Clear budget, clear goal. With 500 euros in our pockets, we set off for the bike shop. We want to buy a fully, and one that looks as off-road capable as a bike should be. We found what we were looking for at Real: for 449 euros, we snapped up the McKenzie Hill 700 with Shimano gears, hydraulic disc brakes, RST suspension fork, KS shock and Michelin tyres. The equipment list is similar to more expensive models. The flat front tyre and the much too tight headset don't put us off. A pleasant surprise at the checkout: instead of the advertised 449 euros, the cashier only charges us 399 euros.
Extremely heavy, but stiff
The subsequent final assembly awakens the do-it-yourselfer in you: turn the handlebars into position, attach the pedals, pressurise the tyres. This work is perfectly manageable for laymen. At the same time, we discover the first inconsistencies: A drip nose on the weld seam here, a cable guide with a cable tie there (next to the eyelet provided), poorly manufactured bottom bracket shells (the crank has play) and a crookedly welded bar in the rear triangle. But surely it's not as bad as it looks? We proceed with the protocol and put the McKenzie through our test lab. The bike scored outstandingly well in terms of stiffness. The combination of aluminium main frame and steel rear triangle is robust. However, an impressive 17.1 kilos of total weight are the price for this, the decisive ratio of stiffness and weight: underground.
The MTB for 399 euros reveals its weaknesses
In terms of equipment, we were surprised by the decent performance of the Promax disc brakes and the gear mix of Shimano components also turned out to be usable. The rear wheel actually has a high-quality Shimano XT rear derailleur and the shifters are from the Deore groupset. So everything is fine for 399 euros? Not at all: The suspension elements are bouncy and lack any damping of the 67 millimetres at the front and 56 millimetres at the rear. In addition, the steel spring rear shock hidden in a rubber can only works properly for heavy riders. The influence of the drivetrain finally reveals the weaknesses of the design mercilessly. The McKenzie is the worst bike in terms of bob and pedal kickback that has ever made it onto BIKE's test benches.
Conclusion on the bargain bike McKenzie Hill 700
A good bike is more than the sum of its parts. The equipment of the McKenzie Hill 700 is okay for the price. However, the frame is so poorly designed and manufactured that we would definitely advise beginners against it. Better to buy a hardtail, or save a little longer - and then have some real fun.
