THIS IS, WHAT OUR TEST RIDERS SAY:
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TESTRIDE with Marc Ruhe KOBA 29-SENTIERO-C3 *100* (21.10.2020)
This race-focused rig comes with 100 mm front and rear travel and has shaved some weight in comparison to its predecessor due to a main frame made from TORAY 8000. At just over 9 kg you can show off this bike any place, any time!
The seat tube lengths have shrunk in all frame sizes, but on the other hand you get a minimum of 8 mm more reach, producing a smooth ride at high speeds. Combining this with a head tube angle of 67.5°, typical for an All Mountain Bike, makes for seriously high speed on fast Downhills. I experienced this,even though the test bike was an M and hence really too small for me being 181 cm tall. In fact, it is quite surprising how agile the bike handles on tight switchbacks both up and downhill. The latter is achieved by a very short rear, which also supports traction. Taking the Racing Ray 2.5 Speedsoft tyres into consideration, the traction is amazing for a X-country bike.
I really appreciate the two bottle holders, which help anyone on long tours, marathon races and me personally with the XTerra Triathlon often lacking feeding zones!
To sum up, the C3 with fully integrated cables, an extremely light frame, a flat head angle, more reach and two bottle holders is the perfect Cross-Country Race Bike, as well as being ideal for crossing the Alps.
(tested on Marc's home trail)