously. The low center of gravity and short rear end means you'll be whapping, slapping, and brapping every contour on the trail. Sure, the Offering is fast, but if you focus on getting the most fun possible out of every ride, it’s our top choice.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM GX Eagle | 140 mm | $7299 |
Santa Cruz Hightower C S
The whole Santa Cruz lineup is bananas, with almost every single bike being very capable across different trail types. Their lower-link mounted VPP suspension pedals so well that it's hard to tell how much travel you have under your seat until you drop into a descent, meaning you can get the exact model that'll suit your local trails best. The Santa Cruz Bicycles Hightower C S Complete Mountain Bike is the bike that combines all its stablemates' powers into one bike, the meanest of the collected means, the extraordinary average of all their bikes summed up. This Blurry Nomad is the Megatower for pedalers if you know what we mean. This is the most capable and versatile bike in the Santa Cruz lineup, perfect for anyone who gets into a little bit of everything.
| Drivetrain | Rear Travel | Original Price |
| SRAM GX Eagle | 145 mm | $6349 |
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 Pedals
- 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
- 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 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.
Jon Kennedy
Jon is a Bike Buyer and joined evo in 2015 to help launch the category. He has a long tenure in the bike industry bringing over 20 years of experience.
Jon was formerly the Marketing Manager for Diamondback bikes and was the Executive Director for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance prior to that. His broad experience in the bike industry from the brand, advocacy and retail side has contributed to a well-rounded understanding of trends, needs and opportunities.
Jon grew up in the Seattle area and currently resides there with his wife Ilana, kids Erez and Lilah, and his Boston Terrier Marley. He is a daily rider packing countless miles in every year, loves all disciplines, and simply considers himself a cyclist… a title he embraces with great passion.