New 2025 Rossignol Heretic – aluminium enduro bike on test

What do you do when winters get shorter and snow isn’t as dependable as it used to be? French winter sports brand Rossignol responded with their new 2025 Heretic GX T-Type – their first mountain bike that was fully developed in-house. The Heretic is an aluminium enduro bike that generates 170/165 mm of travel, tipping the scales at 16.7 kg and retailing at €6,200. But how does Rossignol’s first solo project fare on the trail?

Rossignol are one of the biggest names in of winter sports world: over 400 employees, a huge dealer network across Europe and the USA, and decades of experience have shaped the brand. But the winter sports market is stagnating – shorter seasons, rising costs, and an increasingly exclusive offering are putting pressure on the entire segment. In response to pressure from retailers, Rossignol expanded their apparel range – including products for summer sports – and also launched their first bikes around three years ago.

With models like the Rossignol Mandate Shift XT eMTB and the Heretic XT enduro bike – at the time still based on an open-mould frame with fairly basic workmanship – Rossignol started to gain experience. Yet even then, they achieved race success, with Morgane Jonnier riding for the French brand in the enduro scene.

Now Rossignol steppedit up a notch with the all-new Heretic, which was developed in-house from the ground up. The bike division at Rossignol may only consist of five employees, but their ambitions are big.

To find out whether that’s enough for Rossignol to establish themselves in the mountain bike segment in a sustainable way, we took the new Heretic to the trails around Grenoble and our local spots for an in-depth test.

The new 2025 Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type in Detail

Nothing remains of the old Rossignol Heretic. The five-person bike team at Rossignol started with a clean sheet of paper – backed by input from pro riders Nils Heiniger (New Zealand) and Morgane Jonnier (France).

The result: a spanking-new aluminium enduro bike featuring a classic four-bar rear suspension design, a deeply-integrated shock, and elegantly shaped, harmonious frame silhouette. The underside of the downtube proudly displays a large Rossignol logo – a nod to the branding that you find on the underside of their skis. The striking purple paint finish immediately catches the eye, and although the welds aren’t perfectly smoothed out, the overall frame finish comes across as high-quality and well executed.

The cable routing impresses with bolted metal cable ports on the frame – clean, silent, and easy to access. A generously sized rubber protector shields both the top of the chainstay and the lower section of the seatstay. However, the underside of the chainstay is left exposed to the elements – we recommend adding a bit of mastic tape to prevent paint chips in this area.

The main pivot is protected by a small mudguard, which prevents dirt and small rocks from getting trapped in the gap between the frame and the swingarm. There’s a mounting point for a bottle cage on the downtube and a tool mount under the top tube – perfect for carrying a spare tube and a puncture kit. A clever detail: a small multitool and tire lever are integrated into the thick rubber downtube protector. The downside? In this position, it’s constantly exposed to dirt and mud, which makes it even harder to remove – because the system is finicky as it is.

The spec of our 2025 Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type Test Bike

Our Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type test bike is the top-tier spec variant, which retails at €6,200. It comes with a very solid spec, with only a few components that could do with an upgrade – the dropper post and tires. At 16.7 kg, the Heretic isn’t exactly lightweight either.

For the suspension of the GX model, Rossignol rely on a FOX Factory suspension consiting of a 170 mm 38 GRIP X2 fork and a matching FOX FLOAT X2 Factory shock controlling 165 mm at the rear. Both suspension components feature the signature Kashima coating and offer extensive adjustability – with independent high- and low-speed compression and rebound settings to fine-tune the ride to your style and trail conditions. Note: there’s now a newer version of the FLOAT X2 shock with a revised damping system.

The SDG Tellis V2 dropper post works reliably but offers just 150 mm of travel – which is simply not enough for a modern enduro bike that requires maximum freedom of movement on the trail.

SRAMMaven Bronze brakes do stopping duties. While the Bronze edition lacks a contact point adjustment, it delivers powerful, reliable deceleration in combination with the 200 mm rotors front and rear,even on long, demanding descents.

Shifting is taken care of by a wireless SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain – hence the GX suffix in the bike’s model name. This ensures butter-smooth gear shifts, and relies on a direct-mount rear derailleur, eliminating the need for a conventional mech hanger,.

For the wheels, Rossignol rely on a DT Swiss E 1900 aluminium wheelset and MAXXIS tires, combining an Assegai at the front and a Minion DHR II at the rear. However, the choice of tiresis the second minor downside: both tires come in the harder MaxxTerra rubber compound and with the relatively thin EXO+ casing. For a 170/165 mm enduro bike, we would have preferred a sturdier DoubleDown casing on the rear tire and the softer MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front for extra grip.

Tuning tip:
– Once the tires are worn, upgrade to a tire the grippier MaxxGrip and the sturdier DoubleDown casing at the rear.
– Also, consider fitting a longer-travel dropper post to improve freedom of movement on the bike.

The different spec variants of the 2025 Rossignol Heretic

In addition to the GX T-Type build we tested, Rossignol also offer the Heretic in two more versions: the SLX model and the DEORE 12-speed model.

As the name suggests, the SLX version features a full Shimano SLX drivetrain along with SLX brakes – a very solid combination! For the suspension, Rossignol stick with a FOX combo, although in the more affordable Performance version. This means black stanchions instead of Kashima and slightly more limited adjustability, especially on the fork, which doesn’t have separate high- and low-speed compression settings. However, the shock still offers full performance and adjustment options. The e*thirteen aluminium wheels are fitted with the same MAXXIS Assegai and Minion DHR II tires, but this time with the ultra-thin EXO casing instead of the EXO+ of the top-tier model – which is far too fragile for heavier and more aggressive riders. According to the manufacturer, the Heretic SLX weighs 16.8 kg and costs €4,700.

The Heretic DEORE 12 entry-level model is the most affordable variant in the range, retailing at €3,300. For your money, you’kll get a robust Shimano DEORE drivetrain and matching DEORE four-piston brakes. Marzocchi supply the Bomber Z1 Rail 2.0 fork and Bomber Air Sweep shock, which both deliver a solid performance on the trail and also are relatively easy to adjust (compression and rebound). In terms of weight, the DEORE version tips the scales at 17.2 kg (manufacturer’s specifications), and also misses out on the integrated tool that comes as standard on the higher-end models – a bit of a shame.

The geometry of the new Rossignol Heretic

The Rossignol Heretic is available in four sizes, S to XL, offering a suitable option for riders between 1.53 m and 2.00 m tall. Reach values grow from 439 mm (S) to 514 mm (XL) with our our test bike in size M rocking a very modern 464 mm. A flip chip in the chainstay allows you to tweak the geometry of the Heretic slightly to suit different terrain and riding styles. Switching from the “Flow” to the “Attack” position lowers the BB drop, slackens the head angle by 0.5°, and steepens the seat angle by 1.5°. You’ll also need the flip chip if you want to convert the Heretic from a full 29er to a mullet bike with a smaller 27.5″ wheel at the rear. However, if you decide to go mullet, you’ll be stuck with the low setting. Plus, the conversion isn’t particularly quick or trail-friendly: first, you’ll have to remove the rear wheel, and re-inserting the angle-adjust cups is a bit fiddly – this is easier to do at home in a workshop rather than out on the trail.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat Tube	385 mm	410 mm	440 mm	470 mm
Top Tube	570.9 mm	596.8 mm	624.7 mm	652.5 mm
Head Tube	100 mm	105 mm	120 mm	135 mm
Head Angle	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°
Seat Angle	73,6°	73,6°	73,6°	73,6°
Chainstay	437 mm	437 mm	437 mm	437 mm
BB Drop	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm
Wheelbase	1210.6 mm	1237.8 mm	1269.2 mm	1300.7 mm
Reach	439 mm	464 mm	489 mm	514 mm
Stack	625.9 mm	630.4 mm	643.9 mm	657.5 mm

The geometry of the Rossignol Heretic in the High-Setup.

The new Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type on the trail

The Rossignol Heretic is a pleasant surprise on the climbs: despite weighing almost 17 kg, it doesn’t feel sluggish at all. The pedalling position is upright and efficient, and although the rear suspension bobs slightly, a quick flick of the FOX X2’s climb switch lever sorts it out, ensuring a more efficient climbing performance.

On technical trail climbs, the Heretic demands a bit more effort due to its suspension setup and higher system weight, but it holds traction well and keeps the front wheel nicely planted on the ground.

When gravity takes over, the Heretic impresses with a balanced, centred riding position, integrating you nicely between its wheels. This inspires confidence on the trail, and the high front end gives you an extra sense of security, encouraging you to leave your fingers off the brakes and build up speed.

On rough, fast trails, the bike delivers loads of traction and composure. However, the tiresquickly reached their limits on our damp test tracks, where wet roots and slick rocks unsettled the front end slightly. A softer rubber compound at the front, like MAXXIS’ MaxxGrip, would give you far more security and demand less active work from the rider.

The suspension itself is well tuned to the bike, soaking up big hits and hard compressions with ease without blowing through its travel. That said, there’s a slight lack of feedback from the ground in the mid-stroke. Playful riders would wish for a little more progression and pop to make it easier to flick the bike through fast corners and pop off natural kickers.

That said, the Heretic feels intuitive to ride overall, inspiring confidence and making it easy to keep charging even in tougher terrain.

Helmet FOX Proframe RS | Glasses Oakley Sutro | Jacket GORE Fernflow Hooded Windbreaker | Pants Mons Royale Virage Trail Pants | Shoes FOX Union | Socks STANCE

Who Should Take a Closer Look at the Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type?

The Rossignol Heretic leaves a solid impression – both the aluminium frame and the choice of components are well thought-out and, apart from the tires, sensibly robust. With a few small upgrades, you’ll have a tough shredder that holds its own not just on singletrack, but also on demanding, steep trails. That said, the Rossignol might not be an option for weight weenies who count every last gram. The new Heretic is an honest bike – with an honest weight to match.

Conclusions about the Rossignol Heretic GX T-Type

With the new Heretic, Rossignol show what the established ski brand is capable of in the bike world. The bike looks great, rides well, and delivers a well-rounded overall package. The integrated tool might be a bit fiddly to access, but it’s definitely better than not having one at all. Price, spec options, and ride impressions all line up to make the Heretic a fair and attractive offering. We’re excited to see how the bike holds its own on the market – and even more curious to see what Rossignol have in store for the future.

For more info, visit rossignol.com

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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Jean Meybeck, Julian Schwede