Test: A segment that has always been competitive. Almost every manufacturer, whether with or without a World Cup team, now has a powerful race fully as a flagship in their range. Fullies are also becoming more and more popular with professionals due to the increasingly technical routes and the demands on the bikes have also changed as a result. The BH Lynx Race Carbon definitely belongs to this new generation. Why? You will find out in the test.
BH Lynx Race Carbon: The frame
In the Lynx Race, the frame is clearly one of the outstanding parts of the bike. The frame comes in a matt black carbon look with small orange-red details, which results in a very harmonious and elegant look. The frame is also used by the BH SR Suntour KMC Worldcup Team, by riders such as Victor Koretzky and Jordan Sarrou. The team was very involved in the development of the bike to create a bike for the different XC tracks around the world.
The frame is made entirely of carbon. The carbon monocoque frame is completed by the rear triangle and rocker made of the same material. This allows the frame in size M to be pressed down to approx. 1850 grams. The rear end corresponds to the modern Boost standard with 148 mm at the hub. In this way, the rigidity of the frame and wheels can be improved. In addition, it is also possible to install a 27,5+ wheel in the rear triangle. The rear triangle kinematics are based on BH's Split-Pivot technology, where the pivot point on the rear triangle is directly in line with the axle. This results in a very neutral rear end when pedaling and braking. The spring behavior is designed in such a way that the spring travel is used constantly at the beginning, but then becomes progressive at the end.
BH Lynx Race Carbon: Geometry
XC courses are becoming more and more technical and demand more and more from the racers on the downhill. With this background, BH developed the Lynx as a full suspension bike with trail and downhill genes. When you look at the geometry sheet, you could also think that you are looking at a trail bike rather than a full suspension bike if the 100 mm travel were not also listed there. This is most evident with the steering angle, which at 68,5° is already very flat for a full-suspension. Together with the short chain stays (425 mm) and the long reach (423 mm), the downhill performance of the bike should improve even further. The long reach was also really striking, because with my height of 185 mm, I got along surprisingly well with the size M bike, although size L would have been the better choice, of course. With a race fully, the uphill qualities should of course also be neglected. The rather steep seat angle of 73,5° provides the necessary propulsion.
Bra Lynx Race
S | M | L | XL | |
seat tube (in mm) | 410 | 440 | 480 | 530 |
Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 571 | 599 | 622 | 644 |
head tube (in mm) | 100 | 110 | 125 | 140 |
chainstay (in mm) | 425 | 425 | 425 | 425 |
Wheelbase (in mm) | 1096 | 1124 | 1149 | 1172 |
Steering angle (in °) | 68,5 | 68,5 | 68,5 | 68,5 |
Seat angle (in °) | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 |
Reach (mm) | 398 | 423 | 608 | 622 |
Stacks (in mm) | 585 | 594 | 442 | 460 |
BH Lynx Race Carbon: Features
frame | Lynx Race Carbon 29" |
suspension fork | Fox SC FIT4 Remote 100 |
Suspension shocks | Fox Float Performance Remote |
Wheels | Bra Evo Carbon |
Tire VR | Michelin Wild Race'R 2.10 |
Tire HR | Michelin Wild Race'R 2.10 |
derailleur | Shimano XT DI2 |
Gear levers | Shimano XT DI2 |
Crank | Shimano MT700 |
Front derailleur | Shimano XT DI2 |
Brake | Shimano XT |
Brake discs | Shimano XT |
Seat post | Bra Evo Carbon |
Saddle | Prologo Scratch X8 |
Stem | Bra Super Lite |
Links | Bra Super Lite |
The BH Lynx is available with an aluminum frame and a carbon frame. It starts with the Lynx Race Alu for €1999. The top aluminum model is €2999 with solid XT/Fox equipment. Carbon is available from €3999, with the range going up to €8999 for the top model. We were allowed to test the Lynx in the “Carbon Fox DI2” configuration for €6499. As the name suggests, the bike comes with electronic gears from Shimano. In this case in the XT version with a 2×11 translation. The advantage of the DI2 is the "Dual Shift" mode, which completely automates the shifting processes on the front derailleur. This saves the shifter for the front derailleur and you can use a 2 × 11 translation with just one shifter. Another advantage of the DI2 is that when you change the chainring at the front, you are always automatically offered the next smaller or larger translation. This means that when you downshift on the front chain ring, the rear derailleur automatically compensates for the emerging translation gap by shifting up a few gears.
In addition to the gears, a solid Shimano XT brake is also installed on the BH. As you can already tell from the name, the bike comes with a Fox chassis. A 100 mm Fox Stepcast fork is installed at the front, which is particularly noticeable due to its low weight. A proven Fox Float damper with Kashima coating ensures comfort at the rear. Otherwise you will find some BH-labelled carbon parts on the bike, such as handlebars or seat posts. The carbon wheels are also made in-house and are visually impressive thanks to the high flanks of the carbon rims. Michelin Wild Race'R tires in the 2,1" version, which have become rather rare, provide the necessary grip. Despite the lightweight frame, the Lynx Race still weighs in at 11,38 kg. The slight overweight is probably due to the DI2 and the few slightly overweight parts on the bike. So there is still tuning potential here
BH Lynx Race Carbon: On the trail
The view of the front wheel is almost a little unusual for a race fully, since the axle is much further away than with conventional race fullys due to the flat steering angle. However, this has nothing to do with the propulsion of the bike. Even on the flat asphalt you can tell that the bike wants to be pedaled and that it moves forward well. The chassis remains very drive-neutral even in open mode. If you then lock the chassis completely, you almost get a racing bike feeling.
For me it was the first time with a DI2 in longer test use. I was particularly excited about the dual shift function. For me as a 2×11 fan, this is an interesting alternative because the dual-shift function means you can save on the shifter for the front derailleur. And it works really well. When shifting up or down, you are warned with an acoustic signal before the front derailleur automatically changes the chainring on the next upshift or downshift. Even in wet and muddy conditions, the DI2 didn't cause any problems.
But now really on the trail with the bike. We tried to demand as many different qualities as possible with the bike. On the one hand we have to find out how lively it is for XC use on the after-work lap, and on the other hand we have to test the marathon qualities on the longer tour. As already described in the geometry, BH has optimized the Lynx, which is rather unusual for a fully race fully, in the direction of downhill. And this also shows on the trail. The short chainstays make the bike manoeuvrable, while the long reach ensures directional stability and a rather sporty seating position. Downhill on the trails, the BH Lynx Race really feels more like an all-mountain without losing the liveliness. From time to time you forget that you only have 100 mm of spring travel with you, since the chassis also does its job perfectly. The suspension travel is used well and only becomes progressive towards the end. But when you hit big bumps or rocks, you realize that you don't have the all-mountain with you today. As usual, the XT brakes do a solid job and are unobtrusive, as a good brake should be. The Michelin tires offer sufficient grip. I'd rather go for wider tires for a long time though.
Of course, only downhill is not possible with the race fully. But the BH Lynx Race Carbon does very well here too. The steep seat angle and the rather long reach allow a sporty and propulsion-oriented seating position without appearing uncomfortable and stretched. With the Fox CTD lever, the chassis can be driven open, in trail mode and completely locked. The lever is easy to reach and you can quickly adapt to the current underground situation in order to get maximum performance. Overall, the bike climbs very well on the mountain and, despite the downhill geo, doesn't have to hide from other race fullies. The Geo makes the bike a very versatile bike overall, whether it's an XC course or a long marathon route. I can also imagine that bikers who usually ride with more suspension travel will find this race fully fun. The bike is also ideal for a leisurely tour!
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