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According to a study on everyday research, 78 per cent of people surveyed want to hear the bad news first, if there is good news and bad news. So here's the bad news right at the start of this test: Compared to our all-mountain test field from a year ago, the bikes have become half a kilo heavier. Same price, same area of use, but significantly more flab on the ribs. In the 3000 euro class we tested, the bikes, including pedals, only just scrape past the 15-kilo mark. So the cat is out of the bag, but the question of why this is the case is still unanswered.
Based on Bulls, Cube, Giant and Transalp bikes, which were also included in last year's test, it's pretty easy to see why. The Mondraker Foxy R and the Conway WME 329, on the other hand, are new additions to our test field. To check what changes when you spend 1000 euros more or less, we tested the new Canyon Spectral CF 29 for 3999 euros and the Rose Root Miller for 1999 euros.
To clarify the All Mountain category and outline the range of use, we need to go into a little more detail. With 140 to 150 millimetres of travel, the All Mountain category lies between the short-travel trail bikes and the enduro bikes with their now almost standard 170 millimetre forks. The last Enduro test in BIKE 1/21 has once again confirmed that enduro bikes have evolved from downhill all-rounders to specialised downhill bikes. The former all-round claim with a focus on downhill has now been passed on to the all-mountain bikes. Our conclusion in the 2020 all-mountain test The answer to this question was: Anyone who has described themselves as an enduro rider in recent years will now be happier with an all-mountain bike.
This finding underpins the current trend that bikes are generally becoming more downhill orientated, regardless of the category. So if you're looking for a new mountain bike to do exactly what you've always done on your old one, you should definitely look at the category below. Modern geometries with slacker head angles and longer wheelbases give bikes more confidence on the descents, regardless of how much suspension travel they have. Suspensions that are easy to swallow and powerful brakes push in the same direction. However, in order to tame the existing potential and keep defects to a minimum, the add-on parts, wheels and, last but not least, the tyres must also keep pace. In the spiral of the arms race, the range of use is gradually shifting downhill, while the weight continues to climb.
Which brings us back to our current test field and the question of the extra pound compared to last year. The direct comparison shows that you actually get less for your money this year - as long as it's not about weight.
We tested these eight all-mountain bikes:
- Bulls Wild Ronin 2
- Conway WME 329
- Cube Stereo 140 HPC SL 27.5
- Giant Trance X2
- Mondraker Foxy R
- Transalp Bikes Signature 3 AM LTD 2.0
- Canyon Spectral 29 CF 8.0 (Reference bike 3,999 euros)
- Rose Root Miller 1 (reference bike 1,999 euros)
You can conveniently download the complete comparison test of the eight all-mountain bikes from BIKE 2/2021 as a PDF below the article. The objective concept comparison including the test reports of the bikes costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.
