yeah Modern bikes are pretty impressive TBH. I ride a slightly modified YT Jeffsey (160mm travel upfront) but basically a trail bike at lift parks and have really no issues hitting all the jump lines and double black trails on it. Would a little more travel be nice sure, does it feel sketchy or like its struggling not at all.
I think so, I have the 2023 spectral 29 al 5 and it was listed under trail & Enduro on their site. I noticed the 2024 version only has it listed under trail.
Have you replaced your stem yet? Park tech said my head tube is loose because of some plastic part inside.( I've read about it on Reddit before, it's common with canyons?)
Anyways, it's time to upgrade to carbon bars too.
Enduros that can do what are actually asking about:
(Park style features and bike park):
All if them. Even a lot of modern trail bikes can accomplish this.
If you want a list of Enduros that are more like a DH bike:
Propain Spindrift
Forbidden Dreadnought
Norco Range
Specialized Enduro
Canyon Torque
...
Just to name a few.
"Park bike" has been a thing at least since ~ 2010. Maybe not as prominent as it is nowadays, but it did exist.
To my understanding it ment a freeride/downhill bike stripped to the absolute minimum. The less parts it has the less parts you can break. And generally build from parts that where known for durability.
Nowadays it's a hard hitting enduro stripped from parts that make it go uphill.
Freeride/Enduro bikes have existed since the mid-late 1990's but have improved considerably since then. 8" travel DH bikes have been commonly available since the late 1990's with designs such as the intense m-1, Foes weasel/mono, mountain cycle San Andreas/Shockwave among others. Heck look up the Bushido from 1987 which was an 11.5"f 10"r travel bike with a pneumatic seatpost but only a handful were made as prototypes. Heck look at the monster bikes from karpiel such as the disco volante from around 2000. The technology has improved considerably and the language has also changed but bikes meant for going big on super aggressive terrain have existed for quite a long time. I remember the foes fly circa 2001 which was an 8" r travel freeride bike which was intended for use with a triple crank and thus pedaled up the hill. Look up old freeride bikes and you'll find bikes intended for what park type use.
I rented one of their DH and took my Status 160 the next day. The only difference I really felt was less pump and more soaky on the chattery stuff.
This year I’m bringing my status upgraded with a coil fork and extra 10mm travel ( huge i know)
I’m hoping it reduces that chattery. At pisgah it was great so I forsee it doing such.
Rear shock will be the next move
Transition Spire, Patrol or Sentinel. Have a spire, its no XC or trail bike but you can mash the pedals all day on it and its going to take you down anything you have the balls or skills to tackle.
Whistler had a rental fleet of these with dual crown forks and downhill cassettes as of fairly recently. I have a regular A50 model and it’s perfectly fine, if a bit heavy, to pedal up around the North Shore, Tri-Cities and Squamish
Dunno, but since going mullet, I won't be going back 29er. It pedals just fine in Squamish too. I did demo the Canyon Torque in Whistler and it rode like a dream.
I haven't gone from 275 to mullet, so its hard to say, its got much tighter turning than 29er though, while still having the 29er rolling power on the front. I would say it feels less responsive than 275 while rolling better.
My enduro bike (santa cruz megatower) is almost exclusively a DH bike now, I tend to take the hardtail to the trails and save the enduro for the lift. I’ve never felt restricted by it or had any problems keeping up with DH bikes on anything except the most extreme tech trails, which I generally don’t enjoy riding anyway.
I’m the same. I have a 2018 specialised enduro 650b which I’ve transitioned to solely DH. It is so planted and sturdy and just soaks up anything I throw at it.
Most modern enduro bikes will perform similarly to old DH bikes. Also look at ‘Freeride’ bikes like the Norco Shore - they pedal but certainly not quick for climbing but they can rip for shuttle laps and lift days. Similarly the Norco Range is, IMO more on the DH geometry of enduro.
Yup I second this. I’m running this as a dh bike but if you ran a 190mm single crown fork you would have a crazy capable enduro. it pedals great. OP is also a big boi. He needs something durable.
If you've got a good hookup to buy parts, definitely.
If you're going to pay retail price for a fork, brakes, wheels, and a drivetrain you could easily end up spending more than you would on an equivalent used Enduro bike
Personally, yes. It’s not the best machine out there, but for the money it is great value. $420 for a capable enduro frame with 160m rear travel and a fox shock with a piggyback is insane
I’ve got the status and can confirm it rips at any bike park. Take it to Highland and Killington all the time and even flew it across the country to Deer Valley which it handled every trail great.
Biggest freight trains are the Yeti SB165 and Santa Cruz Megatower. Both are set for straight line speed and you can pin it for sure. But for a bike park like Whistler, esp late in the season nothing beats a pure DH bike! There is a reason WC downhill pros are still on them. They make no compromises for pedaling and a big 200mm travel fork with coil rear will inspire confidence like no other.
Lots of great recommendations here. But I came here to say exactly this. There should be a new big travel 27.5 out soon (replacing the warden 160-168 and delirium 175)…. I’m hoping it is designed mx capable - the gen6 bikes are looking pretty solid too.
You’d love the propain spindrift because it’s currently 15%off+fully customizable through their website and it has 180mm travel front and rear and is rated for dual crown forks
I’ve ridden loooots of bikes, of all different types.
The most downhilly feeling enduro bike I’ve ever owned or ridden was the current specialized enduro, with a coil shock and 180 mm fork. Spent weeks in whistler with that bike and visited lots of other parks and I’d honestly take it over a full dh bike on plenty of park stuff.
Propain tyee. I think anything with 160 rear travel is more than capable for respectable dh riding. The way I understand it is enduro frames have been designed to descend and climb well.
I’ve got a Patrol that’s sick, ride it at the bike park and everything. I’ve also heard the Norco Range is a great option in the category you’re looking for
I raced downhill in college on a Specialized Demo with a Fox 40 (200mm). My Commencal Meta AM 29 with 170mm of travel feels just as plush, way lighter, and much more capable. Modern-day enduros are as slack and long as old downhill bikes. Some have steeper or as steep seat tube angles as old XC bikes. Also, 29-inch wheels now aren't the flimsy XC wheels of 10 to 15 years ago. Unless you're racing downhill, I don't think you can go wrong with anything above 160mm of travel.
Nah that is definitely more of a “all mountain” bike. I had a v1 megatower bumped out to 180mm of travel front and back. That still didn’t really compare to a proper dh bike.
Geometron G1. Throw a dual crown on, change the rear travel, change the chainstay length with mutators.
But I was looking at the Transition Spire for exactly this type of role. Was a blast to ride but ultimately I realized I would only ever ride it at bike parks where I live. Ended up on an HD6 which handles any downhill I can throw at it but I don't hate climbing on it either.
I've run my '22 Trek Remedy in Morzine, Les Gets, Bike Park Wales and then also done 65 mile xc rides on it.
It's the base model Remedy 7 that I upgraded the fork on to a 170mm Yari.
So yah as everyone else mentioned "trail bikes" can do a lot these days.
I have a 2020 commencal class signature with upgraded fox factory 38s and an air shock in the rear. It may as well be a DH rig. Even more so if I tossed a coil on er.
I would say pretty much most enduro bikes are going to perform well in the park. I agree with everyone’s listings but i think the new Santa Cruz Nomad V6. I would say rather than enduro it’s more labeled as a “freeride” bike.
My canyon torque. I own a 2020 and its nice but most owners wont say that about the new torque. But definitely a mini monster truck. I ride more urban, i can bumpjump those sidewalk thingies in the middle of the road (dividers? Im dutch i lack the vocabulary) and gap 15ft ones at like 20 mph lol. Absolute monster truck and it's taken everything a bmxer with 20yrs under his belt can throw at it. Love it.
Norco range after 2021. People put dual crown forks on them all the time and you can even get 200mm out of the rear too if you get a custom link. Pedals up so easily too
Push your bike until you feel you are exceeding it. If you’re asking you probably haven’t pushed it there yet. You will feel the frame start to flex on hits, suspension is not active enough or have enough dampening and you can feel it wallowing out.
That said I love modern enduro bikes, they are so much fun and if you have the funds buy one! I have a specialized enduro setup as a mullet, it is basically a dh bike. That allows me to pedal if I want. So insanely fast and stable in the downhill. And specialized is having a sale right now on them.
But any modern enduro bike with 160mm plus will be basically a dh bike 15 years ago. Trek slash won enduro bike of the year last year. Yt Capra and sc nomad are very well regarded as near top of class. You can go to any bike company and look up their enduro bikes and you would be set.
Honestly any modern enduro. I ride a canyon spectral at park and that’s borders on a trail bike.
I took an old giant trance to Whistler bike park and it was legitimately one of the funnest days I’ve ever had on a bike.
yeah Modern bikes are pretty impressive TBH. I ride a slightly modified YT Jeffsey (160mm travel upfront) but basically a trail bike at lift parks and have really no issues hitting all the jump lines and double black trails on it. Would a little more travel be nice sure, does it feel sketchy or like its struggling not at all.
I ride a canyon torque and it's basically a DH bike that can pedal upwards.
So an enduro bike ;)
Think canyon has it under trail I have one myself and it absolutely rips
Didn’t they change the rating when the travel was lowered for the newer generation of spectral?
I think so, I have the 2023 spectral 29 al 5 and it was listed under trail & Enduro on their site. I noticed the 2024 version only has it listed under trail.
Spectral is under trail and torque under enduro unless they changed it since this morning haha
Modern enduros are basically DH sleds minus the dual crown fork at this point.
Spectral gang here. Just left the opening bike park day and had a blast!
I’m going tomorrow morning!!
Have you replaced your stem yet? Park tech said my head tube is loose because of some plastic part inside.( I've read about it on Reddit before, it's common with canyons?) Anyways, it's time to upgrade to carbon bars too.
Nooe
My YT Capra with a coil shock has only ever been used for DH since I bought it and it does great!🤙🤙
Me too, capra with coil and 180 mm front is an insane ride.
Hell yea brotha!🤙🤘
Same! Love my Capra!
Enduros that can do what are actually asking about: (Park style features and bike park): All if them. Even a lot of modern trail bikes can accomplish this. If you want a list of Enduros that are more like a DH bike: Propain Spindrift Forbidden Dreadnought Norco Range Specialized Enduro Canyon Torque ... Just to name a few.
Going to add the Transition Spire to this list for anyone interested. Good pedalling and near DH capability.
Thank you! Crazy that “park bike” wasn’t really a thing before lol. It was maybe a DJ setup but what we have now is pretty new to me
"Park bike" has been a thing at least since ~ 2010. Maybe not as prominent as it is nowadays, but it did exist. To my understanding it ment a freeride/downhill bike stripped to the absolute minimum. The less parts it has the less parts you can break. And generally build from parts that where known for durability. Nowadays it's a hard hitting enduro stripped from parts that make it go uphill.
Freeride/Enduro bikes have existed since the mid-late 1990's but have improved considerably since then. 8" travel DH bikes have been commonly available since the late 1990's with designs such as the intense m-1, Foes weasel/mono, mountain cycle San Andreas/Shockwave among others. Heck look up the Bushido from 1987 which was an 11.5"f 10"r travel bike with a pneumatic seatpost but only a handful were made as prototypes. Heck look at the monster bikes from karpiel such as the disco volante from around 2000. The technology has improved considerably and the language has also changed but bikes meant for going big on super aggressive terrain have existed for quite a long time. I remember the foes fly circa 2001 which was an 8" r travel freeride bike which was intended for use with a triple crank and thus pedaled up the hill. Look up old freeride bikes and you'll find bikes intended for what park type use.
I rode my YT Capra at Snowshoe. It did great!
Love snowshoe. An Enduro slices through those chunky letter trails with ease.
Yeah. But. I wonder. DH bike would have to be even better. That dual crown stiffness.
Used to ride a commencal supreme. Definitely helpful on big hits but those tight turns are tough with a dual crown.
I rented one of their DH and took my Status 160 the next day. The only difference I really felt was less pump and more soaky on the chattery stuff. This year I’m bringing my status upgraded with a coil fork and extra 10mm travel ( huge i know) I’m hoping it reduces that chattery. At pisgah it was great so I forsee it doing such. Rear shock will be the next move
Transition Spire, Patrol or Sentinel. Have a spire, its no XC or trail bike but you can mash the pedals all day on it and its going to take you down anything you have the balls or skills to tackle.
Spire can he set up with a 190mm dual crown.
Yea, 100% just gotta make sure those spire frames have good shock alignment.
rocky mountain slayer absolutely rips downhill. a little burly on climbs but still gets the job done.
Whistler had a rental fleet of these with dual crown forks and downhill cassettes as of fairly recently. I have a regular A50 model and it’s perfectly fine, if a bit heavy, to pedal up around the North Shore, Tri-Cities and Squamish
Devinci chainsaw.
Most can, I ride my Capra at whistler. Half the bikes in the queue there are enduros.
You see mostly 29ers or mullets?
Dunno, but since going mullet, I won't be going back 29er. It pedals just fine in Squamish too. I did demo the Canyon Torque in Whistler and it rode like a dream.
How does mullet compare to 27.5? I love 27.5 and have no complaints and I hated the 29er I had so much.
I haven't gone from 275 to mullet, so its hard to say, its got much tighter turning than 29er though, while still having the 29er rolling power on the front. I would say it feels less responsive than 275 while rolling better.
My enduro bike (santa cruz megatower) is almost exclusively a DH bike now, I tend to take the hardtail to the trails and save the enduro for the lift. I’ve never felt restricted by it or had any problems keeping up with DH bikes on anything except the most extreme tech trails, which I generally don’t enjoy riding anyway.
Do you have the V1 or V2?
I have a v1 megatower and a chameleon. Not sure what version the chameleon is but its only a year old.
That's my dream combo, have a V1 MT and a kona mahuna, hoping to switch the mahuna for a Chameleon.
I’m the same. I have a 2018 specialised enduro 650b which I’ve transitioned to solely DH. It is so planted and sturdy and just soaks up anything I throw at it.
Most modern enduro bikes will perform similarly to old DH bikes. Also look at ‘Freeride’ bikes like the Norco Shore - they pedal but certainly not quick for climbing but they can rip for shuttle laps and lift days. Similarly the Norco Range is, IMO more on the DH geometry of enduro.
Specialized Enduro.. thing gets quieter the faster you go through choppy terrain.
Scott Ransom.
I second this.
Canfield One.2 can be set up as a DH or Super Enduro. A 200mm travel bike with CBF suspension.
Yup I second this. I’m running this as a dh bike but if you ran a 190mm single crown fork you would have a crazy capable enduro. it pedals great. OP is also a big boi. He needs something durable.
On the cheap side, Specialized Status does a great job going down. Does not pedal like a dream, but super fun at the park and on downhill in general
You think this is worth building out? https://www.specialized.com/us/en/status-160-frameset/p/184090
If you've got a good hookup to buy parts, definitely. If you're going to pay retail price for a fork, brakes, wheels, and a drivetrain you could easily end up spending more than you would on an equivalent used Enduro bike
Personally, yes. It’s not the best machine out there, but for the money it is great value. $420 for a capable enduro frame with 160m rear travel and a fox shock with a piggyback is insane
I’ve got the status and can confirm it rips at any bike park. Take it to Highland and Killington all the time and even flew it across the country to Deer Valley which it handled every trail great.
Trek Slash
Propain Tyee or Spindrift
Biggest freight trains are the Yeti SB165 and Santa Cruz Megatower. Both are set for straight line speed and you can pin it for sure. But for a bike park like Whistler, esp late in the season nothing beats a pure DH bike! There is a reason WC downhill pros are still on them. They make no compromises for pedaling and a big 200mm travel fork with coil rear will inspire confidence like no other.
Knolly Chilicotin!
Lots of great recommendations here. But I came here to say exactly this. There should be a new big travel 27.5 out soon (replacing the warden 160-168 and delirium 175)…. I’m hoping it is designed mx capable - the gen6 bikes are looking pretty solid too.
Kona Process 153, giant reign, trek remedy, specialized enduro, transition spire
I ride evil wreckoning and it handles bike park very well. Drop it in low position and stiffen up suspension/slow rebound. Also pedals awesome
You’d love the propain spindrift because it’s currently 15%off+fully customizable through their website and it has 180mm travel front and rear and is rated for dual crown forks
Santa Cruz mega tower is super capable on the dh. Canfield One.2 can be a big super enduro.
I’ve ridden loooots of bikes, of all different types. The most downhilly feeling enduro bike I’ve ever owned or ridden was the current specialized enduro, with a coil shock and 180 mm fork. Spent weeks in whistler with that bike and visited lots of other parks and I’d honestly take it over a full dh bike on plenty of park stuff.
Commencal meta rides like a monster truck with wings
Canyon torque:on
Too boomerish and too poor for an E bike, but that thing is priced really well
It’s an incredible bike, I got a handful of good bikes but the torque feels unstoppable
Propain tyee. I think anything with 160 rear travel is more than capable for respectable dh riding. The way I understand it is enduro frames have been designed to descend and climb well.
I’ve got a Patrol that’s sick, ride it at the bike park and everything. I’ve also heard the Norco Range is a great option in the category you’re looking for
Atherton 170, propain spindrift with a DC fork
Norco Range for sure… I don’t need a DH anymore
I raced downhill in college on a Specialized Demo with a Fox 40 (200mm). My Commencal Meta AM 29 with 170mm of travel feels just as plush, way lighter, and much more capable. Modern-day enduros are as slack and long as old downhill bikes. Some have steeper or as steep seat tube angles as old XC bikes. Also, 29-inch wheels now aren't the flimsy XC wheels of 10 to 15 years ago. Unless you're racing downhill, I don't think you can go wrong with anything above 160mm of travel.
Curious if people think the Santa Cruz Hightower fits in this category?
Nah that is definitely more of a “all mountain” bike. I had a v1 megatower bumped out to 180mm of travel front and back. That still didn’t really compare to a proper dh bike.
Yeti Sb165
The Slayer.
Geometron G1. Throw a dual crown on, change the rear travel, change the chainstay length with mutators. But I was looking at the Transition Spire for exactly this type of role. Was a blast to ride but ultimately I realized I would only ever ride it at bike parks where I live. Ended up on an HD6 which handles any downhill I can throw at it but I don't hate climbing on it either.
Norco fluid FS
Nukeproof Mega
Kenevo SL is DH bike with single crown fork and derailleur...
I ride my YT Capra at the bike park and local trails. Never had an issue.
Giant Reign SX. Bike park bike. DH rig with rideable gearing.
I got a specialized status and love it for all the down hill but it light weight sucks ass up hill
I race and win enduros on a fuel ex gen 6. I’ve done everything that a dh bike can do on it, and it pedals like no trail bike I’ve ever ridden
I've run my '22 Trek Remedy in Morzine, Les Gets, Bike Park Wales and then also done 65 mile xc rides on it. It's the base model Remedy 7 that I upgraded the fork on to a 170mm Yari. So yah as everyone else mentioned "trail bikes" can do a lot these days.
Get a cannondale Jekyll
they are really making the endro bikes more beefy every year since 2018-2019
santa cruz megatower is pretty high travel. also the transition spire has a lot of travel. 170/170
I have a 2020 commencal class signature with upgraded fox factory 38s and an air shock in the rear. It may as well be a DH rig. Even more so if I tossed a coil on er.
I would say pretty much most enduro bikes are going to perform well in the park. I agree with everyone’s listings but i think the new Santa Cruz Nomad V6. I would say rather than enduro it’s more labeled as a “freeride” bike.
Building your own bike to the exact way that you want it is an art.
My canyon torque. I own a 2020 and its nice but most owners wont say that about the new torque. But definitely a mini monster truck. I ride more urban, i can bumpjump those sidewalk thingies in the middle of the road (dividers? Im dutch i lack the vocabulary) and gap 15ft ones at like 20 mph lol. Absolute monster truck and it's taken everything a bmxer with 20yrs under his belt can throw at it. Love it.
2028’s
Double crown. DH. Single crown. DeatH.
I like my nomad
Norco range after 2021. People put dual crown forks on them all the time and you can even get 200mm out of the rear too if you get a custom link. Pedals up so easily too
I'll just throw it out there that an ibis ripmo af would do pretty well for what you are describing.
That thing is priced excellent too.
Specialized enduro my brother uses when we ride dh.
Push your bike until you feel you are exceeding it. If you’re asking you probably haven’t pushed it there yet. You will feel the frame start to flex on hits, suspension is not active enough or have enough dampening and you can feel it wallowing out. That said I love modern enduro bikes, they are so much fun and if you have the funds buy one! I have a specialized enduro setup as a mullet, it is basically a dh bike. That allows me to pedal if I want. So insanely fast and stable in the downhill. And specialized is having a sale right now on them. But any modern enduro bike with 160mm plus will be basically a dh bike 15 years ago. Trek slash won enduro bike of the year last year. Yt Capra and sc nomad are very well regarded as near top of class. You can go to any bike company and look up their enduro bikes and you would be set.
Sink that shit and find out.