We have searched high and low to find the best mountain bike brands from this year. From bikes with the best frames, tires, and materials, we’ve compiled a list of the bikes with the highest performance ratings and best reputations. Whether you are a newcomer or have had a passionate hobby for years, there is a bike waiting for you among the best mountain bike brands from 2022.
10. GT
Gary Turner, founder and namesake for GT began back in 1972 with designing one of the first BMX racing bikes. In the 1970’s bike frames were known for not being durable enough for tracks and the vibrations and impact on the bikes that were caused by racing. GT directly changed that and the future of mountain bikes by creating the ‘triple triangle’ hardtail design. That design was used to reduce the vibrations transferred to the seat from the rear wheel to ensure a more comfortable and durable riding experience, no matter the track.
Today, GT is known for durability and most importantly, speed and more speed. Their lineup includes Mountain Full Suspension, Mountain Hardtail, Pavement, BMX, Women’s, and Kid’s. With such specific choices catering to all age groups and several bikes under each category, this is a great place to find a fast, yet strong mountain bike. GT uses bright splashes of color to keep their line of bikes interesting and unique.
Price: from $1100 USD www.gtbicycles.com
9. Kona
Since 1988 Kona has been originating bikes for cyclists, by cyclists. Finding influence from the Hawaiian Islands this dedicated team, led by the original founders, passionately creates bikes year after year. They have more than enough to choose from with lines such as Kahuna, Originals, Hei Hei, Process, Operator, and Honzo to name a few. They also have women’s and children’s specialized lines.
With stores located all over the United States, as well as having several international distributors, the Kona mountain bike is readily available no matter where you are located. While their line of bikes is so extensive it can seem overwhelming, especially to a newcomer, they have a ‘Bike Finder’ on their website so you can fine tune your search to find exactly what you need. Whether you choose mountain or road, Kona has proven to be a unique provider to the mountain biking community.
Price: from $1200 USD www.konaworld.com
- Aluminum MTB frame with Hydro formed tubing and a powerful front suspension fork is strong and reliable
- 21 speeds with a Shimano rear derailleur makes for smooth gear changes on every ride
- Front and rear v-brakes ensure quick stops out on the trail
- Light, durable alloy rims and 26x2. 125 inch (diameter x width) tires roll over anything
- Riser handlebar with colored end plugs completes the MTB look
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8. Yeti
The diverse group of Yeti takes all the unique individuals on the team and places their creativity and passion into each of the bikes created. This collective experience of such a diverse team is what differentiates their mountain bikes from other competitors. The creative team draws inspiration from the trail, the race circuit, to light bulbs going off in their heads in the middle of the night, but most importantly, the create from the ride itself.
Yeti prides themselves with building bikes that they themselves would want to ride. Since they are so focused on the aspect of creating the best ride possible, they are widening their range of usable technologies in order to do so. The factory in Golden, Colorado is where the design and engineering for their unique concepts takes place. The attention to even the smallest detail is an integral part of what makes a Yeti mountain bike a true Yeti.
The strong devotion and dedication put into their mountain bikes will attest their passion for riding and for giving their customers the best ride possible.
Price: from $3400 USD www.yeticycles.com
7. Orange
The name derives from an all-around range and since 1988 this UK based company has been giving mountain bike enthusiasts just that. Orange offers quite the selection with Suspension Trail, All Mountain, Hardcore Aluminum Hardtail, Aluminum Hardtails, Cross/Freeroad/Urban, and Downhill/Gravity, all available to customers in twenty-six countries. While the volume of bikes is not as high as most competitors, Orange mountain bikes are truly one of a kind.
Bright blues and of course, oranges are the mainly used colors throughout all of their lines. Strong and light frames, downright speed, and tough wheels mean you can take an Orange mountain bike just about anywhere. Their Clockwork mountain bikes are the perfect all-rounder and have proven to be popular year after year. This is due to the craftsmanship and technology, not the fact that it was named after the movie.
Price: from $1300 USD www.orangebikes.co.uk
6. Scott
With ten separate lines in their mountain bike range, Scott shows us versatility and craftsmanship. As featured on their website, they are a very technical company. Starting in 1958 as a skiing supply company, Scott introduced their first mountain bike in 1986. Just a few short years later in 1989, Scott introduced one of the most influential products of the mountain bike world, aerodynamic handlebars.
Today they provide customers with exact geometry down to the millimeter for all parts of the mountain bike and for all size ranges. This is an excellent tool to find the custom pieces you would need to suit your individual needs. Scott’s motto, ‘No Shortcuts’, is one that spreads across their entire business model. Their international distribution for their mountain bikes is in a total of seventy-seven countries. They aim to become readily available to everyone around the globe.
Scott mountain bikes are designed to be light due to the use of carbon frames and they even broke records in 2001 for providing the lightest carbon frame on the market. Using the latest technologies to create the lightest and fastest mountain bikes on the market, Scott does not disappoint.
Price: from $600 USD www.scott-sports.com
5. Cannondale
Cannondale specializes in creating dualism in their latest lines. They want to give the cyclist a two in one super bike that can achieve what the riders want and need- to love the climbs and to master the descents. Using the tool on their website to compare bikes side by side, you can easily decide which features are for you and which ones are not.
Cannondale incorporates carbon and aluminum into their frames to give the lightness and durability that riders are looking for. They even go as far as using the numbers three and six in the model names as a direct reference to the atomic numbers of these two elements. While Cannondale has reasonable priced bikes on their lines, they are known for their high end collections.
A technology they use called ‘Hallowgram’ allows for the crank and bottom bracket to weigh eighty grams less and become 10% more stiff than Dura-Ace. Cannondale mountain bikes are truly creations of technology and passion that will give any cyclist a wonderful ride on any trail.
Price: from $550 USD www.cannondale.com
4. Specialized
This California based company has promised to give every customer the ride of their lives since they were founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard. Everyone on the Specialized team is passionate about making the bike that will give you one of the best rides that you will ever experience. Specialized wants to enhance the riding experience by providing mountain bikes that will give you everything your ride demands. From flying uphill to racing downhill, and using all types of terrain, their mountain bike range covers all the bases.
In fact, the women’s line is designed and engineered by women who ride bikes for women clientele. This gives female customers a certain comfort in knowing that their bike is actually made by another female rider. Specialized also has ongoing sustainability within their company and strives to protect the environment as much as possible throughout the entire creative process. From using ultra-light hardtails to using their World Championship FSR suspension in their designs, Specialized mountain bikes are truly special.
Price: from $600 USD www.specialized.com
3. Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz mountain bikes capture the images from the company vision to be better, smarter, and even a tad bit weirder than other competitors. The California based company has been hard at work making unique and technologically advanced mountain bikes since 1993.
Currently they manufacture sixteen models, with an exclusive Juliana line for women. Santa Cruz strongly believes in the philosophy that commitment and passion are what creates the best bikes. Looking at their line, you can tell right away that they put their words into practice. While their line is a bit smaller than most they can offer full customization and provide a high quality mountain bike.
Keeping the line smaller means they can pay more attention to detail in the current bikes that they have and ensures that they do not bite off more than they can chew. The starting price tag is a bit higher than most other companies, but even their higher end bikes are more affordable than competitors. This gives every mountain bike enthusiast a chance to ride a well-made work of machinery. Not only that, the unique choice of colors will leave their mountain bikes standing out from a crowd. Since they also cater to speed those bright colors are usually seen in a blur on the trail.
Price: from $1650 USD www.santacruzbicycles.com
2. Trek
Offering their line of mountain bikes in thirty countries, Trek has become a household name in the mountain biking community. Starting in 1976 by two friends, they vowed from day one to bring high levels of quality and craftsmanship to each creation and to broaden the cyclist community by giving people a ride that filled them with joy.
Trek encourages you to conquer any trail using one of their finely tuned bikes. Their mountain bike line ranges from Enduro, Cross Country, Sport, Trail, Downhill, and Dual mountain bikes. Trek also uses their well-known innovations on all of their bikes, not just the high end ones. This gives customers the opportunity to choose the bike that can give the best performance according to their needs. Adventure, the open road, freedom, and the community are all sources of inspiration for the designers, developers, and engineers behind Trek’s creations. Social responsibility and sustainability are also very important factors to the Trek Corporation and since they are a world leader in using the most advanced technologies, you can feel good about a purchase from them.
Knowing adventure, technology, and high performance are key factors into the creation of their mountain bikes, cyclists look forward to riding anything from Trek.
Price: from $380 USD www.trekbikes.com
1. Giant
In 1972 Giant was founded with one particular goal in mind: to make the riding experience better for people all around the world. The engineers and craftsman that started Giant wanted to follow three guidelines with every bike creation: innovation, craftsmanship, and inspiration. Giant takes pride in all of their creations and seeks to establish new levels of performance as well as comfort. This in combination with their three guidelines has allowed riders to fall in love with their mountain bikes. They were the first company to launch an affordable carbon fiber bike that could be used by the mainstream public and continue to provide high quality mountain bikes at affordable costs.
Giant offers a very wide range to choose from and with over 12,000 retail stores and a large online presence, Giant mountain bikes are nearly everywhere. Giant’s mountain bikes aim to be a little faster and a little smoother than competitors, and in addition to the use of lightweight, durable materials, Giant has made a name for itself across the globe. Their use of technology and design provides an ease of use and comfort that all riders, newcomers and long endured hobbyists, can agree on.
The fact that Giant has catered to such a large customer base from all over the world definitely means they aren’t going away anytime soon. As their namesake says, they are ‘giant’ and this mountain bike company encourages you with their motto to ‘Ride Life. Ride Giant’.
Price: from $885 USD www.giant-bicycles.com
The best mountain bike brands from 2022 have shown us quality, durability, and the need for speed. To find the perfect bike amongst these top competitors is no easy chore. However, having put the best mountain bike brands all in one place we hope to put ease into your search for a bike that caters to your needs. Don’t take too long in making a decision, the trail awaits you.
I agree with most of the brands mentioned in the article. Although I have not tried all of them , for example Santa Cruz and Orange, the other 8 are great brands. I have a question, don’t you consider Diamondback as one of the top 10?
Great article!
I nominate Bianchi since I just bought one. Components are pretty much the same as any of these brand’s builds. The frame is the only difference. Frames these days for higher end bikes are pretty much a preference. Bianchi has been building sturdy frames for all types of bicycles ever since the bicycle was created ? I can also throw in Fuji as well, my 1997 MX-200 rigid fork hardtail doubles a s touring & gravel bike. 26×2.10 21 speed, it’s my bought & paid for rim brake version of Co-Motion’s Pangea. For the most part, a lot of bikes can handle multi-purposes well. I ride a 7.5 miles to the trail, my old Fuji is so much faster on asphalt and isn’t appreciably slower on the trails than the 2015 27.5 Bianchi I bought. The shock fork makes a huge difference on the trails, even locked out, you would need a 29er with the fork locked out, with more gear inches and the legs to beat the Fuji 26″ on asphalt.
Thanks for the list , My personal opinion is that trek should be in the first place 😀
I agree!
Probably you are not a bicycle connoisseur, when in Italy frames were built for professional cyclist teams in other countries they went by tricycle.We have taught all over the world how frames are built, they have come from all over the world to buy bicycles in Italy And what do you put American bikes, keeping out the great Italian artisans like BIANCHI, PINARELLO, COLNAGO, MASI, BOTTECCHIA, CINELLI, DE ROSA etc are the ones I have in mind now but there are hundreds of artisans who make bikes. I suggest you read specialized magazines.
To Gian(elli) , I appreciate that Italian road and race bikes are world class and with prices to match. Sadly, only a mob boss or Italian politician, about the same, could afford one? Italian bike makers could easily offer mountain bikes for your urban cobblestone streets and country trails yet mountain bikes don’t enter Tour de France racing. Campagnola brand components is excellent quality in rear derailleurs, but have not been made for mountain bikes in any price range. Some say too delicate for off road service anyway? Even middle-class Italians pretend to be wealthy and too wortied about class and politics than just riding on a sunny day for the friendship and health. That’s probably why mountain bike riding would be like Alfredo embarrassed to drive his old Alfa-Romeo since this dreamer left his Lamboghini in the garage? Too snooty, and too “fughetaboutit”! M.C. 3-11-2021
Are Yetis good Im about to buy one opinions pls
Yes I would definately include Diamonback. Had one and it was a class machine for sure. Extremely well made and durable as well as well priced. Bought it brand new, used it for 5 good years and then sold it fo the exact amount that I paid for it brand new 5 years previous. Cant say better than that. Never had to replace anything from new.
Where’s Ibis? Especially with their growth challenger Ripmo AF, they should be considered. And for a list that’s based on 2021, I’m shocked you’re not including DTC bikes like Fezzari, Canyon, Vitus, Polygon and more.