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Anyone wanting to buy a mountain bike this year has two problems: On the one hand, manufacturers are advertising so many mountain bikes in a wide range of categories on their websites and in catalogues that it is difficult to make a purchase decision in this abundance. Secondly, bike shops have been so empty during the coronavirus-related contact restrictions that most models are simply out of stock. It's a dilemma that also faced our two reader testers Stuart and Alessandro. Although both have been flirting with biking for some time, neither of them has yet been able to bring themselves to buy a bike. Alessandro explains his reluctance quite simply: "If there are 100 bikes in my preferred price range, there's a 99% chance that I'll buy the wrong bike."
The constantly growing selection on the market not only overwhelms our beginners, but also mountain bikers with many years of experience. We have therefore ordered eight test bikes from four different categories and are now meeting at the foot of Munich's Müllberg for a test ride. The climb up to the wind turbine and the subsequent singletrail descent serve as the test track for our category comparison. After hours of research and numerous consultations in shops, will our two readers finally find the right bike for them?
You can conveniently download all the test duels of these 8 entry-level bikes from BIKE 8/20 as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.
- Duel hardtails: Stevens Applebee / Cannondale Trail 2
- Duel trail bikes: Canyon Neuron AL 7.0 / Rose Ground Control 3
- Duel All Mountains: Vitus Escape 29 VR / Drössiger One 29 SX Eagle
- Duel Enduros: Transalp Signature ED III X12 2.0 / Conway WME 227
You can find this article in BIKE 8/2020. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
