Top 10 Best Mountain Bike Brands

I may only be a lightweight girl, but in my opinion, that makes it harder to find a bike that fits properly. I tried a Mongoose, Diamondback, and a Huffy, and they could not be adjusted to give me a good ride. My Trek came to me perfectly tuned for my frame and weight.

Believe me, I am hard on it, and it gives me a smooth ride without wearing me out. The Huffy especially gave me blisters and made me sick of riding. I never thought a brand of bike would make so much difference, but I learned that fit is everything. Even after many miles of hard riding, I want to keep going. Trek sold me. I love mine and will never own another brand, even if they paid me to ride it.

I just got the 2014 Giant Revel, and compared to my 2012 Revel, it takes my cycling to an amazing level I could never imagine. For the price of only R4999, I could not have asked for a more amazing piece of machinery than this bike. It's smooth on the incline and super fast on the descent. If you don't believe me, try out Giant. There's no comparing.

My first bike was a GT Avalanche 1.0, a great bike, but Giant's smooth feel and smooth acceleration make me not want to ride any other bike.

I have owned a Giant mountain bike since 1995 and have never had any problems with it. I have ridden it in Michigan on ski trails in the spring and summer, and I have suffered more than the bike ever did. I've also ridden it in light snow in the winter, and it is great.

Yes, it was expensive, but I am glad I spent the money. If I had purchased a less expensive bike, I would have had to replace it at least once, if not more.

I bought my first mountain bike in 1991, a Specialized Rockhopper with no suspension. I put a lot of miles on that bike! I upgraded to a Specialized Comp Elite with full suspension in 2010. Wow, what a revelation - I should have upgraded to a full-suspension bike a decade ago! The riding position is more upright, and I go down trails faster with less fatigue.

I've put several thousand miles on the bike with only a broken spoke. It has never left me stranded. I've had only one flat, caused by hitting a rock too hard. I will buy another Specialized and recommend one for my son. By the way, does anyone like the new 29ers? I rode one, and it's not as much fun. It is faster, but I feel disconnected from the trail. It will roll over rocks that would send me over the front of the bike.

I have a fully customized Superlight. The frame is a decade old now and still commands admiration from many people. I have some high-end kit bolted to it, and with a total weight of just a fraction over 11 kg, it flies along dirt tracks and climbs like a mountain goat. It's a killer bike and still outperforms many newer models from the bigger manufacturers.

The quality and engineering put into my Santa Cruz is incredible. When you look at the design and style this bike has over the competition, there is no competition. Anyone can attach the best components to their frame, but Santa Cruz's frames are in the top 4!

I have a Cannondale Trail SL4 and I love it! You can't beat the frame. It does so much more than just hold the parts together. It makes you comfortable, which is what I checked with Diamondback, Specialized, Giant, GT, Scott, Marin, Novara, and so many more. Cannondale jumped out at me as being both comfortable and rugged. I have so much control and feel like I'm on a magic carpet ride. The parts range from good to great. No regrets.

This is an American company that actually makes all its own bikes rather than outsourcing to other brands for manufacturing. They innovate and break the mold whenever possible in a meaningful and well-thought-out way. Cannondale sticks to its roots and doesn't chase fancy new trends just to jump on sales. They adhere to tradition and what works for them.

Each frame looks beautiful. The bike switches between gears seamlessly and is perfect for just enjoying some wonderful trails. There's a version for everyone. They are true mountain bikes with high-quality specifications, and I don't understand why anyone would prefer another brand.

I worked at a bike shop and had to fix up to 30 bikes daily, most from subpar Walmart brands. I never once saw a GT in for anything other than upgrades or a simple tube change. We also hosted trail rides, and the mountain bikers I knew only had good things to say about this brand. If you know your bikes, you choose GT.

I have ridden mountain bikes since 1995, and my first real bike was a Kona Cinder Cone. Since then, I've owned a lot of bikes and went back to Kona after being unimpressed with other brands. Kona is very careful with the geometry of all their bikes. Often, the only difference between a lower-end bike and a top-end bike is the components - the rest of the bike is the same. This makes for amazing value.

The big brands like Trek and Giant produce subpar bikes on the lower end. No matter how much you try to upgrade them, they will always be subpar bikes. This is not the case with Kona. You can take an $800 bike, change the drivetrain and fork, and have the exact same bike as a $1,300 race-ready bike.

I always compare and narrow things down before buying anything. I've had all different brands over the years and recently bought a SCOTT. The quality and components you get far exceed those of a lot of the brands on this list. Two of these brands shouldn't even be on this list, let alone in the top five.

Great bikes! I am surprised how light they could make an alloy full-suspension large frame 29er, clocking in at 12.7 kg (the Spark 950 2014 model). The stiffness is also remarkable.

This really amazes me, as my previous 26er hardtail (also alloy) weighed 15.6 kg with a large frame (Titan Sport 2013). They definitely know how to produce great-quality products that their customers can be proud of riding.

I've had tons of bikes over the years: Giant, Specialized, Scott, and more. Yeti is in a class of its own. This list is based on popularity, and widespread appeal is about price and accessibility - that's not Yeti. The best premium hand-built mountain bikes are made by Yeti, all day long.

I have owned bikes from Giant, Bridgestone, and multiple Specialized models - all good. However, once I rode a Yeti, there was no turning back. I am on my second Yeti, and they are simply amazing. I can do things on that bike that I could never do on mass-produced brand bikes.

I have a Cube AMS 130 SL (2013), and it is without a doubt one of the best all-mountain bikes I have ever ridden. Although not cheap, its frame and rear linkage are beautifully made and create a responsive ride that absorbs small and big hits with ease. This gives you the confidence to go faster than you would think possible!

The bike has awesome components for the money, is seriously lightweight, and looks amazing. I highly recommend Cube and their German engineering and manufacturing.

After having driven a Merida for seven years, I went ahead and tried out a Cube Reaction GTC. Man, what a killer machine! I love it every time I ride it, and I haven't seen many known brands offer the same specs for the money.

I won't go into comparing my Merida with the Cube since a lot has changed in seven years and my Merida never let me down either. But Merida was much more expensive to get the same quality parts as on my Cube, so I switched brands.

I recently bought my Merida Big Nine 20D, and I'm absolutely in love with the bike because of the ride quality it provides. It's indeed a marvelous piece of engineering. Ultralight with 29" tires, it makes you feel like a king and offers superb ride quality. The 29" tires also give a sort of confidence I've never had on a bicycle.

I tried other brands before buying it, but the Big Nine completely blew me away with its ride quality. Big fan!

From 2014, Merida mountain bikes have been as good, if not better, than big-name brands. I've owned many different brands, and Merida is now my personal favorite. The quality and performance you get for your money are beyond compare.

If you want a great bike, buy a Merida. If you're a brand snob, buy something else for more money and lower-quality components.

Best STW-ratio of any frame (including Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale). Excellent value, consistent quality components throughout, anodized frames, great geometry. To sum up, these are the best bikes in the class.

These brands offer top equipment and frames for a beautiful price. I have a Canyon AL 6.0 that has withstood three years of punishment and works perfectly. I love it.

Best-looking and highest-quality bikes on the market. The reason they aren't higher is that you can't order them in the U.S. yet. But they are coming.

I just bought a soon-to-be 17-year-old 1999 Rocky Mountain 'Soul' Core series bike in Magic Yellow. It was a garage find and pure eye candy! It's been stored away and ridden very little. Everything is original except for the saddle. There are literally no dings, scrapes, or scratches, and no rust or pitting - even under the bottom bracket.

I had to repair a flat front tire and dial in the front derailleur. It even has the OEM grips with Rocky Mountain embossing in near-mint condition. All stickers are mint and intact, including the bike shop sticker from where it was purchased.

I'm so in love with it right now. It rides as if it has a heartbeat of its own. It's such a vintage jewel that I'll be storing it in a room where I can stare at it and admire its beauty. I can't bring myself to ride it and risk damaging it now, especially after it has survived all this time.