Wolfi pedals across the alpine meadow and struggles to stay on his bike, even though the trail is free of obstacles. With every turn of the cranks, his knees almost grind against his earlobes. The BIKE tester throws himself over the finish line, pulls the U-brake to the limit and jumps off the tiny 12-inch bike. Don't worry, we haven't been taken in by a manufacturer who, after 29ers, 27.5-inch and plus bikes, is now trying to sell us 12-inch bikes with coaster brakes as the new standard. We are in the middle of the Hörnli Trailjagd, the trail and fun event in the Swiss holiday resort of Arosa. The perfect test course for bikes that claim to be the perfect symbiosis of downhill fun and climbing ability. As well as fun games at the mountain huts, the motto of the event is: Ride trails! As many and as fast as possible. We have sent four brand new bikes into this arena, each with an extra dose of exclusivity. From lively trail bikes to racy enduro bikes. Each category promises the perfect all-rounder, but still has its own convincing arguments.
You can find these super-fullys in the BIKE test:
- Ibis Ripley LS
- Santa Cruz Nomad XX1 Reserve
- Scott Genius 900 Tuned
- Trek Fuel EX 9.8
When the Californian forge Ibis presented the new Ripley LS to the public at the Seaotter Festival, the trail bike with its 2.6 inch wide tyres on 29er wheels caused most onlookers to roll their eyes in agony. Another new tyre size? A few months later, Scott followed suit with the new Genius and also put its popular All Mountain on 29er wheels with 2.6 tyres. Are the massive wide tyres really suitable for the masses? At the upper end of the suspension travel scale is the new Nomad from Santa Cruz. A bike that stands for the toughest descents in rough terrain with its 170 millimetres of travel. How agile and capable of climbing does the enduro icon with downhill genes remain? The quartet is completed by the 2018 Trek Fuel EX. When looking at the price range from 5499 euros to 10199 euros, the average biker's breath stops for a moment. The premium touch is primarily due to the early test period. Most manufacturers were not yet able to supply more favourable versions of the new models.
Back to the race (Hörnli trail hunt Arosa): Wolfi grabs his Ripley LS and sprints from the kids' bike station towards the next checkpoint with team partner Tobi, who has taken a seat on Trek's Fuel EX. The two of them are on the supposedly sportier bikes with the mission of making as much time as possible on the climbs. I follow on my enduro bike Nomad with team partner Adrian on the Scott Genius. Wolfi gives the Ripley LS with its wide 29er tyres the spurs and unerringly makes his way up. The Ibis is astonishingly powerful, not a trace of sluggishness. Thanks to the light wheels and the firm, drive-neutral rear triangle, it has the edge on the climbs.
I look sceptically at the ribbon of gravel that winds its way up the mountain behind Wolfi and his bright yellow speedster. For me with my enduro bike, it's all about biting through and chasing after my colleagues with the more suitable bikes. For its pronounced downhill genes, the new Nomad from Santa Cruz climbs surprisingly well, but its uphill performance is inferior to that of its three rivals. The steeper the ramp winds towards the summit, the more dangerously the oxygen content in my brain drops. The performance of my thinking apparatus is just enough for a brief, clear moment. I recognise the Alm Alpenblick, our next checkpoint - but far below us. We are wrong. The realisation follows immediately that neither full-on uphill performance nor wild downhill strength will lead to success on the trail if you don't do your homework when it comes to orientation. After 250 extra metres in altitude, we pull the ripcord and turn around, while "Team Uphill" continues to push towards the summit ahead of us.
The Hörnli Trail Hunt is an offshoot of the popular scavenger hunt in Sölden, the concept of the organisers Karen Eller and Holger Meyer remains the same: teams of two, a map with checkpoints and free choice of route. Use of the mountain railway is permitted. However, those who sit on the gondola benches too often may collect many metres of downhill distance, but will be left behind by hard-working pedallers.
We also feel left behind when we arrive at the second checkpoint after our diversions. However, luck is on our side at the next key point: the Urden cable car saves us a strenuous carry and some time, but only transports hikers and bikers every 60 minutes. We reach the gondola just in time for the descent and meet up with the majority of the starting field as well as our BIKE colleagues. Wolfi and Tobi have put their trail bikes through a tough uphill test and look a little worn out. To make matters worse, they are missing a stamp on the map compared to us.
On the choppy trail to the Urdensee lake, the Nomad's plush suspension finally pays off. It glides effortlessly over the narrow path, which is teeming with hidden stones and steps. Without risking anything and with moderate effort, I can keep up with the pace of my otherwise faster team partner Adrian downhill. The Nomad gives me a lot of confidence and forgives mistakes. We make up time until the next checkpoint at Alpe Löser. Adrian lets his Scott Genius glide elegantly over the trail. The suspension doesn't venture into enduro territory - but it offers just the right reserves for the natural terrain around Arosa. The Twinloc system, which allows the suspension to be locked from the handlebars, is particularly useful on the climbs and undulating terrain back to the town centre. In combination with the low weight, this results in a lively and strong climbing package.
The Nomad and I hum along towards the finish line in the slipstream of the "Wandlungskünstler". After a turbulent race, the presenter announces that Adrian and I are in second place, while Tobi and Wolfgang are still chasing the missed checkpoint. As a consolation, the two of them can probably take the unofficial crown of having pedalled the most metres uphill of the day. That's how it should be for a team that has made the "Uphill" mission its banner.
Conclusion Florentin Vesenbeckh, BIKE editor: Three out of four testers would choose the Genius for an event like trail hunting. It offers the best compromise between downhill fun and climbing ability, and at 12.2 kilos it is also the lightest bike. Trek also offers a strong all-rounder with its most favourable candidate. On the climbs, the agile Ripley LS surprises with the best propulsion. The Nomad cries out for tougher terrain. Downhill, it's in a league of its own. On the rather flat, natural trails, it wasn't able to fully utilise its strengths.
The
complete comparative test including all data, points tables and the score overview
can be found in BIKE 10/2017. You can read the entire issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK-Shop reorder
- while stocks last
:
THE FOUR CANDIDATES IN A TRAIL HUNTING COMPARISON
Santa Cruz Nomad XX1 Reserve
Weight 13.4 kilos
Spring travel 170 mm / 170 mm
Wheel size 27.5 inch
Price 10,199 Euro
PLUS Safe and fast downhill
MINUS Not very lively on the climb
Uphill 2.5 out of 5 points
Downhill 5 out of 5 points
Scott Genius 900 Tuned
Weight 12.2 kilos
Spring travel 151 mm / 150 mm
Wheel size 29 inch
Price 7,499 Euro
PLUS Lightweight and strong climber
MINUS Tyres with limited grip
Uphill 4.5 out of 5 points
Downhill 4 out of 5 points
Trek Fuel EX 9.8
Weight 12.8 kilos
Spring travel 132 mm / 146 mm
Wheel size 29 inch
Price 5,499 Euro
PLUS Sensitive chassis, grippy tyres
MINUS Rear suspension prone to bobbing
Uphill 3.5 out of 5 points
Downhill 3.5 out of 5 points
Ibis Ripley LS
Weight 12.6 kilos
Spring travel 131 mm / 129 mm
Wheel size 29 inch
Price 8,698 Euro
PLUS Very powerful and agile
MINUS Rather tight on the downhill
Uphill 5 out of 5 points
Downhill 3 out of 5 points
The
complete comparative test including all data, points tables and the score overview
can be found in BIKE 10/2017. You can read the entire issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK-Shop reorder
- while stocks last
:
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
