$3989
29 pounds
5.7-inch rear wheel travel
Bionicon, (760) 446-3089
Maxi test: October 2005

Highlights: The Bionicon Edison begins life as a conservative, single-pivot dual-suspension chassis. What gives the well-built trailbike its unique powers is the addition of a proprietary dual-crown fork and air shock that can be lengthened or shortened to dramatically alter both the geometry and personality of the bike. The system is called AeroLink. With a push of a control button on the right handlebar, a Bionicon rider can slacken the head angle to 67.5 degrees and increase the fork travel to almost six inches for descending. Or he can reduce the travel to just under three inches with a considerably steeper head angle as the grade reverses into an uphill situation.

Best quote: "When you shift the fork to full travel, the slack head angle and rear-set saddle make fun of steep drops and tricky boulder sections."

Bottom line: Bionicon's Edison caters to an intellectual enthusiast who is in touch with his downhill alter-ego. This is the rider who wants to enjoy a perfect cadence, a just-right position over the crankset, and precise steering. But when the downhill arrives, he wants the ability to let it fly. If you have the brains to operate it, the Edison can do double duty as a cross-country and a downhill bike. Bionicon's AeroLink suspension delivers the widest range of performance of any trailbike made today.