Test: A wheel, matt black, covered with corners and edges. A playful design is definitely something else, because the Radon JAB 9.0 HD looks like a mountain bike in stealth mode. We were able to test the carbon bike, which is in the All Mountain / Enduro category, for a first ride at the Bike Festival in Riva. Can the bike cope with massive reserves in the demanding Lake Garda terrain?
Radon JAB 9.0 HD: High-quality and reasonable equipment
frame | Radon JAB Carbon |
suspension fork | Rock Shox Lyric, RCT3, Boost |
Suspension shocks | Rock Shox Deluxe (Series: Rock Shox Super Deluxe RC3, Debon Air, Trunnion) |
Wheels | e*Thirteen TRS, Boost 110/148 |
Tire VR | Magic Mary Addix Soft TLE Snake Skin 2,35" |
Tire HR | Hans Dampf Addix Soft TLE Snake Skin 2,35" |
derailleur | SRAM X01 Eagle |
Gear levers | SRAM X01 Eagle, 12-speed, Matchmaker |
Crank | SRAM Descendant Eagle Carbon, 32T, 170mm |
Front derailleur | |
Brake | MAGURA MT5 (Series: SRAM Code R) |
Brake discs | MAGURA STORM SL 203/180mm (Series: SRAM Elixir Centerline 200/180mm, 6-bolt) |
Seat post | SDG Droppers, 31,6x150mm |
Saddle | SDG FLY MTN 2, CrMo |
Stem | Race Face Turbine R, 35x40/40/40mm |
Links | Race Face Turbine R, 35 x 780mm, 20mm rise |
We were allowed to test a mix of equipment from the Radon JAB 9.0 and Radon JAB 9.0 HD, whereby our test bike had more of its big brother than its little brother. Let's start with the chassis. The mountain bike we tested was equipped with a Rock Shox LYRIK with 160mm spring travel on the front wheel, and a Rock Shox Deluxe was installed on the rear. This combination made sense and delivered cleanly on the trails.
The fact that no Super Deluxe was installed here didn't really bother our short driving impression. As in the Radon JAB 9.0 HD, the drive came from Sram. The X01 Eagle groupset with a Sram Descendant carbon crank fitted perfectly into the stealth look of the Radon JAB and made a solid impression while riding – even under load.
The stealth rocket was delayed by a Magura MT5, but a Sram Code R brake is installed in the original structure. Schwalbe tires create the connection between the wheel and the ground. A Magic Mary Addix Soft TLE Snake Skin with a width of 2,35" on the front wheel and a Hans Dampf Addix Soft TLE Snake Skin with a width of 2,35" on the rear wheel. These are mounted on two 27,5 inch (650B) wheels from e*Thirteen. The TRS Boost 110/148 meet all modern standards and are just right for those who like a noticeable noise from the freewheel. The chain guide TRS Race SL was also positively noticed by e*Thirteen and us. The cockpit also fits perfectly into the stealth look of the mountain bike, a Race Face Turbine R 35 x 780mm handlebar with a 20mm rise on which the SDG Slater grips are mounted.
Radon JAB 9.0 HD: Freerider with enduro potential!
According to Radon, the JAB 9.0 HD belongs to the freerider category and is also described as an enduro racer. The geometry of the bike, which is available in three sizes, speaks for it. We tested the Radon JAB 180 HD in 9.0 inches (corresponds to L) with a height of approx. 20cm and it feels big, but still fits. A look at the geometry table suggests more freeriders than an enduro. The slack 65,2° steering angle is great going downhill, but the mountain bike seems a bit sluggish in some situations going uphill. The wheelbase of 1215mm underlines this again.
Geometry Radon Jab
16" | 18" | 20" | |
seat tube (in mm) | 395 | 425 | 455 |
Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 576 | 598 | 620 |
head tube (in mm) | 100 | 110 | 120 |
chainstay (in mm) | 428 | 428 | 428 |
Wheelbase (in mm) | 1170 | 1193 | 1215 |
Steering angle (in °) | 65.2 | 65.2 | 65.2 |
Seat angle (in °) | 74.6 | 74.6 | 74.6 |
Reach (mm) | 429 | 448 | 466 |
Stacks (in mm) | 587 | 597 | 606 |
Despite the large dimensions, the chainstay is kept relatively short, 428mm suggest an agile driving impression, but how does this drive in combination with the long wheelbase? The answer is: just fine. Fast and smooth-running, but also manoeuvrable. The seat post also offers sufficient travel and thus sufficient freedom of movement. All trains are neatly laid in the carbon frame. The lock-out damper was also considered; There is a small opening on the underside of the top tube for this purpose.
Radon JAB 9.0 HD: Fast, faster, racer!
We tested the Radon JAB 9.0 HD on Lake Garda on the Naranch Trail, which leads directly from Santa Barbara to the Naranch Ranch. Over the years, the trail was created by the owner of the Naranch Ranch with an eye for detail, as it was otherwise difficult to reach and as a freeride/enduro trail, it was exactly the right testing ground for the Radon JAB 9.0 HD. First, the shuttle took us up to Santa Barbara, 1000 meters above sea level, from where the enduro racer was able to put his climbing skills to the test. On forest paths we cranked up a moderate incline to 1250 meters above sea level until we had the trailhead in front of us. In this short crank passage, our first assumption from the geometry table was confirmed, because on steeper sections a weight shift to the front was necessary to keep the front wheel on the ground.
In the first flowing meters of the Naranch Trail, the Radon JAB 9.0 HD played out its full racer potential. Very smooth-running and thanks to the long wheelbase, the bike lay firmly in the trail and thus provides constant control between the surface, rider and bike. The JAB was also easy to circle in slightly more technical passages, but a bit of “work” was called for. In heavily blocked and slow sections, the bike mutated from a modern stealth jet to a cable-powered sports aircraft, a lot of work and technology was necessary here.
The Magura MT5 installed in the test bike decelerated cleanly in every situation and defused many a speed rush safely and in a controlled manner. Unfortunately, we cannot make any statements about the standard equipment, the Sram Code R. The 500% range offers enough options for this category of bike to always choose the right gear ratio, and we were not disappointed in terms of shifting precision either.
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