Gear we Love: Bulls Bikes Copperhead 29 Plus

October 11th, 2015 • BY Erinn Morgan

I’m a full-suspension girl. Always have been—necessitated by my love of technical singletrack, rocky downhills, can-you-believe-I-just-rode-that drop-offs, and those luxuriously long and warm weekends spent flowing over Moab red rock and Sedona sandstone.

But, especially of late, I have looked on longingly at the riders hammering uphill on their hardtail 29ers. There is simply no chance of keeping up—until we get to the downhill.

Enter the Copperhead 29 Plus. A simply elegant piece of equipment that is served up at a surprisingly affordable price ($1,800).

Bulls Bikes is a German company that has entered the U.S. market with a 2015 line of direct-to-consumer bikes. The goal: cut costs to provide more bang-for-your-buck. The only downside: Buyers order their bikes online without being able to go into a bike shop and check one out.

Lucky for us, we got to take one for an extended test ride. Here’s our take on the key features of the Copperhead 29 Plus.

Light Weight, Looks, Comfort

This bike weighs in at a mere 24 pounds, which is pretty notable since it is crafted with an aluminum frame. Its light weight—coupled with a hardtail design—helps the Copperhead 29 Plus rocket right up those steeps with ease. This bike also boasts a sleek, clean look, delivered in part by the internal cable routing.

While the hardtail design certainly doesn’t deliver the cushy feel of a full-suspension bike, its 29-inch wheels make up for much of the slack, sucking up more of the jar from rocks and roots than we would have expected.

Components, Components, Components

The rundown of the Copperhead 29 Plus’ components is more than impressive given its $1,800 price tag. Rock Shox fork, Shimano XT drivetrain, shifters, and hubs plus a Fizik seat.

Fork	Rock Shox Reba RL 29 Solo Air, 100 mm, pushloc remote, 15 mm through Axle
Rear derailleur	Shimano Deore XT RD-M786 SGS, 3 x 10-speed, shadow plus
Front Derailleur	Shimano Deore XT FD-M781-D
Shifters	Shimano Deore XT SL-M780-I
Handle	Shimano Deore XT FC-M782, 40/30/22T – PRESS FIT
Cassette Sprockets	Shimano Deore SLX CS-HG81-10, 11-36T
Brakes	Shimano Deore BR-M615 Ice Tech hydraulic disc, 180/180 mm
Handlebar	Kalloy UNO (Grade 3.0)
Stem	Kalloy UNO (Grade 3.0)
Seat post	Kalloy UNO (Grade 3.0)
Saddle	Fizik Nisene
Hubs	Shimano Deore XT HB-M788 / FH-M788
Spokes	stainless
Rims	BULLS XC-25D LITE
Wheel size	29 Zoll
Tyres	Schwalbe Rocket Ron Evolution 29 x 2.25

 

We weren’t honestly expecting a ton from a mountain bike priced at $1,800, but Bulls Bikes has delivered the goods on the Coperhead 29 Plus. The price-value relationship is tough to beat. It’s a solid bike for men or women ranging from beginners to advanced riders who don’t need the extra plush served up by a full-suspension bike.

And as such, I may just possibly, once and for all, be cured of my full-suspension addiction.