- Robert Smith
I moved to Phoenix back in ’95 and quickly bought a mountain bike to enjoy the Arizona weather. One of my friends lived near South Mountain, and we decided that’s where we’d get our first trail experiences. Lots of good times, but it was short lived. I simply got away from mountain biking, with interests in other sports taking my free time.
Fast forward a decade and a half, I got the itch to get a new bike and start riding again. I mostly wanted to have fun while staying shape… and who doesn’t?! The trail also provided an escape and a challenge too. After spending several years and a lot of miles on my bike at the time, I had it stolen in the summer of 2018. If you’ve ever had a bike stolen, you know the feeling… it’s a punch to the gut.
I started my search for a new full suspension bike, and wanted to take my time and find the right fit. While looking, I came across a brand I hadn’t seen before. It was Eminent. The brand was so new at the time; they had just one model… the Haste. While I was considering another 29er at the time, the features of the 27.5 Haste were just too good to pass up. I ordered my Haste, configured just the way I wanted it. Incredible bike!
Then in February, I’d have a setback. While doing some basic skill exercises at a riding clinic, I fell. No big deal, right? Unfortunately, the way I fell I tore my rotator cuff. It didn’t happen on a challenging trail… I fell on flat ground. On the grass. I had surgery in early March to repair my shoulder, and the long recovery began. I’d be out for months, including a lot of down time and a lot of physical therapy. Since I was going to be off the bike for most of the year, I decided to sell my Haste and look for a new bike when I was ready to ride again.
As things would turn out, Eminent released two models of 29ers while I was recovering. I just needed to figure out which one and what set up I wanted. With the Onset offered in both a short travel (ST) and long travel (LT), I initially considered the short travel based on a previous 29er I had. After discussing my riding preferences with Jeff Paulson at Eminent, I decided to go with the long travel. I was on the fence about getting a medium or a large, and the local Eminent rep, Marty, was nice enough to let me try out his large frame Onset. It was an easy decision after the demo! And it’s great to be back on the bike and riding my Eminent Onset.
Eminent recently had their first event in Arizona, with local dealer Spartan Rides. It was a great location, great weather and great turnout! Spartan really promoted the event well, and having it at Western Star Park attracted a lot of South Mountain riders. There were even some that simply stopped by to see who Eminent was. Plenty of riders were there for demos, and at times, there weren’t enough Eminent bikes to go ‘round. From the location, it was just a short ride to the rocky trails of South Mountain. Perfect testing grounds for an Eminent demo in Arizona. And Spartan Rides was the perfect partner for Eminent’s first demo event. Their knowledge and customer service are things that set them apart… a great source for a demo and purchasing your new Eminent mountain bike.
VITAL MTB
- Alan davis
The Onset is one of the most confident all mountain bikes we’ve ever ridden descending steep, sketchy lines.
Pink bike
- Richard Cunningham
The standout impression of the Onset was how supple
and planted the rear suspension feels.
loam wolf
- Chili Dog
The first takeaway from everyone that got on this bike was the
incredible stiffness of the rear end - In a good way… The
result is a bike that begs to snap out of corners, lay down
power, and get hurled into berms with a vengeance.
owner testimonials
eminent owner
- Philip Crow
After doing the demo, instantly I felt at home on the bike. I knew pretty much right away that it was a bike that suited me well.
There’s technology in this bike that you can’t get with other brands…and it’s at a price point that a lot of other brands can’t even beat. None of those bikes will track the trail as well, with the floating brake and suspension.
No matter what type of trail it is, this is the perfect bike for it. I don’t think I’d ever be more comfortable on a different bike.
With this bike, you’re getting a bike that has the geometry to do the really aggressive riding that you want.
When I first rode this bike up at Santa’s Village, I was just blown away by how quickly I could go through the corners there and still feel complete control.
The bike just felt much more balanced front to center, I didn’t have to keep shifting my weight up forward or to the rear, it was just dialed right where it’s at. I’ve been experimenting with the slick tire and the rear and it’s really all I need because it tracks so well.
