The wild seventies, Gary Fisher and his hippie gang, the first cruiser race on Mount Tamalpais. The story is well known. What a bike, this MTB 29er! Matt, shimmering tubes that merge into a sculpture, sometimes gently, sometimes boldly curved. Retro, but not outdated. The geometry is sporty and cutting-edge. Thru axle, tapered head tube, internally routed cables. The components also reflect the present: electronic Di2 XT gears, 3t carbon fork and Mavic's fast Crossmax Pro wheels.
You are fascinated and irritated at the same time: What exactly is it? Rabbit boss Klaus Haas, who develops the frames and has them manufactured by a partner company in Asia, gives the answer: "This is a beautiful bike for every day."
Saddle up, click in. Wow! The frame is stiff. A brute 89 N/mm! The stiffest 29-inch frame ever measured in the BIKE lab. With a frame weight of 2165 grams, which corresponds to the level of a good steel frame. The extended seat stays don't get in the way when pedalling. You sit like on a marathon bike. Comfortable position. Long top tube, short 70 mm stem. Just the way racers like it these days. You can crank it uphill without any contortions, while you are always in control downhill. At least if it's not too bumpy. On rough terrain, the rigid fork shows the rider the limits. You then feel like a wobbly dachshund on a jackhammer. Suspension fork? Would be possible. But the beautiful look! Better not. No question about it.
The MTB 29er Cruiser from Rabbit Cycles can be ridden in a sporty manner. However, the rigid fork, the lack of a second bottle cage mount and the finely knobbed speed tyres limit the range of use.
PLUS Stiff, scratch-resistant, good workmanship, balanced geometry, suspension fork possible (100 to 120 mm travel), many custom options
MINUS Limited range of use, only one bottle cage, frame expensive at 3290 euros
Conclusion: a noble second bike for the well-heeled.
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