CATEGORY: Trail bikes - FEDERWEG: 111 to 144 millimetres - PRICE CLASS: 4699 to 9799 Euro
We tested these 6 trail bikes:
Everything about the test:
- The test report from the Rychlebské stezky bike park
- Info about the Rychlebské stezky trail park
- The bikes on the uphill
- The downhill bikes
- In focus: We noticed these details
- The points table for the 6 trail bikes in the test
- The values for application range, stiffness, wheel inertia and weights
- How BIKE tests
The test report from the Rychlebské stezky bike park
The knot in my tongue tightens further and further. This is the third time I've failed to dictate our destination to Peter for the sat nav. When I finally manage to string all the letters of "Rychlebské stezky" together correctly, the sat nav predicts a seven-hour drive. With a low groan, my colleague turns the key in the ignition, the campervan lets out a short howl and we slowly pull out of the BIKE editorial office in Munich.
Of course, we didn't choose the destination at random. After all, the Czech tongue twister is supposedly the best trail park in Europe. Whether this is true and the ride is worth it remains to be seen. However, the selection in our test group already sounds promising. Six trail bikes are crowded into the rear garage. The price range extends from 4699 to 9799 euros. The suspension travel is between 111 and 144 millimetres. An unusually broad spectrum, some will now realise, and not without good reason. However, this is partly due to the fact that the cheapest bike in the test - the Cube One11 - only serves as a sideways glance into the price range below 5000 euros. The next most expensive bike, the Rocky Mountain Element C70, costs 6600 euros. But now to the crucial point: How did we come to send bikes with such different suspension travel into the same ring? Quite simply, more and more manufacturers are trying to reinvent the trail bike. Sub-types, such as short-travel down-country bikes or downhill specialists with an enduro character, are mingling with the classic all-rounders. The trail bike category is in a kind of self-discovery phase. Our road trip is an attempt to create clarity. Which bike best fulfils the concept of an all-rounder?
Inventory for the 2023 trail bike test
Trail bikes are known above all for their particularly wide range of use. The package of 130 millimetres of suspension travel, 29-inch wheels and balanced geometry has so far best met these requirements. When it came to components, most manufacturers chose a middle ground: light, but still stable enough to cope with demanding trails. In this test, only the Rocky Mountain is still orientated towards these classic values. With 140 mm forks, powerful tyres and downhill-oriented geometries, Canyon and Last are increasingly focussing on the downhill. However, the Koblenz-based mail order company has extended the Spectral 125's range of use even further, combining a geometry that is usually found on enduro bikes with only 125 millimetres of rear travel. This should enable lively handling despite the geometry-related smooth ride.
And as if that wasn't special enough, Santa Cruz is also throwing the 29-inch wheels established in this category overboard and reviving the almost dead 27.5-inch wheels on its 5010 - at the rear and front. If you take a look at the total weight, the trail bike world in California seems to be completely upside down. Despite the small wheels and carbon rims, the bike weighs a mere 13.5 kilos. Most of this is due to the enduro-compatible equipment.
The counter-movement to the mountain-orientated bikes is forming in the form of down-country models. Here, manufacturers are increasingly focussing development on long-distance suitability and climbing ability. These sporty trail bikes often fulfil the basic requirements for pedal-intensive tours due to their frames alone. In contrast to the competition, they usually do not have their own frame platform, but instead utilise the chassis of lightweight marathon bikes. This is also the case with the Cube.
Only a longer fork with 120 millimetres of travel and an adapted rear triangle equip the TM (Trail Motion) version of the One11 for trail use. This also raises the question of whether any other race bike wouldn't have what it takes to be a trail predator. To clarify this, we gave the Factor Lando XC - as a reference bike - coarser tyres and a dropper post and packed it into the camper. Out of competition, of course.
Nine hours later, when Peter finally takes the key out of the motorhome's ignition, it's already night time at the Rychlebské stezky (stezky is the Czech word for trails) campsite. A few pee breaks and refreshment stops have thrown a spanner in the works of our satnav. The next morning, even before the alarm clock can shoo us out of bed, the buzzing of freewheels, children chattering and clattering crockery rouses me from my sleep. Still slightly sleepy, I press my nose against the window of the motorhome. "It's already very busy out there!" I announce and try to shoo the rest of the team out of bed in view of the atmosphere at the campsite. With success. We quickly slip into our bike clothes, top up our carbohydrate stores with crunchy muesli that we had hastily organised the night before and tune up the bikes. Departure.
If the stories are to be believed, there is a 60-kilometre network of 13 single trails ahead of us. We want to spend the next two days combing the entire network of trails. With almost 100 per cent trail content, a maximum altitude difference of 450 metres and varying degrees of difficulty, the area should be perfect as a test course for our trail bike comparison.
The Rychlebské stezky trail park
Around three and a half hours' drive east of Prague - in the middle of nowhere - you will find the bikers' paradise Rychlebské stezky in Cěrná Voda. The trail park was opened in 2009 and the lovingly designed trails have been attracting bikers from all over Europe ever since. The key data: 60 kilometres of trails with a maximum altitude difference of 450 metres. Trails with four different levels of difficulty offer the right terrain for every ability. All trails can be used free of charge. However, small donations for the maintenance of the park are always welcome. If you want to let off steam on the Rychleby trails for several days, you can set up camp directly at the base for 20 euros per night. Toilets, showers and a wash house are also available on site. To round off the infrastructure perfectly, there is also a small bike shop, bike hire and a pub in the same building.
The bikes on the uphill
With a trail map in our luggage, we roll to the start. A specially created uphill flow trail takes us to the highest point of the park. Here it becomes clear after the first few metres of ascent: although the test bikes are united by the umbrella term trail bike, the climbing characteristics of some of them are worlds apart. One extreme is represented by the down-country bike from Cube. Here you sit in a much more sporty position than on normal trail bikes. If you want to scrub kilometres and like to chase Strava segments on climbs, the stretched seating position will suit you. The fast Maxxis tyres also fit in well and offer hardly any rolling resistance at higher speeds. Our laboratory scales confirm a total weight of 11.8 kilos for the One11 - 1.7 kilos less than the Santa Cruz.
On the steep key sections of the Dr. Wiesner Trail, every pound too much is immediately noticeable. What's more, the premium trail bike from California with its super-soft MaxxGrip front tyre completely disregards rolling resistance. The 5010 literally sucked the breakfast cereal out of our testers' legs on the very first climb. The other bikes climb well and offer sufficient comfort for leisurely rides with a more upright riding position. On the scales, the Last with its very light frame and top wheels is only just behind the Cube - despite significantly more suspension travel and downhill-ready equipment, mind you. But even with this noble bike, you don't want to return the Cube's attacks - the tyres roll too roughly, the geometry is too comfortable.
Another realisation from the Uphillflow trail: low weight alone is not enough to deliver on the climbs. The test rides with the Canyon show that the efficiency of the suspension also determines how much time you have to plan for uphill. The limited version of the Spectral 125 is the only bike to rely on Rockshox's electronic suspension. The so-called Flight Attendant recognises the riding situation through the interaction of acceleration and position sensors on the fork and shock. The additional pedal sensor registers whether the rider is pedalling or rolling. Based on this information, the suspension switches from open mode to the platform function at lightning speed or locks the suspension elements completely.
In practice, this means that if you pedal the Canyon over tame trails or on gravel paths, the suspension tightens up and every muscle twitch is converted into propulsion without loss. If, on the other hand, boulders or roots get under your tyres, the system activates the platform in a fraction of a second and releases the suspension travel. Despite its moderate weight, the mail-order bike from Koblenz masters climbs and pedalling-intensive trails surprisingly well. The competition can only dream of so much high-tech. We would have liked to see at least a mechanical lockout on the handlebars, especially on the Cube. After all, anyone who opts for just 111 millimetres of travel at the rear wants to climb as effectively as possible. We were surprised by the suspension of the Rocky Mountain. Its rear suspension works largely free of drive influences and still responds very sensitively.
Once at the top, we head into the first descent without much of a break. We can hardly wait to savour the trails that have been advertised to the full. And indeed: the way back to camp turns out to be a real treat for trail-hungry riders. When the network of trails is not winding around the foothills of the Giant Mountains in the form of flowing paths, the character of the trails is characterised by huge rocky giants. Connected by lovingly crafted wooden bridges or overturned tree trunks, one or two passages are reminiscent of pictures of trails in British Columbia. We are absolutely thrilled.
The downhill bikes
On tame sections, even the firm Cube feels right at home, no question. The down-country bike copes with smaller jumps and root carpets without any problems. However, we cannot confirm that this concept is also suitable for demanding terrain. The low front end and the agile geometry provide significantly less confidence at high speeds and on steep sections than the rest of the test group. Rough terrain is possible, but the short suspension travel requires a lot of arm labour and an experienced rider at the wheel. With steering angles between 64.1 and 65.3 degrees, the competition steers much more safely through rough terrain. Canyon, Rocky Mountain and Santa Cruz also have a flipchip for fine-tuning the geometry. Here you have the choice: more riding safety or a little more playfulness? The changeover can be made in next to no time. The showdown between the rivals takes place on the infamous T-Rex trail. Extreme gradients, waist-high steps and hard landings - this is where we push the bikes to the limit. You can expect the greatest reserves from Last and Canyon. When the going gets tough, the downhill-focussed geometries and the massive 35 mm Pike forks hold all the trump cards.
Thomas Weschta, BIKE tester:
"I like to let it rip on the downhill, but I still want a lot of feedback from the trail. The enduro geometry of the Canyon Spectral 125 paired with the short suspension travel therefore harbours the greatest potential for fun for me."
The Santa Cruz suspension also demonstrates excellent handling qualities. Unfortunately, the poor rollover behaviour of the small wheels stands in the way of confident downhill performance. As on the climbs, the Rocky is also surprisingly solid on the descents. The slack geometry generates a lot of directional stability and the sophisticated suspension feels very plush on the trail. Only the 180 mm discs on the front wheel lack a little stability on long descents. However, the same applies to the Cube and Santa Cruz.
And what about our reference bike? Well, despite our tuning measures, the Factor still weighs 700 grams less than the Cube. Even without the platform, the suspension converts every pedal stroke into propulsion. The tyres roll fast, you sit even more sportily than on the Cube and accelerate the wheels with incredible ease. This puts the Factor in a different league on the climbs. Downhill, however, you pay the price for the feather-light equipment and the racy geometry. The riding position reduces self-confidence, and the firm suspension gets swallowed up by larger roots. There is no trace of trail bike feeling - experiment a failure.
After two days on the Rychlebské trails, one thing is clear: the long car journey was worth it. The trails convinced us across the board, and our comparison test also provides clarity in the confusion of trail bike subtypes. Whether Rychlebské stezky really is the best trail park in Europe is open to debate. However, the perfect all-rounder is the Rocky Mountain and therefore still the bike with the classic trail bike genes.
Max Fehr, BIKE tester:
"Lots of travel is nice downhill. Low weight increases the range of action. The Last Asco proves that these two factors are not necessarily mutually exclusive."
Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE editor:
Trail bikes cover an incredibly wide range of applications with all their facets. During the test phase, we didn't come across a single trail that the test bikes couldn't have mastered. Nevertheless, each model has its own speciality. The Last and Canyon are particularly suitable for fast downhill riders. The Cube suits all those who feel comfortable on long trail tours of medium difficulty. However, the Rocky Mountain covers the widest range of use. The very special Santa Cruz has a fan base among trick riders and park bikers.
Focus on the trail bikes
Each bike and price category must fulfil certain requirements in order to do justice to its area of use. We show the criticisms and highlights of this test group.
1 Choice of tyres
In addition to the differences in suspension travel and geometry, there is also a wide gap in the choice of tyres. The super grippy MaxxGrip tyres on the Santa Cruz roll too slowly on tours. The cross-country tyres from Cube and Factor, on the other hand, lack grip and puncture protection. The best combination is Last: a coarse profile but fast rubber at the rear and a grippy compound at the front.
2 Bandwidth
The gear range varies by only 20 per cent. But we think that a lot helps a lot. Especially on steep and technical climbs, you save valuable energy with the wider range of Canyon, Factor and Last. The 500 per cent on the Santa Cruz requires noticeably more power in the calves.
3 Added value
With the exception of Cube, all the bikes are in the upper price segment. However, we would have expected one or two more innovative or clever details. Only Canyon and Factor stand out with their electronic components and neat cable integration.
The scoring system for the trail fullys
Rocky Mountain, Last and Canyon fight a close three-way battle at the top. In the end, the better riding characteristics of the Element won out over the equipment highlights of the competition. The Santa Cruz is only in the midfield, primarily due to its lack of climbing characteristics. It is followed by the sporty Cube and the reference bike from Factor.
¹ BIKE measured values. ² The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measured values (BIKE laboratory measurement) and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price. BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-180 P.), good (179.75-155 P.), satisfactory (154.75-130 P.), with weaknesses (129.75-105 P.), unsatisfactory (104.75-0 P.).
How BIKE tests
BIKE tests all bikes and most components in its own test laboratory. Many of our test stands were developed by the Zedler Institute for Bicycle Technology and Safety. The measured values from our laboratory flow into our complex points system together with the findings from the practical tests. This allows us to determine finely graded differentiations between the individual products. In co-operation with the Zedler Institute for Bicycle Technology and Safety, we are constantly developing our measurement technology to keep pace with product development in the bike industry.
The application range of trail MTBs
Suitable for athletes, adrenaline-seekers or touring riders. The graphic shows our test bikes and their corresponding range of use.
Our reference bike from Factor is at the sporty end of the scale. The race bike comes from the factory with 120 millimetres of suspension travel at the front and 130 millimetres at the rear. However, even the retrofitted dropper post and wider tyres do not give the racer a trail bike character. In contrast, the Cube One11, despite the shortest suspension travel, is definitely suitable for touring and is fun on moderately difficult trails. The Rocky Mountain hits the exact centre of the scale, and thus the best combination of propulsion and off-road competence. The longest suspension travel and smooth geometry place the load on the downhill side. However, thanks to its consistent lightweight construction, the bike can also score points on long tours. With the slackest geometry and the most downhill-orientated components, the Canyon is best equipped for wild downhills. However, as the second heaviest bike, it has to let the competition go uphill. Santa Cruz plays a special role with the 5010. Due to its high overall weight, it is not one of the most suitable bikes for touring. However, the small 27.5-inch wheels stand in the way of superior downhill performance. We think so: If you like to ride playfully downhill and do a lot of tricks, you'll hit the bull's eye here.
Stiffness
In terms of weight, the lightweight Last Asco sets the tone. As is typical for Canyon, the Spectral 125 performs the worst in the measurements.
Impeller inertia
Logically, the wheels of the Factor marathon full-suspension Lando are the easiest to accelerate. The other bikes play in roughly the same league.
Weights¹
Despite the low price point, Cube builds the lightest frame. Santa Cruz brings up the rear, but offers a lifetime guarantee on the stable carbon construction.
STIFFNESS: Grey: Stiffness-to-weight (STW), the quotient of stiffness and frame weight White: absolute stiffness in Newtons per mm of deflection. The measurements were taken on a test stand at the Zedler Institute.
SPEED TORQUE WHEELS: the lower the value, the better the wheels accelerate. ¹ WEIGHT: BIKE measured values, ² with pedals (350 g), ³ without shock, with rear thru axle, ⁴ with tyres, cassette and brake discs.
Max Fuchs
Editor
