Top-class sport is hard work. If you want to be at the top of the podium on Sunday, you have to chastise yourself. Weighing noodles, stretching your thighs with a pained face and sweating for hours on the exercise bike in winter. Sacrifices that you have to make for success. On top of that: The high-powered racing bikes with stubborn handling and minimal comfort often made the descent a rough hussar ride in the past. Riding fun? Not a chance! This should now be a thing of the past. The eleven cross-country bikes in our test group dispel the prejudices about their genre and bring riding fun back to the racing circuit. With plenty of comfort and harmonious geometries, they extend the range of use of hardtails beyond the closed-off race track. Modern racing bikes can do more than just ride fast uphill.
You can find these race hardtails in the test:
Race hardtails over 6000 euros:
- Corratec Revolution 29 SL XTR
- Ghost Lector World Cup UC
- KTM Myroon 29 Sonic 12
- Merida Big.Nine 9000 (BIKE-TIP: Test winner)
- Niner Air 9 RDO Race
- Scott Scale RC 900 SL
- Storck Rebel Nine Platinum G3
Race hardtails up to 5000 euros:
- Canyon Exceed CF SLX 8.9 Pro (BIKE-TIP: Consignor)
- Cube Elite C:68 Race
- Radon Jealous 9.0 SL
- Specialised Epic Pro Carbon WC HT
3600 to 10000 Euro
Because the European Central Bank has tightened the guidelines for creditworthiness, we have divided the test field into two classes. The first group of seven top models from specialist dealers requires a generous overdraft facility from your bank. Ghost actually wants 10,000 euros for its luxury racer, while Scott is also asking a proud price of 8,600 euros. Nevertheless, the other brands are satisfied with 6000 to 7000 euros. Our professional testers' jaws dropped at such high prices. After all, Simon Stiebjahn and Markus Schulte-Lünzum haven't paid anything for their equipment for a long time. One of the pleasant sides of being a professional mountain bike rider. Cube and Specialized are declaring war on the budget killers from group one with more affordable mid-range models under 5000 euros. The two mail-order companies Canyon and Radon are even sending their thoroughbred racers into the race for the test victory for less than 4000 euros.
The magical 1-kilo mark The fact that six of the eleven 2017 test bikes are on the starting line with a brand new frame design shows that there is a trend reversal in cross-country hardtails. The carbon fibre chassis from Scott, Merida and Canyon have frame weights well below the prestigious 1000 gram mark (Radon is only just above this at 1030 grams). Lightweight frames make lightweight complete bikes possible. The fact that the racing bikes from Merida and Scott weigh less than nine kilos (with pedals) is the logical consequence of lightweight frame construction. Heavier chassis such as those from Ghost or KTM can only achieve such a record weight with tyres that are only partially suitable for off-road use.
Despite the weight savings, the engineers have also significantly improved the comfort of the new bikes. The flex of the seatpost is measured meticulously in the BIKE lab. Last year, even the most comfortable bikes barely managed a seatpost flex of seven millimetres. With the exception of Specialized, all current test candidates crack this value. The majority of our selection even went one better - hardtail riding has never been as comfortable as in 2017.
In the BIKE lab, the new vintage has already given us a taste of its capabilities. Can the race hardtails realise this revolution in practice? To create realistic test conditions, we travelled to Obertraun in Austria. A permanent race track has been created at the foot of the Dachstein at great expense, which is in no way inferior to a modern World Cup track. The crushed sand piste is littered with countless berms and poisonous counter-climbs. The flowing rhythm of the descents is repeatedly interrupted by nasty stone or root fields and daring jumps. Not even our professional testers can manage the challenging course at a leisurely pace - the test laps of 3.8 kilometres and 149 metres in altitude demand everything from both the equipment and the riders.
Eagle replaces Di2 Simon Stiebjahn was amazed even before the first test lap: "Don't we have a bike with electronic Di2 shifting?" The answer is yes: Sram's new 12-speed drivetrain with Eagle technology has overtaken Shimano's electric drivetrain. It is lighter and, with just one chainring and a cassette with a large 50-tooth sprocket, achieves almost the same gear range as Shimano's two-speed drivetrain. On the test track, however, the 12-speed technology proves to be very sensitive, so precision is required when making adjustments. The few bikes with Shimano's conventional XTR groupset change gears smoothly, even when climbing under load.
Specialized, Corratec and Cube lag a little behind in the sprint towards the summit, but even these slightly heavier bikes still climb at a very high level. It was to be expected that the light bikes would have no shortcomings when climbing. But do the nine-kilo bullets really deliver the promised riding fun on singletrack?
Reserves for the downhill The days of 120 mm stems are also over in the cross-country sector. With stem lengths of between 70 and 90 millimetres and wide handlebars, the hardtails all impress with their direct handling. The predominantly 2.2 tyres also ensure good grip and a high level of comfort. The former hussar ride over root carpets becomes controlled downhill fun, not least thanks to the good function of the current suspension forks. Storck has even given its Rebel a fork with 115 millimetres of travel, giving it even more reserves on rough terrain. Are the Hessians ahead of their time? But even with the other bikes, riding manoeuvres and speeds are possible that would have made you famous as a freerider not so long ago. Yes, the latest vintage of hardtails is indeed heralding a trend reversal. If you have ambitious competition plans for 2017, you will still have to put in a lot of effort in preparation, but in addition to their excellent climbing abilities, these bikes are actually more fun than ever on the downhill.
With such high prices for a hardtail, the idea of investing in a race bike is an obvious one. Even the pros in the Cross-Country World Cup and in stage races now predominantly use full-suspension bikes in the battle for victory. Markus Schulte-Lünzum doesn't just see the advantage downhill: "I'm hardly faster downhill with a fully than with a hardtail. Nevertheless, I accept the extra weight, because with the rear shock I can also pedal better on root passages and get less tired from small bumps." In addition to the actual test group, we also had the Focus One with us for a direct comparison. On the climbs, the extra weight of the Racefully of approx. 1.5 kilos was clearly noticeable. The fully cannot keep up with the exhilarating light-footedness of a nine-kilo hardtail. Thanks to the rear shock, the One is a little more composed on the downhill. However, the longer wheelbase compared to the test field makes the fully less manoeuvrable. Riders with less technical skills will sacrifice uphill performance for more confidence downhill.
OR WOULD YOU PREFER A FULL INSTEAD OF A HARDTAIL?
With such high prices for a hardtail, the idea of investing in a race bike is an obvious one. Even the pros in the Cross-Country World Cup and in stage races now predominantly use full-suspension bikes in the battle for victory. Markus Schulte-Lünzum doesn't just see the advantage downhill: "I'm hardly faster downhill with a fully than with a hardtail. Nevertheless, I accept the extra weight, because with the rear shock I can also pedal better on root passages and get less tired from small bumps." In addition to the actual test group, we also had the Focus One with us for a direct comparison. The extra weight of the Racefully of approx. 1.5 kilos was clearly noticeable on the climbs. The fully cannot keep up with the exhilarating light-footedness of a nine-kilo hardtail. Thanks to the rear shock, the One is a little more composed on descents. However, the longer wheelbase compared to the test field makes the fully less manoeuvrable. Riders who are less technically adept buy more confidence on the descents by sacrificing uphill performance.
Weight: 10,6 kg / Spring travel: 100/110 mm / Impeller: 29" / Price7999 Euro
CONCLUSION by BIKE editor Ludwig Döhl: These hardtails are best described in one word: Riding fun! The light-footed acceleration uphill pulls the corners of your mouth upwards, while the direct handling downhill is impressive. The difference between the expensive top models and the supposed middle class is minimal. These bikes not only feel at home at the start of a marathon, but also cut a fine figure on long tours.
THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE TEST TEAM
Simon Stiebjahn (right): The 26-year-old from the Black Forest is a complete rider. In his still young career, he has already been German vice-champion in the marathon and sprint, and most recently won the cross-country national league final in his home town of Titisee-Neustadt. However, his heart beats for stage races such as the Cape Epic or the Transalp Challenge, which he competes in together with Team Bulls.
Markus Schulte-Lünzum (centre): The 25-year-old from North Rhine-Westphalia is regarded as an excellent technician in the scene. He is currently the German cross-country champion and works for the Focus XC team. His greatest international success was winning the overall World Cup in the U23 class in 2013. In 2017, he wants to show that he is also one of the top riders in the elite category.
THE TEST TRACK
Whether it's a twisty hairpin bend or a flowing berm, a nasty counter-climb or a root-ridden descent, the race track in Obertraun (Upper Austria) has it all. Each test bike had to ride around the varied course six times before the testers made their judgement. The Austrians have even applied to host a World Cup in 2018. The man-made course certainly has the potential. The track can be used for training purposes at any time. In conjunction with the sports and leisure centre located right next to it, it is also ideal for holding a training camp for clubs. www.bikearena-obertraun.at
The details of the race hardtails
The geometries and equipment in this test field are very similar despite the price difference, leaving the manufacturers with only detailed solutions to stand out from the crowd.
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