Test / mountain bike – Bulls Aminga 1: The entry-level mountain bike, which is just in the three-digit range, surprises with an easy-to-use 1×10 gear system. Is that a step backwards compared to last year's model with twice as many gears? Rather not, as it turns out - and the tidy-looking off-roader also shows a few other qualities
The more gears, the better - this way of thinking has been common on bicycles for decades, and of course on mountain bikes as well. With a triple chain ring and six to ten sprockets at the back, impressive numbers could be shown, although the 18 to 30 gears never really corresponded to that many different translations: some gears appeared twice, and others could not be shifted because the chain was too skewed. In addition, a gear with three chainrings was and is rather cumbersome to use and not exactly beginner-friendly.
Bulls Aminga 1: Ten courses for less than 1.000 euros
For all these reasons, 1x gears can be found on all better MTBs today, meaning a chain ring and currently up to twelve sprockets on the rear wheel hub. Double and triple chainrings can now only be found on very cheap models, which at Bulls means: on bikes under 900 euros. Because for the 2023 model year, the Cologne-based sports brand has revised the specifications of some models. The Bulls Copperhead 1 men's mountain bike and its women's counterpart, the Bulls Aminga 1, both retail for EUR 999,95, are now available with 2-speed gears instead of 10×XNUMX gears. This halving begs the question: advantage or regression?
First of all, the other features of the Aminga: With its balanced geometry, the cross-country MTB can be considered the perfect all-rounder off-road. With 100 mm of travel, the fork has plenty in reserve, and the seating position is more comfortable than racing. If you want to go on sporty off-road tours, the Aminga is a good choice, until a better-equipped model becomes available as your passion for biking increases. The bike, which is available in two different wheel sizes – 29 and 27,5 inches – is of course equipped with disc brakes, and MonkeyLink battery lights can also be clicked onto the saddle clamp and stem – the bike is also suitable for everyday use. The shape of the frame is female (there is no such thing as a step-through); the second color variant is fuchsia.
Higher shifting comfort, hardly any losses
But back to the gears - having ten instead of 20 gears doesn't exactly sound like technical progress, does it? If you compare the individual transmission ratios of both transmissions, the matter is clear: the 2023 Aminga lacks two gears compared to the 2×10 model – an overdrive gear and a mountain gear. In addition, the translation on the ten-speed wheel is slightly coarser, since there is no intermediate step. But whether this has a negative effect in practice remains to be seen; the difference shouldn't be too big. Because the transmission still offers a super-light mountain gear, with which you can pedal easily even on double-digit gradients; a racing bike doesn't have to have a long high gear on an MTB anyway.
On the other hand, the 1×10 transmission is of course much more comfortable to shift – chain skewing is not an issue and you don’t have to worry about the right time to use the front derailleur. A little "fun fact" on the side: If the Aminga were equipped with a twelve-speed sprocket with 10-51 teeth, the range of gear ratios would be almost identical to that of the 2×10 model - a corresponding upgrade kit (rear derailleur, cassette, chain, shifter ) costs around 200 euros.
A chain ring: also optically better
And finally, doing without multiple chainrings also benefits the Aminga's looks - without a front derailleur and shifter on the left of the handlebars, it looks tidy and "clean", especially since Bulls already has the brake line and shifter cable in the down tube in this price range. This is also more familiar from more expensive bikes.
And so the Aminga 1 - whether with the larger twenty-niners or the slightly more agile 27,5-inch wheels - is a good tip for everyone who wants to go stress-free and moderately sporty mountain biking. The beautifully made aluminum frame can be so popular that an upgrade like the one described (or an air suspension fork) is definitely recommended after a period of use - so you can't go wrong with the inexpensive Bulls!
