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Life on the Trail

The first bike ever sold at Sports Garage was a mountain bike. For our team, mountain biking is a way of life, a sport, a therapy, a challenge, and a love affair. Mountain biking in Boulder is our heritage.

Full carbon frames featuring size-specific ride tuning ensure every rider from 4’10” to 6’7″ has a perfect fit.
New XC adapted travel-adjustable Flip-Chip
Fox Factory Float DPS and Performance Float shock options
Full internal routing with Pivot Cable Port system
95mm–115mm adjustable travel depending on build.

Pivot Cycles Mach 4 SL

SB120

Yeti

We're tempted to describe the SB120 as "the one we've been waiting for". Yeti nailed the head tube angle (66.5), the suspension numbers (130mm/120mm), and the responsiveness with this trail bike. The SB120 allows riders to toss aside limiting beliefs about how much travel you may or may not need, and ride an efficient and nimble machine anywhere the trail takes you. In the Yeti line-up, the SB120 is your first stop for ultra-quick handling and snappy pedaling.

SB140 (27.5”)

Yeti

The question you are dying to ask is, "Is this the replacement for the SB5?" The quick answer is yes (it IS the 27.5" quiver bike), but the more nuanced truth of Yeti's modern geometry (steeper head tube angles, longer wheel bases) reveals itself upon the first ride. This bike sports a decidedly pro-Enduro suspension profile: 160 up front, and 140 mm in the rear. For riders who upgraded their SB5's to the Lunch Ride spec, the SB140 will feel like an old friend; albeit one who has just returned from a trip around the world with newly enlightened philosophies about fun and freedom. Still snappy, but more aggressive. Still play-worthy, but more confident climbing and descending. No 27.5" wheel aficionado can deny the importance of a demo ride on the SB140.
Occam SL

Occam SL

Orbea

A bike built for adventure always has our attention, but when that bike is sub-30 pounds with a perfectly balanced 140mm travel front and rear, it REALLY has our attention. Orbea offers two iterations of the Occam: the SL and the LT. The bikes share a frame, but do not share the same ride characteristics. In a crowded Trail bike category, the Occam SL stands out as a bike purpose-built to rack up the miles (thanks to the lower overall weight) while retaining the capability of 140mm of travel and a more “all-mountain” 65.5 headtube angle. We love how the Occam SL simultaneously feels minimalistic and hyper-capable. We highly recommend adding this model to your “Must Demo” list in 2024.

Mach 4 SL

Pivot

The new Mach 4 SL is better in every way. Bikes like this are the reason the phrase “Down Country” exists. A featherweight 3.6-pound frame weight makes climbing a breeze. A modern 66.7-degree head angle means this bike is no slouch on the way back down. With build kit options for everyone from the podium chaser to the back country explorer, this bike is the master of going fast.

Bronson

Santa Cruz

“Business in the front, party in the back.” You’ve heard it before, but the new Santa Cruz Bronson is the epitome of fun on two wheels. With a 29” front wheel and 27.5” in the rear, the new Bronson will give you style at speed with the new “mullet” MX wheel setup. The 150mm of travel is enough for the biggest features, but paired with the VPP suspension design, there’s no wasted energy on the climb way up either. From flat out on the trail to fully flat over a table, the new Bronson is a fun-loving big bike capable of just about anything.

Tallboy

Santa Cruz

Every season there are a few bike launches that we Just. Can't. Wait. to get our hands on. And this year, the 2020 Tallboy 4 was one of them. A decade ago, Tallboys 1 and 2 earned the nickname "The Colorado State Bike" here at Sports Garage, and we still view the Tallboy as one of the Founding Fathers of modern 29" trail bikes. Appropriately, the 2020 Tallboy 4 adds 10 mm of rear, lower link driven suspension (a VPP design change we saw and liked in 2019 on the 5010 and Bronson). Other updates, including short-short 430 mm chain stays and a 65.5 degree head angle, move this bike out of its former category - let's call that burly XC - and into the field of more capable all-mountain bikes. Our "mid-travel" fleet ranges from 120 to 140 mm of rear suspension, and within that range, the Tallboy 4 is a genre bender. Not sure you want really longer suspension, but you still want to charge hard and get rowdy in the descents? Sir Tallboy the 4th is exactly the machine.

Maverick

Juliana

140 mm of rear travel seems to be the sweet spot. And not to be left out of the all-mountain action, Juliana launched the Hot Tomato Maverick in 2020. The whole thing sounds spicy, doesn't it? It certainly does spice things up on the trail. With geometry and ride characteristics of much bigger bikes, the Maverick prefers things a little rowdier then her snappier sister the Joplin. The most recent release from the inspirational culture-builders at Juliana, this bike comes straight out of the box boasting recent design innovations, like lower link driven suspension. Translation: the pedaling feels more efficient, the small bumps feel less bumpy, and the bike resists bottoming out. For female-identifying riders looking for a "new edge" on the trail- and support for setting bigger riding goals - the Maverick should be at the top of the list.

SB140 (29")

Yeti

As suspension technology and frame design advances, bikes traditionally known as "trail bikes" feature more travel without sacrificing the ride feel. The SB140 is living proof. With a new high clearance downtime and room for longer dropper seat posts, the SB140 wants to climb and descend any and every trail you can access. At Sports Garage, we see bikes with a 150mm/140mm suspension profile as belonging to a category we call All Mountain. The SB140 is definitely worthy of this category, allowing riders to tackle any trail - up or down - on any mountain.

Arc

Yeti

The Arc is back! With a 130mm travel fork and 2.6 inch tires this bike is capable of going beyond your normal cross country ride. Up, down, and everything in between, this is a do everything trail hardtail. The direct feedback and responsiveness of this high quality carbon frame are guaranteed to add up to a big smile on the trail.
Oiz

Oiz

Orbea

It's bike like the Oiz that make us more hesitant than ever to assign bikes to categories. "XC" vs "down-country"? The differentiators aren't clear cut. We do know this: Orbea's Oiz, built around 120mm suspension, wins awards and the brand confidently claims this bike is "the fastest XC bike to leave our factory in over 180 years". Orbea's designers focused on simplicity with the Oiz, using their proprietary powerspine frame construction and a pivotless rear triangle to make sure every gram is intentional. The bike is indeed light and fast, but does not forsake fun. In fact, some of our favorite bikes in the SG line-up this year boast 120mm rear suspension, because fast and responsive ARE fun.

Trail 429

Pivot

The all new Pivot Trail 429 takes the “pedal up, party down” mentality to new horizons. This 29” do-it-all machine is equal parts cross country efficiency, and downhill capability. Built with big days in mind, the 130/120mm suspension combination is the ultimate hybrid of cross country and freeride. If you’re looking for one bike to do it all, the swiss army knife capable of meeting all Colorado’s trail demands, look no further.

Shadowcat

Pivot

When the Shadowcat first debuted in 2021, it took the place of a beloved Pivot model - the Mach 5.5. The new name spoke directly to the effort put into the bike's design: it's a whole new animal. Lightweight, with best-in-class standover height, refined geometry, and shock tune that favors well-rounded riding, efficient pedaling, and skills development, the Shadowcat particularly shines for riders on the Small and SX frame sizes. The 27.5" wheels spin up fast, and the wheelbase makes this bike one of the most maneuverable options in our fleet; it loves tight turns and skinny single track. We feel comfortable calling the Shadowcat an ideal, classic trail bike.

Hightower

Santa Cruz

You want a mountain bike. You don’t want to race up or down, you just want to ride the whole mountain. You don’t want three mountain bikes, you want one to cover all the bases. Then you want a Hightower. This bike is designed from the ground up to handle anything you throw at it. With 150 front/ 145 rear suspension profile the Hightower is ready to tackle your all day epics and your lunch loops. As Santa Cruz puts it “If you’re not looking for extremes, just something extremely good, the Hightower is your elevator.

Blur

Santa Cruz

The Blur changed some rules in the "XC" category and set a new bar for not only speed, but versatility. While it was always destined for the podium (and has definitely seen the top step at World Cup events), Santa Cruz offers the lightweight Blur in two build options - XC and TR, both with the (super)lightest suspension they've ever built. The XC build has a racer's edge, with 100mm front and rear and a 68.3 degree head tube angle, with the TR suspension levels up to 120mm / 115mm with a slightly slacker head tube at 67.1 degrees. These options pack a punch.

Joplin

Juliana

Juliana's description of the Joplin 3 as an "XC Wild Child" is spot on. Not often do the adjectives wild and confidence-inspiring live side-by-side, but on the Joplin, they do. The suspension numbers - 130 mm / 120 mm - are ideal for going far and going fast, and it isn't intimidated when the trail gets rough. The Joplin also sets itself apart, in our esteem, with competitive stand over heights, including an XS frame that still has room for a water bottle cage. The Joplin is the founding 29" bike in the Juliana line-up, and as such it has grown with the brand. If bikes could intuitively understand female riders, you wouldn't just want the Joplin as a friend, you'd want it for your therapist...it really "gets it". The importance of demo'ing a Joplin is based on things that actually matter: fit profile, ride performance, suspension tuning, and a culture that celebrates the accomplishments of woman-identifying riders.

SB140LR (29")

Yeti

The All Mountain attitude of the SB140, but with added travel up front in a 160 mm Fox Factory 36 and refined adjustments to geometry, including a 1/2 degree slacker head tube and seat tube angles. If you're looking to go big, but not necessarily queue up to the enduro start line (if so, check out the SB160), the 140 Lunch Ride turns up the dial on gnarliness, and gets you everywhere you want to go on the perfectly not-so-big, big bike.

SB160

Yeti

There is no way to sugarcoat Yeti's approach to the SB160: "Even effing faster". The SB160 builds on the brand's legacy of enduro race bikes, which consistently earn podiums around the world. The frame design and shock tune on the SB160 aim for speed, with an unapologetic goal of building the fastest bike on an enduro course. With consistent Switch Infinity pedaling, the SB160 delivers fast fun to all riders, but really shines when you're pushing the pace.
Pivot Switchblade

Switchblade

Pivot

Every once and a while a bike brand will release a bike that’s just right. That’s exactly how we feel about the second generation Switchblade. It has enough suspension to tackle the roughest of trails, but not so much that it’s boring on tame trails. The geometry is thoroughly modern without going to extremes. It can play or plow, whatever you’re in the mood for. It can accommodate 27.5” plus wheels or 29” wheels. It offers 142mm of progressive dw-link suspension matched to 160mm of travel in the fork. Cut your way through the Front Range and beyond on the all new Switchblade.

Mach 6

Pivot

Not only does the playful Mach 6 - a heritage model from Pivot Cycles - boast a generous 160mm of rear travel, and 158mm in the front, it now comes in two wheel configurations: 27.5" and "mullet", or MX. It’s playful, poppy design makes for a whip-worthy trail bike that can tear up the local trails on the weekdays and tackle big bike park days on the weekends. Mated with Pivot’s incredibly efficient DW link platform, the Mach 6 isn’t afraid of big pedaling days, which makes it a great choice for any rider who wants to feel confident on the climbs and power down the descents with unbridled freedom and flow.

Firebird

Pivot

Don't let the numbers scare you: 170/162. The travel is longer than our typical standards for long travel 29'ers. But as the recipient of a 2019 MTB Design & Innovation Award, there is nothing standard about the Pivot Firebird 29. This machine is perhaps the most surprising bike in our field of purpose built EWS bikes, for the simple fact that it goes uphill with unparalleled agility. Headed both up and down, the Firebird generates speed effortlessly. Throughout our experiences riding Pivot bicycles our attention is drawn to obsessively engineered carbon layups and fine-tuned geometries. These elements, when combined with 12 x 157 mm Super Boost Plus rear hub spacing, make the Firebird a formidable weapon in the roughest terrain. Whether or not you can call the Firebird 29 a "category-defining" bike is likely not worth debate because, to us, the Firebird 29 is the "category-perfecting" bike.

5010

Santa Cruz

“Fun": that’s the word that instantly comes to mind when you mention the 5010. It requires an active pilot to make the most of this bike but those who are up to the challenge will be rewarded with pure joy. The 27.5” rear wheel paired to 130mm of smooth VPP suspension makes cutting the inside line a breeze. Thankfully when things get technical you have the roll-over of that 29” front wheel and 140mm fork. The 5010 is the do everything bike for someone who measures mountain bike rides in smiles and not miles.

Furtado

Juliana

How could the Furtado, the best selling Juliana at Sports Garage for years, get any better? Try keeping the playful personality it has always been known for and while improving its capability and efficiency. This has been achieved by adding a 29” front wheel to the equation so you get the best of both worlds.

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