How important is a lightweight bike to you? Very? Sure, otherwise you wouldn't be reading a test with race bikes. But would you invest 3278 euros to save 830 grams?
The pricing of race bikes is similar to that of air resistance. This is because it increases quadratically with speed. In other words, the faster you pedal, the harder you hit an invisible wall. Once you've reached a certain speed, a certain level, you have to invest a disproportionate amount in order to go one better. Which brings us back to the price. Measured against the BIKE 8/18 race fullys tested by the World Cup pros, the current fullys cost an average of 3278 euros less. Quite a lot of money. However, the weight saving is only 830 grams. Even the wheels, which are decisive for a lively riding experience, were only 145 grams lighter in this test. Seen in this light, our current test fleet, which costs between 3699 and 4999 euros, is a damn good compromise between price and weight. In theory. But in practice? The two cross-country pros Georg Egger and Ben Zwiehoff took us to the race track in Obergessertshausen, Egger's home track. In their luggage: six hardtails and four fullys.
You can find the entire article with information on these marathon bikes, including points tables and an overview of grades, as a PDF in the download area below:
RACE-HARDTAILS
- Bulls Black Adder SL
- Cannondale F-SI Carbon 2
- Santa Cruz Highball C S
- Simplon Razorblade III SL
- Specialised Epic HT Expert
- Wiawis Hexion 29 R
RACEFULLYS
- BMC Fourstroke 01 two
- Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0 Pro Race
- Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 1
- Scott Spark RC 900 Team
You can find the complete comparison test including all data, points tables and the score overview in BIKE 1/2019. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
