[gat3keeper]

Can you tell me your top 10 brands?

And for your top 3, why is it in your top 3 lists?

 

[Mookie]

Top 10? That's awfully broad. Different bikes fit different folks for different reasons. I don't really know how you could make a meaningful ranking of bike manufacturers.

 

[bigyin]

Walmart
Halfords

 

[Cayenne_Pepa]

Ranking bike makers is way too subjective for anybody to glean any valuable info on. That said....here are my personal faves, based on extensive use:

1) Trek
2) Niner
3) Intense
4) Cannondale
5) Rocky Mountain
6) Scott
7) Ibis
8) Santa Cruz
9) Giant
10) Yeti

 

[gat3keeper]

Ranking bike makers is way too subjective for anybody to glean any valuable info on. That said....here are my personal faves, based on extensive use:

1) Trek
2) Niner
3) Intense
4) Cannondale
5) Rocky Mountain
6) Scott
7) Ibis
8) Santa Cruz
9) Giant
10) Yeti

Zach, Interesting top 10. I was surprised that Specialized is not your list.

 

[gat3keeper]

Top 10? That's awfully broad. Different bikes fit different folks for different reasons. I don't really know how you could make a meaningful ranking of bike manufacturers.

Agree.

But I'm pertaining to the ones that you've used. I'm in search of my first bike so I'd like to narrow my research / choice based on most brands that will be posted here.

 

[Mookie]

Agree.

But I'm pertaining to the ones that you've used. I'm in search of my first bike so I'd like to narrow my research / choice based on most brands that will be posted here.

If that's the case then you should list some specifics. What is your budget? How tall are you? What type of trails are you going to be riding? How many miles do you plan to ride?

 

[hsnbykkls]

Ranking bike makers is way too subjective for anybody to glean any valuable info on. That said....here are my personal faves, based on extensive use:

1) Trek
2) Niner
3) Intense
4) Cannondale
5) Rocky Mountain
6) Scott
7) Ibis
8) Santa Cruz
9) Giant
10) Yeti

Not KTM brands quality?

 

[gat3keeper]

If that's the case then you should list some specifics. What is your budget? How tall are you? What type of trails are you going to be riding? How many miles do you plan to ride?

Mookie,

I'm 5'7 , budget would be 600-800 USD. I'm planing a single track trail and a bit of road biking.

 

[BikeIntelligencer]

OK I'll bite.

Pivot
Ibis
Santa Cruz
Intense
Trek
Spesh
Yeti
Evil
Turner
Knolly

Evil is a gamble, haven't ridden their new crop but just love their name and what they're doing to flout convention. For years I loved Ventana but my riding style/prefs changed. Also Cove, altho they're kinda off the radar. Orange, RM and Scott are brands I know folks love, but I know nothing about so can't rank. Devinci's another one I wish I knew more about.

Re the top 3 (four actually), I've owned bikes from them all and like their innovative personal style, founders' flair, approachability at places like Sea Otter and great customer service.

 

[Cayenne_Pepa]

Zach, Interesting top 10. I was surprised that Specialized is not your list.

Demo 2013 S-Works Epic 29. Fast, but the Brain gave me problems from the very start...even after dialing it in properly.

 

[Harold]

Ranking like this is too vague. Everybody is going to be making their assessments based on their own experiences and personal bias. Not to mention the regional nature of availability of some of the small to mid-sized brands.

I have personally OWNED bikes from:
Diamondback
Specialized
Salsa
On-One

My wife has owned:
Specialized
Santa Cruz

I have demo'd or rented:
Trek
Giant
Kona
Santa Cruz
Surly
Scott

As far as other bikes go, I won't even venture a guess. Plus, some of the stuff I have experience with (like Diamondback and Specialized) is dated. I owned a Diamondback from 2000 that was still made in the US. They are not the same company now. My Specialized is from 2003. It's not even remotely similar to the bike carrying the same name that you can buy now. Not to mention that my impressions of Specialized as a company and how they operate have changed over the years.

And frankly, I won't even bother to rank the brands I've mentioned. The bikes I have ridden from each company have all been so different from each other that brand comparisons are impossible.

About all I can do is rank the SPECIFIC bikes I've owned over the years, but that's not a useful ranking, either. All of the bikes come from vastly different price categories, and my preferences would pretty much follow pricing, and all but two bikes (the two oldest ones) are well outside your price range. And one of my more recent purchases is a road bike that isn't even what you're looking for.

 

[gat3keeper]

Thanks guys... keep the thread flowing...

 

[Alias530]

Just bikes or bike parts/components too? I'm going to go with bikes and parts, because just bikes is too broad

1-santa cruz
2-specialized
3-trek
4-easton
5-shimano
6-fox
7-rockshox
8-enve
9-maxxis
10-continental

 

[John Kuhl]

Turner
Trek
Yeti, and that's all you get out of me.

 

[Lopaka]

I'd post my top ten but you wouldn't understand and probably haven't heard of them.

 

[Mason]

1. Trek
2. Giant
3. Jamis

Those are the 3 brands I own so I guess those are my current favorites.

Most manufacturers are simply putting together bikes from parts they bought from someone else. They all have their frame design and then finish it with stuff from another company.

I buy what feels right, is priced fairly, looks good, and has good customer service.

 

[targnik]

1. Kona
2. Kona
3. Kona etc.
4...9. Kona
10. KHS

Only mtb's I've owned ^^

Next one will likely go to #1

-------------------------------------
Opinions are like A-holes... everybody
has one & they're usually full of...??

 

[KevinGT]

1. Yeti.

No other brand captures the spirit of mountain biking for me and combines that with the most beautiful bikes ever made. They only make dream bikes. Period.

 

[gat3keeper]

1. Yeti.

No other brand captures the spirit of mountain biking for me and combines that with the most beautiful bikes ever made. They only make dream bikes. Period.

Agree with you sir...