Honest MTB, Gravel & e-MTB Gear Guides

Every buyer’s guide in the stash

Research-based MTB, gravel and e-MTB buyer’s guides, with the short answer from each one. Prices and specs come from the makers’ own pages, and every guide says how it was researched.

Shopping the holiday sales? We’re tracking Black Friday bike deals daily through Cyber Monday, including gravel bike Black Friday deals and e-bike and eMTB Black Friday deals.

Mountain bike gear

• Best MTB Helmets: Smith Forefront 3 Mips is our best overall trail helmet, the Fox Speedframe is the value pick and the Bell Super Air R Spherical is the convertible.
• Best MTB Knee Pads: POC Joint VPD Air for low bulk, Fox Launch Pro for its removable hardcap, or POC Joint VPD 2.0 for a manufacturer-listed Level 2 option.
• Best MTB Flat Pedals: Start with your shoes: the size-specific Crankbrothers Stamp 7, the two-size composite Race Face Chester or the serviceable DMR Vault.

Gravel gear

• Best Gravel Bikes Under $3,000: The Scott Addict Gravel 30 is the best carbon value, the Niner RLT 9 RDO suits bikepacking and big tires, and the Scott Speedster Gravel 10 keeps the cost down.
• Best Gravel Bikes Under $5,000: The Santa Cruz Stigmata 4 CC Rival AXS is the best overall, the Niner ORE 9 RDO is the wireless value pick and the Cervelo Aspero suits fast gravel and racing.
• Best Gravel Bikes Under $10,000: The Santa Cruz Stigmata 4 CC Force AXS RSV is the best overall, the Scott Addict Gravel 20 suits big tires and the Cervelo Aspero-5 is built for racing.
• Best Gravel Bike Tires: Schwalbe G-One RX Pro for rough mixed gravel, Teravail Cannonball Gen 2 for racing and Vittoria Terreno T30 for dry hardpack; we recommend 42 mm minimum.

e-MTB gear

• Full-Power e-MTB Shootout: The Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Comp is the best overall, the Amflow PX Carbon has the most power for the money and the Santa Cruz Vala is the Bosch CX pick.
• Best e-MTB Tires: A Maxxis Assegai front with a Continental Kryptotal-Re rear for mixed terrain, or Pirelli’s e-MTB-specific Scorpion E-MTB M.
• e-MTB lights: The Magicshine ME 2000 V2.0 is our e-MTB pick: a claimed 2,000-lumen headlight that runs off the bike’s motor system.
• e-MTB helmets: The Leatt MTB AllMtn 4.0 is open-face but certified to the ASTM F1952 downhill standard and the Dutch NTA 8776 fast e-bike standard.

Components and accessories

• Best Bike Computers: The Garmin Edge 850 for most gravel and MTB riders, the Edge 1060 for long races and bikepacking, and the Edge 540 for value.
• Best Smart Trainers: The Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 with Zwift Cog and Click suits most riders, the Van Rysel D500 is the direct-drive pick under $500 and the Wahoo KICKR ROLLR keeps your wheel on.
• Best Bike Lights: Outbound Trail Evo is the best all-in-one MTB bar light, the Magicshine Monteer 8000S V2.0 is the most powerful and the Outbound Detour suits gravel.
• Best Tubeless Tire Sealant: In a dry climate, pick a sealant you will actually top off: Orange Seal Endurance for longer intervals, SILCA Ultimate for valve-injected top-ups.
• Hydration Packs for Cycling: Decide on bottles, a pack or both first; the Osprey Raptor 14 is where to start if you want organized tool storage.

Colorado riding

• Colorado E-Bike Laws (2026): A Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bike at or under 750 watts is treated much like a bicycle, but where you can ride depends on who manages the land.