It's a battle that bike manufacturers fight every year anew. The marketing departments decide what can be included in an entry-level bike for 1200 euros. There is a fierce battle over suspension forks, tyres, gears and frames, because the competition is strong and perhaps offers the better package. What's more, you can get a top hardtail for the same money. So would you prefer a better fork and cheaper components, or good tyres and high-quality gears? A difficult decision. In our test, we show that there are also good fullys at the lowest price point. And they don't have to hide from a top hardtail.
THE TEST FIELD
We asked 18 manufacturers to provide us with a fully in the 1049 to 1250 euro price range for our mega test. Mainly all-rounders with 100 millimetres of travel show what they can do. The exceptions are Wheeler's "Falcon 40" and the Cust-Tec "Superlight FS", which belong more on the race track. The Red Bull "Steffee FR 400" and Ghost's "ASX 5100" cover the enduro segment. These bikes and the Fuji "Diamond Comp" have special features that are particularly common in this borderline price category.
You can find these bikes in the test:
Arrow TXC Sport, Canyon Nerve XC 4, Chaka Hakala, Cube XMS, Cust-Tec Superlight FX, Drössiger CR05, Fat FXC 04, Fatmodul XC01, Fuji Diamond Comp, Ghost ASC 5100, GT I-DXC 4.0, Hai Scream, Merida Mission Speed, Poison Arsen, Radon QLT Comp, Red Bull Stiffee FR 400, Specialised FSR XC, Wheeler Falcon 40
