When BIKE test rider Bernhard Watzke turned up half an hour late for morning roll call on the first day of testing, it wasn't because he had overslept. No, he simply couldn't decide between a tight cross-country outfit and a casual freeride outfit. Testing all-round bikes, what does that mean? Fun biking or hard labour? As difficult as Watzke found it with his dress code, we were unclear as to what term could be used to summarise this bike class. And the manufacturer's specifications also demonstrate that the makers themselves don't know exactly where to categorise their own bikes: All-mountain bikes, trail bikes, touring bikes, marathon bikes - many terms are bandied about. There's only one that people try to avoid at all costs: All-round bike. Of course. What is an all-round bike? It can do everything to some extent, but nothing really. And it has a dusty image that nobody really wants to identify with.
You will find these bikes in the test
Cube, AMS Pro Louise FR, Fusion Raid, Gary Fisher Cake 2 DLX, Hai Bike Ride, KTM Speed RC 1.0, Rocky Mountain Slayer 50, Scott Genius MC-40, Simplon Lexx Pro, Specialized SJ Expert 120, Stevens F-10 Elite Disk
