Trail bikes were once the bread and butter category of mountain biking: competent uphill, fun downhill. Over time, many of them were influenced by the enduro trend and were given more suspension travel, really fat tyres and extreme geometries. Very few bikers liked the fact that this made them heavier and heavier.
But it's not just downhill specialists who have stolen the thunder from trail bikes. For mountain bikers who still want to tackle tours and many climbs, modern cross-country and, of course, e-bikes now offer a variety of alternative concepts.
However, we in the BIKE editorial team agree: light trail bikes with just under 120 to 130 millimetres of rear travel are a hit! That's why we've put together ten representatives of this category in this article.
If I could only ride one bike for the rest of my life, it would probably be a light trail bike with 120 millimetres of travel at the rear and 130 at the fork. I can get down any trail with such a bullet and still have fun on tours. From after-work rides to the Transalp: I'm a huge fan of this type of bike! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
1st transition track
Is this a trail bike, is it a downcountry bike or just a cool mountain bike? With 120 millimetres of travel at the rear and 120 at the front, the Spur has never defined itself as a cross-country or marathon bike, but is a classic representative of the short-travel trail bike category. The rear triangle works via a one-piece carbon construction with Flex-Stay. A lightweight high-end complete body of the Transition Spur weighs just under 13 kilos. In the current model year, the bike is unfortunately only available in Germany as a frame kit.
Price frameset: 3890 Euro
2nd Specialised Epic 8 Evo
Born as a progressive cross-country race bike, the upgraded Evo version presents itself as a sporty trail bike with 130 millimetres of travel at the front and rear. The advantage of the race DNA: a wonderfully light frame weight despite the storage compartment in the carbon down tube and two bottle cages for long tours. In typical Specialized fashion, the Epic Evo platform also includes some luxury models. At around 12.3 kilos, the Specialized is a particularly light trail bike.
Price S-Works Di2 model: 12,499 euros
3. last celos
A German-made carbon frame weighing just 1.79 kilos lays the foundation for the Last Celos' dream values on the scales. The chassis can be ordered in two different carbon layups depending on your preferences. If you go for it, you can tune the fully down to just under ten kilos with 120 millimetres on the Flex-Stay rear triangle and 140 millimetres on the fork - amazing! In the online configurator, customers can pair the modern geometry with all kinds of high-quality components.
Price: from 6874 Euro
4. Canyon Spectral 125
The Spectral model family is particularly colourful at Canyon. The fully is available with a carbon or aluminium frame, with or without a motor and with various suspension travel options. The Spectral 125 has - nomen est omen - 125 millimetres of travel at the rear and combines this with 140 millimetres of travel on the suspension fork. A modern trail bike geometry and attractive prices despite high-end equipment make the package particularly exciting. The German direct mail order company quotes from 13.4 kilos for the top model.
Price model CF9: 5499 euros (currently reduced to 3999 euros)
5th Commencal T.E.M.P.O
With 125 millimetres of suspension travel at the rear and 140 at the front, the Commencal Tempo is fully designed for riding fun. So it's no wonder that this unusual trail bike now has a real fan base. Typical Commencal: The aluminium frame weighs just under 3.2 kilos and is not necessarily light but robust. The direct mail order company from Andorra offers a wide range of colour options, an online configurator and regular discounts on its website.
Price model T-Type: 6842.50 euros (currently reduced to 5850.83)
6. salsa spearfish
The Salsa Spearfish was actually developed to take on the toughest and longest marathon races in the world. However, the geometry of the exotic bike is on a par with that of many trail bikes and the up to 120 millimetres of travel on the split pivot rear triangle can be combined with a 130 mm suspension fork. The geo can be fine-tuned using a flip chip. Particularly casual: Up to three bottle cages fit in the frame. In Germany, only the elegant frameset with particularly light carbon fibres is available. The Dreambuild weighs just 11.3 kilos.
Price frameset: 3499 Euro
7th Kona Hei Hei
The Kona Hei Hei is the Canadian interpretation of a downcountry bike. Despite only 120 millimetres of travel at the rear and 130 at the front, Kona only specifies components from the trail bike segment. The carbon frame is therefore combined with chunky tyres and robust add-on parts. This results in the complete bike weighing around 13.7 kilos. The many mounting points allow nine different positions for bottle cages.
Price model CR: 6499 Euro
8th Rocky Mountain Element
Rocky Mountain also interprets the "marathon fully" theme in a very Canadian way. With 120 millimetres of suspension travel at the rear and 130 at the fork, the latest Element is a short-travel trail bike par excellence. Typical Rocky: not only the geometry is sporty, but also the price. In return, there are two bottle cage mounts and an extremely aesthetic carbon frame. The weight of 12.3 kilos is also impressive.
Price model Carbon 70: 7300 Euro
9th Santa Cruz Tallboy
Santa Cruz is a long-time advocate of fun trail bikes with short suspension travel. With the Tallboy, the Californian label has had a worthy representative in its programme for many years. Of course, a high-quality carbon frame with down tube storage compartment and VPP rear triangle is a must. The latter realises 120 millimetres of suspension travel and harmonises with a 130 mm suspension fork. The Santa Cruz Tallboy weighs in at around 12.8 kilos.
Price model XO AXS RSV: 9999 Euro
10th Pivot Trailcat SL
The Trailcat SL is the latest addition to the Pivot line-up and offers 120 millimetres of travel at the rear and 140 millimetres at the front. The carbon frame comes with a flip chip for geometry adjustment, a down tube storage compartment and a lifetime guarantee. Short chainstays encourage playfulness and turn the Trailcat SL into a cornering predator. The complete bike weighs around 13.4 kilos and makes a big dent in your bank balance.
Price model Pro X0 Eagle Transmission Neo w/Carbon Wheels: 11.699 Euro
Jan Timmermann
Editor
