Hardtails just aren’t our thing! As a rule of thumb, their performance on the trails and levels of comfort just can’t hack it against full-suspension steeds. But with the XDURO HardNine RX, Haibike declare to have created the ultimate touring bike for trail riding – is it going to live up to their promises? We’ve put it to the test!
XDURO is more than just Haibike’s Bosch-motor powered ePERFORMANCE range, it’s also signifies their top-end products – which, coincidentally, is pretty much how we’d describe the first impression of the HardNine RX. The distinct frame design and red-white colourway catch your eye initially, before you’re drawn to the tidy integration of the battery and motor. Their aesthetic attention to detail doesn’t end there though; the cable routing shows a supreme love for details while keeping it simple for maintenance. There are numerous red and white nuances on the components that tie in stylishly with the frame’s colour scheme.
Weighing in at 21.16 kg, Haibike have deemed the XDURO HardNine RX to be a capable touring bike for trails. And seeing as it rolls on 29″ wheels, has forks with 100 mm travel, a solid-sounding spec and balanced, well considered geometry, this all sounds pretty promising in terms of meeting the theoretical criteria for the trails. But as we all know, the devil is in the details.
Specification of the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX
In terms of quality the HardNine RX’s spec list reads without complaint, with each part seemingly well chosen and fitting for the price tag of 3,699 €. The FOX 32 Performance forks with 100 mm travel are totally in line with the rest of the bike and its intended riding ground, although the bar-mounted lockout lever is perhaps not entirely justified. Shimano’s XT 11x drivetrain performs buttery smooth shifting across the entirety of the 11-42 cassette. With the Shimano SLX brakes generating sufficient braking power and showing great dosability, the disc brake sizes of 203 mm at the front and 180 mm at the rear are ideally chosen. The Bosch Performance CX motor is fed by a 500 Wh battery, and it still stands as the benchmark motor of this sort.
Fork: FOX 32 FLOAT Performance
Motor: Bosch Performance CX
Battery: Bosch Power Pack 500
Brakes: Shimano SLX M675 203/180
Groupset: Shimano XT M8000, 11–42, 11-fach
Seatpost: XDURO Alu
Stem: XDURO Alu, 70 mm
Handlebar: ePerformance Lowriser Alu, 720 mm
Tyres: Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evolution 2,25
Wheels: XLC Evo Disc/Rodi Ready 25
Weight/Size: 21,16 kg/Size M
Price: €3,699
Haibike personally take the praise for the rest of the parts, including the slightly wider, comfy saddle and its seatpost along with the whole cockpit. They’ve got their measurements spot on too: the stem is 70 mm, and the bars are 720 mm wide with a hefty bend in them – Haibike call it the ‘Display Protection Bend’, and it’s essentially there to stop the exposure and minimize the risk of damaging the display in the event of crashing. The welcome side effect is that it also makes the dominant-looking display seem aesthetically more integrated.
Given its intended terrain, you can’t really blame the HardNine RX for its lack of a dropper post – although the presence of one would definitely improve the flexibility when you’re once again confronted with the contrast between fireroads and trails. Having to pull up each time and lower the saddle is pretty irritating, so you’re most likely to just leave it, which isn’t really in your best interests in terms of confidence and fun. But this is where you’ll encounter the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX’s biggest issue: the seat tube. It’s ultra short and has a little kink in the lower part, which means you can’t fit a long enough seatpost into the tube. This is why a dropper post with enough adjustment would be ideal for the HardNine RX – and even more so because of the low toptube and the subsequent freedom a dropper post would give to your legs.
Geometry of the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX
| Size | 40 cm | 45 cm | 50 cm | 55 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headangle | 69° | 69° | 69° | 69° |
| Seatangle | 73 ° | 73 ° | 73 ° | 73 ° |
| Toptube | 560 mm | 580 mm | 600 mm | 620 mm |
| Headtube | 120 mm | 125 mm | 130 mm | 135 mm |
| Seat Tube | 400 mm | 450 mm | 500 mm | 550 mm |
| Chainstays | 472 mm | 472 mm | 472 mm | 472 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1.104 mm | 1.124 mm | 1.144 mm | 1.165 mm |
| Stack | 630 mm | 634 mm | 639 mm | 644 mm |
| Reach | 367 mm | 386 mm | 405 mm | 423 mm |
Riding the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX
For our 1.78 m tall rider, we settled on a medium-sized frame to get the best sense of its trailworthy nature. However, this is right on the border of being the right size, so if you’re more into long, touring rides then go up to a large frame.
First off, the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX is ultra quiet with no creaks, groans or scratchy sounds, helping to convince us that its winning aesthetics can be converted into a great ride too. The wide saddle is comfy and the bars are fairly wide too, with a more upright riding position as the result. The grips are chunky with a high quality feel, shooting confidence from the ground upwards, although if you’re heading out for an epic all-day ride, you might prefer somewhat softer grips.
On rough ground the 29″ wheels deliver more rollover comfort compared to 27.5″ ones, but the mega stiffness of this Haibike frame means that any big, hard hits are passed directly from the rear to the rider – but one benefit to the rigidity is the improved precision.
On climbs the HardNine RX doesn’t waste an ounce of energy thanks to said rigidity, transforming every single pedal stroke into forward motion. The XT shifting lever performs smooth multi-shifts, and you’ll definitely appreciate this when accelerating. Despite their anemic width, the Nobby Nic tyres come through strong to deliver great grip and control.
Providing the trail isn’t too gnarly, the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX dishes up keeps of confidence on descents as it stays glued to the ground. The rigidity shines here too, as it generates a precise and agile handling package, shelling out feedback to the rider and encouraging them to play around. If you fancy more hardcore trail riding you’d be better with a slacker head angle and more travel – but maybe you’re looking in the wrong place here; go for an e-mountain bike fully instead. Staying within Haibike’s dictated terrain, the perfectly-formed XDURO HardNine RX knows exactly how to win us over, plastering smiles over our faces and becoming what is perhaps that best hardtail that we’ve ever encountered in this price segment.
Conclusion
Solid, well thought-out, versatile and above all offering a stylish overall package, the Haibike XDURO HardNine RX demonstrates seriously great value for money. And we can confirm that Haibike’s promises weren’t marketing hype. The HardNine RX is best suited for frequent riders who aren’t adverse to spending their weekends patrolling forest trails and their weekdays commuting on their steed. We’ve had the luxury of testing this bike over an extended period of time and can only conclude by saying we we’re damn happy doing it! Nice one, Haibike!
For more information head to the Haibike Website
Words: Andreas Maschke Photos: Noah Haxel
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