What exactly are trail bikes?
Trail bikes have between 120 and 140 millimetres of suspension travel and are usually designed for a wide range of uses. Nevertheless, the definition remains vague. Manufacturers interpret the bike category very differently in some cases.
Why have trail bikes become heavier?
Several factors play a role here: the frames are now designed to be more stable. Storage compartments also cost weight, as load designer Jochen Forstmann reveals in his statement. The wheel size is another aspect. Instead of 27.5 inch front and rear, or mullet, most trail bikes now roll on all 29 inch wheels. The tyres are particularly important. For some time now, manufacturers have no longer been fitting easy-rolling tyres, but have instead been putting downhill tyres on the rims. Plus 800-millimetre handlebars. All this puts pressure on the scales.
Example Santa Cruz 5010 CC (model year 2017)
At the time, Santa Cruz charged 9,699 euros for the 5010 CC XXI Reserve. The trail bike with 130 millimetre front and rear travel still rolled on 27.5 inch wheels at the time. Without pedals, the bike brought 12.3 kilos on the scales.
The current Santa Cruz 5010 X0 AXS RSV (top model) in the same price segment now weighs just under 14 kilos (13.74 kilos manufacturer's specification). It rolls on Mullet tyres, now has 140 millimetres of travel at the front and a storage compartment.
Five answers to the question: Do we have to cry after trail bikes weighing around 12 kilos?
Ruben Torenbeek, Design Engineer RAAW
No, modern trail bikes may be a little heavier, but they are a lot more fun to ride downhill. What's more, a more robust design also means longer durability - something we all benefit from. Thanks to modern geometries with steep seat angles, you hardly notice the extra weight on the climbs anyway. But of course, lively bikes make sense on undulating trails. The following still applies here: light is fast.
Jochen Forstmann, Developer LAST
No, because they still exist. For example, our Clay (12.3 kg) and our Asco (11 kg) are below the maximum, which I see at 13 kilos. The weight drivers are tyres, larger wheels, wider handlebars, but also new frame features such as storage compartments and mudguards. What's more, trail bikes are becoming increasingly versatile thanks to modern geometries and are rightly being built to be robust for bike park visits, for example.
Jan Vester, BIKE reader
The categories have shifted. Today's trail bikes are all-mountain bikes, while all-mountain bikes have the downhill potential of the enduro bikes of the past. They are mini big bikes. Yes, I weep after the twelve-kilo trail bikes, because not all of us have many metres of altitude on our doorstep. On rather flat trails, propulsion is key and a bike has to be light for that. If I want more downhill potential, I might as well buy an all-mountain or enduro bike.
Peter Nilges, BIKE Test Manager
The really light trail bikes around twelve kilos have indeed become rare or cost a fortune. As the category is located in the golden mean of suspension travel, the orientation of 130-millimetre trail bikes can be extremely different and underlines their versatility. Therefore, it is mainly down to the tyres and cockpit whether the trail bike is trimmed for propulsion or downhill. The equipment is crucial.
Laurin Lehner, BIKE test editor
Yes, trail bikes have become too heavy. And yes, you can cry after the light trail bikes. Of course, a frame can weigh a little more if it lasts longer thanks to better bearings and creaks later. From 14 kilos, however, I ask myself why not buy a trail enduro/all-mountain bike with a little more suspension travel? The categories are currently watering down and losing profile. It's also a shame that manufacturers are not equipping their bikes so stringently. Sure, you can fit a slightly rolling rear tyre and shorten the 800 handlebars, but many customers ride the bike as they get it. BTW: Please more mullet trail bikes, less All-29.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
