Jamis Komodo 1 (2013)

If you thrive on connection to the trail, if you live for big air and the flow of a screaming descent — Komodo will take you there, without the added weight and complexity of dual suspension.

It takes a unique rider to appreciate what Komodo has to offer—its redesigned-for-’13 frameset is built for strength, with yoked chainstays, a 73mm BB shell with ISCG tabs, and a down tube that’s ovalized to a hefty 67 mm at the tapered head tube for supreme front-end stiffness. This is a gravity-inspired frame, with slacker head and seat tube angles for high-speed handling and the strength and stability to handle big landings.

But this is more than a downhiller’s specialty bike—the impressively short 410 mm chainstays tuck that rear wheel in tight, for corner-on-rails handling and climbing traction to rival our top-tier cross-country bikes.