The original trekking bike, a fun machine with sporty genes that emerged in the mid-1980s as a cross between a mountain bike and a cross-country racing bike, would today be clearly categorised as a cross bike. It was characterised by narrow, large-diameter studded tyres, wide handlebars, derailleur gears and powerful brakes.
Fast forward almost 30 years ... and we still see the same basic ingredients in 2013. And yet everything is different. The cross bike is developing more and more into a fun machine for easy terrain. Top technology is at the start in the 1200 euro class. Nine bikes in the test.
The most striking evolutionary step is the final farewell to rim brakes. Only two cross bike frames would allow them to be fitted at all, but the existing sockets remain empty. Hydraulic disc brakes are now cheaper to buy and install than the tried and tested hydraulic rim brakes from Magura.
The beefier design is continued on other components of the cross bikes. The most noticeable of these are the sometimes very wide handlebars - a not very sensible quote from the mountain bike sector. This trend is reinforced by the current suspension forks with a creeping approach to the 29er mountain bike. Radon is creeping ahead.
The latest generation Suntour fork has almost eight centimetres of travel, thick (32 mm) stanchions and works brilliantly (even if it contrasts strangely with the narrow tyre on the cross bike). All in all, Suntour has reached a pleasing level with the current air spring generation. The remaining steel spring models from Focus and KTM do a decent job, but are not as perfectly tuned to the rider as an air chamber.
The cross bikes in the test:
Bergamont Helix 8.3, http://www.bergamont.de
Böttcher Cross Lite Premium, http://www.das-richtige-rad.de
Cube Cross Pro, http://www.cube.eu
Drössiger TRA 3.4, http://www.droessiger.de
Focus Crater Lake, http://www.focus-bikes.de
Ghost Cross 7500, http://www.ghost-bikes.com
KTM Life Race, http://www.ktm-bikes.at
Radon Scart Light 9.0, http://www.radon-bikes.com
Stevens Cross 7X Disc SX, http://www.stevensbikes.de
