Test Bulls Trail Grinder: The Cologne-based bicycle brand Bulls is celebrating its 25th anniversary and with the Trail Grinder impressively shows that they know their craft when it comes to off-roading, even when it's not about mountain bikes. Curtain up for a versatile off-road racer for every terrain.
Since 2007, the in-house, broad-based mountain bike racing team has repeatedly been involved in the development of new models - including the gravel bikes. As a result, the Trail Grinder has a particularly large amount of off-road expertise.
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Video chat with the developers: Many special features make the Trail Grinder interesting.
Paintwork with bling bling
Like many models from the Cologne-based bike brand, the Bulls Trail Grinder was given an unusual rainbow-look finish in the anniversary year. The bright shade of blue, which changes color depending on the viewing angle, gives the bike its very own touch and makes you want to take a sporty approach on the trails. Alternatively, there is also a bright blue variant with a matching stem and white tires.
Easy handling and a lot of comfort
In addition to the upbeat color scheme, the Trail Grinder scores with its pleasant geometry. This is based on the dimensions of the grinder family, but has been modified with trail use in mind. “Good-natured” is the first driving impression. You sit relatively compact and without much elevation on the bike; so you have a nice overview of the gravel road. When going off-road, the 50 mm wide "Schwalbe G-One" tires come into their own with an extra portion of grip and comfort; The slightly forward-oriented seating position also conveys a good driving feeling, which puts a lot of pressure on the front wheel and improves the driving feeling. This is particularly advantageous off-road, when the Trail Grinder circles nimbly through winding passages.
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Whether winding or slippery: the Trail Grinder is in its element on demanding terrain.
The stiff carbon fork, which is slightly wider than the regular grinder, ensures direct steering behavior, while the wide front tire calms the handling. In terms of geometry, Bulls has succeeded in doing what the company can do with MTB race bikes: the gravel bike is smooth-running on speed sections, yet agile on the trail - a combination that also conveys a high sense of security. The lowerable seat post with 100 mm travel comes into its own on rougher terrain and offers additional legroom. The operation of the support, which is activated with the free left GRX shift lever, is a clever solution.
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The left lever not occupied by the front derailleur triggers the retractable seat post.
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Valuable off-road equipment with everyday qualities
The lowerable support is just one special feature of the Bulls Trail Grinder, which is available in five frame sizes. Its features also include the Bulls-typical MonkeyLink plug-in connections for special rechargeable battery lights, with which the after-work ride can be continued into the evening hours. The brake system of the Shimano GRX with 160 mm center lock discs ensures good braking power and thus safety. As is typical for Gravel, the group is installed here with a 1×11 drive, with a 42 chainring and 11-42 sprocket set ensuring a large range of gear ratios up to smooth 1:1 mountain gears; if you want, you can convert to tubeless thanks to tubeless tires and rims and thus optimize handling, puncture protection and weight. With numerous threaded eyelets for accessories and attachments, the Trail Grinder - like all models in the series - can be made fit for everyday use or bikepacking tours.
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Smooth straight-line stability is one of the strengths of the Cologne gravel bike.
Bargain Bulls Trail Grinder
You won't find any weak points on the Trail Grinder, which is particularly pleasing in view of the low price. At 1.999 euros, the gravel bike shows what Bulls can do in addition to a lot of off-road expertise, namely an attractive price-performance ratio. This is also proven by the weight of around 10,5 kilos, which is pretty decent - especially considering that the Trail Grinder is a super solid aluminum bike.
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Whether it's a bikepacking tour or a cross race - the Trail Grinder can do just about anything that has to do with off-road use.
Trail grinder fun for everyone!
With its versatile geometry, the Trail Grinder is aimed at a wide audience - anyone interested in gravel bikes can have fun with this model, whether gravel beginners or experienced racers. However, anyone who follows the “Enduro” signs in the bike park will shake their wrists – even in the “Trail” variant, a gravel bike remains a gravel bike; due to the lack of spring elements, it is particularly suitable for flowy trails or rough forest and field paths. And once you have found the perfect terrain, pure driving pleasure beckons.
More information about the Bulls Trail Grinder on bulls.de
