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Buyer's Guide 2004 Gear of the Year Bikes
WHY IT RULES: The Blur gets its boing from a new system that keeps the shock from being activated by the up-and-down motion of pedaling. Released last year, the so-called virtual pivot-point design still tops anything new for 2004. » The suspension point between this bike's rear swingarms isn't fixed to the frame, as with other rigs; instead, it floats freely. What this means: While many dualies get mushy and squirrelly on climbs, the Blur is solid, biting in and offering extra traction. I cleaned a pine-needle-covered ridge that my cohorts had to hoof up. Yet when I snaked through fast, flat singletrack or pointed the Blur downhill, it danced over just about anything. » Santa Cruz is a boutique shop, which means buyers get à la carte component options. My test bike came with a Shimano LX/XT mix, along with Avid SD5 brakes and a RockShox Duke XC fork. For a few more Benjamins, you can upgrade to, say, disc brakes. HMMM...As with all dualies, expect some regular maintenance—fixes that require special tools and a degree of mechanical savvy.
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