2019 Fuse Expert 27.5+

We said it once, and we'll say it again—more volume means more speed. It might sound flipped on its head, but one ride on the Fuse Expert will have you shouting 27.5+ praises from the mountaintop.

These bigger tires put out more traction, more floatation, and better handling without sacrificing anything to efficiency on climbs. And then there's everything else that makes it ride like a proper trail machine, like striking the perfect blend of performance and durability. This meant spec'ing it with strong alloy rims, a SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, dropper post, and a plush RockShox Reba RL fork with 120mm of smooth travel. This Fuse is equally ready to take a beating and to hand one out to the trail.

• M4 Aluminum with Smooth Welds proved to be the right material for the job, allowing a lightweight, durable frame with a low and slack geometry that's equal parts snappy and efficient on climbs and descents. It also allowed us to incorporate our exclusive Diamond Stay that accommodates the 27.5+ wheels & tires without compromising on our hallmark short chainstays.

• A RockShox Reba RL 29/6Fattie fork features up to 120mm of plush, trail-taming travel. It's also air-sprung for smooth travel and low stiction, and it has an adjustable rebound and compression lockout for more efficiency on the climbs.

• SRAM's 12-speed NX Eagle groupset features a wide gear range that delivers climbing and descending efficiency in spades. On top of this, the one-by setup is notorious for being next to impossible to drop a chain with, and it provides a significant weight savings in comparison to a standard two-by setup.