Anyone who is anyone these days drives an SUV. "The sport utility vehicle is gaining ground on a broad front, and not just in the automotive sector. The days when it was chic to drive a highly specialised vehicle with a very limited range of applications are over. The all-rounder has become acceptable. And not least because the innovative strength of manufacturers is now focussed precisely on this clientele.
Applied to mountain biking, the motto is: "One bike for all occasions". And 90 per cent of all bikers don't need more in 90 per cent of all bike terrain. The "All Mountain" category, which we defined precisely two years ago, fits the zeitgeist like a glove. These are bikes that are so light and drive-neutral that you can easily ride them on extended tours and Alpine crossings. But they still have so much suspension travel that they are comfortable and fun even on rough downhills. We can even recommend some of these bikes, which we call "All Mountain Sport" bikes, for sporty riders who also want to compete in a marathon.
The probability that you will find what you are looking for in this test field - 18 all-mountain bikes for around € 2,000 - is much higher than in any other BIKE test. This is because the majority of our readers spend around this amount on a new bike - according to our reader survey last year.
