Saying that the best cross country mountain bike is for the expert riders who have previously put in a lot of hard work wouldn’t be any wrong. Cross country, also named XC, is a sport that includes running for longer miles. It is probably the widest or broadest mountain biking style.
The bikers run their cross country mountain bikes on fire roads, rock gardens, single track, technical forest trails, and any other surface type that looks challenging.
The cross country bikes are equipped with the best accessories and parts to provide ultimate strength, composure, grip, and control over bumps and controls to keep the tough biker at the safe borderline.
Product Image | Product Name | Buy Now |
 | CYBIC Youth/Adult Fat Tie Bike | |
 | Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike | |
 | Schwinn Bonafide Mens Mountain Bike |
The article below will significantly help you in achieving a deeper point of view and knowledge for deciding on the best cross country mountain bike under 2000$, even if you are new at this bike or riding these masterpieces for a long. This article concludes with the top 8 best cross country race mountain bikes along with their composing buying guide.
Although we chose the 8 best bikes still the one that is super perfect by all means is the CYBIC Youth/Adult Fat Tie Bike which is changing the standards of XC bikes with its amazing design and great performance.
The bike features a carbon composite frame that provides ultimate strength to the bike to deal with stubborn tracks. It surely is sturdy and strong and yet manages to be lightweight to facilitate the rider. This bike wins at providing great agility through the short rear section and in short, is the best choice for the best cross country mountain bike at an affordable price in the year 2023.
8 Best Cross Country Mountain Bike
Let’s take a look at all the best cross country mountain bikes mentioned below to find out the ideal one for you.
1. CYBIC Youth/Adult Fat Tie Bike
Mein feature
- FSA Afterburner seat-post.
- The carbon composite frame for ultimate strength.
- Sturdy, yet manages to be lightweight.
- Great agility is provided through the short rear section.
Your search for the perfect best cross country mountain bike may come to an end with this amazing Tundra series Pro bike by Steppenwolf. With the strongest frame, amazing design, and perfect grips, this bike has already gained momentum in the CX world.
Q. How this CYBIC Youth/Adult Fat Tie Bike manages to be the best one for XC?
The best thing about this cross country mountain bike is, its frame is made up of carbon composite that provides ultimate strength for the rider and still manages to be lightweight so that the rider won’t feel any extra strain on its physical capabilities. This is ultra-lightweight to let you feel like flying.
With a 100mm remote front suspension fork that comes with a remote lockout, the system is easy to operate with just a button on the handlebar.
The geometry of this bike gives a racer’s feel that keeps up your racing spirit. Also, the bike is extremely fairly priced for the features and performance this is offering.
Q. What are the best features of Steppenwolf Tundra Pro that assure safety?
For the performance, we assure you that the gears will shift smoothly right out-of-the-box which doesn’t require any adjustment whereas the Avid disc brakes are also friendly as they use mineral oil ensuring less bleeding and of course, more convenience.
Furthermore, the responsive and rightly favorable handling on this rig assures safety during the riding.
Quality and safety are directly related and all the components on this bike are of premium quality to assure greater safety, making it the best cross country mountain bike for under $1000 only.
Pros
- Great agility
- Ultra-lightweight design
- 100mm remote front suspension
- Passionate geometry
Cons
- Lack of rack mounts
2. Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- Fitted with an aluminum dual-suspension frame.
- Comes with 24 speed Shimano EZ Fire trigger shifters.
- Offering both front and rear Shimano derailleurs.
- Mechanical disc brakes for convenience use.
- Extra-wide double-wall alloy rims
- 25-inch wide knobby mountain tires
The second on our list is the Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike which is also the best hardtail cross country mountain bike and is an excellent option for users of all kinds for chase speed. It’s more like a dream come true to just blow out the XC biking.
Q. How is the Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike an excellent XC bike?
The bike is equipped with a lot to offer versatility. The zoom-down slopes and tear through even the roughest of trails are surely the best things about this 29-inch Schwinn Traxion. It’s offering a full suspension that is all set and ready to take on the day.
Although the best part is, it’s hooked up with an aluminum double suspension outline along with an amazing Schwinn suspension fork that significantly helps in clearing out paths.
The dependable mechanical plate promptly slows down the bicycle easily and also, the halting is consistently precise. This bike is coming up to its promise of providing great versatility for every mountainside with its 24 speed Shimano EZ-Fire trigger shifters, Shimano back derailleur, and dependable Schwinn compound wrench.
Q. Is this Schwinn Traxion reliable and durable?
This bike is offering an aluminum dual suspension frame and comes fitted with a powerful Schwinn suspension fork which ensures that nothing can swerve you off-trail. Another coolest features are the extra-wide double-wall alloy rims that are both light and sturdy for added durability. Finally, the 2.25-inch wide mountain tires are there to offer a smoother experience.
Pros
- Suspension fork
- Reliable mechanical disc brakes
- Schwinn suspension fork
- Durable alloy cranks
Cons
- None
3. Schwinn Bonafide Mens Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- Front suspension fork
- Features 17 inches of medium-lightweight Aluminum structure
- 24-speed Shimano drivetrain
- 29 inches wheels with mechanical disc brakes
- Nice alluring all-gender black and red color
- Best cross country hardtail mountain bike
Schwinn is probably the most famous manufacturer of mountain bikes of all types and kinds for ages and is still serving us with the best-performing premium-quality bicycles. This Schwinn Bonafide is another great example of premium performance and reliability.
Q. What are the features that best describe Schwinn Bonafide’s precision and accuracy?
This Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike is made up of aluminum that keeps the bike lightweight and also, and it’s featuring a powerful front suspension fork that absorbs any shock coming its way to ensure a supple, fun, and durable riding experience.
This bike is offering 24-speed Shimano EZ-Fire trigger shifters along with the front and back Shimano Derailleurs that allow the rider to make gear changes in the smoothest possible way.
Front and rear mechanical disc Brakes ensure a professional and crispy all-condition stopping out whereas the durable Schwinn Alloy Cranks allow you to gear precisely and smoothly without any significant maintenance.
Rough surfaces are no more challenging as this bike comes with premium dual wall alloy edges that are light and sturdy with 2.25in resilience.
Q. Why the riders are super comfortable on this Schwinn Bonafide?
The riders, is riding across the toughest pathways need ultimate comfort to get through the long miles and for this, Schwinn Bonafide is featuring a light yet strong frame with a most comfortable saddle and front suspension fork that absorbs all the shocks from tough and pointed surfaces keeping the rider’s body stroke and strain-free.
Pros
- Wheels measure 29 inches
- Front suspension fork
- For all-terrain and pathways
- Great reliability
- Durable parts
Cons
- Cassette slightly wobbles
4. Hiland 24/26 Inch Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- American standard valves for high quality and precision.
- Durable steel frame for a low-weight profile of the bike.
- 24/26×1.95 Kenda tires with luxurious disc brakes.
- Taiwan zoom suspension fork and Shimano drivetrain.
- Shimano revoshift twist grip shifters with 21 speeds.
- Free kickstand and pedals included
The next on our list is another best cross country racing mountain bike that is no less than any other mountain bike in providing its user with the ultimate reliability and great performance but also offers great looks with its vivid and bright color combination along with decent cuts.
Q. Is it worth owning a Hiland Mountain Bike for XC?
The fact that this Hiland 24/26 Inch Mountain Bike is included in our today’s list of 8 top best XC bikes is proof of its worth. This bike is all about chasing the spooky mountains like a pro where no ordinary soul can persist for longer.
This bike features valves up to American standards that assure the purchaser about the high quality and great precision of this bike no matter what terrain this is going to be used.
The frame is the very first thing that explains durability and reliability. The steel frame of this bike provides great strength on agile roads while still keeping the bike lightweight for the comfort of the rider.
You can choose two types of tires according to your body type as it is offering two variables. The 24 inches size is great for riders of heights 4.7′ to 5.5′ whereas the 26 inches tire size is great for 5.5′ to 6.1′ feet heights.
Q. How Hiland assures great reliability and durability in this mountain bike?
The premium disc brakes, zoom suspension fork, Shimano drivetrain, and twist-grip shifters with 21 speeds are enough to assure greater reliability that even helps in paddling up a hill.
On the other hand, the manufacturer assures durability by offering a full lifetime warranty of the frame.
Pros
- 21-speed gear shift
- Reliable disc brakes
- Lifetime frame warranty
- Free kickstand and pedals
Cons
- Hand grips aren’t much comfortable
5. Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike
Main feature
- It comes with standard efficient mountain bike tires.
- It offers 7-speed Shimano twist shifters.
- Comes with a built-in Shimano rear derailleur.
- Front and rear alloy linear-pull brakes.
The last one for today’s article is the Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike which utilizes an aluminum frame and disc brakes that serves as a great combo for any XC mountain bicycle, which brings convenience and easy handling of the bike.
Q. What features doe the Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike offers?
Although this isn’t a heavy-duty bike it can withstand tough conditions and terrain up in the mountain trails. Being fitted with a front suspension fork, it can easily streamline the path, and also, the seat is athletic yet comfortable to assure smoother seating.
With 21 rates, shifting and adjusting through the huge number of gears is now simple, thanks to its good quality SRAM hold shifters. Balancing seats and wheels isn’t a big deal as you won’t require any tools for this.
Q. How is the Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike a good choice?
The 7-speed Shimano twist shifters and the Shimano back derailleur assure smooth and exact rigging changes on any kind of path. And also, the front and back alloy linear-pull brakes allow the user to have extreme accuracy in the halting force.
Pros
- Suspension fork
- Affordable bike
- Durable Schwinn alloy crank
- Front and rear alloy linear-pull brakes
Cons
- Only offers front suspension
6. Mongoose Impasse Adult Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- Easy and favorable one-click DirectConnect folding system.
- 18 and 20 inches frame for people with varying heights.
- Great for any kind of biking needs, even technical XC.
- Full Shimano XT drivetrain and Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes.
- Durable steel frame for a low-weight profile of the bike.
This Impasse Adult Mountain Bike mountain bike by Mongoose deserves to be named as a high-performing folding mountain bike in the world. This bike is exclusively offering an aggressive and passionate hard tail specifically built for chasing a single track.
Its favorable design along with the easiest maintenance and repair makes it the best beginner cross country mountain bike despite the high professional functionality.
Q. What are some of the comfort elements in the Mongoose Impasse Adult Mountain Bike?
Not every racing mountain bike is foldable and also, the folding bikes have a general reputation of being lower in performance as compared to other premium mountain bikes but this exceptionally great bike is conveniently foldable yet precisely the highest performing.
With this design, you can have high performance in synergy with a light, portable, and unique design.
The folding system is designed to be smooth and seamless to remove any inconvenience and thus is kept super easy with the DirectConnect system that compiles the front and rear frames together in just one click.
There’re variables available for different heights so that no one ever feels unfit.
The larger 27.5-inch wheels of this bike can cross almost everything that comes their way, thanks to its full Shimano XT drivetrain, efficient Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes, and RockShox Reba suspension.
The components feature unmatched performance seen never before on a folding bike. Another great feature of this bike is that it features a concentric seat tube design that provides incredible strength to the frame.
The suspension is also noticeable as it comes furnished with a RockShox Reba RLT suspension fork that offers 100mm of travel along with the lockout and rebound adjustment.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Highly efficient folding design
- Easy repairing at any shop
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- Smooth and accurate shifting
Cons
- Poor customer care services
7. SAVADECK Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- Inbuilt Shimano DEORE 39S Derailleur System.
- Comes fitted with CST tires.
- Carbon fiber frame for low weight and high performance.
- Front and rear brakes and hydraulic suspension fork.
The list of best XC bikes isn’t small and the next one on our list is this amazing SAVADECK Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike is a great choice among many for many good reasons. One reason is that it is built with a TORAY T800 Carbon Fiber Frame which means that its structure is lightweight yet sturdy and strong.
Q. What are the most unique features of the SAVADECK Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike?
This bike works with the aid of a Hydraulic Suspension Fork along with a lockout that conveys 100mm of suspension travel and a premium damping framework regardless of where you ride. Also, the user can customize the suspension according to its need. Customization is always cool!
The Shimano 9S Derailleur System is super important, primarily because of several shift gear options such as the Shimano ALTUS FD-M2000 Front derailleur, the Shimano ALTUS SL-M2000 move switch and of course the Shimano ALTUS RD-M2000 back derailleur which grants the user way more control over their riding experience than ever.
Q. How is the SAVADECK Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike a versatile product?
Adding on, it’s offering SHIMANO Hydraulic Disk Brakes as well as the CST tires that, of course, means you will be able to stop the bike with great precision. Although this bike does require some assembly, it is kind of simple and straightforward that can be done with almost no prior technical experience.
All these features collectively assure a buyer that SAVADECK Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike is good at maintaining versatility, precision, performance, and reliability at its best.
Pros
- Carbon Fiber Frame
- Hydraulic Suspension Fork
- Shift lever
- Front and rear brakes
- Easy to Assembly
- High Cost-performance
- Lightweight yet sturdy
Cons
- None really
8. Stradalli 29er XC Mountain Bike
Mein feature
- Full carbon dual-suspension mountain bike
- Shimano’s top-quality group set and parts.
- Low prices due to a direct sale by the manufacturer.
- DT Swiss suspension of 100mm.
- Fastest, most lightweight, most affordable, and most reliable XC bike.
Stradalli holds a special place in the market of cross country or XC bikes as it is a full carbon bike offering complete dual suspension that lets the user ride like a pro while flying with the speed of wind chasing his passion.
Q. How this Stradalli 29er mountain bike is so fascinating yet affordable?
Stradalli 29er mountain bike is an XC biker that is proudly featuring Shimano’s top best premium-quality groupset that offers a design with the highest performance yet the least maintenance requirement.
Also, the bike is equipped with a limited edition DT-Swiss front and rear suspension set which has been a top choice for many world-famous games.
The manufacturer assures high quality and the greatest performance by assuring top-of-the-line components that are all highly reliable and durable.
The design is highly rugged and “bomb proof”, as the manufacturer says, which means you can get the bike ready with some simple touch-ups.
Other than this, the bike is versatile, classic, and agile with the easiest maneuverability and super controls or grips even on the toughest surfaces.
Q. What are the power-provider features of this bike?
This bike gets power from its cleverly chosen components inclusive of Shimano’s XTR shifting system along with the M9000 Rhythm Step drivetrain for seamless control with quick responsiveness.
Other premium components include a 100mm LTD Edition suspension Fork, Open Drive Lock, lightest Rear Shock, and Dual Piston Hydraulic Brake Set that all work with each other to ensure professional XC biking with confidence.
Pros
- 100% carbon design
- Professional yet affordable
- Lightest rear shock in the world
- Lightweight and ergonomic
- Dual pistons
Cons
- None
Buying Guide of Best Cross Country Mountain Bike, A Complete Insight
Finding the best and the right XC mountain bike could be challenging as the considerations for professional performance is a little different. If you’re new to this chapter and don’t know what to look forward to, this buying guide can help significantly, and yes, in all domains.
Read carefully and you’ll thank me later.
1. Suspension
The suspension comes into the light for absorbing and resisting a great amount of shock. So, for beginners, it is important to select a bike with full suspension for their safety because this can handle a lot.
If you’re going to ride over smooth, dirt, or fire roads, the hardtail suspension would work great for you. Usually, hardtails offer a 100 to 120-mm travel suspension fork that keeps the hands strain-free. But if you’re more likely to ride on natural and tough surfaces, you should just go for a bike offering full suspension.
The suspension has significantly improved over the years and is more powerful and precise than before but on a quality-built bike.
2. Geometry
The geometry of XC bikes has changed significantly over the years and has transformed into more aggressive and precise descenders.
For XC bikes, the head angle should range between 68 to 70 degrees as it will help the rider more afloat, steep, and balanced for greater responsiveness. This range also pushes the rider’s weight forward enough for traction.
A full-suspension bike would do great with the angle of around 74 to 75 degrees that helps in keeping the rider’s body weight in the center for significant traction.
3. The Cockpit
Cockpits in mountain bikes are designed and intended to offer great stability and aligning the rider’s body weight more towards the front for the lowest possible physical strains and facilitating rides for longer miles while practicing for XC biking.
The cockpit’s design has also evolved into the widened handlebars and shorter stems in the past years but the intended use is the same.
The cockpit figures for an aggressive and highly functional cross country bike are 760mm handlebar and a stem of 60mm. This 60mm is quite common and highly favorable for mountain biking.
Though, the length of the stem can vary depending on the size and the design of the bike. Say, up to 90mm stem is also exceptionally fine for a mountain bike with a larger frame size.
4. Seat-Post
In the cross-country biking race, the feature that is even more important than wheel size is the rigid vs. dropper post. There you need to be clever because a carbon or titanium rigid post will favor a lightweight design but wouldn’t facilitate descending.
Although the dropper posts are comparatively heavy they allow the rider to descend easily. The decision would be based on the requirements and the area of use for the biking whether you need descending more or the lightweight design.
Depending upon the considerations, focus on the fact that is weight saving is worth the expense of a rigid seat post. In our opinion, if you’re going to take part in serious cross country mountain bike racing, it isn’t.
And another market fact is, usually, pro riders choose on the dropper posts.
Think twice and decide wisely, it’s not every other day you’re going to spend on a CX bike.
5. Pedals
Deciding on the pedals and their facilitation in XC biking isn’t something much demanding if you are previously familiar with mountain bikes. But if you’re a beginner, you might need to know some aspects and we’ll elaborate on these.
Those who are recently shifting to XC biking should go for the clip-less pedals. And the science behind this decision is, when you are clipped in, you can transfer power in a better way.
Also, the Crankbrothers Candy pedals are affordable yet highly supportive and comfortable pedals to be installed on a cross country mountain bike.
6. Drivetrain and Brakes
The most important features that can define reliability in terms of performance and good control are drivetrains and brakes. In today’s time, usually, all mountain bikes are offering 1 x 12-speed drivetrains that are enough to tackle any pathway.
If the above-mentioned drivetrain isn’t offered, you can get an SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain on an affordable budget of as little as $500 for a cross country bike.
The 1 x12 drivetrain usually is more common these days. Driving a bike with a front derailleur is more comfortable and easy as you get enough of gears to go up on a steep hill with a speedy yet controlled gearing downhill.
Talking about the brakes, Hydraulic brakes are the most applauded brakes for mountain biking, especially the XC bikes. Some CX bikes also offer SRAM’s Level brakes, and in fact, most modern XC bikes are equipped with these SRAM brakes.
Other than these two, the Shimano’s upper-level M9000 XTR brakes are professionally designed for cross country bikes. In fact. The Shimano’s brakes offer needed power efficiently and still come at an affordable budget.
Generally, the XC bikes should be equipped with hydraulic brakes.
7. Wheels and Tires
The debate on wheel size is centuries old. Usually, all cross country bikes come with the best compatible wheel sizes. Nowadays, it’s tough to find a cross country bike with 27.5 inches of wheel size.
If you’re more prone to mountain biking on natural tough pathways, you should go for a 29er as it allows better riding over rocks and other hurdles.
On the other hand, the carbon wheels are light, stiff, and quickly responsive but they add more to the overall price.
Another type of wheel is alloy wheels that have gained a quick momentum. They are reliable as they’re lighter like carbon wheels and more flexible aluminum wheels to help your resist more beating after riding for longer miles.
8. Summary of the Buying Guide
Deciding on a cross country bike majorly depends on your personal choices and the need for the area where you are going to ride.
In the buying guide above, I have explained some major points that you do need to know before deciding on an item. This guide will help you in understanding the options and purposes of different features and you could decide what will go best for your field of interest.
Deciding on a cross country mountain bike is also a matter of the build-kit or you can say, the components of a bicycle. By choosing confidently, after searching properly, you can find a cross country mountain bike for you that would be saving much for you in terms of power, money, and maintenance expenses over time.
Another fact is, buying a comparatively expensive but durable bike is a way better and more clever choice than purchasing a cheaper bike with un-reliable components that would question the durability of the product. For this, do your homework and read the other customers’ reviews to decide even more confidently.
Lastly, a hardtail bike will also be favorable in terms of power and money but at the expense of not being able to change it to the full-suspension.
One more point, we don’t buy a CX bike more often, so do choose a bike that offers facilities according to your present needs but keep in mind, your skill is in the progression phase and soon you’ll be needing some extra than the present, so, chose a bike with some margin of progression over the time.
FAQ’S
Q. What is the best mountain bike for cross country?
A cross country mountain bike is used by professional bikers for riding on tough terrains and hence, should be professionally designed to provide the best possible grip, amazing gearing range, and sturdy yet lightweight flexible frame along with quick responsive brakes and ergonomic geometry.
To best conclude the answer, all the 8 cross country mountain bikes included in today’s article are worth buying and are already applauded as the best ones for XC biking on all levels.
Q. What is the best bike for cross country?
Again, the best bike for the cross country should be compatible in all aspects whether the best possible grip, amazing gearing range, sturdy yet lightweight flexible frame, or quick responsive brakes with ergonomic geometry.
Name one as the best bike for cross country, undoubtedly, could be the CYBIC Youth/Adult Fat Tie Bike which is changing the standards of XC bikes with its amazing design and great performance.
The bike features a carbon composite frame that provides ultimate strength to the bike to deal with stubborn tracks. It surely is sturdy and strong and yet manages to be lightweight to facilitate the rider.
This bike wins at providing great agility through the short rear section and in short, is the best choice for the best cross country mountain bike at an affordable price in the year 2023.
Q. What is the difference between a cross country and trail mountain bike?
Although both of these bikes are types of mountain bikes that let you talk with the winds on wide concrete pathways between the mountains or let you chase the tougher natural pathways with rocks and grasses and others.
Both these bikes are almost identical to each other and cannot be specified at first glance. But on a specific note, the cross country bikes, also named XC bikes, feature shorter travel on suspension whereas the trail bike comes with longer trails.
The tires of the XC bikes are thinner and smoother than the other ones and hence provide the maximum possible speed.
And the trail bikes have rougher and wider tires that are rightly favorable for the best possible grip over technical terrains.
Q. What is the best all-rounder mountain bike?
An all-rounder bike is one that doesn’t compromise on any of its futuristic features and provide the best or at least good-level performance in all aspects, no matter what the situation and requirement are.
We’ve studied and reviewed many bikes and have concluded 8 on our list with complete honesty and trust in these bikes. So, you can greatly trust any of these for being the best and an all-rounder-level mountain bike that can do simply the best for you.
Q. Is XC mountain biking dead?
XC bike racing is a sport that demands the complete dedication of all the body parts along with mental presence and high attentiveness as well as high responsiveness.
XC mountain biking is a broader term that covers all facets of mountain biking including technical climbing, technical descending, speed, and consistency.
They say “you may be dead at the end of a cross country racing, but XC racing isn’t dead at all!”
And those great personalities that win a cross country mountain bike racing are surely the persons with unbelievable physical capabilities and the greatest technical skills because, for sure, XC racing isn’t a joke.