Test: Trekking bikes have been popular bestsellers on the bicycle market for more than two decades. The KTM Trento XT from Zweirad Stadler skilfully continues this tradition. We tested it.
It is perhaps the best-selling bike of the last 20 years, has hundreds of thousands of friends, millions of kilometers under its belt... No, of course that doesn't mean the KTM Trento XT specifically, but the classic trekking bike in general, for which this bike is representative KTM range is complete. In black, equipped with a suspension fork and three x gears, the trekking bike is a modern classic - the civilian version of the mountain bike, so to speak, from which it once took the components. Combined with the 28-inch wheels of conventional everyday and touring bikes and equipment suitable for everyday use, it became the perfect all-rounder: with a large range of gears suitable for steep climbs and fast descents, with slightly coarser tires it is safe on different terrain and suitable for travel thanks to the solid luggage rack.
KTM Trento XT: proven and yet modern
And even if the trekking bike has remained the same in its basic features, it has moved with the times. With the KTM you can see that very nicely in many details: Of course disc brakes are used, and on trekking bikes the brake lines and shifter cables have long been routed in the down tube, which gives the bike a very tidy look. The mounting of the fender and luggage rack is very successful: the latter seems to float above the former and there are no classic fender struts either - everything is held by a bridge under the fender.
Well-known and high-quality equipment
The price of around 1.000 euros is also typical for a solid trekking bike – the KTM is almost 1.080. At this level, the providers can draw from the full when it comes to the equipment and rely on high-quality branded accessories: The Trento has a gel saddle from Selle Italia, puncture-proof Schwalbe tires and a lighting system from Busch & Müller. The suspension fork can be locked, and the heart of the 27-speed gear system is a durable, precisely working Shimano XT rear derailleur that safely transports the chain over the 11-34 sprocket set of the sprocket cassette. Together with the three chainrings from 48 to 26 teeth, the range of gear ratios is huge; in everyday life you can ride almost everything on the middle chainring and only have to shift at the back.
The operation of the Trento XT is therefore quite comfortable, which also goes with the pleasant, balanced sitting position. Thanks to the adjustable stem, it can be easily adapted to the user; one could of course wish for a slightly more backwards curved handlebars, which allows a more relaxed position of hands and arms. Changing the handlebars is a minor exercise for the experienced bicycle mechanic.
Anyone who can handle the handle well (which is mitigated by ergonomic handles) will also find otherwise well-functioning material on the KTM, plus three frame shapes for every taste in different sizes. And that makes the Trento XT a worthy representative of this genre, which has been popular for more than two decades.
