The brand-new Radon Jab MX enters the stage with a declaration of war and was reduced by a whole € 800 to € 3599 just in time for the editorial deadline. Given the current discount battles, this might not sound surprising at first, if it weren't for the fact that it is a completely newly developed full carbon fibre framewhich only recently came onto the market. In order to build on the old virtues of its predecessor, which still rolled on 27.5 inch wheels, the new Jab MX was also designed with an attractive weight in mind. At just 14.5 kilos without pedals, the mission has been accomplished. This means that the new Jab, even with the 29-inch front wheel, keeps the competition at a distance of between one and three kilos.
The Radon Jab achieves this distance not only with the carbon frame and the lightweight wheels, but also thanks to the slimmer Rockshox Lyrik with 160 millimetres of travel. Although the Lyrik suspension fork seems somewhat undersized compared to the Rockshox Zeb or Fox 38, the fork, which already comes with the new Charger 3.1 damping cartridge, showed itself from its best side and shone with absorption capacity and sensitivity.
On the freeride trail on the Geisskopf, we only noticed the shorter travel and slightly lower stiffness in a few sections. Radon relies on a Fox Float X2 shock as a counterpart at the rear on all three model variants. This provides comfort and yet enough back pressure. Definitely a good choice that makes the new Radon frame platform the most potent jab of all time.
Radon Jab MX with lots of flex
Our stiffness test bench confirms the impressions from the practical test and certifies that the Radon Jab MX has low frame stiffness for both the main frame including the fork and the rear triangle. However, both values are still in the green zone and support the forgiving ride feel. Only particularly heavy, aggressive riders might miss some precision.
The very low weight dominates with every turn of the cranks. The Radon Jab MX accelerates willingly, is effortless to steer and pleases with its lively handling. The geometry of the bike has increased in length and smoothness thanks to the slacker head angle and the increased reach. The front end is also high enough to stand nicely behind the cockpit on steep downhills. However, the frame stiffness, shorter fork and low weight make the Jab a little more nervous than some of its heavier competitors on fast berms.
King of the bandwidth
There is no other enduro bike in this comparison that better harmonises weight and propulsion with decent downhill performance. If you're looking for an enduro bike with the widest possible range of use, the new Radon Jab MX is the bike for you. Only on very steep climbs does the new Jab pedal slightly from behind. Here it helps to push the saddle forwards a little and insert the shock platform. Deductions are made for the cheap gearing and the less powerful and undefined Magura MT5 brakes.
Equipment Radon Jab MX 9.0
- Fork: Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Performance
- Gear system: Sram NX/GX, 1 x 12
- Gear ratio / bandwidth: 32; 10-52 / 520 %
- Brakes: Magura MT5 203/203 mm
- Telescopic support/stroke: SDG Tellis / 150 mm
- Wheels: DT Swiss E1900
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai/Minion DHR II Exo+ Maxxgrip/-terra 29/27.5 x 2.5/2.4
Measured values
- Total weight: 14.54 kg (without pedals)
- Weight of wheels: 5085 g
- Acceleration of running wheels: 3820 kg x cm²
RATING: The BIKE judgement is made up of the subjective impressions of the test riders and our laboratory measurements. The judgement is independent of price. Range of grades: very good (0.5-1.5), good (1.6-2.5), satisfactory (2.6-3.5), sufficient (3.6-4.5), poor (4.6-5.5).
Conclusion Max Fuchs, BIKE editor
The new Radon Jab MX can be connected to the good virtues of the predecessor and delivers the best all-round characteristics with increased downhill performance.
