"You could turn the Zesty into an enduro race bike," was one tester's quote. The bike has two faces: it has certain enduro-like features (slack steering angle, long wheelbase) and combines these with sporty attributes: steep seat angle for good climbing (which makes the level control unnecessary), narrow mixed tyres, low weight. Long distances are just as much fun as tricky single trails and rough rocky terrain. The Zesty therefore feels right at home on Lake Garda. The long tarmac climbs there are mastered with the shock platform activated, the rear tends to rock. On rough, fast bumps, we noticed a hardening of the rear end, and the CTD system of the Evolution fork also failed - a familiar, annoying problem. All the testers praised the choice of equipment and the successful appearance.
Conclusionsporty trail bike with a wide range of uses. Equally at home in difficult terrain and on long tours.
PLUS Sporty handling, smooth running, triple crank,
MINUS Performance tyre compound, CTD system on fork defective, no telescopic seat post, moderate braking performance
The alternative
An exciting alternative is the Zesty 314 with the EI-Shock suspension. The electronics can automatically decide on the suspension control, a nice gimmick. Price: 3299 euros.
