Test: With the BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9, we tested a 29″ mountain bike from the traditional Spanish manufacturer that, with its modern geometry, 120mm spring travel and high-quality equipment, doesn’t quite fit into the established categories of cross country, trail and all-mountain. As the test turned out, however, this is exactly where the Lynx's great strength lies.
BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9 – frame
The BH Lynx 4.8 comes with either a carbon or aluminum frame – we tested the top aluminum variant. The frame, which is kept in blue and black in all three equipment variants, first catches the eye with its distinctive design language: the massive damper rocker and the strong kink in the seat tube dominate the look of the excellently processed frame. Clean weld seams, very resistant paint and modern standards such as the Pressfit 92 bottom bracket and the 142×12 thru axle in the rear triangle are convincing. The external routing of the lines and cables on the aluminum models of the bike is less modern - even if this makes maintenance much easier, one or the other could visually stumble on the many cables and outer casings.
On closer inspection, to our surprise, we also discover an ISCG 5 mount for chain guides on the bottom bracket – this is unusual for a bike in this spring travel class, but it significantly expands the range of use and should be welcomed by many riders. In addition, this is a first indication of where BH sees its Lynx 4.8: If the 120mm fully from the Basques were a tame touring bike, it would certainly not need such a mount. Another indication of the rather wild nature of the Lynx 4.8 is the generous tire clearance in the rear: Even if you use 2,25″ Michelin tires ex works, tires with a width of up to 2,4″ can easily be accommodated there.
A special feature of the BH Lynx 4.8 is the rear triangle concept called Split Pivot. This was developed by bicycle guru Dave Weagle, one of the most influential figures in rear triangle construction. In order to understand the advantages of this design, one must first keep in mind the basic problem with full-suspension bikes: while riding, there are always three forces acting on the rear end of a mountain bike:
- Acceleration: The rider puts tension on the chain by pedaling and accelerates the bike.
- brakes: It doesn't matter whether you're braking carefully or braking hard: The forces that act on the rear triangle are enormous.
- Subsurface: The rear end moves with every bump and every hole on the trail.
It is often very difficult for the engineers of bicycle frames to develop a rear triangle that can cope with all three influences and, above all, in every situation. For this reason, a few years ago, unpleasant effects such as brake stamping or pedal kickback were as much a part of the fully as a chain is of a bicycle. A lot has happened here in recent years, also because of developments by Dave Weagle. His Split Pivot System, which was launched on the market for the first time in 2012, succeeds – to put it simply – in separating the three factors mentioned, namely acceleration, braking and the surface. Each component only affects part of the rear end and can therefore be influenced and controlled independently of the rest.
In practice, this means that the rear triangle always works in the same way, for example, regardless of whether you are blasting down the trail at full throttle and the brakes open or feeling your way down the slope with the handbrake on. Likewise, the power from the pedal reaches the trail directly without having to go through the damper. The result is a very drive-neutral rear triangle.
BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9 – Geometry
The geometry of the BH Lynx 4.8 puts the 120mm wheel best in the trail bike category - a long reach in combination with the slack steering angle of 68° ensures a lot of stability even on difficult terrain and places the rider very centrally on the bike. The 29″ wheels complement this concept perfectly: The significantly better rollover behavior compared to the smaller counterparts should provide even more reserves and help the rider, especially on technical uphill sections.
The chainstays are pleasingly short at 430mm for a 29″ fully: This means that the Lynx should only lose a little of its agility, despite the large wheels. In view of the classification of the Lynx 4.8, we don't see the fact that the short struts could make the bike a little more nervous on the descent too critical: If you're looking for a bike for blunt shooting, you've come to the wrong place anyway.
The strongly kinked seat tube not only stands out visually, it also leads to a number of special features in the geometry that need to be taken into account. Because this kink means that the effective seat angle, which is usually measured vertically above the crank, decreases with greater saddle extension. A smaller seat tube angle affects uphill performance because you get the feeling of pedaling "from behind" and the power cannot be optimally implemented. Of course, BH is aware of this problem and the effective seat angle of the Lynx 4.8 is a very good 0° with a saddle elevation of 73. It could be a problem for drivers who have very long legs in relation to their height and are forced to pull out the post very far. It might be worth taking a look at the next larger frame size.
BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9 – Features
BH offers three trim levels each for its Lynx in aluminum and carbon. The top aluminum version had to prove itself to us with a price tag of €2.999. The other two aluminum models cost €1.999 and €2.399 respectively, while the versions with a carbon fiber frame cost between €3.999 and €7.999.
Equipment variants BH Lynx 4.8 29″
Fork: Rock Shox 30 Gold RL Air 120mm
Damper: SR Suntour Epixon
Drivetrain: Shimano Deore/SLX
Brakes: Shimano M506
Price: € 1.999,90
Fork: Rock Shox Recon Gold RL 120mm
Shock: Rock Shox Monarch RT
Drive: SRAM GX11
Brakes: Magura MT4
Price: € 2.399,90
Fork: FOX 32 Fit4 120mm
Shock: FOX Float DPS RL
Drivetrain: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano XT
Price: € 2.999,90
Fork: Rock Shox Recon Gold RL 120mm
Shock: Rock Shox Monarch RT
Drive: SRAM GX11
Brakes: Magura MT4
Price: € 3.999,90
Fork: FOX 32 Fit4 120mm
Shock: FOX Float DPS RL
Drivetrain: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano XT
Price: € 4.999,90
The equipment on our test bike is consistently high quality. The chassis comes from FOX: The new Float 32 fork at the front has the Fit4 damping cartridge introduced two years ago and, with its good performance, makes you forget the problems of the previous generation. The same applies to the Float damper with Kashima coating, which, like the fork, can be adjusted directly to the requirements of the surface using the handlebar remote control. In addition to open and closed settings, the medium trail setting in particular has proven to be a very good choice for most trails.
When it comes to the drive and the brakes, BH relies fully on Shimano's expertise: The Lynx 4.8 7.9 comes with the brand new 11-speed XT drive - only on the crank you won't find the XT logo, because this is where the new, groupless one comes from MT700 model is used, which is in no way inferior to the XT counterpart except for a few grams more weight. The 2-speed drive with 36/26 at the front and an 11-42 cassette at the rear offers an enormous range, with which you are armed for almost any terrain.
The XT brakes come with 180mm discs at the front and 160mm at the rear - depending on the rider's weight and what the bike is used for, it might make sense to swap the rear disc for a 180mm model. The add-on parts – handlebars, stem and seat post – all bear the BH Super Lite lettering and are made in-house. Visually and technically inconspicuous, they do a calm job.
The wheels also come from BH itself, but with the 21mm wide aluminum rims they are pleasantly light and definitely convince us. The tire combination of the easy-rolling Michelin Wild Racer on the rear wheel and the slightly snappier Grip'R in front makes sense and is quite appropriate for the Lynx's area of application. All in all, we are really impressed by the very good equipment of the BH bike, but we really miss a dropper post on an all-round bike like the Lynx. Anyone who likes to ride steeper trails and demanding terrain more often should retrofit them.
BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9 – On the trail
We put the BH Lynx 4.8 to the test on the many beautiful trails in the Bavarian Forest and shooed it up steep slopes as well as flowy and sometimes blocked, technically difficult passages down. Basque bikes were even allowed to let off steam on the Flow Country route in the Geißkopf bike park. What really struck all of our testers from the very first moment was the maneuverability and agility of the Lynx. The central seating position combined with the short chain stays really invite you to play and are a lot of fun on twisted flow trails.
As already mentioned, we would have really wished for a dropper post on steeper sections. Although the Lynx 4.8 comes with a saddle quick release in our equipment variant, the 400mm long support can only be lowered up to the kink in the saddle tube. We would have wished for a little more space under the buttocks at one point or another. However, the bit of annoyance about the seat post quickly disappeared once the bike got going: The FOX chassis harmonizes perfectly with the Split Pivot rear triangle concept, on the one hand gives good feedback from the trail, but also feels like a lot more than 'just' 120mm travel on. Even when climbing, there was hardly any rocking from the rear end – if it did, a push of a button on the handlebars was enough and the fork and damper were locked out at the same time. The drive was convincing all along the line - shifting processes are precise and crisp and the dampened rear derailleur ensures quietness and reduces chain slap to an absolute minimum.
The tires did a good job overall, especially the Wild Grip'R on the front wheel knew how to convince on the dry, loose forest floor. However, the pleasingly easy-rolling racer on the rear wheel did not offer that many reserves and tended to slip a little in one situation or another. However, the question of tires is highly individual and the combination with which the Lynx is delivered offers a successful compromise between low rolling resistance and good grip - with a slight tendency towards low rolling resistance.
BH Lynx 4.8 29″ 7.9 – Conclusion
After a few hours of testing, which various riders have spent on the BH, it was clear: the Spanish manufacturer has succeeded in creating a really strong bike with the Lynx 4.8 29. It dances playfully between cross-country, trail and all-mountain areas, it climbs well, but also feels at home on more demanding trails. The rear end works efficiently and in one situation or another it is hard to believe that there really are only 120mm available. Only the lack of a dropper post combined with the limited retractability spoiled the fun a little and limited the Lynx a bit. If you upgrade here, you get a great mountain bike that comes damn close to the so often desired "everything you want".
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