With their shirtsleeves rolled up to mean business, the Hamburg-based Bergamont team carried out a serious revamp of their full suspension line-up, with the Trailster model emerging as one of the first results. We invited the cheapest of the four models, the Bergamont Trailster 6.0, to join our group test. Would the updated bike win us over?
A bike isn’t designed by just one person. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to count them all on one hand: the bike developers, or engineers, design the frame; the graphic designers come up with the decals and aesthetics; product managers are responsible for the component spec, and the list goes on. When it comes to the Trailster 6.0, there’s a serious lack of consistency between the respective parts and an absence of an overarching concept and purpose for the bike.
With the super long, slack frame, the engineers set the tone perfectly for an aggressive trail bike. Given its long 450 mm reach for the medium frame (466 mm in L), combined with a slack head angle and steep seat angle, it’s primed for buckets of fun on the trail. Add in the short stem, and it’s seriously ready to rock. Unfortunately, the spec does not live up to this image in the slightest. From the 3×10 drivetrain to the weak brakes, to the outdated conventional seatpost and the fact that the suspension gets rapidly out of its depth, there are too many no-gos already ticked off. Add these together and you’ve got a bike that’s just no fun to ride. On hard, successive bumps, the rear end and the Manitou McLeod rear shock fail to generate enough traction. The RockShox Sektor Gold fork offers too little compression, so harsh bottom-outs are likely even when braking. The most irritating feature surely has to be the outdated 3x drivetrain, which means the chain will constantly clatter and frequently come off. What’s the use of having such great modern geometry when the componentry choice simply lets the team down? Thanks to the steep seat angle, uphills can be ridden comfortably in the saddle while the front remains firmly planted. Point the bike downwards, however, and the lack of a dropper post is painful.
Details of the Bergamont Trailster 6.0
Backwards: Having fitted a 3x drivetrain, the team at Bergamont give riders not only a noisier ride but also an unnecessarily broad gear ratio. There’s also no clutch on the derailleur, which means you can expect the chain to hit the frame and fall off regularly.
Inadequate: As standard equipment, the Manitou McLeod rear shock on the Bergamont is inadequate. On successive big hits, the rear shock rapidly gets out of its depth and packs down, leading to a frequent loss of traction and grip at the rear.
Critical: A dropper post is basically mandatory for a bike that’s designed for the trails. Not only do they make the ride more fun, but they also made it safer – so they shouldn’t be reserved exclusively for the top-of-the-range models.
Convincing:
The Bergamont Trailster scores highly with its modern geometry and short stem; however, there’s a major issue with the cockpit, as the 720 mm bars are too narrow for trails.
Specification: Bergamont Trailster 6.0
- Fork: RockShox Sektor Gold 150 mm
- Shock: Manitou Mcleod Dual Air (140 mm on the rear)
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore
- Brakes: Shimano BR-M447
- Seatpost: BGM Pro 400 mm
- Stem: Answer AME 45 mm
- Handlebar: BGM Pro 720 mm
- Tyres: Schwalbe Nobby Nic EVO
- Wheelsize: 27.5″
- Wheelset: BGM Pro, Sun Ringle Helix
- Weight: 13.88 kg
- Price: € 2,299
Conclusion for the Bergamont Trailster 6.0
Despite the excellent geometry, the Bergamont Trailster 6.0 hasn’t been able to compensate for the grave weaknesses in its spec, and you’d have to invest a substantial amount in order to render it fit for the trails. But this isn’t to say Bergamont don’t know good from bad; their top-of-the-range Trailster 9.0 tells a completely different story. So our advice? If you opt for a Trailster, dig deep and splash out on a more costly model.
Strengths
- Excellent modern geometry
Weaknesses
- Inadequate suspension
- Clattering 3×10 drivetrain
- Chain falls off frequently
- Lack of a dropper post
- Weak brakes
- Expensive
More information on the Trailster 6.0 can be found on the Bergamont-Website.
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This bike was part of our Group Test: Ten Trail & Enduro Bikes 2016 under €2599.
All bikes tested: Canyon Spectral AL 7.0 EX | COMMENCAL Meta AM V4 | Focus SAM Ltd. | Ghost SL AMR 5 | GIANT Trance 2 Ltd | Propain Tyee Comp | Radon Slide 150 8.0 HD | Rose Uncle Jimbo 1 | Solid Magix Comp
Text & Photos: Christoph Bayer
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