Bergamont Trailster 10.0: frame and geometry
The frame of the Bergamont Trailster 10.0 is powerful in many ways. First of all, of course, the neon yellow color catches the eye, which is probably not to everyone's taste, but undoubtedly stands out from the black and gray monotony of large parts of the bicycle market. The next thing that catches the eye is the voluminous, angular tubes of the carbon frame, which fit extremely well into the lines. Finally, the Trailster's main frame is long, really long. With a reach of almost 470mm in size L, it competes with many enduro bikes. But more on that later.
Sure, at €3.999 the Bergamont is definitely one of the more expensive trail bikes out there. But you can tell that too: The frame is extremely high-quality and details such as the down tube protection, the integrated chain protection and the metal plate at the level of the crank, which protects the frame in the event of a chain drop, are convincing. The Trailster stands on classic 27,5″ wheels – no plus, no boost. This may be a point of criticism for some, but the 650b definitely has some advantages, especially with agile trail bikes, and the classic 142mm or 15mm axles make it possible to upgrade the bike with a possibly existing wheelset without boost.
With 150mm of rear travel, the Bergamont Trailster offers more travel than most other trail bikes. With 150mm at the front, you get an extremely potent bike, at least in terms of suspension travel, which should still have enough reserves for rough terrain.
Geometry Bergamont Trailster
S | M | L | XL | |
seat tube (in mm) | 420 | 440 | 470 | 500 |
Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 590 | 610 | 630 | 645 |
head tube (in mm) | 115 | 120 | 135 | 150 |
chainstay (in mm) | 432 | 432 | 432 | 432 |
Wheelbase (in mm) | 1155 | 1177 | 1198 | 1214 |
Steering angle (in °) | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 |
Seat angle (in °) | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
Reach (mm) | 431 | 452 | 467 | 477 |
Stacks (in mm) | 597 | 602 | 616 | 630 |
The extremely sporty geometry, which could also be that of an enduro for the most part, also goes well with the ample suspension travel. Sure, the steering angle is a little steeper at 67°, but with the very long main frame (467mm reach in size L) you should get an extremely smooth-running bike, which, thanks to the short chainstays, shouldn't give you that semitrailer feeling and maintaining the agility so characteristic of a trail bike.
Bergamot Trailster 10.0: Features
frame | Super Lite MCS |
suspension fork | FOX 34 Float Performance |
Suspension shocks | FOX Float DPS Elite EVOL |
Wheels | Sun Ringlé Charger Expert AL |
Tire VR | Maxxis Forekaster EXO Protection 2.35 |
Tire HR | Maxxis Forekaster EXO Protection 2.35 |
derailleur | Shimano XT 11-speed |
Gear levers | Shimano XT |
Crank | Rotor Rex 4.1 32t |
Front derailleur | ohne |
Brake | Shimano XT |
Brake discs | Shimano RT76 180/180mm |
Seat post | Manitou Jack Dropper 125mm |
Saddle | SDG Falcon RL |
Stem | Answer AME |
Links | Answer Pro Taper 750AM |
The equipment of the Bergamont Trailster 10.0 is a real highlight for a bike from the far north. As one of our testers said? "The bike doesn't look like an off-the-shelf bike, but as if I had built it myself." The selection of components is not only well thought out from a technical point of view and is appropriate for the price of almost €4.000, but you can see from the many small and large details that someone who likes to ride a mountain bike a lot was at work here.
The chassis made of FOX 34 Float Performance and FOX DPS shock absorbers can't score with a chic Kashima coating or other style bonuses, but in terms of performance there is no doubt about it and it suits a potent trail bike like the Trailster very well. Both spring elements can be adjusted to three damping positions using a lever, so that you can react quickly to the trail and individual requirements. For the drive, you rely on a chainring in combination with Shimano's XT 11-speed group and the 11-46 cassette. The range is a bit smaller than some of the competition, but you get a clean cockpit, you save weight and drivetrain clatter on the trail is a thing of the past. We really liked the Rotor crank - it doesn't do anything better or worse than the more commonly used counterparts from Shimano or SRAM, but it's one of those little highlights that make the Bergamont something special.
The brakes also come from Shimano's XT series and together with the 180/203mm discs there is plenty of power and high fade resistance even on long descents. The Manitou dropper post is still quite rare on the market and with 125mm travel it might offer a little more here. You don't see Answer's cockpit like this every day, and the short stem and wide handlebars are optically and ergonomically very well matched to the bike. The Sun Ringlé Charger Expert wheels with an inner width of just under 23mm and a weight of a little less than 1.800g offer solid fare, but without particularly standing out from the otherwise high-quality equipment.
The attention to detail in the equipment is also evident, for example, in the choice of the headset: other manufacturers often save on this inconspicuous and invisible component. The Cane Creek 40 in Bergamont, on the other hand, convinces with good seals and high-quality bearings that can also cope with frequent riders. Rarely do you (still?) see the new Forekaster tires from Maxxis, which are fitted with the robust Exo Protection carcass at the front and rear of the Trailster.
Bergamot Trailster 10.0: On the trail
First things first: The Bergamont is a wolf in wolf's clothing. The neon yellow carbon wheel is a lot of fun, especially on the descents, and conveys an incredible amount of safety. Not only the enduro DNA of the geometry comes into play here, but also the very absorbing chassis. The rear triangle is very potent and can easily withstand heavy hits. In flowing terrain, it tends to give little feedback from the ground and sometimes seems a bit spongy. It's clear: the Trailster prefers rough terrain to flowy ones.
The agility of the Northern Lights was quite surprising – given the long wheelbase, suspension travel and general orientation, we were concerned that it might be a little sluggish. Sure: There are certainly trail bikes that are more agile, manoeuvrable and lively, but the Bergamont is still a long way from a sluggish riding experience. It masters tight bends just as easily as it invites you to pull away from small obstacles. The tires did their job very well by the way, even if you could think of something coarser in view of the Trailster's focus on descents.
But what goes down must first go up: In this discipline, the Bergamont is not quite as convincing as in the downhill. When things get really steep, the front wheel tends to climb a bit and you have to move forward a bit to keep control. The rear end is also not completely rocking-free here – at least when the damper is open – and eats up one or two watts of pedaling power. In the middle setting of the damper, however, there is also silence here. However, if it's less steep, the Trailster climbs quite well thanks to its low total weight. However, the smallest translation of 32/46 demands a few tight calves.
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