FINAL VERDICT

This test was something of a game of two halves. Pivot and Ibis lean towards the more traditional American blueprint of efficiency and nimbleness, and their bikes love to devour miles of singletrack and natural trails. Both the Trail 429 and the Ripley LS excel for long-distance riding, and are spot on for an outdoor fix if you hit national parks more often than bike parks. The Pivot’s much more contemporary geometry adds capability at speed, and its suspension response is way smoother too.

Evil and Transition both hail from the US’s Pacific Northwest. It’s an area that’s got a lot in common with the UK, in terms of trails and conditions – and both brands deliver rigs that are a ton of fun to ride over here. The Smuggler has the cushiest suspension on test, but it also bobs when winching up steeps and needs the shock lockout lever to steady it. It’s heavier and less energetic than the Following MB too, although the entry fee is cheaper, so you’d have plenty of leftover cash to add carbon wheels or other upgrades, to dump weight and inject a bit more zip.

Evil’s bike just nails it. The Following MB isn’t as urgent as the Pivot or Ibis when clipped-in sprinting or puzzling up steep, techy climbs, but it’s well rounded. Its smooth carbon chassis has the drive you’d expect of a punchy short-travel rig and it absolutely slices through turns, urging you to ride hard and squeeze shapes, just because you can. While it’s cheaper than two of the bikes here, it’s still very expensive, and it could also do with a better climbing position, so it just misses out on a perfect score.