It was with mixed feelings that we got on the 7.9-kilo lightweight Swiss bike for the last two stages. Would the featherweight tuning parts such as the carbon saddle, handlebars or brake discs hold up? The Swiss definitely deserve the tuning crown for the most effort. The Beryll almost drives you into a frenzy on the climbs, the stiff chassis with the super-light wheels (less than 3 kilos!) is so light-footed that it craves metres in altitude. Thanks to the Fox remote control, you can keep your hands on the narrow 660 mm Schmolke handlebars in CC style. Downhill, however, the agile 29er hardtail requires significantly more work than a full suspension bike and is harder to recover from - borderline for eight days on the Transalp. In addition, the tuned brake discs are very hard on the pads, so they wouldn't have lasted two stages in the rain. For frequent drinkers: there would have been room for a second bottle.
Conclusionfeatherweight climber; tuned with a lot of effort and lightweight parts; borderline for eight days!
