Ride Quality As a full-rigid alloy rig, with narrower tires than the others in the group, the Rocky Mountain Suzy-Q 50 was bound to have a rougher, less cushy ride than...

WeathersheddingThe Extenz membrane, reinforced sealed seams, and waterproof zippers on the Torrent, provided acceptable protection against wet conditions. Some small drawbacks were its ability to resist wind and protect against...

Stiffness-to-Weight/Power Transfer The Specialized S-Works 6 is among the stiffest shoes we tested. It is also light at 222 grams for a size 42 (7.3 ounces 10.5 U.S. size). Specialized’s...

STIFFNESS/POWER TRANSFER This is a very stiff shoe. Bontrager rates it as a 14 out of 14 on their own “Stiffness Index,” and it shows. This was one of the...

The Time Fluidity spoke to me. This is what it said. “I am everything you like about road bikes, and nothing that you don’t.” If you like a bike that...

RIDE QUALITYThe Niner RIP 9 RDO 4-Star XT 29 ENVE is a fun and playful-feeling bike. It isn’t the go to for jumps and stunts, but when it came to...

Ride Quality The monocoque carbon framed Wild Edge utilizes Bulls’ Endurance Lite Concept (ELC), which is a light and snappy frame resulting in a comfortable ride that also manifested stiffness when...

Weather-resistance The Patagonia Adze is constructed with a DWR-treated softshell exterior that is ninety percent Polyester and ten percent Spandex. Unsurprisingly, of all the jackets in the test, the Adze...

Ride QualityBalance is the first word that comes to mind here, as it is with other Niner XC machines. The Niner RKT 9 RDO feels perfectly balance on the trail—weight...