But when you turn off-road, the Beartooth makes itself heard loudly. The chain hits the unprotected chainstay and the somewhat carelessly routed cables rattle against the frame. There is no rear derailleur damping to stabilise the drivetrain. The inexpensive Schwalbe performance tyres dampen worse than the Cannondale's WTB Trailblazer, for example, even at air pressures below one bar. The 130 millimetre long head tube allows the rider to adopt a comfortable riding position. On slow descents, the steep head angle gives the Fuji a lively character - despite the 450 millimetre chainstays. If you increase the speed downhill, however, the Fuji becomes nervous.
ConclusionThe geometry of the Beartooth looks a little outdated. The Fuji feels more comfortable on leisurely tours than on
technical terrain.
PLUS If you want, you can even mount three bottle cages on the Fuji. So you'll never run out of water on hot summer tours.
MINUS The relatively long seat tube and the 824-millimetre standover height can be a problem for smaller riders. Try it out.
The alternative: The Bighorn 27.5 1.3 also rolls on fat tyres and costs 1999 euros. For the extra price, there are partially internally routed cables, a telescopic seatpost and a Rock Shox fork. The geometry remains the same.
