When I saw the Bionicon Supershuttle for the first time, I thought: "Oh man, it looks complicated!" But it only took me seven minutes to read the instruction manual. The laser-cut instructions on the top tube are a practical help! Then it was off for the first test ride on the Isar trails. Even on the first ride, the geometry of the Supershuttle proved to be extremely variable. However, I was only convinced after I had ridden the marathon on Lake Garda and the freeride trails in Oberammergau on the same bike. The whole thing is quite simple: by pressing the orange button once, the bike transforms from a comfortable touring bike into a super freerider. Fork down, saddle up, all at the touch of a button! Unfortunately, the tyres were more suited to the uphill sections than the downhills. After an annoying tour in the Oberammergau bike park with four punctures in an hour, I swapped the lightweight Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres for the new Schwalbe Nobby Nic with Snake Skin puncture protection. From then on, the pump stayed in the car and the day was saved.
Unfortunately, the chainring issue is almost impossible to resolve given the bike's wide range of use. I love three chainrings uphill, but downhill and in the bike park I would have preferred a bashguard and a shiftable chain guide instead of a large chainring. Unfortunately, the large chainring bent more often than I would have liked. Otherwise, the SRAM X.9 drivetrain didn't cause any problems. The riding position was perfect, no matter how long I sat in the saddle. Only the weight of the bike could be a little less for me as a woman. Despite all the technology, it's a perfect all-rounder with lots of fun potential for fast-flowing singletrail surfing.
Change:
- Saddle swapped for women's model / Selle Italia SLR Bunny saddle
- Grips changed / Replaced with sturdy Syntace screw grips
Web: www.bionicon.com
Photos: Markus Greber, Daniel Simon
