Testing the Kross Moon in Corsica, an enduro paradise!
The new Kross Moon bike is aimed directly at the modern enduro rider; still in prototype form the bike has the lines and geometry to compete with the big hitters! Designed and built in Poland, it marks a surprising entry into the expanding enduro market from a country that so far has not factored highly in the mainstream.
The Polish brand Kross is based in Przasnysz, 100km north-east of Warsaw, where for many years a modern production facility with 300 employees has been producing bikes in-house for all genres of the sport. The new Kross Moon heralds the company’s first bike aimed specifically at enduro riders, stepping up into a highly competitive arena. With fierce competition in the booming enduro sector, it is vital that any bike without winning ancestry excels on its intended terrain.
With a well thought out head angle of 67 degrees and a 73.5 degree seat tube to aid efficient climbing, internal cable routing and adjustable travel the Kross Moon looks on paper to be a very effective and modern enduro bike. The bike uses a proprietary suspension system RVS (Revo Virtual Suspension) which is claimed to be both an efficient pedal and complaint ride. Well thought out numbers on geometry sheets are all well and good but there is no better measure of a bike than seeing how well it performs at the limit on challenging trails. Two riders from the Kross marketing team got to put the new Kross Moon prototype enduro bike through its paces on the tough and unforgiving trails in Corsica.
Corsica lies off the coast of Italy and is the third largest island in the western Mediterranean. Truly a mountain in the sea, with its rugged scenery, alpine peaks, deep gorges, lofty pine forests and glacial mountain lakes inaccessible except by foot or bike, it is perhaps the perfect enduro bike playground! Already well tested in Poland, Kross were keen to see how their new bike performed in bigger mountains. Arek and Karol, both keen enduro racers took the Kross Moon for its first trip outside of its Polish homeland to provide feedback on how the 140/160mm adjustable travel bike performed on Corsica’s crystalline peaks and granite lined trails.
Initial feedback from the riders was very positive, but that is not the end of the development process for Kross. They see the new Kross Moon as an evolutionary progression and want to put in a few more months riding on the design. Through small incremental changes they have a simple aim, to produce a world class enduro bike that can hold its own with the current crop of podium favourites. With innovative thinking, and a down-to-earth development process, we look forward to seeing the Kross Moon on the start lines in 2013.
For more information check out the Kross website and a previous article about the Kross prototype.
Words: Trev Worsey
Photos: Bartek Woliński (Wolisphoto.com)