OutdoorGearLab Tests and Reviews The Best Trail Mountain Bikes of 2017

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - March 8, 2017 - PRLog -- OutdoorGearLab, the golden standard for in-depth and expert-tested gear reviews, just published the results of their latest research in the Top Trail Mountain Bike Review of 2017. Over the course of seven weeks, six pedal pros logged 230 laps on three different benchmarking time trial courses in order to establish stand out performers among the contenders. There were three courses: one downhill, which integrated both technical and beginner terrain and two uphill, which featured climbing characteristics of smooth single track as well as tricky, rocky ground. Objective data such as the exact weight of each model, measured in a controlled setting, provided the foundation and primary basis for the comparison. Additionally, the observations and opinions of the expert testers thickened the mix by adding experiential information such as ease of handling and the ever perplexing fun factor. At the culmination of this rigorous process, the items were evaluated over specific criteria, including overall speed, downhill performance, climbing performance, cornering, and build.

The winners are as follows:

Editors' Choice for Best Aggressive Trail Bike - Yeti SB5.5

The SB5.5 earned the coveted Editors' Choice award for best aggressive ride because it's extremely versatile, pleasantly nimble, and fast. In the benchmark time trials, it dominated the downhill, ramping rapidly and gaining momentum with agile stability and invincible speed. While it crushed in the downhill assessments, the testing team concurred, "It doesn't get dusted on the climbs either, rolling over everything in its way to second place on the technical uphill time trials and pleasantly pedaling into fourth place on our smooth tract." With an aptitude for launching off the lip and an ability to handle with precision, this set of wheels is a clear front runner for gravity defying bliss.

Editors' Choice for Best Trail Bike - Ibis Ripley LS

The Ripley LS blends a playful feel with snappy acceleration and precise, sturdy downhill handling. This Editors' Choice award winner features sticky rubber on its velocity building 29" wheels (which feel more like a 27.5" setup) rounding hairpin corners faster than any other contender in the assessment. While it chugs uphill on the slower side, it's a comfortable class A voyage with a high paying return of roaring downhill fun. Overall the expert testers unite in their claim that "The Ibis is quietly confidence inspiring. With solid geometry, killer traction and a low slung chassis, it leaves little room for doubt: The Ripley LS gets the job done."

Based out of Cheyenne, Wyoming, OutdoorGearLab, LLC releases inventive and informative gear comparison reviews to give outdoor enthusiasts the upper hand in their gear purchasing decisions. The website offers side-by-side comparative charts which break down products based on specific measures. Expert teams of testers and reviewers implement creative methods to test products over these measures and then award top performers accordingly. Categories cover a range of activities including, but not limited to, camping, climbing, backpacking, cycling, and running. Take a look at outdoorgearlab.com to explore this popular resource.