LAST Glen Trail €3,899 shipped (approx £3,360)
LAST may not be well-known in the UK, but the German brand have been around for a while, and the Glen Trail stood out in this test thanks to its low-slung shape. The super-short 420mm seat tube (large) allows use of a 185mm dropper post, which helps you get the saddle right down and out of the way – ideal on steep tech. While the 457mm reach isn’t long, the 64.4-degree head angle and 440mm stays contribute to a 1,255mm wheelbase. This length and slackness gives the bike buckets of high-speed stability, as well as plenty of composure on steep terrain.
The rear suspension backs this up, working well on slow, steep tech but also the flat-out, big-hit trails in Finale Ligure. LAST have opted for a shock tune with a fair amount of compression and rebound damping built in, so the bike feels supportive and controlled through big compressions. The downside is that this means the RockShox Super Deluxe shock lacks small-bump sensitivity on trails where there are lots of smaller rocks and roots to ride over. Here, despite the sticky, Maxxis Wide Trail tyres, the back end felt skittery and traction was compromised.
LAST supply the bike direct, in a box, and there’s more to put together than if you buy from Canyon or YT. The overall package wasn’t quite up to the standards of those German mega-brands either – there was a fair bit of cable rattle and the finish of the bike wasn’t quite as refined. Value for money is reasonable rather than outstanding too, but there’s little to actually complain about. The wheel/ tyre combo is spot on, the 150mm RockShox Pike RC fork is reliable, and SRAM’s GX Eagle gears and Guide RS brakes are standard fare for the price.
The Glen Trail was a bike we all wanted to ride, because it’s almost unique in its low-slung feel. On days when we were lapping steep forest tracks littered with compressions and catch berms, the bike shone, thanks to its composed suspension and slack head angle. But when the trails required fine control over highfrequency, smaller hits, the overly-slow back end let the LAST 29er down. Were we to own one, we’d definitely look at getting the shock retuned.
The Glen Trail was a bike we all wanted to ride, because it’s almost unique in its low-slung feel