Test: With the Bulls Black Adder 29 we had a real hardtail weapon with us for testing. The carbon frame ensures a certain lightness and is optimally complemented by a complete Shimano XT group.
Bulls Black Adder 29 – The frame
With a total weight of less than ten kilos, the Bulls Black Adder 29 is really impressive in terms of weight alone. Of course, the frame also plays an extremely important role here and should not be too heavy. The Bulls carbon frame finds an extremely good compromise between lightness and rigidity, which are the basic requirements for fast rides.
Just as important, especially with a hardtail, is comfort, which must not be neglected. Due to the strong sloping geometry, which is particularly evident in the sloping top tube, the rear end is extremely low, which has a very positive effect on comfort. This is where the very comfortable carbon seat post developed by Bulls comes into play, as it skilfully complements the frame and significantly reduces impacts and vibrations.
Bulls Black Adder 29 – The equipment
Not only the carbon frame of the Bulls Black Adder 29 is convincing, the equipment also has a lot to offer. With the Shimano Deore XT groupset, you have a great mix of powerful performance and longevity on your bike. A total of 22 gears are available and offer an oversized range of options for steep climbs, flat sections and fast descents. The associated brakes with 180 and 160 millimeter brake discs provide a lot of power for the necessary safety on the trails. In the many laboratory tests that Velomotion carried out together with Velotech on the brake test bench, the XT brakes were able to prove again and again that they are among the best that can be installed on a modern MTB.
The Fox Float 32 fork complements the race hardtail with 100 millimeters of travel and can even shine on moderately difficult trails. The DT Swiss X 1700 Spline wheels offer a good balance of light weight and stability for heavy-duty use.
Bulls Black Adder 29 - On the trails
The key data of the Bulls Black Adder 29 were already very promising and apparently offer everything a good all-round MTB needs. And that is exactly how it is! Because the hardtail presents itself from its best side on all levels and impressively shows how well-balanced a hardtail can be. Due to the frame construction, the bike is very comfortable without losing its liveliness. This is particularly noticeable on rough passages and root areas, since not only the Fox suspension fork is hard at work here, but also the rear triangle and the seat post can absorb and absorb a lot to make the ride as pleasant as possible.
If you then need to accelerate again after such passages, the Black Adder also cuts a fine figure and converts the power directly into propulsion. Thanks to the low weight in connection with the great power transmission, you can tackle longer climbs without any problems and benefit from the wide range of the 2×11 gears. This is certainly not absolutely necessary, which is why Bulls also offers a Black Adder with 1×12 gears from Sram for thoroughbred racers, which is a bit lighter and should be a bit sportier.
Arriving at the summit, nothing stands in the way of an enjoyable descent on which you can really accelerate. Because on the trails you benefit from the agility of the Bulls Black Adder 29 even at higher speeds and can really have fun. Here the Shimano brakes and in combination with the excellent Schwalbe tires offer the necessary safety and the best grip for dosed driving fun.
