What’s The BEST Enduro Mountain Bike in 2022? | Canyon, Nukeproof & Whyte Reviewed!

These are three top three enduro mountain bikes for 2022. Watch to the end to find out which one wins!
A big thanks to our sponsors for helping us make this year's Bike of The Year a reality: MET Helmets, Bluegrass protection and of course, BikePark Wales. The video contains product placement from our sponsors but rest assured our reviews will always remain impartial, backed up by our expert test team.
Rob Weaver, our Technical Editor In Chief, has been testing eight of the latest and best enduro MTB models over many months, and has chosen Whyte’s G-180 RS MX, the Nukeproof’s Giga 297 and the Canyon Torque as his top 3.
There’s a serious amount of suspension travel on tap for these three. Enduro rigs haven’t quite reached the realms of downhill bike figures, but there’s no doubt some are getting close.
Yet, even with all of this suspension, they’ll happily be pedalled along the trail and up the hill, time and time again.
What do you think of our winner? Do you think we made the right call? Let us know in the comments!
Watch Our Trail Bike of The Year video:
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Watch our Bike of the Year 2022 Playlist:
→ • WINNER Bike of The Yea...
Read more on BikeRadar:
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Contents:
00:00 Intro
00:54 Suspension & Geometry
04:04 Price & Spec
07:08 Ride Feel
11:29 Conclusion
#BikeRadar #BikeofTheYear #EnduroBike
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[@shaunmax1284]

so much effort and details in this 12min review. You had The right amount of scenery for each bike to let the viewer understand and see exactly how each bike would perform under each circumstances is just amazing... Great job I appreciate the content!!

[@danielhelm9682]

I love my giga 290 it’s so much fun on all trails but at the bike park it makes you feel immortal !

[@nenadd1990]

All these bikes does a good job, my favourite would be the torque in this sick looking green color! Thanks for this nice video, you made a great job, very helpfull!

[@sonnyfung5135]

8:27 Pedalling in mid air. How cool.

[@cormacjordan7173]

Top stuff as always Weaves! Gotta say I thought the Nukeproof had it before I got even halfway through the vid. Plus, I've got a soft spot for SLX ;-)

[@motobasfan3962]

I wish you made a video with all bikes on the test and giving pros and cons for each

[@paradox963]

The Nukeproof looks awesome, glad to see it come with a Grip 2 damper, I would have to bin the drivetrain and the brake and put better stuff on it, and maybe ride the X2 till it blew up then put a coil on it.

[@fnksnow]

Thats exactly what happened to me (blewed X2, broken body) and I switched to Ohlins coil.

[@SsmAnyfeSt]

Would probably be broken by the time you receive your bike. 😆

[@cindycindy4536]

Excellent bike. Happy with my purchase

[@friendlyneighbourhoodmtb7961]

Great vid! in your opinion, how would the Cannondale Jekyll compare to the nukeproof giga? im so close to pull the trigger for a new bike -.-'

[@Mystik3Al]

4600 for a bike with an SLX group set! They are not even using lube these days when they screw you.

[@markbishop5998]

Lol so true

[@nebnollock5198]

Tbh the slx is a great drive train, not much point going higher end as the only real difference is weight. 4600 is still a hell of a lot tho.

[@MW-ud8zp]

Theres more to a bike than just drivetrain .

[@LiveAeons]

Better than a GX

[@alcapone4242]

A SLX group has the longest life.

[@chimps4gimps]

I often think reviewers focus on the wrong language when talking about bikes. I ride for fun and enjoyment. Yes, having a bike that covers for my lack of talent occasionally is important, but it seems to be the main focus.

[@trailpimp6369]

Yeah I love the Giga. The price is more inline with a bike shop bike now but it is still one of my favorite bikes and worth every penny. CRC has some cool in house brands.

[@DavidFoundCo]

I always see you comment in MTB videos. Are you on the giga at the moment? If so how do you like it so far?

[@trailpimp6369]

@@DavidFoundCo I am in the 2022 Vitus Sommet CRX 29 custom build. My brother has the Giga Factory and it rides nice. Does it all. Me personally I prefer Vitus

[@cwalt74]

nice review, but wouldnt you choose the strive over the torque? torque is more freeride

[@nasosnasos8054]

Love love

[@dopeytripod]

so many nice bikes...DANG! :O

[@patrickmccormack1427]

Yes it seems to me that the three bikes selected are more park bikes than Enduro bikes. I don't know about White Brothers but I know that the riders that ride for Canyon and Nukeproof Enduro teams most of rider don't use the Torque or the Giga.

[@SoulBlazeNightmare]

and you are right. every Torque review has told us that its miserable at climbs and that its amazing for the bike park. a lot of people are crowning Trek Slash as the best allrounder enduro of the year. coming from specialized Xwing enduro and having my slash for 2 months i can say for sure that its the best bike ive ever had

[@sufyanm4661]

Kelan Grant and Elliot Heap ride the nukeproof Giga 290. Only Sam Hill is currently riding the Mega 297

[@jozefrit]

@@SoulBlazeNightmare You are absolutely right for proffesional riders, but if you take price in account, cheapest Slash is about 1000 more then cheapest torque which has much better components. Its still a heavy as cow to ride uphill but it has it pros.

[@huntermcpherson8399]

Dear Bike Radar, We haven't raced 27.5 since 2019. Sincerely, Mtb Community

[@tomassanesson902]

So cool 💪🤘👍❤

[@mznek2349]

Great video! I'm not sure about the sizing tho, I'm 182 cm tall or just below 6ft. I can't decide between M or L. Anyone have the same experience?

[@pipo1707]

I am 181cm and the giga L size fits perfectly. Sry if i am to late with the reply,

[@tonywilson5468]

From the review of all 3 in this video, the Whyte works best for me. Sadly the paint job appears dull as hell 😕 It has to look the part as well as perform like a winner.

[@freddobar6498]

Wait for next years… 🤫

[@CSarboriculture]

⁠Save your money. Get a minty custom re-spray.😎

[@r1sing766]

Is the giga better them last years slash 8?

[@chrisscott8811]

Hi I just got the Nukeproof giga 290 Elite 2022 from start fitness marking improvements on it when it comes to me

[@chillguys00]

What about trek slash 8?

[@garrettsmith8286]

I'd love to know how the Nukeproof’s Giga 297 stacks up against the Trek Slash? I do prefer the look of the yellow Nukeproof.

[@colemitchmtb]

Having ridden both, I personally prefer the nukeproof. Both are super fantastic high end enduro bikes at the end of the day.

[@garrettsmith8286]

@@colemitchmtb Sweet thanks for the feedback! Anything particular about the Nukeproof that was better?

[@colemitchmtb]

@@garrettsmith8286 I really like the mullet setup in general, and the bike is just plusher and more stable

[@SsmAnyfeSt]

​@@colemitchmtb I have always read that the mega was plusher ..giga not that plush!?

[@dennisbaltazar5821]

I love alluminium 29er size small a mullet set up like a dirt bike

[@Pienimusta]

Finding webstores outside UK which could ship Nukeproofs is hard. Any recommendations for EU stores?

[@alcapone4242]

On their homepage you can find stores everywhere in Europe. I am waiting for my one in Germany.

[@richardlawrence4040]

You say that the Torque shock has more adjustment because its the Factory version, but isn't the Float X2 Performance on the Giga essentially the same as a Float X2 Factory but without the Kashima coating? (therefore having LSC, HSC, LSR and HSR adjustments)

[@fergussandilands7757]

I don’t think that’s the case. I believe that it’s a performance not a performance elite, meaning that it should only have compression and rebound w/ lockout

[@SsmAnyfeSt]

No, not the same as factory.

[@sebastianPerez-vo4md]

im still in love with the g180, but i cant afford it

[@df5118]

Tossing up between the giga, torque and mega. Australian prices hurt though!

[@55vdub]

where is the Norco Range in this test?

[@dennisbaltazar5821]

I like the yellow one the nukefroff

[@nasosnasos8054]

Price ?

[@vicenteburr270]

I still don't understand why whyte doesn't offer the option of a carbon frame

[@MrTidjon]

My choice would be....... any of the above! If only I could afford the wearables you guys use lol Bike prices have gone insane, specially for people living in lower income countries, like me in Portugal. Would probably (and some luck) take me 5 years putting money aside to get one, and by then, they would cost 2x more 😞 Cheers from Portugal ps - great video and content/information!

[@Ceriva09]

if i may advice (with no offense) if you want to get a bike you should try a consumer direct brand (Canyon, YT, Commencal...) they are easy to put together nowadays even without much knowledge and any decent bike shop will take any bike to do a service. You simply get more bike for your money and often have decent "entry" level bikes that got about the same specs as a midrange bike of manufactures like trek, scott and so on. Customer support might be diffrent for your country and getting replacement parts might take a bit longer but at least for me (canyon) i got my bike and any replacementparts so far in less then a week after they got available

[@MrTidjon]

@@Ceriva09 yeah, the issue is really the price. I've looked at commençal (meta am) and propain (Tyre or Hugene) (last brand is less expensive) for mid range trail/enduro range and it's still sooooooo xpensive 🤷🏻🤷🏻 any of those options is 1/4 of my car (when new lol)..... and in the end, they're "just" bikes 🥺

[@Flexo_l]

Canyon has Strive which is their enduro bike. Torque is more for a bike park.

[@titus1800]

This is more of a super enduro test, as u se the other bikes has more travel to.

[@kleinkurti]

Same with the Nukeproof mega.

[@retlawx10]

What is an enduro bike?

[@henry06x]

Was thinking the same. And don’t most nukeproof riders race the mega not the giga? At least sam hill was racing the mega but haven’t seen him this year. These are definitely more bike park/shuttle trails bikes

[@Michal_Guncar_Ganczarczyk]

@@henry06x Last year Sam rides 2 or 3 rounds of EWS on Giga

[@supersoul2527]

Any thoughts on Giga 290? Is there big difference between 290 and 297?

[@geiar7079]

290 is a 29er, the 297 is a mullet bike. That's all

[@supersoul2527]

@@geiar7079 I was asking about how longer bigger bike performs on the trail vs. shorter one.

[@raphaelbrunner4392]

@@supersoul2527 so the 297 has a smaller wheel in the rear and a shorter chainstay than the 290, so it has a much better handling, while the 290 is faster and better for racing and fast trails, but id choose the 297 because having a better handling is way more fun and whith the 27.5 in the rear and the short chainstay you can manual it for days

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

Why are all British bikes only single pivot designs?

[@oliverbourne9599]

As we all know ... "fashion over function" .... Antidote CarbonJack wins hands down 😁

[@VNScrew]

Bike from my city ☺️

[@nicksknives7777]

Pivot firebird

[@tobiasbockdh3007]

Trek slash 8 for low pricing i would say overall

[@charliemelvin8030]

I so want a enduro bike but I can’t afford one as a kid, it sucks😂

[@dimitarspasov1232]

Nukeproof GIGA FOR ME dude! 🤩🤩🤩😅😅😉😉😊😊😊

[@martsmarts]

Megatower?

[@theprofitmohamhead1268]

The 2022 Specialized S-WORKS Enduro LTD. I know... I bought one. The most amazing bike... EVER!!! No buyers remorse here!💪🚴‍♂️ 🤜🇺🇸🤛

[@SnowShackboy]

So the one with flight attendant right? If so, how ya liking that?

[@theprofitmohamhead1268]

It's like riding a magic carpet. The suspension is smooth as Butter. Real-time continuous shock adjustments fork and rear. Worth every penny of the +2K cost.

[@MartinTeerly]

Best bike in 2022 is of course the hard tail 👌🏻🔥💪🏻✅

[@Anykine50]

GIGA FTW

[@TheNik604]

The most common frase in Utube now days : "the best"....I we all know how relative is this.

[@paulmanias8269]

Orbea Rallon, more of a quiver killer.

[@Mike-xf7qm]

Only one winner. Come on we need at least two winners. 😉

[@aaz_m_t_b]

Canyon strive cfr

[@sonnyfung5135]

No Santa Cruz? No NOMAD? No Megatower?

[@hannes6114]

I don't know who to believe anymore.

[@serjturischev9557]

Giga is the best))

[@joekindred7901]

I enjoy these tests but I think the name "bike of the year" is very misleading. Sure they are good bikes but let's be honest these are the best bikes that you could get hold of which is not the same thing.

[@dennisbaltazar5821]

I am only 5'7 height

[@MaQuGo119]

PLS, recomend me a 5,500 USD XC machine!

[@bikedude019]

Nukeproof copied Santacruz but without VPP.

[@NukeProofBikes1]

😂

[@Mike-xf7qm]

Well that’s a relief. Nobody likes indecision.

[@sonnyfung5135]

Well, I am currently a owner of Nukeproof GIGA 290 (Black), and let me tell you, the main pivot flip chip is totally a joke, you can never rotate it by hand.

[@lenolenoleno]

Bikeradar MTB coverage gone downhill ever since Seb Stott left. All bikes featured aren't even raced at the Enduro World Series. These bikes are all freeride/bike park bikes...

[@NukeProofBikes1]

It’s all change, have a look at EWS Tweed Valley, 3 Giga’s in the top 10 🤘

[@lenolenoleno]

@@NukeProofBikes1 I stand corrected. So best case scenario then they're comparing 1 bike that has been used at the EWS against 2 freeride/park bikes. Makes the test even more nonsensical. It'd be like doing XC race bike shootout with the Nukeproof Reactor against a Scott Spark and a Specialized Epic and negging the Reactor because wasn't as good for XC racing. Love Nukeproof bikes BTW, more a comment on the poor testing parameters.

[@dennisbaltazar5821]

Wow how i wish to have any of that he he can not afford poverty i strive hard for our daughter send to med skol to be doctor someday..

[@psimetric8887]

Bikeradar = Nukeproof, ever 🤣

[@believe8263]

No Evil's tested. I am disappointed.

[@MrSupermugen]

they all broke again

[@daynemarchant9040]

Canyon torque and nukeproof giga aren't enduro bikes.

[@thegriff9425]

This seems like a ridiculous top three.

[@astralzombie]

Lol, how Nukeproof hasn’t been sued by Santa Cruz yet is beyond me.

[@DavidFoundCo]

Sue for what?

[@alstuart8801]

apart from the fact its yellow like a Bronson, its nothing like a Santa Cruz.

[@MrSupermugen]

how? they are hugely different.

[@alstuart8801]

@@MrSupermugen completely different rear suspension systems

[@MrSupermugen]

@@alstuart8801 ""duh""

[@joeblack7469]

This is how you know you can’t trust these reviews, they’re always won by the likes of Nukeproof, Canyon et al, when everyone knows the current Pivot firebird is hands down the best Enduro bike in recent history. But hey you can see who spends their marketing dollars on KZbin reviewers

[@tom2038]

They also ignore the big name bikes like Santa cruz, yeti, specialize, and ibis acting like they are bad value when they are about the same value and have actually good warranty

[@Pienimusta]

Read the review from website. They had total of 8 bikes in the test.

[@joeblack7469]

@@Pienimusta I have, I was talking about the bikes that always seem to win

[@323johnnybravo]

Every review of the firebird iv seen says it sucks and is only good on flow trails lol.

[@joeblack7469]

@@323johnnybravo the old Firebird was trash, the 2023 version is the best bike on the market

[@CatDaddySteve]

The MOST $$$$ is the best, everyone knows that 🙄

[@reversed9757]

not always true

[@CatDaddySteve]

@@reversed9757 it's called " sarcasm" 😉

[@reversed9757]

@@CatDaddySteve k

[@fragari6313]

Sorry but they are not enduro bikes, they are an option.