1. Cervelo ZHT-5, Cervelo ZHT-5
Cervelo made its mountain bike debut in 2022 with an XC hardtail that was both lightweight and capable.
Their expertise in crafting road bikes that fly up steep climbs quickly gave their engineers plenty of experience with developing lightweight yet high-performance carbon frames for mountain bikes.
The ZHT-5 is a fast, super stiff bike designed for technical stretches and downhill racing.
Experienced riders appreciate its precise handling on tight trails, fast climbing speed and fatigue-reducing comfort; not to mention it is relatively affordable when compared with other high-end MTB frames.