Radon Slide Carbon 140 9.0 frame and geometry
The Radon Slide can already look back on a remarkably long history and has been the all-purpose weapon par excellence in the portfolio of the Bonn-based direct mailer Radon for several years. The Slide Carbon 140, with 140mm spring travel at the front and rear, 27,5″ wheels and a moderate geometry between tour and enduro, is exactly the mountain bike category that can handle almost any terrain. Radon is particularly proud of the very light frame, which also reduced the weight of our test bike to just over 12kg - an absolute top value for such a bike!
The matt black frame of the Slide Carbon 140 is also a real treat in terms of looks: the angular tube shapes meet an overall very pleasing design language and harmonious dimensions. Cables and lines run - as is now customary - completely inside the frame. It's also nice that a bottle holder and a large bottle can easily be accommodated in the frame triangle - this is an important feature for many buyers, especially on an all-rounder like the Slide.
Geometry Radon Slide Carbon 140
16" | 18" | 20" | 22" | |
seat tube (in mm) | 420 | 440 | 465 | 490 |
Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 576 | 596 | 614 | 636 |
head tube (in mm) | 105 | 115 | 125 | 135 |
chainstay (in mm) | 435.5 | 435.5 | 435.5 | 435.5 |
Wheelbase (in mm) | 1138 | 1158 | 1177 | 1199 |
Steering angle (in °) | 67.5 | 67.5 | 67.5 | 67.5 |
Seat angle (in °) | 74.2 | 74.2 | 74.2 | 74.2 |
Reach (mm) | 417 | 434 | 450 | 468 |
Stacks (in mm) | 589 | 596 | 603 | 613 |
The geometry of the Radon trail bike is probably best described with the word "balanced": The head angle of 67.5° is neither particularly slack nor particularly steep, but the chainstay is modern and short at 435mm and the reach is 450mm in size L in the zeitgeist. Thanks to the steep seat angle and the already mentioned low weight, the Slide should also cut a pretty good figure on climbs.
Radon Slide Carbon 140 9.0 equipment
frame | SlideCarbon 140 |
suspension fork | FOX 34 Float Performance Elite |
Suspension shocks | FOX Float DPS Performance Elite |
Wheels | Mavic XA Elite |
Tire VR | Schwalbe Nobby Nic TrailStar 2.35 |
Tire HR | Schwalbe Nobby Nic PaceStar 2.35 |
derailleur | Shimano XT 11-speed |
Gear levers | Shimano XT |
Crank | Shimano XT 36/26 |
Front derailleur | Shimano XT |
Brake | Shimano XT BR-M8000 |
Brake discs | Shimano RT76 180/180 |
Seat post | RockShox Reverb Stealth 150mm |
Saddle | Selle Italia Flite MG |
Stem | Race Face Turbine Basic 60mm |
Links | Race Face Turbine 760mm |
At a price of €3.599 (currently reduced to €3.299), the Radon Slide Carbon 140 9.0 not only gives you a light and high-quality frame, but also features that range from solid to classy throughout, leaving only a few wishes unfulfilled. The Fox chassis, consisting of a 34mm Float Performance fork and DPS Performance Elite damper, is beyond doubt and can also be adjusted in three stages to the terrain and requirements using the thumb lever on the damper or on the fork crown.
The shifting system relies entirely on Shimano power; Here, a decision was made in favor of a traditional 2-way drive and against the one-by variants that are so popular at the moment. Thanks to two chainrings and the 11-40 XT cassette at the rear, you get a transmission range of just over 500% - so you can still pedal well on longer flat sections even at high speeds, but still have one or two "lifebuoys" for steep and long ones climbs.
The wheels are based on the new XA Elite Trail models from the French manufacturer Mavic. At less than 1.700g, they are among the lighter system wheels, but offer a well-dimensioned inner width of 25mm and are therefore also sufficiently dimensioned for 2,4″ tires. Tubeless compatibility goes without saying. It’s nice that Radon thinks along with this and puts a Schwalbe tire combination of Nobby Nic and Rock Razor (both in 2,35″) in tubeless easy version alongside the wheels. So if you want to do without tubes, you only have to screw in tubeless valves, fill in milk, pump up and you're ready to go. Attention to detail is also shown by the decision to use the high-grip Trail Star rubber compound on the front wheel, while the easy-rolling Pace Star compound is used on the rear.
They also rely on Shimano for the brakes: The XT M8000 have been on the market for two years now and are still among the most reliable brakes money can buy. They are combined with 180mm discs at the front and rear - depending on the route profile and driver's weight, you may have to think about changing to a 203mm disc at the front. The very good equipment package is rounded off by a Rock Shox Reverb with 150mm (in L and XL, otherwise 125mm) and the optically successful, but not very light Race Face Cockpit.
Radon Slide Carbon 140 9.0 – On the trail
Two years ago we would have called the Slide 140 an all-mountain. In the meantime, what we believe to be a more sensible form of categorization is gaining ground. Bikes that are suitable for all-round use, not pure specialists, they are called trail bikes. And that's where the Slide 140 fits in very well, it can do a lot and motivates the driver.
After each test lap, the riders were certain: the Radon Slide 140 9.0 is agile, accelerates well and climbs willingly. The reasons for this are easy to find. A low overall weight, a wide range of gear ratios and a responsive wheelset with smart tire choices. The low weight is due to the well thought-out equipment, but also to the high-quality frame. Radon thus shows that there is more than one "consignor" who is doing his homework here. In addition to lightness, the appearance and quality impression are also convincing. We like "one-by", we just like it better. Nevertheless, one cannot complain about the function and ergonomics of the Shimano XT group, simply very good and reliable. With the chain on the small chain ring at the front and the large sprocket at the back, you can go uphill really quickly.
A Rock Razor is mounted on the rear of the great Mavic XA Elite Trail wheels. Of course, the semi-slick shines uphill, especially in the hard rubber compound. The Nobby Nic installed at the front with a decent profile and soft rubber compound helps on the descents. Really well thought out and also tubeless mountable. The Fox chassis is nice and quiet uphill and has reserves for the way down. There are bikes in the class that are bigger downhill specialists, but the Slide is balanced. Really quickly up and also quickly down, that's what it wants and that's what the driver has to want, then it can become a love story between the two of them. The Race Face cockpit is contemporary and suited all testers well. The adjustability could be slightly better, 2 out of 5 testers were not satisfied with the positioning of the levers.
Overall, however, the ergonomics of the bike were positively received, and every tester felt comfortable on the Selle Italia Flite saddle and with the Ergon grips in their hands. If you had to slow down, the Shimano XT brakes reliably decelerated and the chassis provided plenty of traction. The Fox suspension elements take a little longer to adjust because they offer more options than others. A detail of the above-average components on the bike, measured by the price.
Mario Geske says
Hi Michael,
I read your report about the Radon slide carbon 140 9.0 with great interest
I'm a little confused because bike discount is currently offering the bike for €2.999 (I assume the 2016 model)
Can it be that a 16 model was originally much more expensive and the successor model 2017 is now so much cheaper?
What do you think of the offer from bike-discount? Price-performance?
Thanks for a short answer.
With sporty greetings from the Rhineland
Mario
Michael Faiss says
Hello Mario,
the price at Bike Discount is the 'discontinued price' for the 2017 model year, i.e. the same bike that we also had in the test and that cost €3.599 at the time.
For the price, the bike is definitely recommended as a light trail all-rounder!
Marco Walter says
Hallo,
do you have any idea how long Bike Discount will continue to offer the discounted discontinued models?
And then one more question: Which frame size would you recommend for me (1.80 m, 84 cm inseam)?