Readers' choice 2022: Over a period of several weeks, you - our readers - voted for the most exciting bikes of the 2022 season. Over 6.000 votes came together and we have now evaluated every single one of them. The results were also extremely interesting for us - the winners in the MTB categories show the versatility of the sport: from the racy hardtail to the full-throttle enduro, everything is there. Here are the best mountain bikes of 2022:
The Velomotion readers' choice took place between December 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022. You have selected your favorites from a total of 17 bike categories. After the evaluation, we don't want to withhold the results from you and present you with the respective top 3.
Here you will find an overview of all categories and their respective winners:
Readers' Choice 2022: Our readers' favorite bikes
News from the editorial team: For four weeks, around the turn of the year 2021/22, our readers were able to vote on the most exciting new bicycles and e-bikes for the 2022 season. More than 6.000 participants chose their favorites in 17 categories and ensured an exciting result. We in the editorial department could hardly wait to get the votes of the readers […]
Mountain bikes for beginners 2022: These are your favorites
Mountain biking is a great sport, a great hobby - unfortunately the financial hurdle for getting started is quite high compared to many other sports. It's all the better that you can get fully trail-ready fullies for 2.000 euros and great hardtails for around 1.000 euros. With the Copperhead FSX 1, Bulls has put together a convincing overall package for 2.500 euros, which is ready for the trail tour with 140mm of spring travel, modern geometry and sensibly selected components including a retractable seat post. The same applies to the Cube Stereo 120, which is equipped with 120 mm of travel - whereas the new Canyon Stoic is available for less than 1.000 euros! You have to do without a suspension at the rear, but the sporty geometry and 140mm of travel at the front offer a great start.
Attention all-mountain beginners! With the Copperhead FSX 1, Bulls has an exciting and, above all, attractively priced fully in its range. RockShox chassis, 11-speed drive and a dropper post promise perfect function and riding fun - even for beginners. Thanks to 29-inch wheels with Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires and 140 mm of spring travel at the front and rear, fun on the trail should not be neglected. Great all-rounder at an attractive price!
Price: 2.599 euros
More information about the Copperhead FSX 1 directly from Bulls
At Cube, stereo stands for bikes with full suspension, i.e. fullys. The Stereo 120 positions itself between the fast cross-country bikes and the potent trail weapons in the huge Cube line-up. The features of the 120 Race entry-level stereo are excellent for the price – typical for Cube. Rock Shox chassis, Shimano gears and disc brakes, supplemented with Fulcrum wheels, Maxxis tires and our own dropper post are a strong package for the price.
Price: 2.199 euros
More information about the Stereo 120 Race directly from Cube
A lot of fun and a wide range of uses for comparatively little money - that's what the Canyon Stoic 2 promises. With a price in the three-digit range, you shouldn't expect full suspension. But that doesn't matter, especially newcomers and young guns also benefit from the hard rear. In this way you learn a clean driving style and can use the bike in a variety of ways in everyday life. The modern geometry of the robust aluminum frame and the clever mix of components are also suitable for wilder trails.
Price: € 899
Canyon Stoic: Fun hardtail for trail and pump track
Product news: With the Canyon Stoic, the Kobelnz company are breaking new ground and presenting their first genuine trail hardtail. With a robust frame, well thought-out equipment, 140 or 150 mm spring travel and a playful geometry, the bike should be able to cover a large number of different areas of use. Robust and low-maintenance: Carefree bike with a fun factor? The trail or fun hardtail category is not new, it is growing […]
Mountain bike fullies 2022: These are your favorites
Surprise! First place in the fullies is the Stumpjumper Evo Alloy from Specialized, an MTB that appeals more to sensible bikers and is relatively cheap in this class at 1 euros. You only have to make a few compromises here, the new aluminum frame including the integrated storage compartment has the well-known modern geometry, the selected components are consistently convincing. You have to dig deeper into your pocket for the Scott Spark RC in 6.000nd place, but the noble carbon full suspension racer is a sly old dog. Not only does the damper disappear completely in the carbon frame, the choice of components is also remarkable and consistently "top shelf". Completing the podium for the best full-suspension mountain bikes of 2 is the Evergreen Canyon Spectral, which was introduced last year. In the CFR variant, it comes with an almost unbeatable package of components at an attractive price.
The Stumpjumper is a classic in mountain bike history and offers almost everything a mountain biker's heart desires with its great performance. In 2022 the Stumpjumper Evo will finally be available as an aluminum version with an integrated swat box and high-end equipment. The Californians equip their Evo Elite Alloy with the Factory chassis from Fox. The Fox 36 with Grip2 cartridge works at the front and the Float X damper at the rear. The brakes and shifting group come from Sram - the Code RS brakes with 200 mm brake discs and the GX Eagle 12-speed gear system ensures good gear ratios on the trails.
Price: € 6.000
More information about the Stumpjumper Evo Elite Alloy directly from Specialized
The Scott Spark is a visual highlight and is part of the cross-country category. The Fox Nude 5 Factory damper with 120 mm travel is elegantly integrated into the carbon frame and cannot be seen from the outside. The clean look is rounded off with high-end components. The premium Fox 34 SC Float Factory fork works at the front, shifting is done with the electric Sram XX Eagle AXS and braking with Shimano XTR disc brakes. Of course, the Syncros carbon wheels and the Kashima coated Fox Transfer seat post should not be missing from this top model.
Price: € 13.499
Testing the new Scott Spark RC: THE bike for everything?!
Test: The Scott Spark is one of the most successful models in the mountain bike XC World Cup and yet the well-known bike manufacturer decided to completely revise the bike and leave no stone unturned. Scott is starting the 21 season with a total of 2022 new Spark models. The popular model series is divided into the categories XC and […]
More information about the Spark RC SL Evo AXS directly from Scott
Canyon gave the Spectral a complete facelift a few months ago. The geometry was modernized, which ensured that the MTB was even used in the Enduro World Series. The CFR variant comes with a high-quality carbon frame and excellent equipment. Fox Factory components are used for the chassis. The Fox 36 fork with 160 mm travel is combined with the popular Float X damper. Brakes and gears come from Shimano and belong to the XTR group. As befits a modern mountain bike, the Spectral rolls on 29" rims with matching Maxxis tires.
Price: € 6.499
More information about the Spectral 29 CFR directly from Canyon
Mountain bike hardtails 2022: These are your favorites
Let's get to the race machines! With the exception of a few niche bikes, the hardtail market in the higher-priced segment is firmly in the hands of XC bolides - this is also shown by our readers' choice. It doesn't matter whether it's the new Specialized Epic hardtail in first place, the Black Adder from Bulls behind it or the Scott Scale: Here we have consistently high-quality high-speed bikes that are used in one way or another on race courses around the world.
The Americans at Specialized have always been very open to technical innovations. And so Specialized bikes are hardly imaginable without their own concepts and detailed solutions. The Racebike Epic not only has a self-developed top carbon frame, the suspension fork is also something special. The Rock Shox Sid comes with a "brain", a system that automatically recognizes when suspension is needed and when the lockout. The equipment is upscale, as is the price.
Price: € 9.499
More information about the S-Works Epic Hardtail directly from Specialized
Feel like the Bulls Stars Alban Lakata or Karl Platt? The Black Adder in the team variant is a replica racing file for lightweight construction fans. Thanks to "Endurance Lite Concepts", not only should the weight be kept low, but comfort should also not be neglected thanks to the clever arrangement of the carbon fibers. The equipment leaves no doubt about the area of application: RockShox SID Ultimate, flawless Shimano XTR group and DT Swiss carbon wheels... Ready, set, go!
Price: € 5.199
More information about the Black Adder Team directly from Bulls
Scott promises the driver that the lap times would be even better with the Scale RC Team and even guarantees this on his homepage. For a guaranteed increase in speed, the bike is almost a bargain. A very high-quality carbon frame, as usual from Scott, is married to a Rock Shox Sid suspension fork, a complete Shimano XT group and Syncros components. Only something good can come of it, in this case a great XC hardtail.
Price: € 3.199
More information about the Scale RC Team directly from Scott