10 dream bikes for your bucket-list rides

Each dream ride is unique and where you are riding high mountains or technical trails, scenic quiet roads or adventuring on gravel your bike needs will be unique. Here are 10 dream bikes for any bucket list ride on your list:

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Rocky Mountain Slayer Carbon 90

$9,399

The Slayer is everything you would expect a 170-mm front/165-mm rear travel bike from Rocky Mountain to be. It can handle the roughest trails and do so in style with its buttery smooth frame lines and brilliantly hidden pivots. Born and bread on the North Shore, this bike was meant to push the limits of what an enduro-focused bike can handle. The Ride-4 chip allows you to chose one of four geometry setting for the configuration that is just right for you. You’ll truly slay some challenging terrain.

Specialized S-Works Diverge

$11,269

The Diverge has inherited many of the features that debuted on the Roubaix in 2016, such as the Future Shock suspension with 20-mm of travel at the steerer tube and the CG-R seatpost with 35-mm of movement. That system can mellow the harshness of your long rides and let you get a little rowdier than you usually would with a drop-bar bike. The Diverge is ready to bikepack-ify, starting with the SWAT above the bottom bracket, which can hold some maintenance essentials.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro

$5,399

While the roads around Mont-Tremblant are smooth, a Liv Avail Advanced Pro will manage any high-frequency vibrations that get sent through the frame. The tuned Advanced-level carbon fibre and D-Fuse seatpost keep you from getting worn down. The beefy bottom bracket and wide-diameter headset mean there’s plenty of stiffness in key areas. Shimano Ultegra R8000 disc brakes offer great modulation and control, although you’ll probably use them sparingly if you’re cruising down Chemin Duplessis.

Open U.P.P.E.R.

$5,800 (frameset)

The U.P.P.E.R. is at the top end of Open Cycles’ line of refined and versatile gravel-bike frames. It’s lighter than the classic U.P. (which stands for Unbeaten Path). It can run 700c wheels with tires as wide as 40 mm and even 27.5″ hoops with 2.1″ mountain bike tires. How can the frame handle that? The difference in the radius between those two tire-and-wheel combinations is a mere 8 mm. The U.P.P.E.R. frame and its U-turn fork take flat-mount calipers. With the MultiStop design, you can run whatever drivetrain you want: 2 x 10/11, 1 x 10/11 and Di2. The hardest part will be planning your U.P.P.E.R. build.

Cervélo R5 Dura-Ace Di2 9150

$11,500

While Edith Cavell is a road the pros don’t get to enjoy, it would be a joy to tackle on a pro-level machine. Cervélo’s R Series got a refresh early in 2017. The R5 is the raceyest in the lineup with its more aggressive riding position compared with the new R3. Both the head tube and bottom bracket are stiffer than the previous incarnation, so the power transfer offered by the frame will ensure every pedal stroke moves you up the climb efficiently. The geometry, with its increase in trail, means you can ride down fast and with confidence.

Cannondale Scalpel-Si Black Inc.

$16,000

Covering many hard and fast kilometres is what the Cannondale Scalpel Si is all about. This efficient pedalling machine was designed with top-level cross country racing in mind, but is equally at home ticking over the pedals at a leisurely pace while soaking in the scenery. The Lefty fork and carbon frame help to keep this bike light, which makes those last few climbs that much easier at the end of a long day in the saddle. New, modern geometry and full front and rear lockout ensure that no matter what trail you yearn to conquer, the Scalpel will be sharp and ready.

Intense Recluse DVO

$7,500

All-out mountain assault is why the Intense Recluse is named after a tactical rifle. The name is very fitting considering the fire power this bike brings when it comes to going up and riding down. Thanks to Intense’s JS Tuned suspension, with its 150-mm-travel fork and 140-mm shock, the Recluse is surprisingly nimble while pedalling uphill, which is also aided by the lightweight carbon frame. Point it downhill and the Recluse will rip technical trails with precision. With the boutique DVO suspension, you and the bike are ready to attack any trail.

Naked Bicycles Brent’s Titanium Naked X

$12,800

Naked – the Quadra Island, B.C., bike brand – makes versatile machines for exploring the globe. The titanium frame, combined with Enve SeS 4.5 AR carbon wheels and Challenge Bianca Strada 30-mm tires, will glide over smoother surfaces and track well over the rougher stuff. Wet conditions? Throw on some fenders. Got gear? The X will take a rear rack. Brent’s build, which you can have too, features Shimano Dura-Ace 9170 Di2 and R785 disc brakes. From long rambling rides to hard CX rips, this is one bike that can cover all that.

Norco Optic C1

$8,199

The Norco Optic defies convention and refuses to be put into a cookie-cutter category. With 110 mm of rear wheel travel, the Optic has excellent pedalling efficiency that turns a fast-flowing trail into a rollercoaster-type experience thanks to the tweaked trail geometry that also helps instil confidence on hairy descents. The Optic is outfitted with 120 mm of fork travel. With the push of the dropper-post remote, it turns into a seriously capable machine. Thanks to Norco’s trail-tuned suspension, this is one short-travel bike that is up for almost anything.

De Rosa Protos Campagnolo Super Record EPS

$11,920

When in Rome… Well, when you are riding roughly 350 km north of Rome, an Italian machine like the De Rosa Protos would be the perfect bike. The Protos is stiff, really stiff (you see that massive down tube?), so you can drive it up the rolling hills of the Emilia-Romagna region and sprint for the line. It’s light, too, with the frame weighing less than 900 g. If you have the flexibility and the fitness, the Protos will reward you.