Many of the best mountain bike frames are designed in the US then produced overseas. However, there are many companies that design and build in the USA and many are names you will recognize.
- Black Sheep
- Guerrilla Gravity
- Ellsworth
- Intense
- Chumba
- Yeti
James Bleakly started Black Sheep in 1999 as a contractor to build various parts of bikes for different companies. In 2008, James thought to establish his own bikes’ brand rather than working for others.
Soon in 2011, James shifted Black Sheep to 1600 SF shop in Fort Collins. Black Sheep is best known for manufacturing custom bikes for every individual customer, instead of standard sizes. Earlier this year Black sheep won the “Best Titanium Bicycle” award in North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show.
Black Sheep deals in two main types of bikes; Standard Klunker Frame and Modern Klunker Frame. Let us look into the details of each of them.
- Standard Klunker Frame Bikes:
These bikes are made of stainless steel and are available in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes. A Standard Klunker Frame bike comes with a 135mm horizontal rear bar, 30.9 mm seta tube and 44 mm head tube, and a powder coating of ‘matt gun blue steel’.
You can get a Standard Klunker Frame Bike custom-built for yourself within three or four weeks at the most.
- Modern Klunker Frame Bikes.
These bikes are made of fine carbon material that is lightweight and strong. Modern Klunker Frame Bikes are only custom-built upon order. It usually takes a month for these bikes to be prepared and delivered.
Black Sheep also deals in spare bike parts like Flatter Bar, Klunker Bar with Motto Pad, Straight Seat post, Steel Fork, Tapered Steel Fork, and Mountain Moustache.
Guerrilla Gravity is a rider-oriented mountain bike manufacturing company, found by Kristy Anderson, Matt Giaraffa, and Will Montague n Denver, Colorado. Each bike at the Guerilla Gravity is designed and tested with sheer precision and accuracy to provide the riders with seamless riding experience.
Guerrilla Gravity uses the latest evolution of the carbon fiber technology; Revved Carbon along with GEOADJUST HEADSET on the modular frame platform to manufacture each bike.
The most popular models of Black Sheep mountain bikes are:
- GNARVANA —No Limit Trail Bike 29” –160mm
- THE SMASH —Surface-to-Surface Missile 29”—145mm
- TRAIL PISTOL —Single Track Flyer 29” —120mm
- MEGATRAIL —–Big Mountain Liberator 27.5” —155/165mm
- SHRED DOGG—- A Trail Party 27.5″/27.5– 130/140mm
The general specifications of these bikes are:
- Frame material: Revved Carbon Technology with 6061 aluminum rear triangles
- Frame weight: 6.6 lbs. (3,000 g)
- Fork travel: 170 mm
- Shock size: 230 x 65 mm
- Seat post: 30.9 mm
- Seat post clamp: 37 mm
- Chain-guide-mount: ISCG05
- Bottom-bracket: 73 mm
- Chain line: Compatible with 52 – 55 mm
- Max chainring size: 34t
- Max tire size: 29″ x 2.5″
Ellsworth Bikes is located in Southern California and has been manufacturing full suspension mountain bikes for the last 29 years. Traction, control, and efficiency are their core values.
Tony Ellsworth founded Ellsworth bikes in 1991 in his garage. His passion for building high-efficiency bikes out of premium American material earned him good fame and money. In 1993, Tony was the first person to patent the Instant Center Tracking (ICT) suspension to be used within his mountain bikes.
The current geometry of the latest mountain bikes is due to Active Energy Efficient Suspension (AEES) which is the refined form of ICT.
Ellsworth is famous for its traction-controlled and lightweight bikes. Here are some details of these models.
- Evolution (Speed Demon):
This model is equipped with active energy-efficient suspension (AEES) with a 29”-wheel size that gives you a better grip. It is available with SRAM eagle xx1, Shimano XTR, XT, SLX, and SRAM xo1. Also, its frame comes with a taper head tube that offers a better grip.
- Rogue Sixty (Go Rogue):
The Rogue sixty offers 160mm head and rear travel with a 66-degree head tube angle. The rear suspension of this bike is equipped with energy-efficient suspension. Furthermore, the ‘chainstay’ of a rogue sixty is 420mm which makes it an excellent bike for climbing hard rocks.
- Rogue Forty:
It is equipped with active energy suspension with a 67-degree head tube angle and gives you complete control over the toughest descending. The wheel size 27″ and travel is 140mm.
- Epiphany:
An epiphany’s tapered head blue tube provides stability on rough roads and irregular tracks. The front clamp of an epiphany bike is 34.9mm and the seat post is 30.9mm, whereas, the bottom bracket is 73mm wide. To add on, the wheel size of an epiphany bike ranges from 29” – 30”, along with a travel of 120mm.
- Epiphany Alloy:
This model by Ellsworth bikes has a boost 12*148mm thru-axle rear hub which ensures super-stability during bumpy rides. Its frameset has a cane creek 1-1/8 headset. With a 130mm front suspension fork, an epiphany alloy provides the ultimate road grip and riding smoothness.
- Enlightenment:
An Enlightenment bike has a pf 30 bb bottom bracket and a tapered head blue tube. It further consists of a 31.6mm seat post, a 12*48 boost spacing and comes with an SRAM eagle xx1, x01, and GX builds – all of which make it the best for rough tracks.
The ‘Intense’ was founded in the ’90s by four friends named Shaun Palmer, Chris Kovarik, Nigel Page, and Sam Hill. It has been winning the first rank among the ‘lightweight and durable mountain bikes’ for the last 30 years. ‘Intense’ believes in manufacturing quality, and, so every bike by Intense is designed and crafted with high accuracy, and only of the best quality material.
Intense mainly deals with mountain bikes, its parts and gears. The hot-selling models of intense bikes are described below:
- Intense M29:
This is the latest edition of the M series by Intense. It is intended for downhills and has a 208mm rear travel along with a wheel size of 29”.
- Intense M16:
The M-series by Intense is the outcome of decades of research and development. The ‘M16’ from this series is a racing machine with a 210mm rear travel and a 27.5”-wheel size. It is light weighted yet strong enough to handle any kind of roads and hills.
- Intense Carbine:
An Intense Carbine gives you the confidence to ride it on the toughest of tracks even, as it incorporates the excellent js endure link suspension. It comes with rear travel of 155mm and a wheel size of 29″.
- Intense Tracer:
It was introduced in 1999, and since then it has stood out as the best seller bike. It’s 165mm rear travel and 27.5”-wheel size makes it perfect for hill use.
- Intense Primer 29:
The intense primer 29 is a confidence trial bike with a 29” wheel size and a 140mm rear travel. Due to its super-strong grip, it is the best for hill rides.
- Intense Sniper T:
Specially designed for downhills, an Intense Sniper T has an aggressive geometry along with the standard 29”-wheel size and a 120mm rear travel, which makes it the best in terms of strength and durability.
- Intense Tazer e-bike:
The intense Tazer e-bike has an innovative design with a 29″ front and a 27.5″ rear wheel. Also, the exclusive Shimano e-step drivetrain empowers it with the best handling.
- Intense Sniper XC:
Designed for hilly paths and downhills, having an aggressive geometry with a 155mm rear travel and a 29/27.5” wheel size, the Intense Sniper XC is just the best for rough rides.
The Chumba bike company is world-renowned for its precise manufacturing techniques and high-quality materials. These bikes are designed specifically for mountain biking, cyclotrons, and road racing.
Chumba deals in bikes’ types varying from complete to partial and frame only to custom sized. Most of their models are race-proven in various tournaments.
Chumba deals in Mountain Bikes, Gravel Bikes and Road Bikes. Here is a brief profile of the products offered by Chumba:
- Mountain Bikes: The steel and titanium mountain bikes by Chumba are proven to stand out for racing and riding. Let us look into the individual features of each of them:
- Sendero Steel:
Stem length – 35mm-70mm
Rear travel – 120mm-130mm
Rear-end – 420mm
Wheel size – 29″
- Stella Titanium:
Fork travel – 120mm-100mm
Stem length – 50mm-100mm
Hub spacing – 148*12 Boost
Bottom Bracket – 73mm BSA
Wheel size – 29”
- Stella Steel:
Fork travel – 120mm/100mm
Headset – ZS44 Upper/ EC44 Lower
Hub Spacing – 148×12 Boost
Chainring Clearances up to a 36T
Wheel size 29″
- Gravel Bikes:
Gravel bikes mostly comprise of titanium and steel bikes that can handle anything from dirt touring to muddy CX.
- Terlingua Steel:
Fork travel – 395mm
stem length – 50-52mm
Bottom bracket – 68mm English BB
Seat Post – 27.2mm
H20 Capacity of 3 bottles
Wheel size – 29″
- Terlingua Titanium:
Fork travel – 395mm
stem length – 50-52mm
Headset – ZS44 Upper/ EC44 Lower
Hub Spacing – 142×12 or 135xQR
Seat Post – 27.2mm.
Yeti Bikes was founded in 1985 by some bike riders who wanted to make bikes loved by thrill-loving riders out there. Their motto was ‘We build bikes we want to ride’. The knowledge of materials, excellent suspension of designs, and frame geometry soon made Yeti the leading company in bike manufacturing.
Here are the top picks by Yeti Bikes:
- YETI SB 165:
It has a TURQ series carbon fiber frame, infinity suspension technology, a 148mm*12mm Boost, sealed pivot bearings, an integrated hanger, and an axel. All of which makes it one of the most innovative mountain bikes. The front and rear-wheel size of a Yeti SB 165 is 27.5″ and 26″ respectively.
- YETI SB 150:
A Yeti SB 150 comes with a Carbon fiber frame, 150mm Travel, SRAM XX1 EAGLE Chain, an integrated 110 headset cane creek, and a 35x50mm stem.
- YETI ARC:
The Yeti ARC comprises of an internally tunneled cable routing, 130mm fork, a headset cane creek 110 integrated, an Ergon Saddle seat, and ODI elite pro grips.
Not to forget, Yeti bikes offers a lifetime warranty for damages that occur due to manufacturing faults.