Continuous test performance: 3,430 km / 38,200 altitude metres
When neither the marathon chase nor the briskly ridden touring kilometres were able to cause the carbon speedster any significant wear and tear, I crowned the endurance test with a day in the downhill park. Rarely have I been so impressed by the character and puncture record of a bike. Uncomplicated, speedy, stiff, solid. I wanted to start singing its praises with the computer keyboard. That's when I decided to take the 27.5-inch Rebel on one last kilometre hunt - at the Cape Pioneer Trek in South Africa, the toughest of the world's toughest stage races.
The prologue lap was only 15 kilometres long. The stony surface immediately cut up both Racing Ralphs like a condor's claw through carrion. The chain broke twice in the heated shifting. Five kilometres after the start of the first stage, the XTR rear derailleur died in the sticky mud during a shifting attempt. I suffered through 100 tough kilometres with the singlespeed emergency solution, while the outer guide plate of the XTR derailleur broke. The rough second stage resulted in a figure of eight in the rear wheel, but this could be centred without any problems. On day four, the brake pads were worn out. When I replaced them, I saw the crack in the seat tube. I made a clamp from a can of Fanta and ventured out on the nasty, rainy fifth stage, where the brake pads I had fitted the day before died after 30 kilometres. I braked for 40 hellish kilometres with the soles of my shoes alone, which was a real strain on my nerves. In the end, the Rock Shox stopped working. Unbelievable, but that's how it happened.
ConclusionWear and tear is not just a question of the material, but of the circumstances. The Storck was a faithful companion for nine months. The conditions in South Africa were probably just a little too extreme.
Functionality *****
Durability **
(max. 6 stars)
Defects
- 1600 km - brake pads/chain: brake pads and chain still OK, but replaced as a precaution
- 2920 km - tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph slashed, replaced with Continental X-King
- 2925 km - derailleur/front derailleur: XTR derailleur torn off, XTR front derailleur torn - replaced
- 3290 km - brake pads/frame: Brake pads replaced, frame crack discovered (seat tube)
- 3320 km - pads/fork: pads down, Rock Shox Revelation completely stiff (seals defective)
What Storck says
At the time of going to press, Storck were unable to make a final statement on the frame crack as the inspection was still ongoing. An inspection by BIKE revealed that the installed 31.6 mm Storck seat post only has a diameter of 31.4 mm in the lower section, but the seat tube measures almost 32 mm at the crack. The cause was apparently an inaccurate fit that allowed the seatpost to "work". The 2014 model has been revised.
