Which are the hottest MTB brands of 2022? Which companies are most likely to receive your hard-earned cash in 2023? What components do you prefer and what clothing is in style? We have the answers – your answers!

First off, we want to thank you all again for your participation, engagement and trust! The fact that more than 14,000 bikers around the world answered up to 80 individual questions and provided us with such detailed feedback can’t be taken for granted! All the more so when we consider that the average time to complete the survey was almost 20 minutes! In turn, from the very bottom of our hearts: grazie mille, muchas gracias, tack, merci beaucoup, どうも, dzięki, obrigado, спасибо, hvala, teşekkürler, 谢谢你, شكرا, děkuji, hartelijk bedankt, thanks a lot!

But what exactly do we do with your responses? The results of our reader survey provide significant input into our editorial planning and the future direction of our magazine. It also allows us to select the most relevant brands for our group tests. As much as we would like to review every single bike out here, we can only pick so many. Finally, your feedback helps us determine the most relevant price points for our tests. As you can see, our readers really are an integral part of our editorial planning.

Below, you won’t only find out which brands you think make the best mountain bike products, but also who you’ll buy your next mountain bike from.

If you’re interested in the full results of our 2022 reader survey then check out our article!

The best mountain bike brand 2022

Our readers’ choice: Santa Cruz once again represent the best MTB brand.

Your next mountain bike

Canyon has claimed the top spot of your planned purchases.

The best mountain bike brands 2022 in detail

So how have these results been compiled? It’s really simple: in our reader survey we asked which brands create the best bikes and which brand you are most like to buy. As a bilingual magazine, we seized the opportunity to obtain and analyse data not just from our German-speaking readers but also from the international readers of our English edition. We looked at these separately and it revealed some exciting results.

Best Brand 2022: Parts & Accessories

A top-flight bike is more than just the sum of its parts but even the best bikes are only as good as their weakest component. So which brand makes the best products? Just like with the bikes, we’ve compiled two separate sets of data when it comes to parts and accessories, dividing German-speaking and international readers. While there’s common consensus in certain categories, there are stark contrasts to be seen in the brand preferences across others. Printed in bold you’ll find the brand that received the most votes overall – languages and nationalities have no effect on this result. As you can see for yourself, the breakdown of the results is pretty interesting:

The best suspension forks 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. FOX 52% -06%P 49% -01%P
2. RockShox 26% +01%P 26% +02%P
3. Öhlins 05% +01%P 08% +01%P
The best rear shocks 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. FOX 51% -05%P 47% +00%P
2. RockShox 21% +02%P 17% +02%P
3. Öhlins 07% +02%P 09% +00%P
The best brakes 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. Shimano 26% +02%P 33% +01%P
2. Magura 29% -05%P 17% +01%P
3. Trickstuff 22% +03%P 11% +01%P
The best tires 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. MAXXIS 49% +01%P 60% +01%P
2. Schwalbe 26% -02%P 15% +01%P
3. Continental 09% +00%P 04% +00%P
The best wheels 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. DT Swiss 42% -01%P 39% +03%P
2. Newmen 15% +00%P 03% +01%P
3. Santa Cruz 04% +01%P 05% +02%P
The best drivetrains 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. SRAM 49% -04%P 42% +00%P
2. Shimano 41% +03%P 49% +00%P
3. Pinion 02% +00%P 01% +00%P
The best saddles 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. Ergon 26% +00%P 23% +02%P
2. SQ Lab 32% +01%P 07% +01%P
3. Selle Italia 07% +00%P 05% +01%P
The best clothing 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. Endura 20% +00%P 16% +00%P
2. FOX 14% -02%P 21% -01%P
3. ION 08% -01%P 04% +00%P
The best helmets 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. POC 18% +00%P 16% +00%P
2. Bell 13% +00%P 14% -01%P
3. TLD 08% +01%P 11% -01%P
The best backpacks 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. EVOC 43% -01%P 26% +00%P
2. Camelbak 05% +02%P 22% -02%P
3. Deuter 18% +00%P 03% +01%P
The best knee pads 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. ION 26% +02%P 10% +02%P
2. POC 11% -02%P 12% +00%P
3. FOX 08% +00%P 13% +00%P
The best riding glasses 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. Oakley 24% +00%P 31% -01%P
2. 100% 16% -01%P 16% +01%P
3. Alpina 07% +02%P 02% +00%P
The best riding shoes 2022
Brand Germany/Austria/Switzerland INT
1. adidas Five Ten 52% -03%P 50% +00%P
2. Shimano 07% +00%P 11% +00%P
3. Specialized 07% +01%P 04% +00%P

So, these are the best brands of 2022! Not happy with the results? Then sign up for our newsletter so you can make your voice heard in our next reader survey.

If you’re interested in the full results of our 2022 reader survey then check out our article!


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Words & Photos: Rob Wormer