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[[{“value”:”Welcome to our first-ever Short Travel Trail Bike Shootout. Over the last few months, we’ve put seven of the best 120mm and 130mm trail bikes we could get our hands on to the test, to see just how far this increasingly popular category can be pushed.
Sitting somewhere between an XC race bike and a traditional trail mountain bike, these short-travel machines go by a lot of names. Downcountry, XC bike, trail bike, lightweight trail bike, short-travel trail bike—whatever you want to call them, the goal is largely the same: deliver the speed and efficiency that makes climbing and covering miles fun, without giving up the descending capability that keeps us looking for the next (relatively) rowdy trail.
It is incredible how far this category has come and what these shorter-travel bikes are capable of.
Putting them head-to-head highlighted stark differences in their character on-trail, though. From technical climbs and long days in the saddle to high-speed singletrack and double-black descents, we rode these bikes on just about everything we could find. What became obvious is that 120mm or 130mm of rear travel doesn’t tell you much about how a modern mountain bike is going to ride. Some bikes in this test lean heavily toward XC, with speed and efficiency as their priorities. Meanwhile, others feel more like mini enduro bikes, and a few land right in the middle, as incredible do-it-all mountain bikes.
Rather than trying to crown one bike as the answer for every rider, our goal was to find out where each bike shines and which riders will get the most from it. We know every rider has their own impression of what “best” means for them, so we want to highlight the best option for each rider style and preference.
Written Feature: https://theloamwolf.com/reviews/bikes/2026-short-travel-trail-bike-shootout/
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