We have renamed our previous all-mountain sport class and given the popular touring fullys with 120 to 130 millimetres the name "trail bikes". Why? Because we have noticed how the demands on this class have changed. Bikers are demanding more "all-rounder genes" from their touring bikes than just a few years ago. Trail bikes should be able to turn nasty root passages and rock gardens into flow passages and also be able to cope with the occasional marathon start. In order to better emphasise the new aspects, we also a new assessment and testing system introduced.
You can find these trail bikes for 2016 in the test:
- Cannondale Habit 4
- Canyon Nerve AL 9.0 SL (BIKE Tip: mail order)
- Cube Stereo 120 HPC (BIKE Tip: specialised dealer)
- Focus Spine C Pro
- Ghost SL AMR LC 6
- GT Helion Carbon
- Merida One-Twenty 7,900
- Radon Skeen 120 10.0
- Scott Spark 740
- Stevens Jura ES
The detailed points table with all test categories can be found below as a PDF download.
What you can expect from a trail bike
"The only constant is change" - it is doubtful whether the Greek philosopher Heraclitus predicted the changes in the modern mountain bike world around 500 BC. But he hit the nail on the head. Wherever we look, trails are springing up like mushrooms. Tourism regions and bike parks are already rubbing their hands in glee at the planning of new flow trails, despite huge investments, because the easy-to-ride routes attract both die-hard mountain bikers and beginners. The Teäre Line in Sölden, the flow country trail in the Bischofsmais bike park, the flow lines in Stromberg and Petzen, Willingen in the Sauerland or the Rabenberg trail centre are just the tip of the iceberg in the flow movement. Modern trails can be ridden with little suspension travel and lots of fun and are not only very popular with the operators, but above all with bikers. It seems that more and more touring bikers no longer want to toil over extremely demanding trails on high-powered racing bikes, only to say at the end of the day that they have finally conquered their favourite trail without having to dismount. Instead, everyone enjoys an extra dose of flow, whether on the descent or on flat trail sections. The focus is more on enjoyment than chasing the last metre of altitude.
Of course, not everyone has a perfectly shaped crushed sand trail on their personal after-work ride. Therefore, where the trail is full of roots and rocks and normally doesn't allow much flow, the bike has a duty to create that flow feeling. A good chassis, a little more suspension travel, a dropper post and grippy tyres transform the rugged terrain into a flowing trail. However, the mostly moderate tyres and narrow rims of this class reach their limits on rougher terrain. If you are now throwing up your hands and fearing ten mini enduro bikes with moderate obesity in this test group, the industry will prove you wrong. Lightweight wheels with low inertia, brand new carbon or aluminium frame concepts and cleverly selected add-on parts make trail bikes lively companions on any climb. Some of them, such as the Scott, even allow marathon use at any time. Modern marathon routes have also changed in recent years.
The best example is the BIKE Four Peaks, which presents lactate junkies with a tricky descent at least once a day. Exhausted from the climb, the racer is happy for any support the bike can give him on the demanding descents. In the best case scenario, the range of use of the newly christened group has not shifted towards downhill talent, but has expanded both uphill and downhill. Of course, not every bike in this test group is ideal. GT or Radon, with their narrow 2.2 Continental X-King tyres, are well into the marathon range, while Ghost and Merida, with 130 millimetres of travel, are happy about every descent - and leave feathers in their wake on the climbs. When it comes to gear groups, the industry in the 3000 euro class has uniformly agreed on a double XT configuration. Only Canyon spreads the range of use with a triple crankset and has a gear ready for all occasions. However, it is astonishing that the specialist retail brands Ghost, Focus and Cube are taking on the mail order companies with part-carbon frames. Purchasing advice, both online and offline in specialist shops, certainly plays a major role in finding the right bike for individual requirements. The market offers an enormously wide range of products.
And if you feel even more attracted to the all-mountain or marathon sector, you should also look beyond this test group, because the neighbouring categories also offer interesting bikes with an all-round character.
New rating system
Overall, the 2016 vintage of this test field delivers a strong performance and diligently collects points in the new BIKE rating system. Focus impresses with its brilliant handling and impressively good suspension. Cube, on the other hand, covers the broadest spectrum from marathon to almost all-mountain with super-light wheels and well thought-out components. The direct-to-consumer brands Canyon and Radon score highly in terms of equipment, and Canyon in particular is strong in the "diligence categories" of paint quality, warranty and workmanship. Our new evaluation system also offers a new opportunity for manufacturers to set themselves apart from the competition with the "usability" criterion. Every added value in handling for the end user is noted here. Details such as locking levers for the entire suspension (e.g. Scott and Stevens), hidden tools in the frame or tuning tables on the suspension elements lead directly to points being awarded. To achieve the top score of "super", manufacturers will have to roll up their sleeves a little further in future.
During our test rides, we found another constant alongside the change described by Heraclitus: having fun on the trails with mountain bikes.
Conclusion Luwig Döhl, BIKE editor
"Modern trail bikes are real all-rounders and offer the perfect platform for riding fun on tours over technical low mountain trails. Wide handlebars, short stems and excellent suspension transform this test group into real trail speedsters. However, the narrow tyres and rims quickly make you feel that rougher downhill sections are crying out for more suspension travel. Trail bikes are not all-rounders, but offer a very wide range of uses. The test winners come from Canyon and Cube."
TRAILBIKES: More than just a generic term
Lighter than their big brothers from the enduro camp and with more riding comfort than purist marathon bolides. With this recipe, the trail bikes aim to provide riding fun on technical trails. Manoeuvrable 27.5-inch wheels and compact seating positions ensure a playful character.
1. The cockpit is an important component for the handling of the bike. The shorter the stem, the better the handling. The stem should be a maximum of 80 mm long. The ideal handlebar width is between 720 and 740 mm.
2. The suspension travel at the fork and rear ranges between 120 and 130 millimetres. Lightweight shocks without reservoirs are used (space for a water bottle), which provide significantly more riding comfort than a marathon racer.
racer.
3. Telescopic seat posts are not an absolute must, but they are still a "nice to have". The seatpost stroke of between 100 and 150 mm makes trail use easier.
4. Most brakes allow tool-free lever adjustment on the handlebars. The disc size is usually 180/180 mm.
5. Wide, but generally light tyres (2.2-2.4", around 700 grams) are the first choice. Trail junkies will be happy with thicker tyres on the front wheel.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 1/2016 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
