Wrecker, is it not best to look at BB drop? BB height is influenced by tyres etc.

I would have liked to see the 29er enduro too, see what they make of that debate. Just to say once again, although I’ve said it a few time, in not saying the Rallon is the best because I own it. Just that it was an omission to the test. I guess the “respected enduro bike” is from one of the reviews in Pinkbike, Dirt etc. In fact just since I remembered pinkbike said “this is a pretty extreme bike – on the edges of how far you can go with trailbike geometry right now”. Although that was about 10 months ago!

dragon – Member

All I can conclude from that, is that Enduro bikes are just getting more and more like downhill bikes. If Enduro course designers were sensible they’d change the courses to somewhat resist this trend IMO.

I’m just curious, why do think that?

My bike is best too, as it is goodandlongandlowandslack.

Kimbers- i’ll take your enduro (some would say AM) kneepads and raise you with openface helmet and goggles. #enduro

I would have liked to see the 29er enduro too, see what they make of that debate.

I think they did another comparative test between the 650 and 29er enduro, the conclusion was that the 650 came out top on the stopwatch but that they preferred the 29er.

Simply because as you push it nearer to downhill it starts to loose that ‘just a ride with your mates thing’ that makes it popular.

That height is for the orbea in the high setting, in the low/slack setting its 338mm or 14 mm drop

Really? Is this wrong then?

160-170 is endooro? that’s a lot of travel, what are downhill bikes in terms of travel?

Typically 203mm – 230mm

Really? Is this wrong then?

yes, theres a typo in the BB height row, they have put 345/438, should be 345/338, the drop row is correct.

200mm+

Wonder how a full on DH rig would fare in that test, as they have put so much weighting on the dh ability of the bikes

Really? Is this wrong then?

Yes, looks like a typo in that table for bb height

edit: beaten to it ha ha 🙂

Although far from ideal, I’d much rather read this sort of test than the drivel spouted by most mtb journalists who write reviews on bikes.

I’d take some large spoons of salt. They slate the Marz fork, which everyone else considers at least as good as the Pike.

dragon – Member
Simply because as you push it nearer to downhill it starts to loose that ‘just a ride with your mates thing’ that makes it popular.

I can’t agree with that. How does increasing technicality and steepness of tracks take away that feeling? I’m actually finding that race tracks are mellower than the riding I do with my mates every weekend, so race tracks have still got a way to go. With my bikes over the past couple of years I’ve also found that pedaling efficiency is staying the same or getting better while downhill ability has carried on increasing. So for racing,
the current trend for bikes is perfect. Tracks are slowly getting more technical and now are heading the same way. Why restrict development of bikes by taming trails down? The trails should dictate the bikes being developed, rather than making trails for certain bikes.

Basically, everything is getting progressing nicely.

jim25 – Member

Surely can’t be a complete enduro bike test if it doesn’t include the world champions bike? Yeti sb6

Well… He did half the season on the SB66 didn’t he? And 2 rounds on the SB6C.

Similiar though, covering the Trek Slash and not the EWS-winning Remedy 29. I think Leov switched from Sash to Remedy but Tracey Moseley was on the 29er all year and the carbon 29er for the end of the season.

Re the Orbea… I wouldn’t want to bet much money on it but in terms of obscurity I’m reasonably sure they sell a bunch more Rallons than Alpines. Orange are a titchy niche manufacturer really, IIRC they make about 40 full suss frames a week total and most of those are Fives.

I’d take some large spoons of salt. They slate the Marz fork, which everyone else considers at least as good as the Pike.

They also aren’t frothing at the mouth about the capra, which seems to be claimed as some sort of wonder bike by some people.

The test is far from perfect, but I like the idea. Ride a load of bikes back to back over a number of days and then compared them. You never know, it might actually catch on.

It’d be good if someone conducted a group test on these journalists. Get the top bike testers from the top 5 magazines/websites and pit them against each other in “Enduro” style event. Give them bikes with forks and shocks covered and randomly change them out and see which they preferred and why, and which they were faster on.

See who’s the best rider, and who can tell what they are riding.

Depends if the bike manufacturer has a market in Germany (where the mag is from?)

I was looking at the GT. But that suspension linkage and tyre clearance is going to create a few headaches in this country i.e. mud!

Yeah other countries don’t have mud.

if i had to ride 15 bikes and rate them id be absolutely useless, so many variables with set up:, tyres, shocks, pressure-rebound-compression, bars, grips, brakes, I struggle getting my 1 enduro bike set up how i like it!

That test was published back in november, which might explain why some bikes are missing

I’ve just been talking to Marco, the editor of MTB Mag, maybe people should take into consideration the difficulty in getting bikes in to test, particularly in November when some models won’t be available…

Well my bike’s the best and it’s not on there so it’s rubbish!

You don’t even need to chat to the Editor, he wrote it in the article…

Although there are 15 bikes, some brands are not present in the test because their bikes were not available, however the response from the industry in general was amazing and we would like to thank all our partners for their help.

With my bikes over the past couple of years I’ve also found that pedaling efficiency is staying the same or getting better while downhill ability has carried on increasing. So for racing,
the current trend for bikes is perfect. Tracks are slowly getting more technical and now are heading the same way. Why restrict development of bikes by taming trails down? The trails should dictate the bikes being developed,

This.

The whole ‘going for a ride with your mates’ thing was simply a hook to get people interested in and attending Enduros…as nobody in this country seemed to know what it was….pitching it as a social event, transition stages that meant you could cycle alongside your riding buddies and chat made it sound less intimidating than ‘its several timed downhill stages linked together, fastest cumulative time wins’…

…it really grates on me as the only time you’re with your mates is when on transition stages anyway, the actual racing is done one at a time!

A good read that, and whilst I agree with most of the ads/disads for my bike (Rune), a heavy bike as it is, why stick SuperGravity Magic Mary on front and rear?!! That would be a biatch to climb! I’ve tried trailstar v SG MM on my bike, and the SG are noticeably slower/heavier.
Thought they could do with a VFM and a pedally, less DH singletrack category too (more like we have in UK enduros). This is were the Rune suffers most I find. Unsure about the finishing quality, mine seems fine, those photos dont look great 😐

Just read it again. Spot on article. I wouldn’t even know where to buy a GT or an Orbea.
Poor old Nuke Proof

Interesting that they scored the Pike the same as the 36 , bog price difference and I’d expect the fox to have been better
Oops just seen they had a formula on the nomad !

I think the real trick they missed are the 29ers; remedy, enduro, codeine 😉 etc

It’s hard to do this kind of test, as a lot of people have said with so many variables however I think it gives people the general idea, I also think they should have maybe factored price into the equation ? I don’t think that changing tyres should be done either(for a test/review) because They are the tyres the manufactures have chose to put on and sell it to you and therefore if they’ve put the wrong tyres on it should show in the results.

Also I have the cube stereo sla that they tested, a horrendously capable bike maybe slightly heavier here and there but still comes around 30lb however I think it’s the cheapest in the test ?? Which does make me wonder why they didn’t use the more expensive team 160 one, at £4500 it would have been more in the ball park with the likes of the nomad with a carbon frame, fox 36’s better drive train etc etc.

I think they also should have chucked a 29er in there to see how they compare ?

Of course Enduro is moving toward dh stages with linking transition stages! Nobody wants an xc race! 😉

I’m surprised the Orbea Rallon isn’t on there. I don’t own one but looking at other reviews (Dirt, Dirt 100, Pinkbike) it seems to be rated highly, certainly in the same ball park as the Capra

Executive Summary: All modern bikes are pretty good. Buy the one you like the look/colour of.

😉