PRICE Good models from €1000
WEIGHT 8 to 11.5 kilos (without pedals)
FEDERWEG 100 mm
AREA OF APPLICATION Tours on tarmac, gravel and easy trails, marathons or cross-country races
Not only beginners benefit from the low weight, low price and easy maintenance. Racers also appreciate the fact that nothing gives or bobs at the rear when you pedal. The bikes are also less vulnerable due to the lack of rear suspension. The developers of race hardtails work with carbon and trim the frames to minimise weight while maximising stiffness. The finest components are used in the battle for every gram less. This is why you will also find very expensive bikes in this spartan category weighing eight kilos or more. They are also stingy with suspension travel: 100 millimetres on the fork is the rule. So these are not bikes for rough trails. The niche of trail hardtails with longer-travel forks does little to change this.
Bulls Black Adder SL
In 2019, the Black Adder is better than ever. The stiff, voluminous frame in combination with the comfort support makes the 9-kilo bike the king of climbing. The Team Bulls riders had an early say in the development of the new frame, and the geometry update pays off in terms of handling. A longer reach, the 69.5-degree steering angle and the wide cockpit with short stem are decisive factors here. High steering precision, direct acceleration, pleasantly stiff - the propulsion impressed the test riders. The Black Adder can be steered unerringly and calmly. Although it could be more manoeuvrable for winding routes, it is perfect for a marathon. The 2.1 inch wide Schwalbe Thunder Burt Evo Liteskin (not suitable for tubeless use, low puncture protection, low traction) was less appreciated by the testers.
Price 3999 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 8.65 kilos without pedals
Spring travel front: 100 mm
Tested in BIKE 1/19
BIKE judgement very good
Cannondale F-SI Carbon 2
The combination of progressive geometry and Lefty fork made the F-Si unbeatable downhill. This secured the bike victory in the race hardtail comparison test. No other suspension fork in this class is currently as sensitive and direct as the Ocho. It steers extremely finely and steers the rather soft frame on the ideal line through technical passages. The slack steering angle of 68.5 degrees provides additional downhill confidence. However, the climbing characteristics must also be right for a test victory: The test riders liked the sporty riding position straight away. Their assessment: "It feels fast." With a frame weight of 1280 grams, it is not the lightest bike in the test, but with its all-round convincing riding characteristics, it deserves to win.
Price 4999 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 9.83 kilos without pedals
Spring travel front: 99 mm
Tested in BIKE 1/19
BIKE judgement very good
Canyon Exceed CF SL 6.0 PRO
Price-performance banger with world champion genes: Alban Lakata became marathon world champion on a Canyon Exceed in 2015 and 2017. In addition to Alban's racing bike with the lighter, slightly stiffer CF-SLX frame, Canyon also offers the tested Exceed version with the CF-SL frame. This weighs around 250 grams more and was slightly less stiff in the lab test. However, this difference was not noticeable on the bike. In short, the Exceed CF SL is a very good copy of a world champion bike. The attractive price does not force you to make too many compromises. Although the aluminium seatpost loses the comfort test against the two-piece carbon seatpost of the more expensive model, the components are good and the weight is right: there is little to complain about.
Price 2299 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 10.38 kilos without pedals
Front suspension travel: 100 mm
Tested in BIKE 5/18
BIKE judgement very good
Radon Jealous AL 8.0
With the Jealous, mail-order company Radon defines what you can offer bikers for just 1300 euros. In the current test of hardtails in the affordable category, it impressed the testers both uphill and downhill and secured the test victory. The high-quality equipment for this price category impressed the test crew even on paper. In the end, it passed the practical test with flying colours: The fork (Rockshox Judy), which can be locked from the handlebars, responds well off-road, the easy-rolling Schwalbe Racing Ray/Ralph tyre combination accelerates well on lightweight Crossmax wheels from Mavic, and the Magura brakes, which are also easy to modulate, decelerate reliably. Downhill, the low bottom bracket provides playful confidence with good directional stability. In short, the Jealous is an all-round successful hardtail with a wide range of uses.
Price 1299 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 11.96 kilos without pedals
Spring travel front: 101 mm
Tested in BIKE 4/19
BIKE judgement good
Simplon Razorblade 29 SL
The Razorblade narrowly came out on top against the Centurion Backfire Carbon 4000 in the duel between two top-class uphill machines in the November issue. The victory of the Simplon was due to the small differences: First and foremost, the Razorblade's frame is one of the lightest on the market at just 889 grams. The front is comparatively low and the riding position is quite sporty, even for a race bike. On the climbs, it felt unusually direct and lively. Its short chainstays make the bike manoeuvrable. However, as a hot-blooded racehorse, it was slightly nervous downhill and had to be kept in check by the rider. However, the experienced test riders did not see this as a shortcoming, but described it as a typical characteristic of a very fast race bike.
Price 6904 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 8.55 kilos without pedals
Spring travel front: 101 mm
Tested in BIKE 11/18
BIKE judgement super
Specialised Chisel Comp
The Chisel Comp was not able to challenge the Radon Jealous for the test victory in the test of affordable aluminium hardtails. However, the Specialized took second place and the tip for the best specialist dealer bike in the test because it became the test riders' favourite on the test course. Even the look of the frame was pleasing, the workmanship with fine joints instead of clumsy welding beads made an impression. During the test rides, the bike was immediately sporty to push forward. The filigree seat post and voluminous 2.3-inch tyres offered comfort and noticeably filtered out the bumps. The Chisel was a lot of fun for the testers, especially downhill, because its wide cockpit made it easy to manoeuvre playfully from one bend to the next.
Price 1549 Euro
Wheel size 29"
Weight 11.89 kilos without pedals
Spring travel front: 104 mm
Tested in BIKE 4/19
BIKE judgement good
You can find this article in BIKE 4/2019 in the special "The 37 best bikes 2019". 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:
