Telescopic seatpost, four-bar rear suspension or an elaborate suspension strut that can be locked from the handlebars. The hardtail doesn't need any of this to provide its rider with off-road fun. Admittedly, anyone who thinks they can ride downhill on the hardtail on tough enduro trails in winter is mistaken. The rigid rear end and the 100 millimetres of suspension travel on the fork quickly reach their limits in rough terrain. But on easy to moderately difficult trails, neither cross bikes nor gravel bikes can come close to the original mountain bike - represented by the Bulls Copperhead 29 RS - keep up. If you spend the summer on a fully with 130 millimetres of suspension travel and more, you can also train your riding technique on a hardtail in winter. After all, you need a lot of feel on the handlebars to get over root carpets or stone fields quickly.
On the gravel track, the disadvantages compared to the other two test bikes are minimal. Once the 2.5-kilo heavier bike has accelerated to the right speed, you'll even be pleased that not every pebble the rear wheel rolls over triggers a twitch in your spinal cord. The wide tyres not only provide adequate grip off-road, but also increase comfort in addition to the comfortable riding position. Even on steep climbs, the 2x11 gear system has the right gears at the ready. The road bike version of Sram's 1x11 drivetrain, installed on the other two bikes, requires a little more tension from the calves. If you want to avoid trails altogether in winter, you can also install a rigid carbon fork in your hardtail. This makes the hardtail around a kilo lighter and makes maintenance even easier. Depending on the fork, this costs between 200 and 500 euros.
PLUS Of all three bikes (hardtail, cross bike, gravel bike), the hardtail has the widest range of use from gravel to easy trails. Wide tyres offer significantly more comfort and grip off-road. Wide, straight handlebars ensure good control on easy trails. Wide 2x11 gear range.
MINUS Compared to the other two bikes, the hardtail weighs 2.5 kilos more and is therefore a little slower when accelerating and climbing. The suspension fork is susceptible to corrosion.
Info www.bulls.de
Stefan Loibl, test editor BIKE: For me, hardtail riding is the epitome of mountain biking. The rigid rear triangle ensures direct propulsion. The wide tyres provide significantly more comfort and grip in direct comparison to the other two bikes. The higher weight is no reason for me to limit myself with another bike in winter.
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