SANTA CRUZ 5010 | S ALUMINUM | $4,100

There was a time when 130 millimeters of travel (then called 5 inches) was the only sensible choice when buying a small-wheeled full-suspension bike. Any less, and it was XC. Any more, and it was DH. Today, the median seems to have shifted closer to 150, leaving a vacuum where there once was a horde.

In that vacuum, a new breed of bike is emerging. These are the thrashers, the playthings, the big BMX bikes. Bikes so good at goofing off, it’s easy to forget that their ancestors used to dominate the trail category. And really, there’s no reason that a 130-millimeter