Ubisoft's hit extreme sports exploration game Riders Republic has a lot of different toys for players to choose from when exploring the slopes. Bikes are one of the most popular choices in Riders Republic and are split into five different categories: Downhill,Slopestyle, Freeride, Road, and BMX. *The BMX career is available as a separate DLC, although all players can still access basic BMX bikes and gear as standard.
It's fair to say that Riders Republic is the spiritual successor to Ubisoft's other extreme sports game: Steep. Unlike Steep, however, Riders Republic offers many more sports. Different bikes are used for distinct events in-game: for example, Slopestyle bikes are ideal for fast tricks and spins, whereas Road bikes excel at racing on smooth tarmac, but tend to be more fragile. As players progress through their career in the Republic, they will unlock better gear, which is divided into four quality classes; Standard, Pro, Expert, and Elite. Each bike has a quality level from 1 to 1000, which indicates how well it performs. Elite, naturally, is the best gear available in-game.
10 Specialized Demo 02 Downhill Bike (805)
Having some of the lowest stats of the Elite Downhill bikes, the Specialized Demo isn't the best bike in the game; however, players shouldn't let that put them off. This is a great bike with serious competitive ability, and whether gamers are hitting the trails alone or with friends, this is a great bike on which to do so.
In real life, this kind of bike runs anywhere from $4000 to $6,500, but in-game, it will only cost career progression: not a bad deal! Its best feature is its balanced Grip and Absorption, meaning gamers can hit those downhill trails hard without worrying too much about crashing out.
9 YT Industries Dirtlove 01. Slopestyle Bike (855)
The Dirtlove from YT industries features a lightweight CroMo frame and excellent air rotation to help spin tricks fast and clean. With a respectable 62 sprint rating, it's not slow either, meaning there will be plenty of speed to approach those massive jumps.
Its grip rating is only 30, although this is a slopestyle bike where grip is not necessarily the most important feature, and with an overall rating of 855, it's a great Elite unlock.
8 Canyon Strive CF Team 02: Freeride Bike (855)
Freeride Bikes are downhill bikes with better agility, making them perfect for hitting huge tricks in the air, and the Canyon Strive is no exception. Its well-balanced sprint and speed ratings make it a great choice for powering up to a huge air, and players will know it can handle the landings with an 80 grip rating and 75 absorption.
An updated version of the Strive, built in conjunction with Troy Lee Designs (one of the in-game sponsors), is available to purchase in the real world, so any mountain biking enthusiasts out there could rock this beast of a bike both in the world of Ubisoft's game and out! Keep in mind, though, that this kind of gear is a lot more expensive in the real world and could run somewhere in the region of $6000! Maybe better to stick to the virtual shredding?
7 RR C6TI22. Road Bike (900)
This bike has incredible speed, good durability (for a road bike), and a great sprint rating of 83. This makes it one of the fastest bikes available in the game, however, it is let down by an awful grip rating of just 2.
There is potential that this could actually be an advantage on slightly snowier road tracks, with the ability to drift around corners, but overall it does mean that the bike will struggle in some of the tight turns found in the game.
6 GT Fury. Downhill Bike (850)
GT's Fury Downhill bike is a durable and aggressively styled Downhill shredder. Its stats are well balanced, with good speed and sprint, but its absorption rating of 69 means that it is strong enough to withstand some serious knocks and hard landings.
As always, unlocking Elite gear can be random, but it's all about reaching Level 40 and then continuing to level up the career to ensure players receive the best drops!
5 Specialized S Works Epic Evo 01. Freeride Bike (900)
This bike from Specialized is built to go big. It is tied with the best-in-class rating of 60 for air rotation, meaning it can spin quickly and cleanly through huge jumps and crazy tricks. It is let down by its grip rating of just 65, however.
Other bikes in this class far outperform it in grip rating, meaning it may not be the first-choice ride, depending on what courses are being attacked.
4 Kona Libre DL. Road Bike(900)
This road bike from the renowned brand Kona is one of the quickest bikes in the game. Its speed rating is a best-in-class 82, which means racers should be leaving the competition behind with ease. Unlike some other Elite road bikes, it isn't lacking in the grip department either, with an equally impressive 30 rating; another best-in-class attribute.
Where the Libre DL doesn't excel is in its sprint rating, at just 78, it comes in 3 points lower than the next lowest Elite road bike. This doesn't seem like a lot, and it isn't, but it stops the DL from clinching the top spot for the Road bikes, as the sprint rating can be pretty important!
3 Canyon DJ 360 Tomas Lemoine. Slopestyle Bike (900)
This slopestyle bike is the best in the slopestyle category; with an overall 900 rating and balanced stats across the board, riders will be nailing some incredible tricks.
A staggering 75 air rotation rating means that tail whips will be lightning fast, and a 50 absorption rating means players will be able to land them!
2 Commencal Furious PEF. Freeride Bike (900)
The Furious PEF from Commencal is a great option that is let down in only one area: sprint. Its 30 rating isn't quite as good as some other bikes in the Freeride category, but every other stat here is best in class, making this bike one serious competitor.
The stand-out absorption rating of 80 means players can land some ridiculously huge jumps and still roll away with their legs intact!
1 RR POW34RED. Downhill Bike (900)
This bike is possibly the fastest available in the game, with a speed rating of 83, it's even faster than some of the Elite Road Bikes available to unlock. This means players should be winning races on this bike left and right! An impressive grip rating of 80, a respectable 46 sprint, and a 63 absorption rating also combine to make this bike one of the best complete packages to be found in the republic.
It is worth noting that all the bikes on this list are in the 'Elite' gear class, meaning that they should give players a significant advantage over lower-level gear, no matter which one from this list they unlock. Happy Trails, Riders!
Riders Republic is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Google Stadia.