142 Bike Test – The Big Short

Bike Test

by ago 2

Benji ponders the meaning of ‘short’ as he rags these three not-long travel bikes round his local trails. What is short travel? Too short? Short enough? Shorter than what? What is the average travel of A Mountain Bike in 2022 anyway? It’s hard to say. But because we, as bike journos, need to do such things we’re going to say… something. If we all agree (ha!) that these days 140–150mm travel is pretty standard for a do-it-all ‘trail bike’ mountain bike, anything with less travel than that is ‘short travel’. Agreed? OK then. Let’s move on. Let’s move on with an even trickier question. Why would you want a short travel mountain bike? Aren’t 140–150mm travel mountain bikes just better? In a word, yes. Yes in a practical and box-ticking sense. A 150mm travel trail bike can do everything you ask it to. Uphill, downhill, alonghill. A 150mm bike won’t scare you or fail you. A lot of the time though, it might not excite you. Dropping down in travel can up the stakes. It can up the risks. If done well, it can up the (wo)man-machine relationship of a rider and their bike. Consequently it can also up the rewards. Short travel bikes can make you feel more like you’re in charge. For better or for worse. You’re not a passenger on a short travel bike. You have to be involved. Everything is your fault. There are, obviously, even shorter travel bikes than the three we have gathered for...
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Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • 142 Bike Test – The Big Short
  • Premier Icon thebunk
    Full Member

    My choice was between the YT, Cotic and the Transition Spur – be interesting to hear where you see the Transition fitting in this line up?

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon b33k34
    Full Member

    Finally, on the third reading of this headline, realised that this is issue 142 and not a reference to travel or rear axle length

    Posted 2 months ago
Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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