We Tested 6 of the Best XC Bikes. Which One Wins?

Which is the best XC mountain bike of 2027? We put six of the best cross-country mountain bikes head-to-head to find out.

The Specialized Epic 9, Santa Cruz Blur, Scott Spark RC, Pivot Mach 4 SL, Unno Horn, and Carbon Wasp Truffle 120 represent six different approaches to modern XC mountain bike design. But which is the fastest, which climbs best, and which offers the best balance of efficiency, suspension performance, and descending capability?

After spending months riding all six bikes, Dario puts them through back-to-back testing on the same trails, using identical wheels, tires, and braking setups to compare their performance as consistently as possible.

Which XC bike would you choose? Let us know in the comments.

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00:00 Six of the Best XC Bikes of 2027
06:04 Testing Methodology & Setup
08:20 Carbon Wasp Truffle 120 Ride Test
10:35 Pivot Mach 4 SL Ride Test
13:00 Santa Cruz Blur Ride Test
14:50 Specialized Epic 9 Ride Test
17:46 Scott Spark RC Ride Test
20:37 Unno Horn Ride Test
22:22 Timed Testing Results
23:24 The Best XC Race Bike of 2027
24:39 The Best XC Bike for Everyday Riding
25:34 Final Thoughts

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