Imagine getting to ride all the coolest new mountain bikes for 2003 in one day, on one big technical trail network. Walk up to the company's booth, hand them a claim check and off you go. It's a bit of heaven for a product tester, and at Interbike it's known as the "On Dirt Demo." We could have ridden hardtails or even road bikes, but stuck with our favorites; the free-ride full suspension rigs. Once you've put miles on these fat-tired machines, it's hard to go back.


Each bike falls into the 25-30 lb. range, and features approximately 5 inches of front and rear travel. The components vary, as do the way in which the rear suspension works. Each has its own merits, and all were a blast to ride.


And so we present here our five favorite bikes of the weekend, in no particular order. We're hoping to do full reviews of each of these bikes over the course of this winter, so check back later for more detailed evaluations. But today we're simply introducing each bike with our initial impressions. Hopefully it will make it a bit easier to know what to ask Santa for as the holidays approach.

Giant VT1	Specialized Enduro Pro
This is a brand-new bike from Giant, who have been cranking out excellent new FS models the past few years with their AC and NRS models. The VT1 (and lower-priced VT2) feature a new rear suspension set-up, designed to keep a low center of gravity and minimize pedal feedback. more...	more...

Maverick ML7	Santa Cruz Heckler
When we first rode Maverick USA"s new bike last year, we couldn"t believe how active the rear suspension was and how well it handled. more...	more...

Haro Extreme X3
By far the best bargain of the bunch, the Haro X3 was one of the last bikes we rode at Interbike, and kept up with the competition in nearly every aspect. This is the second year for California-based Haro"s Extreme line, which consists of 3 models. We, of course, rode the top-end X3, and had a fun time doing it. more...