Hardtails for 999 euros - if you want to score points in this class, you don't need a drawing board or expensive design software. No staff of engineers and no test benches. Instead, you need a product manager with accounting skills, a good connection to the Far East and a sure instinct.
Just a preliminary explanation for anyone who misses the big innovation brands in this test field. This is because brands with expensive development departments such as Scott, Specialized and the like cannot compete in this price range, or can only do so with difficulty. This is not to devalue these manufacturers, but if you are looking for a top price/performance ratio in this price range, you should orientate yourself towards these image companies.
For our mega test, we only asked manufacturers who are strong in precisely this price segment. And: What is impossible in most other tests, we can realise here: All bikes cost exactly 999 euros - so they are 100 per cent comparable with each other.
NOTE: In the printed points table of the hardtail megatest (BIKE 3/08, page 27), some values have slipped in the criteria of weight, paint quality and guarantee in production. However, the overall scores, the BIKE judgements and the subtotals for the individual bikes are correct (apart from the points for Canyon, which received 117.75 instead of 113.75 due to 6 points for the paint finish, the score remains VERY GOOD).
