The 2019 PINKBIKE FIELD TEST New bikes, real riders, proper terrain. Words by Brian Park, photography by Trevor Lyden

Always colour coordinate your car to your bike.

TRAIL

Giant Trance 29

• 115mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 66.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 115mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 66.5° head-tube angle Cannondale Habit Carbon

• 130mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 66° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 130mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 66° head-tube angle

GT Sensor Carbon

• 130mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 130mm (R) / 130mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 65.5° head-tube angle Yeti SB130

• 130mm (R) / 150mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test article

• 130mm (R) / 150mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 65.5° head-tube angle

TRAIL / ENDURO

Specialized Stumpjumper 29

• 140mm (R) / 150mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 66.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 140mm (R) / 150mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 66.5° head-tube angle Trek Remedy

• 150mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel

• 27.5" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 150mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel• 27.5" wheels• Carbon frame• 65.5° head-tube angle

Kona Process 153 Carbon

• 153mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 66° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 153mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 66° head-tube angle Santa Cruz Bronson

• 150mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel

• 27.5" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65.1° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 150mm (R) / 160mm (F) travel• 27.5" wheels• Carbon frame• 65.1° head-tube angle

Yeti SB150

• 150mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 64.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 150mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 64.5° head-tube angle

SUPER ENDURO

(or whatever it's called these days)

Pivot Firebird

• 162mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65° head-tube angle

Devinci Spartan

• 165mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 65° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 165mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 65° head-tube angle

Scott Ransom

• 170mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel

• 29" wheels

• Carbon frame

• 64.5° head-tube angle

• Field Test video

• 170mm (R) / 170mm (F) travel• 29" wheels• Carbon frame• 64.5° head-tube angle

There's a reason we chose Whistler, and the trails were incredible.

Every bike was subjected to a huck-to-flat test.

THE RIDERS

Mike Kazimer

Discipline: Trail/Enduro

Height: 5'11"

Inseam: 33"

Weight: 160 lb

Notes: Managing Tech Editor, self proclaimed winner of all Mike vs Mike videos.

Trail/Enduro5'11"33"160 lbManaging Tech Editor, self proclaimed winner of all Mike vs Mike videos. Sarah Moore

Discipline: Trail

Height: 5'7"

Inseam: 27"

Weight: 160 lb

Notes: Content manager, so nice it's almost concerning, and damn fast.

Trail5'7"27"160 lbContent manager, so nice it's almost concerning, and damn fast.

Mike Levy

Discipline: Trail/Enduro

Height: 5'10"

Inseam: 33.5"

Weight: 168 lb

Notes: Technical Editor, shit disturber, drives a ridiculous blue Mini.

Trail/Enduro5'10"33.5"168 lbTechnical Editor, shit disturber, drives a ridiculous blue Mini. Richard Cunningham

Discipline: Trail & value bikes

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 170 lb

Notes: Senior editor, industry legend, builds and flies airplanes in his spare time.

Trail & value bikes5'7"170 lbSenior editor, industry legend, builds and flies airplanes in his spare time.

Paul Aston

Discipline: Super Enduro

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 165 lb

Notes: Technical Editor, never ridden a bike that was too long for him.

Super Enduro6' 1"165 lbTechnical Editor, never ridden a bike that was too long for him. Daniel Sapp

Discipline: Trail, Trail/Enduro

Height: 5'9"

Inseam: 32"

Weight: 152 lb

Notes: Technical Editor, his southern drawl compensates for our Canadian accents.

Trail, Trail/Enduro5'9"32"152 lbTechnical Editor, his southern drawl compensates for our Canadian accents.

Alex Evans

Discipline: Super Enduro

Height: 5'10"

Inseam: 32"

Weight: 170 lb

Notes: Content Manager, refuses to turn on the heat in the winter, nabbed a Top 5 in UK DH Nationals back in 2005.

Super Enduro5'10"32"170 lbContent Manager, refuses to turn on the heat in the winter, nabbed a Top 5 in UK DH Nationals back in 2005. Support Staff

Thanks to Ryys Syryczynski, Chris Ricci, Trevor Lyden, Scott Barkemeyer, Tyler Lelacheur, Peter Wojnar, and everyone else who helped out on this project.



Levy going his favourite direction.

Levy and Rockstar Energy... Adam the Privateer sending the "mini" ramp.

So many snacks. Even more snacks.

RC showing the kids how it's done.

This is the first annual Pinkbike Field Test. Every year much of the Pinkbike family makes the pilgrimage to Crankworx Whistler. This year we flew in our entire team of technical editors from around the globe so that after the flippy spinny stuff was done and the crowds cleared out, we could spend a few weeks reviewing a dozen new 2019 bikes on Whistler's incredible trail network.We broke the bikes up into 3 loose categories, because arguing about arbitrary comparisons is one of our favourite things to do, and spent some time comparing and contrasting the bikes. We also checked out 3 new value-driven trail bikes for 2019 in a separate feature.We'll be kicking things off tomorrow with the Santa Cruz Bronson, and we'll be releasing the rest of the Field Tests daily. Stay tuned!