Everyone is familiar with the phenomenon of rose-tinted spectacles: at first, everything about your partner seems perfect. But little by little, the first small flaws start to show. Only when the rose-coloured veil clears does it become clear whether a relationship can work in the long term.
We had a similar experience when testing the Radon Slide Trail 9.0 - the winner of our all-mountain group test. With its first-class suspension, low weight and outstanding price-performance ratio, the bike seemed almost perfect to us. We put the Radon through its paces in our endurance test to see whether it could still impress once the initial euphoria was over.
Inventory
Our long-term tester Sergej Harsch has virtually imposed himself on us for this assignment. Why? He wanted a bike with a particularly wide range of uses. He covers a lot of kilometres in the bike park or on enduro tours with lift assistance. A
suspension with plenty of travel was therefore a must. However, the weight should not get out of hand, as commuting to the office or short after-work rides in the Munich area were also in the requirement profile. No problem for the Radon: In the comparison test, we already attested to the excellent suspension of the 150 millimetre travel mail-order all-mountain bike.
While a Float-X shock is used at the rear, a Fox 36 suspension fork with a multi-adjustable Grip2 cartridge smoothes out the bumps on the front wheel. Thanks to the short reach and tight wheelbase, the Radon also remains manoeuvrable and strikes the right balance between composure and agility. In terms of weight, the Slide with its carbon main frame lands under the 15-kilo mark - so you can get to work without breaking a sweat, and touring is fun even without lift assistance.
The practical test
Although, as expected, the Slide didn't turn out to be an uncompromising baller on the numerous visits to the bike park, the superior suspension did a great job and kept the fun factor high. "I particularly like the fact that Radon specifies such a versatile adjustable fork at this price point," emphasises tester Sergej. Also worth mentioning: the aluminium rear triangle. During the test, it took a few knocks and bumps during crashes and transport. "Carbon would have broken long ago!"
The Magura MT5 stoppers were criticised. Even after repeated bleeding, the pressure point kept moving dangerously close to the handlebars. The Maxxis rear tyre with its thin EXO casing turned out to be unsuitable for the area of use and had to make way for Maxxis tyres with a solid double-down casing after several punctures. However, only the brakes suffered extreme wear during the test phase. Both brake discs reached their minimum thickness after numerous parking missions. During the same period, Sergej's usage behaviour also took up four pairs of brake pads.
A thorough check in the laboratory revealed that the 1700 DT Swiss wheels had also suffered from continuous use. Diagnosis: lateral run-out on the rear wheel and both hub bearings were running out of round. Otherwise, the Slide Trail survived the long-term test without any major damage and in retrospect - despite a few minor weaknesses - is convincing even without rose-coloured glasses.
Conclusion on the Radon Slide Trail 9.0 by Sergej Harsch
If I had to buy a bike, I would choose the Radon again. What the Bonn-based company packs into the dispatch box for the current 2799 euros is remarkable. And not just in terms of the quality of the components. There is hardly anything to criticise in terms of durability either. If you're looking for an all-rounder with reserves for the downhill, this is the bike for you.
Technical data and review of the Radon Slide Trail 9.0 all-mountain bike
Mileage: 2230 km | 70,580 altitude metres
Manufacturer information
- Material: carbon / aluminium, size L
- Price: 3199 Euro
Measured values
- Weight: 14.78 kg without pedals
Equipment
- Suspension travel: 151 mm / 149 mm
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Fork / shock: Fox 36 Performance Elite / Float X Performance Elite
>> Here you can find the article: Radon Slide Trail 9.0: BIKE test winner All Mountains 2022 <<
