SWITCH-HITTEROne of the best longer-travel climbing bikes I’ve ridden, Cannondale’s new Prophet is stiffer, lighter, and simpler than the company’s popular JeKyll. With five and a half inches of suspension at each end, this one’s perfect for all-mountain hammering. That said, the Prophet is happiest on technical trails, where its high ground clearance makes up for a steep 26.5-pound weigh-in.
Bonus: Dual rear-shock mounts allow you to switch between freeride and X-C geometry.
Bummer: While great on big obstacles, the stable-platform Lefty fork is a tad jittery on the little stuff.