Hamburg is not the "land of mountains". What is developed in the Hanseatic city can therefore have its own character. After all, the Stevens brand is more synonymous with CC racing than mega-racing. With the Glide, the developers have put a rather sporty all-mountain bike on the fat tyres (now even in 2.4 inches), as they did in 2011. The 140 mm of suspension travel matches this. Compared to the competition, the Glide is almost light-footed on the climbs and is one of the top three in the group. The rear end responds sensitively and provides a comfortable ride. There is no levelling adjustment on the fork. It was foreseeable that you wouldn't be able to let Danny Hart hang out on the downhill with the Glide. The bike warns you to be careful with early understeer, you have to be more careful than with the Cube, Giant, Canyon or Radon. In addition, the Float fork doesn't release the travel. 120 of 140 mm were usable on the test ride. At first, it dives a lot and then becomes progressive, which was unusual and is hopefully an isolated case. For 2199 euros (the cheapest test bike), the spec is generous. The rear thru-axle requires a 5 mm Allen key - that's annoying. Attention: Size 18 inch is compact.
PLUS Sensitive rear, well equipped
MINUS Bolt-on thru axle, fork cannot be lowered
Conclusion: The Glide SX is a sporty all-mountain bike. Favourable price, honest equipment.
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