Is the mountain bike becoming a luxury item? Are single trails the golf courses of tomorrow? The carbon race bikes of the most glamorous brands cost between 4999 and 8999 euros, and the matching outfit is no less expensive than a golf outfit. But don't worry, we don't fancy driving through the woods in a golf cart, and we'd rather spend our free time getting dirty in the undergrowth than sipping champagne on a manicured green. So here is the affordable counter-programme to the chic society in carbon fibre clothing: five trail bikes under 2000 euros on test.
We tested these trail bikes - you can download the points table below:
- Canyon Nerve AL 7.0
- Carver Transalpin 902
- Ghost Kato FS 5
- Giant Trance 3
- Rose Ground Control 1 (BIKE tip: test winner)
You won't find the US brands in this comparison. It is the price-performance foxes that take on the genre of entry-level fullys. The big players such as Specialized, Trek or Cannondale prefer to compete for World Cup victories rather than for points in the BIKE evaluation system for the entry-level classes. One hypothesis: Perhaps it's the escalating marketing budgets for racing teams that make it impossible for these brands to offer such affordable bikes? At Specialized, the entry level in the full-suspension sector only starts at 3000 euros. Trek lowered their prices considerably during the test and now even offer two models below the € 2000 price mark, but they still didn't want to face the comparison. The predominantly German workshops are significantly lowering the price level for entry-level bikes. Why craftsmen, you might ask? Aren't they made in Asia? That's right, frames and components come from Asia. But Rose, Canyon, Ghost and Carver are assembled in Germany. It almost seems as if avoiding punitive tariffs when importing complete bikes from Asia is the basis for good and inexpensive fullys. We were pleasantly surprised by the level of equipment - it's no secret that the equipment in the current model year is usually worse than that of the 2015 bikes.
Nevertheless, the suspension in this test group is good. The Carver and Canyon tyres even carry the Race Sport and Evolution labels, which sets them apart from the competition thanks to their high-quality casing. Ghost actually fits the brand-new Shimano 11-speed XT groupset. All in all, the bikes are better than we expected, even if the average weight of 13.2 kilos is relatively high for trail bikes. The last in BIKE 1/16 tested trail bikes with 120-130 mm travel for around 3000 euros also weigh only 400 grams less on average. In view of the price, the additional weight is therefore justifiable. So much for the theory, but how do the bikes perform on the trail?
No, we didn't chase the bikes around the Munich golf courses out of spite, as the beginning of this text might suggest, but instead endeavoured to find a suitable test track. The 24-hour race track in Finale Ligure in Italy turned out to be ideal for this application. With technical climbs, twisty descents, fast straights and blocked passages, it had all the tests for the test bikes. BIKE tests are always price-independent, both in the laboratory and in practice. And so we put the bikes through their paces on the circuit in the best test conditions, just as test editor and colleague Listmann did with the top racers on page 31. We were quite surprised by the results.
Every bike has its own character. Rose and Ghost play their trump card in the form of slightly more suspension travel on the descents. Despite being overweight, the Carver won the hearts of the testers thanks to its flawless 29er feel-good geometry. With suspension travel of up to 120 mm, the large 29er wheels really come into their own. So our appeal to the manufacturers: don't let 29er bikes die in the trail bike category, even if the market is increasingly turning to the 27.5-inch mid-range. The Nerve from Canyon, for example, proves to be a loyal touring partner and, as the lightest bike in the test, shows its potential, especially on the climbs. Only the € 1799 Giant Trance, one of the cheaper bikes in the practical test, is not fully convincing. Suspension elements with too little compression damping and weak brakes reduce the downhill fun. It is noticeable that the only bike that is not assembled in Germany lags behind in terms of equipment.
How do these affordable fullys of all things manage to win us over despite the industry's problems with the weak euro? Michael Staab, Product Manager at Canyon, provides the answer: "Not having a dropper post saves a lot of money, which we can reinvest elsewhere. This saving even has a double effect. Because we also save around 300-400 grams of weight." Nevertheless, almost all bikes have the internal cable routing device for this type of post. So if you have money to spare at some point after buying the bike, you can retrofit a dropper seatpost. Until then, the saddle must be lowered in the old-fashioned way using a quick release. Experts simply leave the saddle up on the descent.
These affordable trail bikes are doing well. Ok, you have to do without the dropper post (except on the Carver), but nobody would have expected it in this price range. The basic function of the fullys is also guaranteed for less than 2000 euros, and the range of use of the trail bikes therefore remains broad in the affordable class. From touring to marathon starts, everything is possible. After the practical test, it was a load off our minds. Yes, our beloved sport remains affordable for everyone. In contrast to the annual subscription of a Munich golf club.
Conclusion Ludwig Döhl, BIKE test editor:
The low-cost bikes easily pass the laboratory marathon with stiffness, weight and paint quality tests. No wonder: the frames, i.e. the basis of the bikes, are the same as those of the expensive models. The difference in price is mainly due to the cheaper equipment and the lack of telescopic seatposts. Our practical test was conducted under the following motto: How much fun can fullys under 2000 euros be? A lot! As one of the more expensive bikes in the test field, the Rose impressed both uphill and downhill. It brought every tester back from the test ride with a smile. The Canyon sets the bar high on the climbs. The specialist brands Carver and Ghost also performed well on the test lap.
