Image source: Intensecycles.com
If you’re in the market for a new mountain bike but don’t know which mountain bike brands are the best, this is a good place to start.
We have put together a list of the 20 best mountain bike brands that are world-renowned and known for producing high-quality mountain bikes with modern geometries and reliable components.
Some of these brands specialize in producing mountain bikes only, whereas others primarily focus on mountain bikes and offer other types as part of their broader lineup.
We’ve listed all of these brands in alphabetical order and will keep updating the selection in the future.
Best Mountain Bike Brands
1. Commencal Bikes
- Founded: 2000
- Types of Bikes: DH, Enduro, Trail, E-Bikes, Gravel, Dirt & Pumptrack, Kids
- Based in: Andorra
Although Commencal Bikes does not manufacture mountain bikes only, its range is 90% focused on high-end aluminum MTBs so they must be covered in this list.
Commencal Bikes was established in 2000 and headquartered in Andorra. Its lineup includes a variety of models, including cross-country, trail, and downhill.
Some of the top models you should consider are the Meta AM, which is a capable all-mountain bike; the Furious, which is a race-winning downhill bike; or the Clash, which is a versatile enduro bike.
Commencal has made a name for itself thanks to a dedication to innovation and quality, so they are a go-to choice for riders who need dependable aluminum MTBs.
2. Eminent Cycles
- Founded: 2014
- Types of Bikes: Trail, enduro, electric
- Based in: San Diego, California
Eminent Cycles was founded in 2014 in San Diego, California by Jeff Soncrant after he couldn’t find a mountain bike that satisfied his needs.
Eminent released its first bike, the Haste, in 2017, which has since been replaced by the Onset. The brand mainly runs direct-to-consumer although there is a small network of approved retailers that sell their bikes.
Eminent’s bikes use an Active Float System (AFS) that is built to provide reliable traction and control in any circumstance. The brand currently manufactures trail, enduro, and electric mountain bikes, each with several models to choose from.
Eminent is considered to be a boutique brand, which means its bikes are priced slightly higher than the competition.
Visit Eminent Cycles Read Our Review
3. Esker Cycles
- Founded: 2018
- Types of Bikes: Trail, enduro, bikepacking
- Based in: Montana, US
Proudly rider-owned, Esker Cycles was founded in 2018 by the industry veteran Tim Krueger.
The brand is known for its suspension design created by the famous Dave Weagle and called the Orion™ suspension platform. This innovative suspension design stabilizes pedaling response over multiple terrains while reducing pedal feedback.
Esker Cycles currently produces four bikes, the Rowl, the Elkat, the Japhy, and the Hayduke. When buying, you start with a base model frame that you can customize to suit your needs and your budget.
Esker Cycles offers bikes made from aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, and even titanium, so anyone can get a model that reflects their demands.
4. Evil Bikes
- Founded: 2009
- Types of Bikes: Trail, Gravity, Gravel, Enduro, Dirt jump
- Based in: Seattle, Washington, Pacific Northwest
Evil Bikes is a brand with an interesting history, with more than one go at becoming a fully-fledged mountain bike manufacturer.
Although the last decade hasn’t been the easiest for the Washington-based brand, they are now a well-respected manufacturer of high-performance mountain bikes and loved by riders across the globe.
They currently offer a wide range of bikes across several disciplines including trail, enduro, dirt jump, and gravel.
They also currently sponsor a team of riders named the ‘Black Collars’, a group largely made up of free riders who all share a passion for mountain bike cycling.
Some of its best-selling models include the Offering, the Following, the Wreckoning, Chamois Hagar, and so on.
Shop Bikes on evo.com Read Our Review
5. Forbidden Bike CO
- Founded: 2019
- Types of Bikes: DH, Trail, Enduro
- Based in: Cumberland, BC, Canada
The Forbidden Bike Co. is a young mountain bike brand established in 2019 by the industry veteran Owen Pemberton.
Forbidden Bike Co. began with one single bike, called the Druid, which was a trail bike with cutting-edge design and technology featuring the brand’s own ‘Ziggy Link’ suspension technology.
The Ziggy Link allows riders to alter their Druid bikes to accommodate mullet wheel geometry and replace the rear 29″ wheel with a 27.5″ one to encourage greater maneuverability and agility in the bike.
Currently, the brand manufactures three bikes, the Supernought, a DH race bike; the Druid, a trail bike; and the Dreadnought, a powerful 170mm enduro bike.
All Forbidden Bike Co.’s bikes are on the pricier side, but the bikes are built with high-performance parts and are capable of thriving in different conditions and on various terrains.
6. Husqvarna Bicycles
- Founded: 2018
- Types of Bikes: Mountain, Urban, Adventure, Road
- Based in: Mattighofen, Austria
Although Husqvarna has been around for over a century (previously known as Huskvarna), their off-road motorcycles have been popular in the motorcycle industry since the very beginning.
Just recently, the brand has jumped into the booming e-bike market by doing what it does best – making off-road two-wheelers.
So far they’ve put out a competitive range of kids’, hardtail, and full-suspension electric mountain bikes that are definitely worth considering.
Husqvarna has a wide range of e-bikes available, including full-suspension and hardtail mountain e-bikes, urban e-bikes, adventure e-bikes, and road-oriented e-bikes.
Visit Husqvarna Bicycles Read Our Review
7. Ibis Cycles
- Founded: 1981
- Types of Bikes: DH, enduro, trail, gravel
- Based in: Santa Cruz, California
Founded in 1982 by Scot Nichols in his garage, aka ‘Chuck Ibis’, Ibis Cycles has since become one of the quirkier, more innovative mountain bike manufacturers.
Headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, the brand has expanded to produce a wide range of mountain bikes across several disciplines, including trail, enduro, and most recently, gravel.
After a brief hiatus from 2000 to 2005, the brand is now thriving and sponsors its own enduro race team.
Ibis Cycles’ most popular models include the Ripmo, Ripley, DV9, Exie, and the Hakka gravel bike.
Shop on Jenson USA Read Our Review
8. Intense Cycles USA
- Founded: 1993
- Types of Bikes: DH, XC, trail, enduro, dirt jump, gravel, electric
- Based in: Temecula, California
Founded in 1993 by Jeff Steber, Intense Cycles is a high-performance mountain bike brand that uses its racers and factory team to build and develop new ideas.
Currently, their top downhill rider is Aaron Gwin, a five-time World Cup overall champion who has been integral to the design and development of the Intense DH bike, the M29.
Intense Cycles makes a range of mountain bikes, not just for professionals, across several disciplines and budgets, including XC, E-MTB, and more.
Their bikes are built to a high standard and are well regarded across the mountain biking industry, and riders alike, making an Intense Cycles MTB a great choice for your next bike.
Shop on Planet Cyclery Read Our Review
9. Juliana Bicycles
- Founded: 1999
- Types of Bikes: XC, trail, enduro, gravel
- Based in: Santa Cruz, California
Juliana Bicycles is a pioneering brand and one of the first brands to focus only on producing women-specific mountain bikes.
Led by a former champion mountain bike racer Juli Furtado, they approached Santa Cruz Bicycles who offered the use of their brand/facilities to allow the brand to build its foundations and successfully market its women’s bikes.
Currently, they make several mountain bikes across a range of disciplines, all using the Santa Cruz VPP suspension design, but tailored to the specific needs of female mountain bikers.
The brand also sponsors a pro team, the Juliana SRAM Pro Team, which includes six riders from across the United States and Canada who compete in races such as the Enduro World Series.
Their bikes are renowned for quality and for being high-performance race-ready machines, so if you’re after a new mountain bike, Juliana Bicycles is a great place to start.
Shop on Mike's Bikes Read Our Review
10. Marin Bikes
- Founded: 1986
- Types of Bikes: Mountain (all types), urban, gravel, kids
- Based in: Novato, California
Marin Bikes is an industry-leading mountain bike brand and one of the first to produce titanium and full-suspension bikes.
Marin founder Bob Buckley sold the company in 2012, but not much has changed. Marin still designs and develops innovative mountain bikes that are at the forefront of innovation.
Today, Marin has a wide range of bikes, specializing in mountain and gravel with a range of options in each discipline. The brand also makes urban, fitness, and electric models.
Marin Bikes has gained recognition for its impressive MTB tech including the MultiTrac suspension platform that improves full-suspension performance by balancing small bump compliance and pedal efficiency.
Their bikes are renowned for exceptional quality, versatility, and performance so be sure to check out their range when you’re searching for a new mountain bike.
Buy from GovVelo.com Buy from Jenson USA
11. Mondraker Bikes
- Founded: 2001
- Types of Bikes: XC, trail, enduro, DH, kids, electric
- Based in: Alicante, Spain
Mondraker is most likely one of the best electric mountain bike brands in the business, and that’s for the obvious reason that they’ve released a bunch of MTBs with 29-inch wheels suitable for all kinds of disciplines.
Their focus is aimed at the high-end market, and they have succeeded in cementing a top position in that niche. Of course, they are primarily famous for their non-electric mountain bikes available in all the categories you can imagine.
Mondraker makes race-ready MTBs for XC, trail, enduro, and DH descents, including models both for kids and for adults.
Some of their top models you should consider include the Summum, Superfoxy, Raze, Podium, and so on.
Shop on JensonUSA Visit Mondraker.com
12. Niner Bikes
- Founded: 2005
- Types of Bikes: Enduro, trail, XC, gravel, electric
- Based in: Fort Collins, Colorado
With a tagline like “Pedal Damn It!‘ Niner Bikes are known for producing fun bikes aimed at off-road riders and adventurers.
They’re a company that is engaged with the local mountain biking community, as well as in producing high-end bikes.
Based out of Fort Collins, Colorado, Niner often tests their new bikes on the trails local to them before releasing them on the market.
Currently, they offer a wide range of performance mountain bikes across several disciplines including XC, trail, enduro, gravel, and E-MTB. Niner is also popular for making adventure bikes that let you bikepack and carry your gear.
Their bikes are on par with industry prices for high-end bikes, but they are still relatively expensive.
Shop on Jenson USA Read Our Review
13. Orange Mountain Bikes
- Founded: 1988
- Types of Bikes: Trail, enduro, DH, hardtail, dirt jump, electric
- Based in: Halifax, UK
Orange Bikes is a British MTB manufacturer founded in 1988 in Yorkshire, north England.
From their first bike, the Clockwork Orange (named after the film), the brand has since achieved cult status due to the strength and longevity of the bikes they produce.
While their bikes were once made in Taiwan, all are now manufactured and assembled in Britain, with their headquarters in Halifax.
They currently manufacture several bikes in various disciplines including gravel, hardtails, downhill/gravity, and enduro/all-mountain, to name a few.
Orange bikes are considered an investment, but they will last you a long time and are race-ready, with high-quality components and modern geometries.
Visit Orangebikes.com Read Our Review
14. Pivot Cycles
- Founded: 2007
- Types of Bikes: XC, trail, enduro, DH, fat, gravel, electric
- Based in: Phoenix, Arizona
Pivot Cycles was founded in 2007 by Chris Cocalis, who formerly also founded Titus Cycles.
After Titus Cycles was bought by Vyatek Sports in 2006, Chris found himself back designing mountain bikes again after a short break, and Pivot Cycles was born.
The bikes were designed around the DW-Link suspension system, and since then the company has built its reputation as being one of the leading bike manufacturers in terms of development and research.
Fast-forward to today, Pivot Cycles makes a whole host of bikes across different disciplines, including XC, trail, enduro, downhill, and more.
All bikes are made from carbon fiber except their jump bike, the Point, which is made from Chromoly steel.
Shop on Mike's Bikes Read Our Review
15. Revel Bikes
- Founded: 2019
- Types of Bikes: Mountain, gravel, adventure, dirt jump
- Based in: Carbondale, Colorado
Revel Bikes is a rather young brand founded in 2019 but already has a reputation for innovative and forward-thinking mountain bike design.
With their bikes based around the Canfield CBF linkage design, Revel’s mission is to create some of the best bikes for mountain biking on the market.
Currently, they offer five mountain bikes, the Ranger, Rascal, Rail, El Jefe, and Rodeo, all with unique characteristics, but all built around the CBF suspension. In addition to MTBs, Revel Bikes also makes gravel, adventure, and dirt jumper bikes
As expected from a somewhat boutique brand, the prices are quite high, but you do get a lifetime warranty on the frames, and there are multiple build options for each bike to suit an array of budgets.
Shop on evo.com Visit Revelbikes.com
16. Rocky Mountain Bicycles
- Founded: 1981
- Types of Bikes: XC, enduro, trail, fat, electric, kids’, gravel
- Based in: Vancouver, Canada
Rocky Mountain Bicycles have a long history of producing high-quality and race-ready mountain bikes. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they are one of the most famous and best-selling Canadian brands.
From winning World Cups to competing at the Olympics, these bikes have a racing pedigree. They currently sponsor several professional riders within freeride, enduro, and XC, as well as several ambassadors around the globe.
Their current crop of bikes extends across most disciplines including XC, trail, enduro, downhill, electric, and even kids’ bikes.
Their price bracket sits alongside most other high-end mountain bike brands, so expect to be spending a couple of thousand dollars on a Rocky Mountain.
However, they also make affordable and entry-level models, so anyone can find something that fits their needs and budget.
Shop on Jenson USA Read Our Review
17. Santa Cruz Bicycles
- Founded: 1993
- Types of Bikes: XC, trail, enduro, DH, gravel, electric
- Based in: Santa Cruz, California
Founded by Rob Roskopp, Mike Marquez, and Rich Novak in 1993, Santa Cruz Bicycles has been at the forefront of modern mountain biking technology and development since the brand released its first bike, the Tazmon.
Since then, they have grown to offer more bikes across many disciplines, and have even created a sister brand of women’s bikes under the brand name Juliana.
Santa Cruz manufactures high-end performance mountain bikes and has had major success in professional circles, with current team riders including Greg Minnaar and Luca Shaw.
Their top models include the Hightower, Bronson, Blur, 5010, and so on.
Its mountain bikes are quite expensive and feature a carbon frame or lightweight aluminum frames, high-end SRAM and Shimano components, and progressive geometries. Therefore, they are best suited for professionals and avid mountain bikers.
Shop on evo.com Read Our Review
18. Specialized Mountain Bikes
- Founded: 1974
- Types of Bikes: DH, enduro, trail, XC, dirt jump, kids’, electric
- Based in: Morgan Hill, California
Specialized Mountain Bikes have been the pioneers of mountain biking, blending modern technology with innovative design since the company’s founding in 1974.
Specialized has consistently pushed the envelope in mountain biking performance by designing groundbreaking technologies such as the FSR suspension system, intelligent Brain technology, and ergonomic body geometry saddles.
Their lineup caters to a wide range of riders, from beginners to professional athletes, and includes some legendary models such as the Stumpjumper, Status, Fuse, Rockhopper, Chisel, Enduro, and more.
Specialized mountain bikes are designed to enhance the riding experience, thanks to features like SWAT integrated storage and style-specific S-Sizing. They ensure comfort, efficiency, and control on the most challenging terrains.
Shop Specialized Mountain Bikes Specialized Mountain Bikes Review
19. Transition Bikes
- Founded: 2001
- Types of Bikes: DH, enduro, trail, XC, dirt jump, kids’, electric
- Based in: Bellingham, Washington
Proudly rider-owned, the Bellingham-based brand has been at the forefront of developing mountain biking technologies since its founding in 2001.
Transition Bikes has developed several technologies such as the GiddyUp suspension system, which allows the bike’s suspension to be tuned to the rider’s specific needs, smoothing out bumps and decreasing power transfer losses.
Transition bikes are well received by riders across the globe and offer a range of high-quality mountain bikes—now with lifetime warranties on the frames.
Their range has expanded to several disciplines including trail, enduro, downhill, dirt jump, and kids’ bikes so you can buy one for everyone in the family.
Shop on evo.com Read Our Review
20. Yeti Cycles
- Founded: 1985
- Types of Bikes: XC, trail, enduro, electric
- Based in: Golden, Colorado
Yeti’s philosophy is simple: they build bikes they want to ride.
In 1985, John Parker, a former Hollywood set designer and welder founded Yeti Cycles after falling in love with the burgeoning sport of mountain biking.
Yeti has had several sponsored riders whom they used to develop bikes with, using their ‘For Racing Only’ (FRO) models.
After the company changed hands a few times, they are currently well represented in the pro ranks by several top riders including Richie Rude and Shawn Neer in the Yeti/Fox Factory team.
They have developed a wide range of mountain bikes across several disciplines and are among the most respected brands in the industry. The selection includes hardtail models with only fork suspension and dual suspension models with rear suspension.
Yeti Cycles’ most famous models include the SB120, SB135, SB140, SB165, the hardtail ARC, and the electric SB160.
Shop on Jenson USA Read Our Review
How Did We Choose These Brands?
Although big-name brands such as Cannondale, Trek, Norco, and Giant have a wide variety of mountain bikes on offer, we wanted to include mountain bike-specific brands only on our list.
On top of that, we also wanted to give priority to smaller brands that produce specialized, high-quality mountain bikes, with innovative technologies, and a potential to improve the sport in the future.
All of the brands included on this list are trustworthy and their bikes have been tried and tested by professionals and amateurs alike. Therefore, whichever you choose, you may rest assured that you will get a lot of value for your money, and a product that meets and exceeds your expectations.
Unfortunately, to keep the list and the number of recommendations reasonably long, we couldn’t include all of the brands we think belong here.
That said, we are open to recommendations and plan to update the list in the future with new names, so feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you think!
Where to Buy Best Mountain Bikes?
When it comes to buying reliable, high-quality mountain bikes, you have two choices—shopping online or visiting your local bike shop.
While shopping online means you have a wider selection of bikes to choose from, buying from your local bike shop means you can try the bike and talk to a knowledgeable person.
Most companies that we included on our list of the best mountain bike brands sell their bikes either directly or through online shops, while some are also available through local retailers.
If you want to buy a mountain bike online, we recommend visiting the following stores for the best selection of products:
All of these online retailers sell dozens of mountain bikes in various subcategories, including XC, trail, enduro, DH, dirt jump, electric, and so on.
Most of them frequently have sales and discounts that you can benefit from, so check them out if you’re looking to strike a bargain.
Share this on:
What brands frames are made specifically here in the USA and not high production Asia/China made?
Hey Paul, there are quite a few. Two notable examples include Chumba bikes and Co-motion. You can check out this exhaustive list for more.
I own an Iron Horse MT 400 I am getting back into trail riding. Is Iron Horse still being manufactured? Also is Independent Fabrication still producing bikes?