2024 has been a weird year for new product. With so many unsold bikes cluttering up the market – a result of over-zealous ordering post-Covid – it’s obvious that many manufacturers have been holding back technology that was scheduled to be released in 2023. Or even earlier. So we have seen new bikes come out that are almost outdated from the moment they hit the market. Tech that’s been years in the pipeline has been launched to barely a whimper of interest from consumers. And kit we’ve expected to come out in 2024 has clearly been held back for fear of further eroding the value of stock already on shop floors.

It’s weird, and sad, to think GT won’t be around as a force in 2025.

Annus horribilis

Whether you feel any sympathy the industry’s current sorry predicament, or believe it was mostly self-inflicted, the truth is, there have been numerous victims this year, and there will undoubtedly be more to follow. We’ve seen much-loved brands like Nukeproof and Vitus put on the back burner, with no indication whether they’ll be reanimated. Big distributors like Moore Large and 2Pure have gone to the wall in the UK, and well-known retailers like the Pro’s Closet in the US has closed its doors. Just this week GT has announced it is shuttering the R&D department, and downsizing to a skeleton crew while selling off any bikes it has left in the warehouse. While, since writing this, Rocky Mountain has also announced a restructuring to avoid bankruptcy.

I’ve also heard some eye-opening stories of other top tier brands sitting on massive stock, and owing vast amounts of money to factories, and if the dire financial situation at KTM motorcycles (who own GasGas and Husqvarna e-bikes) is anything to go by, then there may well be some truth to these stories.

The Amflow PL Carbon with DJI Avinox motor has redefined what’s expected from an e-bike, and with legacy MTB brands set to partner with DJI next year, this story is just beginning.

DJI has upset the e-bike applecart

Throw into that mix the arrival of DJI into the e-bike market and it’s truly been an annus horribilis  for the MTB industry. E-bikes have been the saving grace for MTB brands recently, but that has all been thrown into turmoil by DJI’s motor-shaped cat among the pigeons. It was always important to have the right motor bolted to your bike, but now it’s utterly essential. If you don’t have the right system on the right platform when the music stops, you’re out of the game. No rider is going spend full price on an e-bike without one of the latest gen motors.

So that’s the backdrop to my pick of this year’s best bikes and products – suffice to say it wasn’t an easy task. But there have been some bits of kit that really stood out, and I’ll start with a bike that I actually spent last Christmas riding – the Whyte ELyte 150 Works.

The Whyte E-Lyte is a lesson in getting the fundamentals absolutely perfect.

Dreaming of a Whyte Christmas

This is the more expensive version of the ELyte 150 RSX that won our SL E-Bike of the Year test recently, and it bags the top spot on my list for a couple of reasons. Number one, Whyte (and I’m mostly singling out lead engineer and British Enduro Champion Sam Shucksmith for this) has totally nailed the suspension and geometry. The shock tune on this top model is a masterstroke in layering shims, and sizing air cans, with the result that I could basically tell whether my back wheels was passing over a leaf or a pine needle, but there was never a sharp edge or a harshness to any of the hits or landings. It blends comfort with support and a healthy dose of pop that helped the ELyte handle as energetically as any conventional trail bike. Add to that the low-slung top tube, heel-scraping BB height (with pedal strikes mitigated by 155mm cranks) and every corner, every jump, and every bank was an utter joy.

With the Bosch CX motor, this latest ELyte brings more power and sophistication.

And while I didn’t enjoy the rattle from the motor, and the limited range, the fact the ELyte let me chuck on a range extender without tampering with the dynamic handling, is stunning. I haven’t ridden the latest ELyte Evo, where the rattley and rev-hungry Bosch SX motor has been replaced by the clever, quiet, controllable CX unit, but from what I’ve heard Bike Test Editor Muldoon say, the best has just got better.

I’ve yet to find a climb that’s defeated me on the new Bosch CX motor.

Bish, bash, Bosch

Talking of Bosch, the new CX motor is the most impressive product I’ve ridden this year. Even compared to the DJI Avinox motor in the Amflow PL Carbon, it stands out for its incredible calibration, where the rider is totally in control of the power delivery directly through the pedals, without having to delve into any apps or screen menus.

Climbs I’d considered impossible at first glance proved ridiculously easy at first attempt, forcing me to completely recalibrate my idea of what’s doable. I need to ride the DJI motor more extensively to see whether it has the delicate sensitivity of the new Bosch CX, but given Bosch’s support network and reputation, I would be very happy with the German unit going forward.

SRAM’s Maven brakes have impressed at every turn.

Maven raving

While we wait for Shimano to finally come out with some updated components, I also feel SRAM deserves an honourable mention for its excellent Maven brakes. I’ve not had to bleed them, so I can’t comment on their maintenance-friendly credentials, but for sheer power, consistency, and confidence, they are on another level at the moment. I don’t even mind the high initial breakaway force at the lever.

Equally, RockShox’s Zeb with its new Charger 3.1 damper gets my vote over Fox’s overly-damped Grip X2 and Grip X cartridges. After feeling a little wooden for a few years, the new RockShox stuff is on-the-money and really easy to set-up exactly how I want it.

It shouldn’t cost nearly £10k, but the Yeti SB165 looks and rides like a million bucks.

Yeti’s American dream bike

That leaves just one more bike I want to highlight, and that’s the Yeti SB165. I know Mick has also bagged it on his Gear of the Year list, but I did ride it first, even if he did the hard work and wrote the review.

Turns in the ferns have never been so fun.

I’m a little reluctant to include it here, since at nearly £10 grand it’s basically the same price as the Whyte, without a motor and a battery, but since it rides so well, I’m going to look past that elephant in the room. Mostly because it’s just so damn fun to ride – which is an essential quality, in my book, for any freeride-orientated bike. Bikes like this should make you ride like a tit, generally fart about on the trail and act your shoe size, not your age. The Yeti inspired me to do that in spades, while managing to be far from insufferable on the climbs, and surprisingly effective and versatile on flowy blue trails. Tot up a year of grins, and I reckon I had the most aboard the SB165. If you’re listening, Yeti, I’d love to ride an e-bike version.