This is exactly the bike that the girls of the Ghost Factory Racing Team torture over CC World Cup tracks. The beefy, aggressive design with angular tube shapes and - without exception - a black and white finish went down well with the testers. The deep, wide and clean cockpit allows the rider to concentrate fully on the trail. With this weapon, bikers are constantly on the throttle, and corners are always taken faster than their own ability actually allows - but the wide rims inflate the Thunder Burts to oversize format and thus extend the limit range. The bottom bracket stiffness, on the other hand, is borderline: with strong bikers, the rear triangle twists so much that the right crank touches the chainstay protector.
ConclusionThe McLaren of bikes: classy, light and sinfully expensive. Bikers over 70 kilos push the Ghost to the limit.
PLUS Five frame sizes, fully equipped
MINUS Extremely expensive, lightweight construction not for everyone
The alternative: The Lector ULC 9 with mechanical XTR drivetrain for 4799 euros is ready to race, but not nearly as overbred. The frame corresponds to that of the top model tested.
Professional conclusion: "The Ghost is almost over the top in terms of lightweight construction. I find it difficult to go full throttle downhill - I feel particularly uncomfortable with the handlebars and saddle. But the wide rims are brilliant."
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