Jared Breaks Down His 10 Favorite Bikes Of All Time [Video]

We all have those bikes that we fondly reminisce about, and today we invite you to share the nostalgia while Jared breaks down his 10 favorite mountain bikes of all time. 

The Bikes

- Santa Cruz VP Free -

For years I rode second hand bikes, usually old steeds that my dad passed down to me when I was big enough to fit them, or if I was thrifty enough with my saved up dollars, old bikes that I bought off friends. It wasn't until my second or third year in college that I'd saved up enough from a couple of part time jobs to buy this beautiful Santa Cruz VP Free. Going to school at good old ASU out in Tempe, AZ I was always heading over to South Mountain to squeeze in a ride in between classes.

- Santa Cruz Blur LTC -

One day my dad and I were shopping around on Pinkbike for a newish bike for him and found this Blur LTC locally. I remember going to check out the bike at the seller's house, and lusting after the bike he had replaced the Blur with - a brand spanking new Bronson. I never thought I'd have a bike like that. After a while, I'd occasionally take the Blur out when my dad let me, and eventually he gave up trying to negotiate with me and let me ride it as my primary steed. I remember taking this bike up to Santa Cruz to ride with my friends who lived there and attended UCSC, riding iconic trails and having the time of my life. It's like how the saying goes - "I wish we knew that we were in the good old days when you're actually living them. It's not until years later that you realize - those were the good old days"

- Santa Cruz Nomad -

After selling my VP free and saving up for a while, I finally bought my first brand new mountain bike - a stealth Santa Cruz Nomad. If memory serves correctly, I had brought the Blur up to Monterey to race in the Sea Otter Classic downhill and had suffered a catastrophic mechanical during practice. I decided there was no better time (or excuse) to run up to Santa Cruz to buy the bike that I'd been lusting after for years. I kept this bike for a good few years, taking it all over and having the best time on it. 

- Yeti SB150 -

Here at WC, after being employed full time for a few months, you're allowed to pick out an employee bike (basically a demo bike that you can own) which is a great perk and definitely was an awesome incentive for me to come work here, as I was always lusting after the bikes that the guys were riding when I would tag along on the group rides. My first employee bike was another SB150, and I loved that bike so much that I decided I wanted to do a full custom build - the one you see above. That bike was truly the most all out bike build I had ever done and it was very special. I still kick myself for selling it. I had some custom Industry Nine Wheels built, a Push Coil shock, Code RSC brakes, it was perfect. But, it ended up being a bit overkill for the majority of riding that I realistically do, so it was time to switch it up.

- Revel Ranger(s) -

The Ranger was one of the first few short travel trail bikes that opened my eyes to what these bikes can do. I had a couple of Yeti SB100s and SB115s around this time as well, but the Ranger was just so well balanced, and even ahead of it's time. I had beefed up the suspension and made the bike a bit burlier than most, especially the second Ranger I had with a 130mm Fox 36 and Push coil shock. Admittedly, it was absolutely overkill. I learned a lesson with that bike that you don't always need to beef up bikes as much as possible, and there is always a balance that should be struck when it comes to building a bike.

- Mondraker Raze -

The Raze was my second Mondraker - I had owned an F-Podium (their XC race bike) which was an awesome rig, and it left me wanting to own another Mondraker. I really fell in love with the Raze, and took it out to Colorado when we went to document the Breck Epic - I have core memories of riding this bike on all the trails around Breckenridge & the Colorado trail, and found that bike truly struck an amazing balance of a capable trail bike that was also fast and efficient. Unfortunately, there were some design choices that I felt held it back from being the perfect trail bike... like the headset cable routing.

- Forbidden Druid -

The Forbidden Druid is truly one of the most unique mountain bikes out there, and it deserves all the praise that it gets. It rides like no other bike I've ever ridden and it can tackle a vast spectrum of trails - everything from the bike park and shuttle laps to your local loop. I eventually did get over the high pivot as the idler did start to bug me, but I would love to have a big high pivot enduro bike once day for smashing the gnarliest trails.

- Why Cycles/Revel El Jefe -

After spending too much time reading articles on the Radavist and Bikepacking.com, my desire to own a modern hardtail with adventure worthy undertones was downright unhealthy. I finally caved and built this custom El Jefe, and had an absolute blast with this bike. It was truly one of the coolest bikes I've ever owned, and even though I never got to take it on one of those epic bikepacking trips that I dreamt about, it was still a real hoot to ride on the absolute edge. 

- Yeti SB140 -

My search for the quiver killer (excuse the cliche) may have terminated with the SB140. This is actually my second SB140, as I loved my first one so much it really stuck in my mind that after I sold it I wanted to own another eventually - so here we are. This one ended up a full custom build with bits from Fox, Raceface and SRAM, and it's been an excellent platform for testing components. It's been through a few iterations, but a few things have remained the same - mainly the suspension, wheels, and my trail one cockpit. From all day epics to park laps and quick rips around the neighborhood trails, this bike can really do it all, and have fun doing it.

- Yeti SB165 -

There's something about a proper enduro bike that gets the blood flowing. My SB165 has been the go-to bike when it comes to traveling and conquering the gnarliest terrain available. This has been my platform to test all things enduro and DH related - things like the new Cast tires, DT Swiss FR571 wheels, Schwalbe radial gravity tires, Sram Maven brakes & more. When it comes to being a gravity junkie, it doesn't get much better.

- Yeti ASR -

My ASR is the first real thoroughbred XC bike I've had. I've owned multiple SB100s, SB115s, Revel Rangers and other short travel bikes, but this single pivot flex stay bike is a true speed machine that also has some decent chops for tackling actual mountain bike trails. I've mentioned my other bikes being excellent platforms for testing components, and the ASR is no different. I've played around with various brake, drivetrain, wheel & tire setups and even the slightest component change can offer incredibly tangible results on the trail.