Trail bike: Drag Ronin 7.0 in review

THE CONCEPT

The Bulgarian brand actually comes from the racing bike sector. No wonder: founder Dragomir Konzov rode in the national squad of the former Soviet Union. But ex-Pulse employee and product manager of Drag Bikes Boris is an enduro fan. He wanted a proper mountain bike that could also be used for racing. The Bulgarians therefore brought bike designer Andi Heimerdinger on board. "The aim was to build a trail bike, but the end result was an enduro bike," says Heimerdinger. To save costs, hydroforming was not used in the frame design. Production takes place in the Far East, as do the majority of all bikes.

On the trail

Originally, we wanted to include the Ronin in the comparison test (page 38). Because we were promised an enduro bike. However, a glance at the data sheet left the testers wondering: 150 mm at the front, 140 mm at the rear? And then the Bulgarians didn't send us the top model. Nevertheless, we wanted to know how the bike would perform and plunged into the Hill Bill enduro descent in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. Surprise: The Ronin is easy to steer into the fall line. The suspension delivers more comfort than it nominally promises. However, when things get really rough, the suspension limits you. The long reach is noticeable in tight turns, but doesn't really hold you back.

For whom?

The Ronin is definitely more enduro than trail bike. There is room for improvement in terms of equipment. At 15.2 kilos, the weight is chubby. The 29er wheels are also heavy and don't inspire much joy on trail rides in up & down mode. You should definitely invest a little more here to save weight. The looks are not an eye-catcher, but we were positively impressed by the downhill capabilities. The Bulgarian bike definitely has potential. By the way: Anyone who buys one is travelling in a rather exclusive way, as there is currently only one dealer in Germany - namely on the Baltic Sea.

Facts

Spring travel: 150 mm / 140 mm
Reach: 469 mm
Stack: 629 mm
Chain stay: 438 mm
Steering angle: 64,8°
Seat angle75° mm
BB-Drop: -33 mm
Wheelbase: 1226 mm
Weight: 15,2 kg
Info: dragbicycles.com

The Ronin 7.0 model costs 3099 euros and is equipped with Shimano's SLX groupset. The top model for 3899 euros comes with Lyrik and Deluxe RT 3 shock. The frame alone is available for a favourable 790 euros.