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Trail bike category | suspension travel 120 to 140 millimetres | price range from 4100 euros
"Which bike would you choose if you could only pick one?" I'm sure everyone has heard this question before. Really only one? Because, as with so many things in life, the choice of mountain bikes is overwhelming. There is a bike for every facet. The gap between a light hardtail and an uncompromising downhiller seems endless. For me personally, the answer is: I choose a light yet powerful trail bike. Why? This is the type of bike I can do the most with on the trails on my doorstep. I spend most of my time on my trail bike. I also love high alpine enduro trails and don't want to miss out on bike park visits with my mates. Purist race bikes also continue to appeal to me and tempt me with fast laps. However, these rides are clearly outnumbered. With an enduro bike as my only bike, I would get bogged down in suspension travel on the Isar trails. A race bike would limit the choice of trails too much. And this is where trail bikes come into their own. The pedalling-intensive ups and downs are tailor-made for them. Nevertheless, you don't have to shy away from any technical passages or even ignore the odd hidden jump. In short: I love trail bikes because you can really do a lot with their 130-millimetre suspension and, no matter where you ride, you'll be perfectly equipped in most cases.
Our test field therefore includes six trail bikes in the most popular price range from 4099 to 4799 euros. The Transition Spur, a reference bike costing 5799 euros, is also included. It goes without saying that around 4500 euros is no mean feat, but if you are really looking for an uncompromising all-rounder, you will find the right bike in this price range. The direct comparison to our test field in BIKE 1/22where we tested trail bikes for around 3000 euros, shows clear differences: On average, the overall weights are a whole 1.4 kilos lower in comparison. So it's money well spent, which is noticeable on the trail with every turn of the cranks and every bunny hop.
With around 130 millimetres of suspension travel and modern geometry, a trail bike can be used for a maximum range of applications. The demands on the tyres could hardly be any wider. Our test field shows just how difficult it is for the responsible product managers to do this: from the 2.25 inch narrow Maxxis Rekon Race cross-country tyre to a Schwalbe Wicked Will to the coarse Maxxis Dissector in 2.4 mm width, everything is represented. Depending on what your home trails look like and what time of year it is, any of the tyres mentioned can be ideal.
You can download the complete comparison test of the 7 trail bikes from BIKE 5/2022 as a PDF below the article. The test report costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.
You can find these 7 trail bikes in the test:
- Transition Spur Carbon GX (Reference bike, 5799 euros)
- Cannondale Scalpel SE2
- Canyon Neuron CF9 SL
- Cube Stereo HPC-SLT29
- Scott Spark 920
- Trek Top Fuel 8
- YT Izzo Core 3
