List of the best 29er All Mountain Bikes up to 150mm travel

29er All Mountain Bikes Test: Test field

All-mountain? Less than ten years ago, all-mountain mountain bikes were the ultimate all-rounders. Suitable for an Alpine crossing with countless meters of elevation gain, yet also capable enough for challenging trails. With the rise of the enduro trend and the subsequent emergence of trail bikes, these former kings of the knobby-tired world faded into obscurity. But just because the category has disappeared from manufacturers' websites doesn't mean the demands placed on such bikes have changed. Touring-capable bikes that can also handle tough trails are still very much in vogue. As modern enduro bikes increasingly evolve into pure race bikes, a gap has opened up between them and dedicated touring full-suspension bikes. The all-mountain bikes of yesteryear perfectly fill this gap; and indeed, while a look at manufacturers' product lines might lack the "all-mountain" designation, one can usually find one or more bikes that fit precisely into this category.

Since the gradual decline of all-mountain bikes, the MTB market has also seen significant changes: 29-inch wheels have now become the standard in almost all areas and are increasingly overtaking their smaller counterparts. The improved rollover characteristics and resulting smoother ride more than compensate for the slightly higher weight; modern geometries mask the increased wheelbase, and the rider sits more " in" the bike than " on " it.

29er All Mountain Bikes Test: Travel

Perhaps the most important finding from our test concerns the suspension travel – especially that in the rear triangle. In our test field, there was a wide range from 115mm to 150mm, but anyone who concludes trail and climbing performance from the spring travel alone could be disappointed after the purchase. While a few short-travel bikes were able to completely convince us on the trail, we had to put on the proverbial handbrake on one or the other test candidate with a lot of suspension travel off-road. A similar picture emerged during the climb: We tested rear triangles that, despite ample suspension travel, remained completely free of bobbing, even with an open shock absorber, and quickly pushed the bike up, while other bikes with less travel sagged in the suspension travel. What does that mean in practice? You shouldn't let the technical data guide you too much and rather invest your time in a detailed test drive.

29er All Mountain Bikes Test: Frame Material

In a high-end test field like ours, carbon is the standard frame material. In this respect, it is not surprising that with the exception of the Last Glen, all test candidates rely on a carbon fiber main frame. There are various reasons for this: Sometimes they can be used to create special frame constructions, such as on the Specialized Stumpjumper or the Orbea Rallon, sometimes they reduce the weight compared to the aluminum counterpart - but bikes like the Last also show that you can also use the apparently long-serving frame material Aluminum can build high-quality, lightweight and visually appealing bicycle frames.

29er All Mountain Bikes Test: Weight

What role does the weight play in an all-rounder that should be able to do everything from trail-heavy alpine crossings to weekend tours to the occasional bike park ride? Here too, as with the spring deflection, theoretical considerations only play a limited role in practice. Some of the heavier test candidates with a total weight of over 13kg were willing climbers, while one or the other lightweight felt much more sluggish. Why is that? On the one hand, where the weight is hiding plays a role. While almost every gram is felt on wheels and tires, 100g on the frame or cockpit are usually less relevant in practice. On the other hand, other factors such as chassis performance, rolling resistance of the tires and seating position have a much greater impact on the driving experience than the sheer weight.

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