Five exciting cross-country race bikes for 2017

XC gets more aggressive than ever

Here's a look at five of the most promising XC race bikes for 2017

Josh Patterson

Published: November 24, 2016 at 10:20 am

Enduro and trail bikes may have stolen the spotlight in recent years, but make no mistake, cross-country racing is alive and well.

Cross-country courses are getting faster as well as more technical. To meet these demands, the latest XC race bikes are longer and slacker than their predecessors.

Many of these new models blur the line between cross-country and trail with more suspension travel, stiffer suspension forks and dropper seatposts.

Another trend we’re glad to see is an emphasis on designing full suspension frames with the ability to hold two water bottles inside the main triangle — a feature that endurance racers are sure to appreciate.

Watch the video for the complete run-down of five of the most promising cross-country race bikes for 2017.

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Josh Patterson

Contributor

Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
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