High-end downhiller: Artful frame design on the Alutech Sennes 3.0

Team FREERIDE

· 13.09.2024

Through hell: The downhill champion from South Africa, Stefan Garlicki, manoeuvres the Alutech Sennes through "Vali's hell" on the World Cup course in Leogang. Here still with too soft a shock spring.

Creak, creak: At the beginning, the Alutech was one of the quietest bikes. Then it started to creak. The test lab dismantled the front and reassembled it. On another test day, it was the same story: first quiet, then creaking and rattling.

Better harder: Alutech supplied the bike with a 450 spring. This was far too soft for the testers (approx. 82 kilos operating weight).

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Photo: Lars Scharl

The Alutech Sennes 3.0 can't decide whether it wants to be a downhill racer or a freerider. Overall, a successful all-rounder that also looks good. The recommended frame size and spring were points of criticism.

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Cult designer Jürgen Schlender's Nordschmiede has been around since 2001, and the boss still welds his aluminium bikes himself near Kiel. Alutech has never managed to make the leap to the big players, which is fine with sworn Alutech fans. Alutech bikes don't have to put up with the accusation that they are "off-the-peg goods".

What few people know: Alutech boss Jürgen Schlender was the first ever to launch a 29-inch downhiller on the market (2017), at that time still with a 27.5-inch fork - because the right fork did not yet exist. But now to the current Sennes, the third evolutionary stage. The bike is available as a 27.5, Mullet or All-29 version. Striking: the slack 61.4 steering angle.

Photo: Lars ScharlBetter harder: Alutech supplied the bike with a 450 spring. This was far too soft for the testers (approx. 82 kilos operating weight).

Alutech Sennes 3.0: Initially too small and too soft

With hindsight, we know: Frame size L would have suited us and the other test bikes better. On the trail, we quickly became friends with the Alutech Sennes 3.0. At the beginning of the test track, the Alutech spoils the rider with riding comfort, but as soon as the World Cup track starts to really get rough with steps, rocks and roots, we lacked the necessary progression and the rear end started to bounce.

Despite the right sag, we swapped the spring (500 instead of 450), pumped up the fork via the recommendation and raised the front end. Lo and behold, the bike now seemed much more harmonious and fluttered more willingly over bumpy sections. In a direct comparison, the Senna had to beat the competition by YT Tues, Propain Rage and Commencal Supreme but still let it go. Racer or freerider? "Something in between", summarised one tester. Because the bike develops solid pop on park tracks.

Conclusion on the Alutech Sennes 3.0

The Alutech Sennes is a successful all-round big bike. More freerider than race bike. Tip: Speed junkies should choose a size larger. The frame design is a true work of art made of aluminium.

I would have liked to ride the Senna in frame size L and All-29. The bike absorbed small bumps perfectly, but at speed and on hard hits the bike was clearly too soft with the 450 spring. - Stefan Garlicki (height: 1.84 m)

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