Walmart's Viathon M.1 mountain bike is a racy, XC bike being marketed as fun, comfortable, and practical which begs a few questions.
US distributor Cycle Monkey brings German Brands Nicolai and Tout Terrain to the states with Gates Carbon Drive and Pinion gear boxes.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk about what enduro is, and why it matters to the sport of mountain biking. From athletes and races to bikes and gear, enduro is a reflection of how many of us approach riding.
This multi-sport GPS watch has a ton of features, but it misses the mark in a couple key areas.
We test out Patagonia's 2019 mountain bike line which includes the Dirt Roamer short, Nine Trails jersey, and Endless Ride bib liner.
Hutchison's pro mountain bikers asked for a faster gravity tire, and worked alongside company engineers to create just that.
The Urge Archi-Enduro RR full face mountain bike helmet was designed by the most qualified enduro experts in the business.
Oak trees are native to six of the seven continents on earth, so chances are you have mountain biked among them. Learn more about this magnificent tree species.
Updated Norco Revolver XC bike comes with 100mm or 120mm of rear travel. Plus, there are new forks from Cane Creek and Marzocchi, moto-inspired MTB rims from Zipp, and tall tires for wet and loose conditions from WTB.
The Vee Flow Snap is an enduro mountain bike tire from the Thai company. It's a little on the heavy side, but seems to be a great aggressive trail tire.
The Mountainsmith Cycle Cube is a bike-specific duffel bag meant to manage lots of awkward and stinky bike gear.
Deborah Meghen and Niall Davie talk about the development of new mountain bike trails all over Ireland.
The Bluegrass Eagle Armour Lite D3O is a lightweight and simple vented spine protector.
A San Diego mountain biker finds a barbed wire trail trap and a rider in Colorado leaves the scene of another trap with several broken bones.
There's a lot of hype about the new WaveCel structure in new Bontrager helmets. Competitor responses came just as quickly, and it's hard to recognize who's right in the end.
We check out mountain bike multi-tools from top brands like Pro, SIlca, Pedro's, Topeak and Pro Bike Tool.
New 12-speed hub options, alongside a more affordable 4-piston brake and 203mm rotor option, show Shimano's dedication to entry-level riders.
Link your Singletracks and Wahoo accounts to get free mountain bike trail routes on your GPS.
It's easy to let negative externalities ruin mountain biking's moments. Here are a few tips and philosophies to focus on the now.
Pro mountain bikers like Katy Curd know how to adapt and learn a new game. Katy shares her tips for building skills and managing fear.
We test ride the new Revel Rascal trail bike in Moab.
The Clear Creek 10 is Mountainsmith's first hydration pack marketed for mountain bike. It's fairly simple and affordable.
This week we get news on who's dominating the EWS, new bikes from Diamondback and Bold, and another NICA expansion.
Check out the trails, bikes, skills, and good times from the 2019 Singletracks Ride-N-Rally.
The Leatt DBX 4.0 pants are tailored, tough, and ready for the trail.
A Georgia mountain biker takes on the Huracan bikepacking race for the third time, and find new challenges along the way.
Online retailer Moosejaw is now offering complete mountain bikes for sale from brands including Evil and Niner.
The Pisgah Stage Race is already well known for five days of riding the best mountain bike trails in Pisgah. Key changes for 2019 seek to make the 11th edition the best one yet.
The way a rider treats their mountain bike will affect its lifespan. Here are five things you can do to keep your bike healthy for the long haul.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, I ask Jeff Kendall-Weed about his inspirations, favorite places to ride, skills progression, and how he makes time for riding.
Adding an eMTB category to the EWS has some riders calling it the EEWS.
This new product allows mountain bikers to ditch packs of any form and fit cargo directly on their lumbar.
Pick up trash during your mountain bike rides in April to join in the plogging phenomenon. Share photos of your haul on Instagram to win prizes from Singletracks. @singletracks #bikeplog
Life is busy, but often it's easier than not to ride with friends. Matt reflects on a trip years ago that formed lasting friendships.
Crankworx Rotorua and Absa Cape Epic results, Revelstoke gets a lift and new trails, plus new Teravail MTB tires and etnies shoes.
Geometry changes a lot from bike to bike, but a fit should always suit the rider. Gerow goes over a few fitting tips to help all the bikes in your stable feel comfortable and consistent.
The Dirtlej Dirtsuit is a wet-weather onesie for mountain biking.
Is it worth spending good money to enter a mountain bike race? Dillon says yes, and shares 5 reasons why you should sign up.
Rachel Walker sheds light on what Hopetech Women is and what the mountain bike brand is up to these days.
The Kuat Transfer is an entry-level rack that can be converted from a single to a double bike hitch rack. The Pivot get mountain bikes them out of the way to get to the trunk or truck bed.
Exploring beautiful singletrack mountain bike rides along the Basque coast of northern Spain.
World famous mountain biker Chris Akrigg shares his winning approach to challenging conditions, both on the bike and off. Want to know what it takes to build incredible bike-handling skills? Listen to find out!
Cities around the US are working to attract new workers with mountain bike trails. For some places, this gamble more important than ever.
The MET Roam MIPS mountain bike helmet balances comfort and protection.
Hannah Bergemann talks about racing with Kona, her ambitions in the sport, and why the most important mountain bike race of her year is the one she'll race with her dad.
Riding the enduro-worthy singletrack mountain bike trails in northern Spain. In Part 3, Lee and his group ride in Val de Tena near the towns of Biescas and Panticosa.
New mountain bike shoes from Rapha, a taste of the Pivot Phoenix 29 downhill bike, new Stans rims, and more in the MTB News Mix.
In this first Pro Skills article, we get advice on recovery from endurance mountain biker Payson McElveen.
5
![<blockquote><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-260447" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/viathon_m1-2-1170x878.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="878" /></blockquote>
By now, you've probably heard that Walmart just launched a premium bicycle brand called <a href="http://goto.walmart.com/c/1806752/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fcp%2Fviathon-bikes%2F8471299">Viathon</a>. The new bikes are to be sold online, so don't expect these carbon fiber steeds to show up on shelves at your local Walmart anytime soon. Prices start at <del>$2,000</del> <a href="http://goto.walmart.com/c/1806752/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FViathon-M-1-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-Frame-Medium%2F120681625">$998 for a frameset</a>, with builds ranging in price from $2,400 to $6,000.
I got a chance to see the Viathon M.1 in person at Sea Otter and clearly, it's a very nice bike with top-of-the-line components and a clean, sleek, high-performance design. The <a href="http://goto.walmart.com/c/1806752/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FViathon-M-1-XX1-Eagle-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-Medium%2F260977012">$6,000 XX1 build</a> is said to weigh just over 21lbs, and I believe it.
[see_also id='265388']
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-260449" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/viathon_m1-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="878" />
Many of us were surprised to see Walmart launch a high-end bike brand, but in some ways, it makes sense given the Walton Family Foundation's focus on cycling, and on building mountain bike trails specifically in the area surrounding the Walmart headquarters in <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/Mountain-Bike-Trails-bike-trails_0.html?filterBy=|loc:36.372778~-94.208611~25~Bentonville%2C+AR">Bentonville, Arkansas</a>. The real question is, who is the customer for a Viathon mountain bike?
The Viathon website offers a clue on their "Our Story" page:
<blockquote>At Viathon, we believe that great bikes make riding more fun. And when you have fun, you ride more.
We feel strongly that everyone should have access to a high-quality bike. That is why we set out to create a line of bicycles that are performance-driven yet comfortable, practical, fun to ride, and beautifully designed.</blockquote>
I heard the same story from the Viathon brand manager, who indicated Viathon bikes are not about competition, rather offering riders a fun, comfortable bike that they will enjoy riding. Which is why the M.1 is so confusing. This appears to be an XC race bike, designed for suffering and winning races, not just having fun and being comfortable.
<h3>Performance driven</h3>
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-260448" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/viathon_m1-6-878x1170.jpg" alt="" width="878" height="1170" />
Viathon leads with "performance-driven" in their de-facto mission statement. This is telling, and based on what I've seen from the M.1 mountain bike, it's accurate. Almost everything that comes next, however, seems to offer a contradiction, or at the very least, a series of counter-arguments.
<h3>Comfortable</h3>
The phrase <em>carbon hardtail</em> rarely brings to mind the word <em>comfortable</em>, at least in my mind.
Starting at the head tube, the Viathon M.1 has a 69.5° head tube angle which is about as steep as you'll find on any mountain bike in 2019. Even Nino Schurter's Scott Spark sports a 68.5° head tube angle, and it's a full suspension bike. (To be fair, the Scott Scale hardtail does have a 69.5° head tube angle.)
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-260446" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/viathon_m1-5-1170x878.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="878" />
<h3>Practical</h3>
Mountain bikers are always on the lookout for the mythical quiver killer. A single bike to handle all conditions -- or at least most of them -- is a practical desire. Yet, the M.1 is pretty extreme even for an XC bike, placing it far to one side of the mountain bike spectrum. It seems like a trail bike -- even a short travel one -- would be a more practical choice for most mountain bikers.
<h3>Fun to ride</h3>
Viathon says a size medium M.1 frameset (with derailleur hanger and water bottle mounts) weighs just over a kilo at 1,035g which is impressively lightweight. Sure, there are lighter XC frames out there, but most people who are looking at frame weights down to the gram aren't <em>just</em> mountain biking for fun. Then again, riding a lightweight carbon bike is generally more fun than pushing around a steel boat anchor.
The 120mm suspension fork does lend a bit more personality and excitement to the M.1, though it's unclear how well this pairs with such a steep head tube angle. Bikes with similar geometry tend to offer a 100mm fork.
A dropper post on the top-end build certainly makes the M.1 more adaptable, and arguably more fun, but it's the only build that comes with one. This isn't all that surprising for an XC race bike; after all, many pros prefer a rigid post for XC races. But for everyday "fun" rides, a dropper post goes a long way toward making the ride more enjoyable and comfortable.
<h3>Beautifully designed</h3>
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-260451" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/viathon_m1-4-1170x878.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="878" />
Check! The graphics and safe colors may not do it for everyone, but the lines are clean and the M.1 casts a nice silhouette. Viathon worked with famed Kevin Quan Studios to come up with this one-of-a-kind frame design, and the team clearly did a great job.
<h3>Affordable?</h3>
One more thing to note from the Viathon quote is this line: "<em>We feel strongly that everyone should have access to a high-quality bike.</em>" Based on current prices, it doesn't seem like Viathon is there yet. It's hard to compare apples-to-apples, but there are certainly direct-to-consumer bikes with similar quality available from other brands at the same or slightly better prices.
The M.1 is the first mountain bike from <a href="http://goto.walmart.com/c/1806752/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fcp%2Fviathon-bikes%2F8471299">Viathon</a>, and from the sound of things, it won't be the last. Whether this will serve as a "halo product" to introduce more affordable (or approachable) mountain bikes from the brand in the future is yet to be seen. In the meantime, it seems Walmart isn't quite sure what they've created or who the customer will be. Once they figure things out, there's a good chance they might make a bigger splash.](https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Barb_Wire.jpg)
