"That's definitely a 10!" we quickly summarised after the descent. Wow! The bike with the most travel was so plush on the trail that you automatically took your fingers off the brakes and wanted to accelerate to V-max. No other suspension was as convincing downhill as that of the Fanes. We rode it in the shortest setting. The chainstays can be lengthened for a smoother ride. Unnecessary really, because this way the playfulness is retained. Not only can the Fanes handle a lot of speed, it also controls very directly and precisely. That's inspiring! The Alutech with its low top tube for plenty of legroom really tempted us to rock the bike from one turn to the next, to let the rear end swing into a Scandinavian flick or to pull it under our shoulders for a tabletop. A twitch of the wrists is all it takes for it to snap onto the rear wheel and chase down the trail in manual mode. Yeah - freeride! And that brings us to the few critical comments: If you are looking for a competition enduro bike that is strictly geared towards propulsion, the Alutech is not the ideal partner. There are more thoroughbred racers. Despite the steep seat angle, you feel like you're pedalling from behind. Nevertheless, the bike accelerates nimbly and handles climbs comfortably - but uphill is not its favourite discipline. The double-barrel shock can be calmed down a little using the lever - but the additional pressure stage is not very effective. We were really happy with the powerful MT-7 brakes from Magura, but dissatisfied with the DeanEasy tubeless system. It lost air and we swapped the tyres for our standard Maxxis tyres.
ConclusionDownhill, the Alutech was our first choice. The mixture of smoothness and playfulness works perfectly on this bike from northern Germany. From trail to park - the Fanes is always a guarantee of fun!
STRENGTHS Chassis, playful, all-rounder
WEAKNESSES none
Manufacturer information
Distribution Alutech, www.alutech-cycles.com
Material/sizes Aluminium/XS, S, M, LXL
Price/weight without pedals 3999 Euro/13.7 kg
Measurement data
Front/rear suspension travel 180 mm/170 mm
Rear suspension system Four-bar linkage
Equipment
Fork/damper Fox 36 Float 180 RC2 Fit4 Kashima/CaneCreek Double Barrel Air CS
Cranks/gears E13 TRS R/SRAM XO1
Brake system Magura MT-7
Impellers Acros 75 hub/WTB KOM i23 rim, tyreWTB Vigilante TCS FRL 2.3
Performance
Uphill 4 out of 6 points
Downhill 6 out of 6 points
FREERIDE judgement 10 out of 10 points
FREERIDE RANKING: The number (maximum 10 points) reflects the overall impression of the testers and is not an addition of downhill and uphill points. 10 = Test winner, it couldn't be better. 9 = Very good. Recommended purchase. 8 = Solid performance. 7 = Below average. The product has weaknesses. 1 to 6 = We can only warn against this!
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
