Aaron Gwin is a marketing disaster. He is living proof that in the end it is the rider who wins the races and not the bike. Whether Trek Session, Specialized Demo or YT Tues, Gwin wins. Nice for his current sponsor, but somehow also sobering. What will happen if a solvent Dutch bike brand soon buys the exceptional talent and a women's bike with drum brakes wins in Lourdes in 2017? Then all the manufacturers with their super-race bikes and the associated advertising slogans can go and lie down. It's the rider, not the bike. But then what's the point of elaborate comparison tests with timekeeping and all the fuss? Gulp.
Unemployed thanks to Aaron
Thank you very much. But now the test bikes have been ordered, the hotel booked and the test rider signed up. And if you think about it soberly, it does make a difference to all normal people which bike they sit on. Without superhuman abilities, you are grateful for forgiving geometries, plush suspension and a safe riding experience. And without solvent sponsors, the question of cost is often decisive. We think 4000 euros is a lot of money. Nevertheless, that kind of money is just about the ticket to DH sport these days. You won't find all the bling-bling stuff that the pros use to race down the valley in this price bracket. What does that mean for the discount downhillers? Are they second-class bikes? Slow without a chance?
You can find the test results of these downhill racers here:
- Bulls Wild Core
- Canyon Sender CF 7.0
- Commencal Supreme DH V4 Race (FREERIDE tip: Top Core)
- Lapierre DH 727
- Norco Aurum A 7.1
- Specialised Demo 8.1
When you think of Formula 1, you think of carbon fibre. In this test, you will (almost) look in vain for this material. Only Canyon manages to smuggle a plastic frame with an air shock into the test field with the new Sender. Nevertheless, there is an interesting technology offensive to observe: The classic four-bar linkage with a simple rocker link to the shock (Specialized, Norco) is increasingly being replaced by bikes with complex multi-bar linkages influenced by motocross sports (Commencal, Bulls, Canyon, Lapierre). Here, as there, the suspension elements are kept simple. The Boxxer RC with a simple damping cartridge dominates at the front, while the rear is dominated by simple shock models from Fox and RockShox. Few adjustment options mean less stress when tuning, but also few opportunities to conceal deficits in the frame construction. And this is where things get interesting when a man like Marcus Klausmann sits on the test bikes and switches on the stopwatch.
Feeling fast vs. driving fast
The aim of the speed check in this test is to determine the potential of the bikes. According to Marcus, he was always riding at 90 per cent of his maximum on the timed descents. So fast, but still in the comfort zone. The time differences determined must therefore be read differently than the results lists from the last World Cup: the sooner Marcus felt too fast and therefore at the limit, the sooner he reached for the brakes. The reasons for the borderline between feeling comfortable and uncomfortable at high speed are rarely to be found in the geo, but often in set-ups that are too tight or sub-optimal characteristics of the rear suspension, which reach their limits in rough terrain and pass on impacts to the rider. That doesn't mean that riding the slowest bike was any less fun than riding the fastest. After all, everyone defines riding fun differently. For some, it's agile handling in the bike park, for others it's maximum grip when training for a competition.
CONCLUSION: Not everyone wants to race. Nevertheless, they could try all the bikes in this test. Because they are fast, despite the entry-level price category. But to be as fast on the Demo as on the Commencal, the rider has to take more risks - or have more talent. Which brings us back to the World Cup. At the race in Cairns, the fastest Commencal was in 9th place, won by a certain Loic Bruni. On the demo.
Conclusion from Marcus Klausmann: "I wasn't able to ride all the bikes in this test at a relaxed speed. I felt much faster at the limit on some of them. My clear favourite: the Commencal: fast, safe, super! With this bike, I would go straight to the start line without changing a single screw."
Conclusion from Chris Schleker: "All bikes with Motolink and coil shocks (Lapierre, Bulls, Commencal) were a class above on the trail. The Lapierre also offers agile handling. For me, the perfect bike for racing AND fun."
TESTERS' IMPRESSIONS
Christian Schleker (46): "The geometry and suspension allow extremely high speeds even in this price class. However, this pushes the wheels and tyres to their limits. Not a problem for professionals, but the average cyclist will have a crisis if the tyres are constantly flat and the rims are dented after a day at full throttle. Really fat downhill tyres and tubeless are a must. I think it would be customer-friendly if Procore was fitted as standard - that would protect the rim."
Marcus Klausmann (38): "For me, some manufacturers install components that are too high-quality in this price range and suspension elements that are too simple. An X0 DH groupset and a Boxxer RC (Norco) makes much less sense than an X9 rear derailleur and a Boxxer Team with Charger shock (Commencal)."
Dimitri Lehner (47): "For me, the bikes were very close together. These are rather differences in character, because none of the bikes are bad. The Demo from Specialized is still my handling favourite, but no other bike was as plush, secure and yet agile as the Lapierre."
