Are XC bikes getting too boring?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Perhaps that’s why more and more cross country bikes are looking strikingly similar these days. Looking at a World Cup start line, the vast majority of bikes use some version of flex pivot in the rear triangle. Most of those are a slight variation on a single pivot design. Sure, the shock might mount in a slightly different location, or attached to slightly differently shaped tubes. But there’s more minor tweaks between brands than there are major design rifts.

This conservative approach is leading to a convergence, bordering on singularity, in cross country bike design. This may be fast, and/or cost efficient to design, but it is not always the most exciting for those of us that are fans of cross country racing. XC bikes used to be a vanguard of experimentation and new technology in mountain biking. Where brands tried to prove their chops by creating a newer, faster bikes. That seems to have faded in favour of supplying something familiar that riders, both on teams and amateurs buying their own machines, recognize and know what to expect from. Which is, in my opinion, less fun.

How bad is it? Well, We went through the top end of last year’s World Cups to see what different teams were riding. There were a few outliers but the majority follow a very similar silhouette. Of those that don’t, some still use the same design just packaged slightly differently. Here’s what we found.

The flock

Cervélo’s ZFS-5 is fantastically fast. It also shows the, uh, close ties between the formerly-Canadian brand and its PON-owned sibling, Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Blur is a straight forward design that brought the California brand back to World Cup racing over the last few years

Specialized’s Epic is a mainstay on World Cup start lines. And podiums.

As is Canyon’s Lux World Cup.

Orbea ads a slight kink to the top tube for a slightly different look.

While Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello

Willier Ultra Max SLR has all kinds of extra tubes going on at the top tub, but it still the same basic design.

Thomus, another World Cup podium regular, re-orients the shock for the Lightrider, but still fleet stays.

Berria Mako uses the brand’s “in-link,” which is a different name for the slightly-concealed version of the same design

Lapierre gets back to the classic, top-tube shock mount for the XR

As does Merida with the Ninety-Six RC and its “P-Flex” suspension

Belgium’s Ridley, too, with the Raft Carbon

Spanish brand Megamo as well,…