When on tour, the first thing the testers of World of MTB were impressed by was the STEVENS Jura Carbon’s climbing prowess. ”We easily climbed a steep ascent switchback by switchback, the bike’s suspension works drive-neutral, its front end is securely fixed to the ground and it allows precise steering to stay on course”, the report says.

The 760 mm wide handlebar offered good control and the 29” wheels provided security, especially when the trails were facing downhill. The Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires delivered good grip on the up- as well as on the downhill. The suspension with fork and rear shock from Rock Shox with 120mm of travel each ironed-out bumps pretty well, ”in rough fast-ridden sections the suspension made full use of its travel.” One reason for this is the fact that Stevens has developed the set-up of fork and shock for the Jura Carbon in collaboration with the manufacturer.

Just the lack of a dropper post (which can easily be retrofitted and the cables elegantly hidden inside the frame’s internal cable guide) would dampen the spirit a little, the testers said. For an even lower gear they recommended a cassette with a 42-teeth cog which the Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain can well accommodate.

The editors also praised the chainstay protector which together with the ”Shadow Plus” derailleur worked well to cancel any chain rattle. The clean appearance with internal cable routing was very much to the testers’ liking as was the battery compartment behind the bottom bracket which makes retrofitting electronic Shimano Di2 components very easy. The Boost axle spacing of the 29” wheels was up-to-date. Only the smallest frame size of 16in rolls on 27.5” wheels for better handling.

Conclusion: ”Stevens easily bridges the gap between marathon and touring bike. Fast training ride or extended high-mountain tour, this bike handles both effortlessly. The solid specs are well-suited for the intended type of riding.”

The Jura Carbon with Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain and Rock Shox suspension fork is available in sizes 16in, 18in, 20in and 22in. In sizes 18in to 22in all Jura Carbon models roll on 29” wheels, yet, for optimum handling the smallest size 16in uses 27.5” wheels. The Shimano XT equipped version is the Jura Carbon ES on which the electronic version with Shimano XT Di2 is based - the Jura Carbon ES Di2;The top-of-the-line model is the Jura Carbon Team.