BH’s new Lynx Race EVO cross-country mountain bike is back, lighter and stiffer than ever. The short travel full-suspension XC race bike gets a boost in its technical trail capability for 2021 with updated geometry, a suspension design overhaul, and more integration, plus a new longer travel option that blurs the lines between XC & light trail…
2021 BH Lynx Race EVO lightweight XC & light trail mountain bike
BH actually introduced the previous generation 100mm travel Lynx Race back in MY2017 as a scaled down version of their then 120mm Lynx trail bike, specifically developed for their XC racing team looking for something lighter & faster.
Now as XC & Marathon racing have gotten more technical, they’ve expanded the capabilities of the new Lynx Race EVO.
They’ve even added back a lightweight 120mm LT (Long Travel/Light Trail) version again, offering more flexibility to get into fast trail & technical riding, too.
XC Race – Tech details
The new Lynx Race EVO is built with the same Hollow Core Internal Molding tech as BH’s to road frames, using a mix of Toray T1100 & T800 high-mod carbon fiber. BH claims a new EVO Carbon Layup (E-CL) frameset weight of just 1950g (M), including the rear shock – shedding at least 125-150g over the previous generation.
The full carbon Lynx Race EVO gets a revised Split Pivot suspension design, keeping the same core single pivot rear wheel path, but moving its new stiffer, oversized main pivot higher & farther forward to work even better with modern 1x drivetrains. The new layout is said to boost torsional stiffness by 30%.
A short carbon rocker link remains, but drops down to the seattube for even more stiffness improvement, where it drives the shock with an alloy strut.
That increased Split Pivot system stiffness also seems to have smoothed the way for more travel. While the standard builds get 100mm of rear wheel travel, the LT bike uses a longer stroke shock with the same eye-to-eye length to bring it up to 120mm for riding more technical terrain.
The new Lynx Race EVO also gets an integration update, using an Acros headset with cable access ports under the stem directly into the frame. To protect the cables, the headset also builds in a 150° Acros BlockLock steerer stop, also protecting the frame in a crash.
Inside the top of the fork steerer, BH also has their own hidden FIT – Fast Intervention Tool – mini multi-tool. Much like we’ve seen from Granite & others, the FIT includes long 2.5/3/4/5/6 hex bits, a T25, chain breaker, CO2 adaptor & spot to store a quick link. It can even carry a CO2 canister threaded on if you have a long enough steerer.
Updated Race & Trail-ready Geometry
The new Lynx Race EVO again gets a bit longer and slacker as it boosts its technical prowess, in four stock frame sizes (S-XL). The 100mm head angle slackens half a degree to 68° with a 75.8° seattube, or a 1/2° slacker in the 120mm LT setup. Chainstays get a tiny bit longer, but at 430mm there’s now room for up to 29″ x 2.4″ tires.
BH Lynx Race EVO – Pricing, options & availability
The new 2021 BH Lynx Race EVO is available in five 100mm complete bike builds and one 120mm LT build, each in four standard color schemes.
But the new Lynx Race EVO is also a part of the BH Unique online customizer, if you want more of a one-off look.
The top-spec 8300€ Lynx Race EVO Carbon 9.9 gets a wireless electronic SRAM XX1 AXS Eagle groupset, BH Evo Carbon 30mm internal wheels with 2.4″ tires, a Fox 32 SC Factory fork & Float DPS Evol shock both with remote lockouts.
For 7300€, the Lynx Race EVO Carbon 9.5 gets the same suspension & wheel setup, but a Shimano XTR drivetrain & brakes.
The 6000€ Lynx Race EVO Carbon 9.2 dials it back to XT, still with Fox Factory suspension, but smaller 2.2″ tires on narrower 25mm internal BH Evo carbon wheels.
The 4900€ Lynx Race EVO Carbon 8.5 gets the same Fox Factory & XT build, but with 24mm BH Evo aluminum wheels.
Finally, the 4200€ Lynx Race EVO Carbon 8.0 is the most affordable build with the new light carbon frame, dialing back to a Performance-spec Fox suspension, alloy cockpit, and a heavier BH SL 25mm internal alloy wheelset.
BH Lynx Race EVO LT
The only 120mm long travel, light trail complete build is the 5500€ Lynx Race EVO Carbon 9.0 LT. It gets a Fox 34 SC fork, a Float DPS Evol remote lockout shock, and adds a BikeYoke Diving SL dropper post, but oddly also the narrower 25mm internal alloy wheels & 2.2″ tire option.
