We believe that you can’t judge a product simply by its look and feel, you have to try it out for yourself. At the Design & Innovation Award 2017 we spent 16 days in St. Vigil/Kronplatz, testing and analysing the best products, greatest innovations and most exciting trends of the upcoming season.

Emo or indie? Back in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, it used to be so easy to label our peers – and it was the same for mountain bikes too. But now those days are way behind us, and no one would deny that the industry’s constant hunger to innovate, rethink and reinvent – just take wheel sizes and the frequent hype of new standards – has led to confusion and frustration for consumers. Right now, however, the industry is in a state of consolidation: genuine innovations are being channeled, and over-hyped BS is disappearing. The bikes awarded below are proof of this. Technical innovations make sense these days: 29ers are back on the rise, geometries are more specific, and some frames even boast compatibility with all three standard wheel sizes. For the consumer, this means better handling, more fun, and peace of mind that they won’t have to constantly chase the next new trend every twelve months.

The coveted Design & Innovation Award is only awarded to bikes that work as a whole – simply stamping a brand name on a new standard doesn’t suffice. The award recognises the best do-it-all bikes, pedigree specialists, and exotic rarities. Not every bike will suit every rider, but every rider will find their ultimate bike in the list.

Canyon Sender CF 9.0

DI.A 2017 winner – Canyon Sender CF 9.0


FOCUS JAM C SL

DI.A 2017 winner – FOCUS JAM C SL


Giant Trance Advanced 0

DI.A 2017 winner – Giant Trance Advanced 0


OPEN ONE+

DI.A 2017 winner – OPEN ONE+


Pivot Switchblade

DI.A 2017 winner – Pivot Switchblade


Radon Jealous 10.0 SL

DI.A 2017 winner – Radon Jealous 10.0 SL


Pole EVOLINK 140 EN

DI.A 2017 winner – Pole EVOLINK 140 EN


Rocky Mountain Slayer 790 MSL

DI.A 2017 winner – Rocky Mountain Slayer 790 MSL


ROTWILD R.X2 Team

DI.A 2017 winner – ROTWILD R.X2 Team


ROSE ROOT MILLER 3

DI.A 2017 winner – ROSE ROOT MILLER 3


STEVENS Whaka Carbon Max

DI.A 2017 winner – STEVENS Whaka Carbon Max


SCOTT Spark Plus 700 Tuned

DI.A 2017 winner – SCOTT Spark Plus 700 Tuned


Trek Slash 9.9 29 Race Shop Limited

DI.A 2017 winner – Trek Slash 9.9 29 Race Shop Limited


Yeti SB5.5c

DI.A 2017 winner – Yeti SB5.5c


YT JEFFSY CF Pro

DI.A 2017 winner – YT JEFFSY CF Pro

Find more Design & Innovation Award products on our mountain bike overview page or on design-innovation-award.com

Design & Innovation Award 2017 – Special Issue


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