It's hard to believe that Last once made a name for itself with aluminium and steel bikes - in recent years, the mail-order company has only produced super-light carbon fullys. This season, the Dortmund-based company seems to be taking up its former core business again and is presenting three new aluminium bikes. We are already familiar with the revised Glen Coal platform for all-mountain and enduro use. Now, just in time for our test, Last is also blowing fresh wind into the sails of the Clay trail bike. To be fair, it has to be said that the Clay is not really new - it shares the frame with the Glen and Coal models, which have more travel.
The facts about the Last Clay
- Price: 9500 Euro
- Area of application: Trail
- Frame material: Aluminium
- Suspension travel: 140 mm front / 126 mm rear
- Wheel size: 29-inch
- Frame sizes: 165, 175, 185, 195
- Weight: 12.29 kg in size 185 (BIKE measurement)
- Weight of wheels: 3736 g
- Acceleration wheels: 3199 kg x cm² (BIKE measured value)
- Warranty: 6 years
- Special features: Textile spokes, shares the frame platform with the All-Mountain Glen, online configurator
More noble things from Last?
The new Last Clay - expensive fun
But back to the frame material. Anyone who thinks that the Last Clay is the only candidate with a light alloy chassis to win a price tip is very much mistaken. Super-light carbon wheels with textile spokes, first-class Fox suspension from the Factory series, XTR components and sinfully expensive Trickstuff stoppers - with this firework of equipment, the Dortmund-based company is sending the most expensive bike into the comparison.
When pedalling, the steep seat angle places the rider in a super-compact position on the bike - not for long tours on flat terrain, as this puts a lot of pressure on the hands. This makes tricky climbs all the easier to master. The low weight does the rest. In tight bends, the slack steering angle tends to tip over and the long wheelbase feels bulky. The rear suspension is of the lively variety and pumps along eagerly when pedalling. Only when you close the platform lever completely does calm return.
The equipment of the Last Clay
- Fork / Shock: Fox 34 Float Factory FitGrip2 / Fox Float DPS Factory
- Gears / range: Shimano XTR / 510 %
- Brakes: Trickstuff Piccola / 203/180 mm
- Wheels: Pi-Rope Duke 30
- Tyres: Maxxis Dissector/ Forekaster; Maxxterra Exo Protection TR 29 x 2.40
- Seatpost / Stroke: Vecnum Nivo 182 / 182 mm
- max. system weight: 130 kg
The Last Trailbike, an exceptional downhill talent
Now to the riding behaviour: When things get fast on the downhill, the long and extremely flat geometry of the Clay holds the trump cards: 63.8 degrees head angle, 498 millimetres reach - values of this magnitude are also good for full-grown enduro bikes. In combination with the highest stack value, they generate so much riding confidence on our test candidate that it directly snatches the points victory in the downhill classification.
On narrow nature trails, however, the flat geo is noticeable in a negative way. Here, the Scor, Trek, Pivot and Cube offer more riding fun. With 140 millimetres of travel at the front and 126 millimetres at the rear, the mail-order bike is one of the most potent candidates on paper. The root carpets on our test tracks on the Geisskopf confirm this. No bike levels out rough terrain as reliably as the Clay. The sensitive response behaviour generates traction en masse. On tame trails, the super-light Pi-Rope wheels dominate the riding experience (best value). Despite its length, the Clay can be manoeuvred intuitively and light-footedly through the terrain. Short intermediate sprints? Easy! But be careful: the heavy testers found the wheel construction with textile spokes too rigid!
Last Clay: Lab results & BIKE rating
Conclusion from Laurin Lehner, BIKE test editor
The Last Clay has the most potent suspension, the best geometry for downhills and also scores highly in terms of equipment. In the end, the most expensive bike only just missed out on the test victory. Why? From a perfect trail bike, we would have liked a little more playfulness and more efficient suspension. The super-compact riding position is also not ideal on long tours.
Max Fuchs
Editor
