The air above the summit of Klínovec, the highest point in the Ore Mountains, is as cloudy as a Czech potato soup. Every five seconds, the seats of the chairlift float out of the dense fog, manned by downhill riders packed full of powder. The scene could be set in a scary 90s gravity film and exudes an aura of root field massacre and rock field rumble. At the same time, we are in search of lovely flow trails. In the seemingly endless forest areas of the Ore Mountains, new trail parks are quietly springing up and turning the region into a flow highlight, or so we were told. With this promise, we were lured on a road trip along the Czech-German border. Our plan: to combine the biking lagoons into a multi-day trip and test trail bikes. So we packed the bus full of exciting novelties and set off for the wild east. Today's stop: the Klínovec trail centre in Boží Dar.
"Full of greed, the Ruby Trail, you'll be amazed!" The call from professional downhiller Erik Irmisch echoes out of the foggy soup and pulls us out of the rigour of the morning drizzle. So off we go, into the highly acclaimed Rubin Trail. Left, right, left. Wave. Right, left, right. Wave, wave, wave. After five minutes, we're almost dizzy and our grins could hardly be bigger. The flow trail runs down the slope like an endless rollercoaster. And lo and behold: on the same trail where downhiller Erik is having a blast showing us the line, we meet a Czech mum with her six-year-old twins. The two offspring can hardly wait to take on the next combination of bends and waves. And that's not because the six-year-olds in the Czech Republic are a bit tougher than those here. It's simply the perfect symbiosis of beginner suitability and riding fun, as if Professor Flow had personally put his hand to it. And that's almost right! Because Tomáš Kvasnicka is responsible for the three new trails in the Klínovec trail park. The Czech who designed the legendary Pod Smrkem trail centre. "An artist," enthuses Erik Irmisch. "He's really got it together." And he has already dived behind the next waves of the Rubin Trail. The route stretches for 7.5 kilometres through the forest. 7.5 kilometres on which you don't have to pedal once. 7.5 kilometres where the brake levers remain largely untouched. Pure riding flow. If you want, you can get back to the top in the brand new four-seater chairlift. The former trademark of the park in Boží Dar, the rustic single chair, stands abandoned a few hundred metres away. The region is upgrading - and focussing on mountain bikers. In addition to the new flow lines suitable for the masses, there is also a tough downhill route that has been well known in the scene for some time. Gravity bikers from the east of Germany, including German champion Max Hartenstern, like to spend their training days here. The stop on the Keilberg is therefore predestined to give our test bikes plenty of downhill metres. An endurance test for our trail bikes, which shows which of the all-rounders is also suitable for tough trail excursions. With a maximum of 130 millimetres of rear suspension travel, only really strong suspension systems can cope with the rough trails.
We tested these trail bikes:
UP TO 4000 EURO:
- Cube Stereo 120 HPC SLT (BIKE TIP: Test winner)
- Fuji Rakan 29 3.3
- Rotwild R.C1 FS 29 Pro
- Storck Adrenic Pro XT
OVER 4000 EURO:
- BMC Speedfox 01
- Cannondale Scalpel SI SE 2
Our test group consists of four bikes between 3500 and 4000 euros. We have added two more expensive bikes on top: the BMC Speedfox and the Cannondale Scalpel SE. Both have just been launched and, with their trail-orientated focus, are the perfect fit for our project. Even though the two newcomers break the price limit at € 6999 and € 4499 respectively and are therefore not in direct competition with the test group, we don't want to hide our riding impressions of these exciting speedsters. The other four bikes are more traditionally orientated: Cube, Fuji, Storck and Rotwild cater more to the target group of sporty touring riders than hard-core trail junkies. Contrary to the current trend, the four candidates come with 2x11 drivetrains. Alpine bikers in particular will be delighted. In the rather flat and hilly terrain of the Erzgebirge, the 1x12 gears of the two more expensive bikes are also fully sufficient. Our test bikes show: The bikes in the 130-millimetre class are more divided than any other category. While Rotwild and Storck have their sights set on long tours with many metres of climbing and even flirt with marathon missions, BMC and Cannondale land with trail fans. Cube and Fuji choose a middle ground. The more demanding the terrain becomes, the more superior bikes with flatter geometry, wider tyres, stiffer forks and adapted cockpits are to classic tourers.
Change of location, 250 kilometres further north: on the shallow trails in the Singltrek Center Pod Smrkem, we are glad to have tyres that roll well and light bikes, as we have to crank up every metre of altitude ourselves. The kilometres add up in the trail frenzy. Around 100 kilometres can be covered until every trail section has been explored. Narrow, good-rolling tyres like the 2.2 Continental X-King on the Rotwild are fun. Especially as the demand for grip and puncture protection is limited. Even narrow-chested tyres and chassis can easily cope with the smooth surface. This also adds to the special charm of this Czech gem, which is remotely located in the border triangle between the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. We meet a colourful group of adolescents at the trailhead. Some of their bikes hardly deserve to be called mountain bikes. The youngsters are wearing jogging bottoms and trainers. With the saddle at half-mast and their rain jackets wide open, they pedal through the maze of bends and waves. A little awkward, but with a big grin on their faces. Parks like the Singltrek Centre make biking a popular sport, everyone has fun here. This is proven by the many families we meet: A mountain bike tour instead of a visit to the zoo. But Pod Smrkem is not just for beginners. Ambitious cross-country bikers will be just as happy as trail lovers who like to play with the terrain and are not just looking for hard rumble trails. Downhill: speed regulates the difficulty, numerous waves invite you to jumps.
In contrast, the root fields in the Rabenberg trail centre seem almost threatening; with less powerful bikes, the ride mutates into a dance on raw eggs. If you want to tackle the tougher trails here, you will need to invest more in grippy tyres and the downhill power of your bike. The narrow tyres on the Rotwild, the very steep steering angle of the Storck: little things that make the difference between grinning and shaking. When it comes to tyre choice, all the bikes take a rather conservative line: the most potent bike, the Speedfox from BMC, is slowed down by its Maxxis Forkaster tyres, just as the Rotwild is slowed down by the very narrow tyre/rim combination. Schwalbes Nobby Nic tyres in 2.35 mm width on the Fuji still offered the most reserves in the test field. To tease the full downhill potential out of the trail bikes, the tread could be a bit coarser and more robust. Also noticeable: Storck, Rotwild, Cube and Fuji rely on the Fox 32 fork or the Revelation from Rockshox. The lower stiffness compared to forks with thicker stanchions, such as the Fox 34 and Rockshox Pike on the Scalpel and Speedfox, is noticeable off-road. On long tours, however, narrower tyres and thinner forks save important pounds.
But back to the surface: root romantics will prefer the circuits in Rabenberg to the slick flow trails in Boží Dar or Pod Smrkem. Even though the trails in Rabenberg were created especially for bikers, some of them come very close to natural trails. A few more bends and a little more flow. The uphill sections are on forest tracks and all the laps are perfectly signposted. The easiest of the 22 descents are also suitable for beginners and children - an advantage that unites all the parks on our trip. We meet young bikers at every stop. One example: the Lorkowski family, who had travelled from the tourist paradise of Zillertal. Although the enthusiastic bikers have the supposed bike Eldorado on their doorstep, their holiday takes place in the Czech-Saxon border region, a mere seven and a half hours' drive north of the Zillertal. Pod Smrkem is perfect for mum, who hasn't had to push her bike once, says Max, the junior of the family, and takes a spin on the Rabenberg pump track. "It's really cool for mum and me here," he shouts as he rides past on his polished kids' bike. The Lorkowskis have completed a similar lap to ours. It's less than 30 minutes by car from Rabenberg to Klínovec and around an hour to the Bike World Schöneck. If you want to include the Pod Smrkem gem, you have to get in the car for another three hours - but it's worth it. Not just for mum, I promise.
Conclusion Florentin Vesenbeckh, BIKE test editor:
The 130 millimetre class is split like no other suspension travel range: from race bikes with marathon genes to potent downhillers. In our test field, only a few candidates found a good compromise, because the 14 kilos of the Fuji are just as inappropriate for an all-rounder in this price class as the steep head angle of over 70 degrees and the unhomogeneous suspension of the Storck. Even if Cube doesn't deliver a racy trail king with the Stereo 120, the bike deserves to win the test with its balanced handling and outstanding spec. For considerably more money - and therefore out of the competition - BMC delivers a well thought-out fun guarantor for demanding tours.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 11/2017 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
A CLOSE LOOK
BMC ushers in a new era of integration with skilful details. In contrast, the Fuji looks a little clunky. Storck swims against the tide with its own solutions.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 11/2017 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
