Hardly any other type of bike has had such a wide range of uses as enduro bikes. The emphasis is on "had". In the meantime, enduro bikes have been overbred and mutated into mini big bikes. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. You just need to be aware of it. The all-round crown can now be worn by the Trailduro / All Mountain bike category.
On the downhill, however, the enduro bikes win and come very close to the next higher bike category, freeride. Both in terms of downhill fun and robustness. Here are our favourites (unranked). You can find more enduro favourites further down in the article.
These are our top 3 enduro bikes
Rocky Mountain Altitude C70
In the past, the Altitude has come out on top in several group tests - including against heavyweights like the Specialized Enduro S-Works, YT Capra, Cannondale Jekyll etc. The bad news is that the Altitude has a successor that we haven't tested yet.
The good news: the "old" model is still partly available. After the test, everyone agreed that the Altitude is one of the best enduro bikes we have ridden in recent years. What makes it special: The bike manages the balancing act between fast and playful in an amazing way. Even celebrity tester Christian Textor raved about it at the time (FR 1/22). The Ride 9 adjustment offers the rider a number of adjustment options: Steering angle, bottom bracket, chainstay length - you name it. The Altitude steers happily through turns, pumps effortlessly over bumps and has plenty of pop when the rider wants to pull away from off-road edges. The geometry positions the rider low on the bike and provides plenty of confidence on downhills. The Fox Performance suspension in our model does a great job, smoothing everything out and still providing pleasant feedback. Touring also works very well. The rear suspension tends to bob slightly in open mode and the platform could be more efficient. Cheeky: Rocky charges more than it did back then for this discontinued model. Back then, the bike cost € 6700.
CONCLUSION: The Altitude is fast, playful, manoeuvrable and therefore one of the best enduro bikes on the market. Super!
Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 (tested model)
- Material: Carbon
- Suspension travel: 170/165 millimetres
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Suspension: Fox 36 Performance Elite / Fox Float X2
- Gear system: Shimano XT
- Brakes: Shimano XT
- Wheels: Rocky hubs, Race Face AR 30 offset rims
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip / Maxxis Minion DH II 3C MaxxTerra Exo + tyres
- Sizes: Remaining stock
- Price: 8500 Euro
- Weight: 14.4 kilos (without pedals)
STRENGTHS
> Handling
> Chassis
> Ride 9 geometry
WEAKNESSES
> Price of the discontinued model
Yeti SB165 T3
Are there similarly good bikes for the price? Yes, there are even some* that are available for less than half the price of the Yeti SB 165 T3. But if price is not an issue, the Yeti is at the top of our favourites. The SB 165 T3 is the thickest-stroke model in the cult brand's portfolio.
The suspension responds super-sensitively, is confident even in high-speed passages and still offers defined support to actively push and generate speed. That's how it should be! The geometry is also immediately pleasing and takes little time to familiarise with. Reach, wheelbase and steering angle are in the golden mean and ensure a smooth ride without drifting into extremes or becoming too bulky. The only drawback are the somewhat tame tyres. Uphills are easy despite the 16kg - thanks to the bob-free rear triangle. The slightly sporty riding position is also pleasing and increases propulsion.
CONCLUSION: The Yeti SB 165 is wickedly expensive, but also damn fun to ride. Super: the Switch Infinity Link rear triangle
Yeti SB165 T3 (tested model)
- Material: Carbon
- Suspension travel: 170/165 millimetres
- Wheel size: Mullet
- Suspension: Fox 38 Factory / Fox DHX2 Factory Coil
- Gear system: Sram XO AXS
- Brakes: Sram Code RSC
- Wheels: DT Swiss EX 1700 Spline
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai MaxxTerra Exo+ / Maxxis Minion DHR2 MaxxTerra Exo+ tyres
- Sizes: M, L, XL
- Price: 10890 Euro
- Weight: 16 kilos (without pedals)
STRENGTHS
> Handling
> Chassis
> Rear suspension
WEAKNESSES
> Exorbitant price
> Favourable wheels
Deviate Claymore
The Scottish brand has only been around since 2016, when a mechanical engineer and a bike guide realised their dream. The two friends launched their own bike brand - with success.
The Claymore was one of the big surprises of recent years. The pleasing geometry positions the rider low on the bike. The bike is simply faster than usual. The Claymore willingly releases the suspension travel and ensures composure even on rough terrain. The rear suspension in particular is very sensitive and always keeps its grip on the ground.
Great: Towards the end of the travel, the rear end reacts pleasantly progressively. The suspension fork falls behind and can't keep up with the rear. On tamer trail sections, the Claymore handles precisely and can be steered into turns with a lot of pressure on the front wheel - despite the long main frame. On tour, we liked the compact riding position and the drive-neutral rear end.
CONCLUSION: The underdog impressed across the board. The Claymore is one of the very few enduro bikes that is convincing on the descent and uphill
Deviate Calymore (tested model)
- Material: Carbon
- Suspension travel: 165/170 millimetres
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Suspension: Öhlins RXF38 / Öhlins TTX Air
- Gear system: Shimano XT
- Brakes: Shimano XT
- Wheels: DT Swiss EX 1501 Spline 30
- Tyres: Vittoria Mazza Graphene 2.0 Trail / Vittoria Mazza Graphene 2.0 Trail
- Sizes: M, L, XL
- Price: 3600 Euro (frame only)
- Weight: 14.9 kilos (without pedals)
STRENGTHS
> Rear triangle
> Geometry
> Range of use
WEAKNESSES
> Available complete bikes
> Fork
Other favourite enduro bikes at a glance:
Laurin Lehner
Editor
