This is also reflected in the overall weight. Together with the much more expensive enduro bikes from Canyon and Santa Cruz, the Swoop remains under the 16-kilo mark even with pedals. As the riding position is slightly sporty and the front end is low, the Radon is one of the best climbers in this test field. The Schwalbe tyres also roll well, even though the wheels weigh the most. Even with the shock open, the rear end remains very stable when pedalling and only pumps a little. The other side of the coin is the poor response behaviour of the rear suspension. As soon as you hit roots and rocks, there is a lack of traction and comfort. Downhill, the Swoop impresses with its intuitive handling.
The bike is easy to ride, comes out of corners quickly and strikes the right balance between smoothness and manoeuvrability. However, the biggest shortcoming here is the function of the rear suspension. In combination with the Rockshox Superdeluxe shock, the Enduro falls short of our expectations. Fast bumps reach the rider unfiltered, and the rear end hardens when braking on steep sections without generating braking traction. The long seat tube means that the saddle can't be lowered as far, which annoyed some riders. Just like on the Cube, the poorly vented Magura front brake caused problems. Hopefully just an isolated incident: our test bike had play in the rear triangle.
PLUS: Very good propulsion, sporty position with lots of pressure on the front wheel
MINUS: Too tight shock setup, long seat tube, play in the rear triangle, no bottle cage possible
Conclusion on the Radon Swoop 9.0:
The Radon Swoop best describes the term "classic enduro" and impresses with its good-natured handling. Thanks to the good propulsion, the Radon is also fun on flat trails. The stiff rear end and the bearing play prevent a better rating. - Laurin Lehner, Editor FREERIDE
Technical data Radon Swoop 9.0 (2022)
General information
- Price: 3099 euros, available by mail order
- Suspension travel: 170 / 168 mm
- Frame material: carbon/aluminium
- Frame size: M / L / XL (tested in L, 47 cm)
Equipment
- Fork: Rockshox ZEB Select Charger Damping
- Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+
- Crank: Sram GX Eagle
- Gear system: Sram GX Eagle 1 x 12
- Ratio / bandwidth: 30; 10-52 / 520 %
- Brake system / Disc (front / rear): Magura MT5 / 203 mm / 203 mm
- Telescopic post / stroke / Ø: Radon Comp. dropper / 150 mm / 31.6 mm
- Wheels: Sun Ringlé Düroc SD37
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary / Big Betty SuperTrail TL easy EVO Addix Soft 29 x 2.40
- Ease of maintenance: medium
The results of the Radon Swoop 9.0 in the complete comparison test of the 6 enduro bikes in the Enduro Special from BIKE 6/2022 can be conveniently downloaded as a PDF below the article.
The test report costs 1.99 euros. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't charge for them, but the opposite is the case: we do charge for them - tens of thousands of euros every year.
