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Built-in advertising banners hang forlornly in the forest. Here and there, an empty energy gel packet sticks to the dirt. Scraps of fluttering tape line the edge of the track. We follow the tyre tracks through the woods and apple orchards on the southern slopes of Nals, not far from Meran, like sniffer dogs on a scent trail. Less than 24 hours earlier, the international cross-country elite were battling for world ranking points on the same ground. The Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race has been one of the most popular spring classics on the racing scene for years. We used the 22nd edition of the event to test nine race bikes in the footsteps of the pros the following day.
The composition of the bikes in this test differs significantly from our usual comparisons. Instead of only sending race bikes from a certain price category onto the circuit, this test field represents the entire market variety for racing aspirants. Anyone interested in a new race bike these days is no longer faced with the question of whether to buy a fully or a hardtail. Since cross-country legend Nino Schurter won his ninth world championship title on a 120-millimetre fully last year, so-called down-country bikes have also found their place in racing. Flatter geometries, more suspension travel and more powerful tyres are challenging the classic values of race bikes. And rightly so, given the technical demands of modern race tracks. Waist-high drops, blocked stone fields and extremely steep sections are the order of the day, even at regional racing events.
Hobby bikers are faced with completely different questions than the sponsored elite: Which bike is best suited? How much should it cost? And how much fun will the bike give me on the home circuit and without a stopwatch on my neck? Even if the trend is towards second bikes, we all secretly want the widest possible range of use. Our cross-comparison between three hardtails, three race fullys and three down-country bikes should clarify which bike best fulfils these requirements.
You can download the complete comparison test of the 9 race bikes from three different categories from BIKE 6/2022 as a PDF below the article.
The test report costs 1.99 euros. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't charge for them, but the opposite is the case: we do charge for them - tens of thousands of euros every year.
You can find these 9 race bikes in the test:
- Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 2 (Hardtail)
- Radon Jealous 10.0 (Hardtail)
- Storck Rebel.4 Pro (Hardtail)
- Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 2 (Racefully)
- Trek Supercaliber 9.9 XX1 AXS (Racefully)
- Wilier Urta SLR (Racefully)
- BMC Fourstroke 01 LT One (Down-Country)
- Canyon Lux Trail CF9 Emily Batty (Down-Country)
- Scott Spark RC Pro (Down-Country)
Downloads:
Max Fuchs
Editor
