"This is a pretty decent touring bike" - a few years ago, this assessment had a very negative connotation within the editorial team. It characterised bikes that nobody really enjoyed - real bores. Today, however, if you want to earn the title of "good touring bike", you have to put in a lot of effort. We tested ten luxury-class enduro bikes.
Noble components: The quality of XTR or XT components needs little comment. With one exception: The combined brake/shift levers of the XTR may be justified on wide gravel paths, but the moving brake levers take some getting used to on technical terrain. Otherwise: only satisfied faces about the equipment. Stem, handlebars, wheels - with prices ranging from 3200 to almost 7000 euros, functional, sometimes very elegant add-on parts can be found everywhere.
Special attention is therefore paid to the chassis of the noble enduro bikes. They should be light, as robust as possible and, depending on the route profile, comfortable or sporty and firm. The testers had a clear favourite when it came to forks: Fox. The RLC Talas on Specialized and Storck sets standards. No good enduro bike without travel adjustment? The manufacturers try to come as close as possible to the ideal of universal suspension in various ways.
The bikes in this test:
Cannondale Jekyll 2000, Fusion Hype Enduro, Hot Chili Rampage XTR, HT Bikes SLK 2000, Kona Dawg Primo, Rocky Mountain ETS X-70 LTD, Rotwild RFC 01, Specialised S-Works M5, Storck Organic Light, Votec M6 Light
