Trail bikes don't have it easy. Especially not the low-priced ones like those in this test group. A lot is demanded of them. Their core competences lie equally in uphill and downhill. They should weigh as little as possible, but also be robust enough to master demanding terrain.
And the chassis? Here, buyers want the golden mean between comfort and propulsion. Getting all of this under one roof is no easy task. And as if that wasn't enough of a challenge, our test group also had to keep within an acceptable price range.
The trail bike test group at a glance
Something for every budget
We define prices of around 3500 euros as acceptable in this segment. Canyon sets a good example and even undercuts our benchmark by 400 euros. At € 3399 and € 3499, NS Bikes and YT fulfil our specification almost perfectly. The only outlier: the € 4499 GT Sensor ST. Unfortunately, a cheaper model was not available for this test due to a lack of availability.
With purchase prices between 3099 and 4499 euros, different materials are used for the centrepiece of the test bikes - the frame. While the two mail order companies YT and Canyon afford full carbon frames, the budget at NS is only sufficient for an aluminium chassis. GT chooses the middle way and opts for a hybrid construction with a carbon main frame and aluminium rear triangle.
Inventory
Apart from the materials, the key data of the test candidates appear quite homogeneous: 140 millimetres of travel at the fork and 130 to 140 millimetres at the rear. Only the GT Sensor ST (for short travel) lives up to its name and comes with only 120 millimetres. Wheel size: 29 inches across the board. But that's it for the similarities.
With such a wide price range and the different frame materials, massive differences are inevitable, especially in terms of weight. At 15.8 kilos, the overweight NS clearly falls short of the requirements for a trail bike. The mere idea of having to heave such a heavy bike up climbs spoils the anticipation of long tours.
But not all of our test candidates are as heavy on the scales as the NS Define 130. 2.1 kilos less on the ribs, the Canyon Neuron CF 7 shows that it can also be lighter. The YT Izzo and the GT Sensor lie between the two extremes at 14.3 kilos.
Consignors vs. specialised retailers: unequal conditions
The mail-order brands YT and Canyon rely on an online-based business model. You choose your bike on the manufacturer's website, pay and then have it delivered to your door. There are no costs for the dealer. This leaves the two candidates with a larger budget for better components and for using lightweight carbon fibres instead of aluminium.
GT and NS Bikes are specialised dealer brands. Here, the dealer margin and services such as purchase advice or test rides drive up the base price. Ergo: for the same purchase price, the NS Define and GT Sensor have less financial leeway to install high-quality and lightweight components. Sounds unfair. But as mentioned at the beginning: Being a Trail bike is no walk in the park.
BIKE measured values
For comprehensible test judgements, we compare the practical impressions of all candidates with the objective and reproducible results from our test laboratory.
Impeller inertia
The Canyon, GT and NS wheels all perform similarly well on the test bench. In practice, however, the Canyon accelerates best thanks to the good rolling tyres. YT brings up the rear. Even though the wheels of the NS and GT are heavier, the acceleration of the YT is worse. The reason for this is the large rotating mass of the heavy Maxxis tyres.
Frame rigidity
The aluminium rear triangle of the GT is the stiffest. The rear of the YT Izzo is close behind. The Canyon and NS bikes flex the most, which forgives riding errors and reduces fatigue on long descents. The values are still in the moderate middle range, which is also unproblematic for heavy riders.
The stiffness values of the front frame triangle of the test candidates from NS, YT and GT are close together in the green, or rather blue, range. The only outlier: the Canyon's front triangle was found to be less stiff.
The test results in points
Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
The ideas of what riding qualities a trail bike should have vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. While the NS Bike displays freeride allures downhill, the somewhat outdated YT Izzo sticks to the original values of trail bikes and inspires with an extremely pronounced play instinct. Canyon and GT are convincing in all scenarios, cover the widest range of use and therefore best fulfil the requirements of a modern trail bike.
Max Fuchs
Editor
