Review: Kross Moon 3.0

Jan 21, 2019
by Daniel Sapp  
The Moon is more than a glowing orb in the night sky - it's also Polish brand Kross's enduro bike. The bike is was designed with enduro racing in mind, with relatively slack geometry, 27.5" wheels, and 160mm of travel.

The Moon's chassis uses Kross's Revo Virtual Suspension (RVS) design - a virtual pivot system which received several updates this version. The bottom bracket has been lowered, the head angle is slacker at 65-degrees, and the chainstays are shorter at 430mm. The rear end now uses 12 x 148mm Boost spacing, and there is clearance for up to a 2.6" tire. There's also a new upper link in the system that is said to be stiffer and more durable, and the travel of the bike has increased from 150mm to 160mm.
Kross Moon

Intended use: Enduro
Travel: 160mm
Wheel size: 27.5"
Frame construction: aluminum
Head angle: 65º
Chainstay length: 430mm
Colors: Red
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Weight: 32.8 lbs. (Size M, without pedals)
Price: $3,999 EUR
More info: www.kross.pl

The Moon comes in three different builds, all with aluminum frames. This top of the line Moon 3.0, as tested, has a Fox Factory 36 fork, Factory DPX2 shock, WTB's Asym i29 wheels, a SRAM X01 drivetrain with Guide RS brakes, a Fox Transfer post, and RaceFace Affect bar and stem.

Currently, the Moon is only available in Europe and Latin America, leaving the rest of the world a bit in the dark.

bigquotesEven while hucking into the abyss of rooty and rock-filled trenches that I typically thread through on shorter travel bikes, the Moon easily soaked up the hits. The bike ramps up well at the end of the travel, and it makes full use out of the suspension without harshly bottoming out. Daniel Sapp







Burke Saunders Photo


Construction and Features


The Moon is built on Kross's RVS suspension platform and has many of the same features as their Soil trail bike. According to Kross's Product manager, Jan Sweich, the updates to the Moon, like the lower bottom bracket height and longer wheelbase, were intended to lower the center of gravity and add stability at higher speeds.

The components reflect the bike's intended use. WTB wheels with a 29mm internal width for higher volume tires, dropper post, and capable brakes along with internal cable routing throughout give the bike an aggressive and clean stance. The rear brake is mounted to the frame on a standard post mount, but the hardware threads into replaceable inserts, an idea not seen often that offers a lot of practicality should one strip the threads out.

Noticeably missing on the Moon are the two bolts needed to mount a bottle cage. The suspension design of the bike seems to eliminate this as an option, which is unfortunate.


Burke Saunders Photo
Clean and simple internal cable routing.
Burke Saunders Photo
Replaceable inserts for the rear brake.



Burke Saunders Photo
Kross's RVS suspension system is a less common sight, but the design is not totally unique - think Diamondback's old single-pivot Knucklebox with an added link joining the chainstays to make it a virtual pivot design.
Burke Saunders Photo
The Fox DPX2 shock does a stellar job of keeping the rear end glued to the ground and soaking up big hits.



photo

Geometry & Sizing

The Moon's 65-degree headtube angle is slack and appropriate for the bike's intended use, and the effective seat tube angle on the medium sized bike is 75.42º. The reach of 436mm for the medium size is pretty standard, as are the chainstays at 430mm. It's worth noting that the seat tube height is on the longer side, which could make it difficult for riders to run a longer travel dropper post depending on their height.


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Suspension Design

The RVS suspension system is a dual link, virtual pivot point design. It's designed to have enough anti-squat early in the travel for efficient pedaling, a number which drops as the shock goes deeper into its stroke, allowing it to soak up bigger hits. The shock is mounted vertically and is driven by a rectangular link, redesigned for 2018 to increase stiffness and durability.


Burke Saunders Photo
RVS virtual pivot platform
Burke Saunders Photo
The first bit of the travel is regressive, keeping the rear wheel fast to the ground, allowing a lot of small bump sensitivity.


Specifications

Specifications
Price $4560
Travel 160mm
Rear Shock Fox Factory DPX2 (210x55mm)
Fork Fox Factory 36, 160mm
Headset VP A45AC3
Cassette SRAM XG-1275 (10-50T, Eagle)
Crankarms SRAM X1-1400
Bottom Bracket SRAM GXP
Rear Derailleur SRAM X01 Eagle
Chain SRAM X01 Eagle
Shifter Pods SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed
Handlebar Race Face Aeffect aluminum, 780mm
Stem Race Face Aeffect 40mm
Grips Kross Stable
Brakes SRAM Guide RS
Hubs DT Swiss 370 front, Modus JA252R rear
Rim WTB i29
Tires Schwalbe Nobby Nic Snake Skin 27.5 x 2.6"
Seat WTB Volt Sport
Seatpost Fox Factory Transfer Post. S/M 125mm, L/XL-150mm



Burke Saunders Photo













Test Bike Setup

The Moon comes with a solid trail-ready build, although I did end up swapping out the 2.6" Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires for a 2.5" Maxxis Minion DHF in the front and Aggressor on the back, which made a noticeable improvement in the bike's performance. While the newer generation of Nobby Nic's are said to be a big improvement, the ones spec'd on the 2018 Moon 3.0 (gen 1) are lacking in a few areas, most notable to me, predictability, especially in more loose terrain.

I set the rear shock at around 30% sag which put my air pressure at 159psi. The fork was set up with 62 psi.

I spent a generous amount of time riding the moon around home in the Pisgah National Forest on technical and high-speed singletrack, plus a few day trips to lift assisted runs at Sugar Mountain on the old Pro DH track. Both locales offer a generous amount of rocky and rooty terrain, perfect for getting full use of the Moon's 160mm of travel.

PC Mangler
Daniel Sapp
Location: Brevard, NC, USA
Age: 31
Height: 5'10"
Inseam: 32"
Weight: 150 lbs
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @d_sapp1



Burke Saunders Photo


Climbing

The Moon impressed me with how well it sat up in its travel, and although your hips are sitting fairly far back over the rear axle, the shock doesn't sink too deep into its stroke, which makes the bike quite comfortable on the ups. There's plenty of traction, and it doesn't feel overly hefty, despite what the scale reads. It's not the bike I would make my first choice for an all-day technical singletrack mission, but for getting up fire roads and bombing down some rough trail, it's great.

On steeper and more technical climbs, the bike will motor through just about anything in a straight line as long as you maintain power to the pedals. However, when you're picking your way around tighter and techier bits of trail, the front end will want to walk a little side to side - something the more forward and centralized position of a steeper seat angle could potentially help abate.

I've been spending a lot of time on Yeti's new SB130 and have really been appreciating its steeper 77-degree seat angle - a bit of a contrast to this bike. Both are efficient enough to not really need the pedaling platform switch on the shock, but I felt like it was easier to keep weight on the front wheel aboard the Yeti.


photo

Descending

The fit of the size medium I was on was excellent, and I felt comfortable and neutral while descending. The Moon's reach of 436mm isn't boundary pushing, but I felt right at home, and I didn't feel the need to change stems or move things around far away from the standard set-up.

I didn't have any trouble getting the bike from one side of the trail to the other or snapping it around trail debris, and when it came time to plow through rough and harsh sections of trail the bike stayed planted and manageable. It remained very controlled and surefooted on sections of trail that have been a little nerve-wracking on other bikes. Kross didn't go too extreme with the Moon's geometry numbers, but that's likely a large part of the reason if felt familiar and easy to handle. The head angle is slack, but not DH-bike slack, and the chainstays are relatively short, which helped keep it maneuverable on tighter trails.

When the need to get the bike up and over something arises, it's not a huge chore to put get it into the air. Even while hucking into the abyss of rooty and rock-filled trenches that I typically thread through on shorter travel bikes, the Moon easily soaked up the hits. The bike ramps up well at the end of the travel, and it makes full use out of the suspension without harshly bottoming out. Heavier riders may want to drop an extra volume reducer in the can to increase that ramp up by a touch, but for me, it was just about right.






photo
Kross Moon 3.0

photo
Santa Cruz Bronson

How does it compare?

The Santa Cruz Bronson has 10mm less travel than the Moon on the back end, but the geometry numbers are really darn close to each other, and both bikes have a similar intended use and feel on the trail, especially while descending.

The Moon, like the Bronson, is a capable climber. It's a little more "loungy", and you do sink into the travel a touch more than on the Bronson, but there's a similar feeling of efficiency. Both bikes are forgiving and supple in chunky terrain. The Moon does have a little more give to it with that extra 10mm of travel when plowing through rough stuff, but it's barely enough to discern, and I doubt you could tell much of a difference if you rode both bikes down the same trail back to back.

Both bikes do a good job of muting small bumps and chatter - the Moon is a bit softer in the initial and mid part of the shock stroke than the Bronson, but both bikes are undoubtedly a "heels down flat out" kind of ride.

Another difference between these two bikes is the frame material and spec options. The Bronson has four different aluminum build choices and a whopping ten different builds with carbon that you could choose from; it's also available as a 'frame only' in both carbon and aluminum. The Moon has three build options and all of the frames are aluminum. When you put the bikes next to each other, looking at where they line up for the price, we have to compare Santa Cruz's aluminum Bronson S+. This is the nicest build one can get before going into carbon. It's slightly less spendy than the Moon, but has less high tier components.

This puts the Moon a bit above the Bronson in the element of builds, however, the Bronson has a water bottle mount on the downtube - something that the Moon misses the mark on.


Burke Saunders Photo
Burke Saunders Photo


Technical Report

Fox 36 Factory Fork: The 36 is hard to beat when it comes to an aggressive trail/enduro fork. It's easy to set up and offers an incredible level of performance.

SRAM Guide RS Brakes: When set up properly, I do like SRAM's Guide family of brakes. Paired with appropriately sized rotors, they perform extremely well, especially in higher speed sustained descents. As well as they worked, I do think that a bike of this purpose should have a little more heavy duty spec on the brakes. SRAM's Code family would be more appropriate.

Fox Transfer Seatpost: Like the 36, the Transfer is quickly becoming a "go-to" for anyone wanting a seatpost that simply works well, drop after drop.

RaceFace Bar and Stem: RaceFace's 35mm aluminum bar and stem combinations are solid and appropriate for heavy duty riding.


Burke Saunders Photo


Pros

+ Excellent descender
+ Fox suspension
Cons

- Brakes are underwhelming for an “enduro” bike
- No water bottle option



Is this the bike for you?

The Moon is an enduro bike that's race ready with very few changes right out of the box. It offers a different suspension design than many others out there and has an appearance that is sure to turn heads. It does a good enough job of climbing, there's more small bump compliance than many other bikes in its class, and it descends incredibly well. If you can get past not being able to stick a bottle on the downtube, it's one of the more well-rounded enduro bikes out there and a really good design.


Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesThe Moon does exactly what it should as an enduro race bike, and it's equally at home cranking out miles both uphill and down, although it certainly favors the descents. Overall, the Moon delivers a damn good time. Daniel Sapp







Author Info:
danielsapp avatar

Member since Jan 18, 2007
476 articles

143 Comments
  • 156 2
 Kross need to make a DJ bike, and call it Kriss
  • 50 0
 JUMP, JUMP
  • 12 24
flag shawnca7 (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:20) (Below Threshold)
 Kriss Kross will make you jump jump.
  • 8 1
 Yup - that's going to take some beating - you can retire on that one...
  • 65 0
 I doubt it would be any good. In fact it’d be wiggity wiggity wack.
  • 18 0
 @StinkyTO: It would be hard to wear those tight dirt jump jeans backwards too.
  • 8 0
 It will make you a miggity mack daddy.
  • 31 1
 I don't really know why I wanna move to Switzerland.?
But the flag is a big plus!
  • 2 0
 @celedonio: LMAOOOOOO
  • 4 1
 How about Kayden Kross?
  • 1 0
 @chyu: That would be arousing!
  • 1 2
 I got Kross-eyed reading this review.
  • 60 24
 This looks like a really good “get the job done and have fun” kind of bike. I really don’t get all the fuss about water bottle mounts. I haven’t seriously ridden with a water bottle in over 10 years and don’t miss it. The few times that I have used a bottle I end up with grit, soil and mud in my mouth that gets stuck to the mouth piece. Not good at all if there’s any fecal matter flying about that you didn’t notice. I’m not talking about a fresh steamy pile mind you but stuff sits in the soil decomposing. Why place your hydration in any way shape or form in the path of that? Just saying.
  • 22 73
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 6:40) (Below Threshold)
 Because water bottles are for babies and infants. We both know that the only thing babies and infants do is cry for their bottles and s*** down their leg
  • 40 3
 @stinkbikelies: bad day? lol
  • 19 7
 I haven't seriously ridden without a water bottle in over 10 years and I would seriously miss it. I go on all day rides without a pack and enjoy having my back free.
In regard to trail crap, which I also try to avoid;
www.camelbak.com/en/drinkware/R04037--Podium_Mud_Cap
will fit most water bottles.
There are also numerous other brands sold with caps, e.g. Elite or Decathlon.
  • 3 23
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:06) (Below Threshold)
 @pperini: no such thing in my shoes
  • 13 3
 @Konyp: I’ve wondered how people do all day rides with one or two water bottles. Are there refill points along the ride? There aren’t on any of my rides, thus the need for a backpack. Everything I need fits in a pack so I don’t need a seat bag or have to modify the steerer tube for an EDC. Seat bags make noise and interfere with dropper operation so I wouldn’t go that route either.
  • 9 1
 @Levelheadsteve: I do pretty often but we have plenty of refill spots. I use bibs with pockets and take a water filter, calorie dense food, strap a tube on the bike, and roll with it.
  • 6 0
 @Levelheadsteve: Yes, in warm weather you obviously need refill points but in Europe this is usually not a problem. In terms of storage I have a small frame bag that fits my bike nicely.
Of course it sometimes makes sense to take a backpack for spare clothes etc. but I stopped using a water bladder years ago, even when riding with I pack. I just prefer to have as little weight on my body as possible and more on the bike.
To each his own.
  • 4 5
 Fair weather riders, lol.
  • 3 0
 Yeah when riding the horse poopity loop
  • 8 3
 @stinkbikelies: if your comment in any way shows your true feelings...Honestly sir don’t have any children. You’ll do naught but inflict misery upon them.
  • 5 1
 Yeah but what do you gain by not having mounts on the bike? Hydration location is a personal preference. You could have the option to mount something else like a tool/pump/tube etc.

Also hydration bladders aren't the most sanitary either. They are a bitch to clean, remove and fill, and I always have to empty and store mine in the freezer. You ever set your bag down and play the game of keeping the mouth piece out of the "decomposing soil"? Again pros/cons to each and it comes down to preference, I use both and sometimes in combination, it's nice to have water in your pack and then some gatorade in a bottle on the frame. Speaking of you ever put something that wasn't water into a hydration bladder?
  • 5 0
 I use water botle with lid, no shit problem.
  • 3 0
 @Konyp: What about huge epic rides? Might want 4 liters on the back and 500ml-1L Gatorade on the bike. Never hurts to have more options. Personally I will only ride with water on my back if the ride is going to be bigger than 25 km. Otherwise keep that sloshy weight off my back!
  • 4 0
 @generationfourth: I have a Camelbak Rogue and an Osprey Raptor 14. I only put ice and water in the bladder and I’ve never cleaned them besides an initial cleaning when new.

If water has sat in them for more than a few months, I’ll rinse fresh water through them, but that’s it. Never a problem.
  • 8 2
 Yay for choices and everyone getting to select a style of carrying water that works for them. I fall into the 'used to ride with a bladder in the backpack system like most riders of my generation.' That was part of our community agreed upon uniform and collective buy in for some time. However, over the past few years I have thoroughly enjoyed moving to smaller systems including for one year the much teased fanny pack and for the past two seasons no pack at all via gear on the bike and in stash pockets on bibs depending on the length or requirements of the ride. Personally I'm hoping not to go back to a back pack for regular riding. I do still have a couple of packs to chose from should the ride call for more gear (like rolling with a big group over the 7 summits for example)- again- yay for choices and there not always needing to be one right answer.

I agree that for some it may not be an issue to have water bottle mounts and for others it will and as commercial retailer it seems like an easy call to throw some simple mounts on the bike- especially if you have space for it. Not having a mount would be a negative for me and may dissuade me from buying the bike were there similarly spec'ed, priced and functioning alternatives with a mount available. It's not everything- but it is something and those somethings add up.
  • 2 1
 @snl1200: Yay for common sense!
  • 3 0
 For me, if I'm going on a longer ride, I'll take a pack, but I have trails a 10 minute ride from my house, so I like having the option of just throwing as single bottle on my bike and riding out the door for a quick 1 hour blast. My previous bike had no bottle mounts and I managed, but I really like riding without a pack now that I have the option on my current bike.
  • 20 6
 It's our national brand, however, the bikes could be better imho. In design was partially involved antitode team (they have Polish brand of high-end bikes) and it works perfectly. However, Kross had many problems with the quality and some construction issues. First of all, all linkage bolts just broke after some time of riding or when a rider tried to tighten them. But foremost, the linkages broke like a match. There are multiple pictures of it, just google: "pekniety kross moon" and you'll find it was a major issue. Still, they've got nice bikes but I won't believe any their construction never again.
PS.
Kross bikes with a middle quality specs was more expensive than a similar Scott with better parts, so that's also a big drawback.
  • 12 0
 NS bikes is your national brand too, isn't it? They're much appreciated abroad Smile .
  • 20 10
 I am a Pole who emigrated to Sweden. In this way I have lower standards. I am happy whenever a Polish bike is reviewed on Pinkbike. I am proud to own two Polish frames Big Grin Antidote and Octane One Big Grin
  • 4 35
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 6:53) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: why don't Polish women breastfeed?
  • 4 2
 @vinay: Yeah, dartmoor, NS, Octane One are ours.
  • 12 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Waki I heard that you're NINO and this is your fake account just to spread hate among Pinkbikers, so you can't be Pole.
  • 2 1
 I swear, every time you look up a Kross Moon/Soil on the classfields it's just "shock bolt replaced with titanium bolt".
  • 6 4
 @stinkbikelies: you got my attention, what's that about?
@mihauek: there are many rumors but I think Nino would beat me, even if I was on an E-bike.
  • 6 18
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:09) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: because it hurts like hell when they boil their nipples.
  • 34 5
 @stinkbikelies: off course it does, yes. Quite unfortunate position for a Woman to be in. Now, how did you learn about this? Was it a tweet from your president? Big Grin
  • 7 11
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:28) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: of course not he's too busy working on his wall
  • 9 4
 @stinkbikelies: aren't you a bit afraid he may build one across Florida? Much shorter than border with Mexico
  • 6 5
 @WAKIdesigns: I'll take a Florida Wall and one spanning from CA to WA.
  • 4 13
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:55) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: the wall needs to be built across Florida just south of Orlando. You could call the southern part of the state Cuba Rica and no one would miss it
  • 13 2
 @stinkbikelies: we take Tampa to Palm Bay then, I suggest 8” concrete on steel columns from North, 8ft deep concrete foundation. As for the finish, I propose three coat stucco from the South with niches holding statues of US Senators in Ancient Roman outfits, and ceramic mosaic from the North with rural motives, like Tomato farmers spreading roundup and fighting Aligators.
  • 4 3
 @JohanG: You should talk to Elon Musk at Boring Company to build the Wall as a part of hyperloop. He could also provide you with Not-a-flamethrowers
  • 7 0
 @WAKIdesigns: you will only be able to do stucco on the south side of the wall because no one on the North side is willing to work that hard in tropical conditions. I would also recommend bearing all the politicians in the wall because they are obviously worthless and cannot do their jobs. Since our government is shut down what do we need them for other then a wall. Stack them up and stucco them over.
  • 4 1
 @WAKIdesigns: you are a Pole?

Who would have thought...
  • 6 2
 @stinkbikelies: trump should fund the wall, isn’t he worth billions? O wait he’s full of shit
  • 2 0
 @mkotowski1: billions and billions and billions snd billions...
  • 3 1
 @WAKIdesigns: it’s going to be great I win I mean I did the best job ever more than any other person has done best job before
  • 1 1
 @mkotowski1: isn't that the definition of a politician
  • 2 1
 @stinkbikelies: at least learn to form a sentence
  • 1 1
 Bullshit. The issue with bolts was present only at the beginning of the 1st gen of Moon. The one with 26" wheels. Many years passed since then. It was fixed with better bolts in the next production year. There was no particular problem with broken linkages. I asked the guy working in Kross. Not the salesman. I asked a painter. The guy I know personally. The low production quality of Kross bikes was a deal maybe like 20+ years back. Kross had very poor, supermarket focused lineup back then.
However, this used to be a pain in the ass of a group of people from my country even today. Some sort of people I don't even understand. They do have a kind of the "origin complex" I think. It is sad because it is shitting at the manufacturer only because of the country it comes from. Now, those are Poles! They tend to appear only on the internet. I'm wondering why...
Since "bolts problem" Moon was changed twice. First time when switched into 27,5 and then after years - 2nd gen. It was shown in 2018 I guess. Even if there was any problem with a linkage that went broke I guess there was no problem with fixing it within a manufacturer warranty. I wouldn't be surprised if Kross would fix it on their own after the warranty period expired.
Personally, I had never a single problem owning full-sus made by Kross. Quality of the bikes is decent. I'm talking about the overall look and finishing of the details because broken parts are something I've never think of. I've never seen such a broken bike on my own. Believe me, I've seen a lot of punished Moons, Earths and Soils, on trails and bike parks. People are beating the crap out of those bikes. Year, after year, after year.
I'm not connected in any way with Kross. I don't have any special good or any particular bad feelings according to this company (they don't get my special handicap because they are made in my country). I had a load of a good time riding a few of their bikes. Smile .
  • 1 0
 @manback: That's funny, cause when I contacted them with my broken linkage, they replied they haven't this part in stock and never will, funny huh? Fortunately, some shop had the last one in stock and I'm happy I found him.
My Kross was 27.5", it broke. My friend had the same model - it broke, second friend changed the linkage to the more solid one, just to be sure it won't break, however, he broke few bolts. I won't trust this brand, even if they redesign the whole frame. The first impression they made is quite wrong and my point of view won't change. BTW, did you know that for professional racers like Maja Włoszczowska, Kross is not making the frames? It's Giant which is responsible for frames for the racers in Kross team.
  • 2 1
 @mihauek: Oh. So you contacted them? Listen. Before Kross become a big player in Europe market of cheap brands of bikes they were a salesman of a single brand of Kross. And I remember this time very well. Before they named themselves "Kross" they were a typical no name brand on the Polish market of cheap bikes. They tend to be specialized in supermarket and hypermarket domain, that was the time of the idea which allowed earn money to start their own designs. Back in years, this brand was not one company. It was a bunch of very small companies. I remember this situation as well. Before this time they were not a co-operating salesman group but few opponents that grew fast on local bike business. It was a time when they started to communicate on composing one business project over being just a few competitors. Before this happened, they were some random dudes which domain was a fast-growing (in the early '90s) MTB market. They were selling some lower lines from Italian big brands and first Polish MTB from Romet manufacturer. Most of those dudes did not even have their own shops. They were selling bikes right from the truck in which they transported MTBs from Italy. I remember this time because it was a time when one of the current managers sold me my first cheap Italian MTB made of steel and a second one sold Polish MTB Romet Viking to my brother. We both knew them personally. Kross facility in Przasnysz is located very close to the place I come from. I knew a lot of their working staff and I still do contact with 2 of them.
If you are trying to tell me that Giant (Kross's biggest MTB opponent on Polish market) is the producer of Kross Racing Team bikes you have to be a complete delusion. I know what you are talking about and it was NOT a Kross Racing Team where Maja Wloszczowska and Jolanda Neff were in the same racing team. It was Giant Racing Team and later a Liv Racing Team. That was the place where those two met each other and become friends.
Iwas in Przasnysz 2 years ago and I saw their place where they started making own carbon framed bikes. For the market and for the team.
Do you have any questions?

Once again, I don't have any special good nor bad feelings about Kross brand. But I know they are making good bikes and the future of this brand is very bright. Good for them.

ps. Romet Viking was a far better bike than early Atala Flyer in 26" priced twice as high.
Atala was an amazing road bikes manufacturer but on MTB they made a lot of pure shit.
  • 16 2
 Once upon a time, we drilled holes in our frames for dropper posts. Now, we drill holes for water bottles.
  • 9 0
 It costs 3999 euro dollars?? Big Grin
  • 2 0
 Kross need to dive into the sub-3k market, furrshrr
  • 5 0
 After being mesmerized by the high number of cycles in the video (thanks for that btw), that suspension design looks pretty neat. Pinkbike, how about some leverage curves, anti squat curves, etc to go with the review?
  • 5 0
 Thumbs up for the replaceable inserts for the rear brake. Good point for a well known fragility. Well engineered. Respect Kross.
  • 8 1
 If it had Rockshox suspension would that have been listed as a Pro? Big Grin
  • 5 1
 This is a review of 2018 model. Moon 3 for 2019 is a 29er with Lyrik up front and Super Deluxe on the back, so Wink
  • 3 0
 @rexoos: yep- some spec updates for 2019.
  • 3 0
 @rexoos: wow! I gotta see that!


p.s. found it: www.kross.pl/en/2019/enduro/moon-3-0
  • 2 10
flag pinnityafairy (Jan 21, 2019 at 7:03) (Below Threshold)
 Fux SUX
  • 1 0
 @meandros: And they didn't go with the red lowers on the Lyrik?!! WTF... I wouldn't buy that bike now just because the whole time riding it, I'd just be thinking "this bike would be so much cooler if the Lyrik was red".
  • 1 1
 @islandforlife: But the whole bike is very well composed of two colors. Red and black. For me, it is simple and pure setup. It looks great.
  • 7 1
 Cool to see a bike from a non mainstream brand get reviewed. You guys should review the new Felt Compulsion next!
  • 3 1
 Pro tip form Polish rider for people who started to think about buying this bike: Kross has ambition so it makes full high-end spec bikes like this one from the test but nobody buys them for MSRP. If you fancy this Moos wait and your paitience will be rewarded with a lot of % off from the first price.

Be carefull thought because there won't be much of choice for sizes.
  • 7 3
 Enduro blahh blahhh Enduro Blahhh blahhh Enduro Blahhh blahhh. Is every Trail out there Enduro bike only?
  • 3 0
 Analog downdrrrrrO
  • 2 0
 Didn't you know? There ain't regular mtb trails anymore, just enduro ones.
  • 8 3
 Looks like I don't want one
  • 1 1
 How about 60-70% of this price? That's the Kross bike prices when summer ends. This radical drop in prices is their own intention. They don't don't do it because of lots of unsold bikes. It's just the year after year routine. You are Kross Bikes salesman so you won't lose any money when you will set the prices so low. The weather is the main reason for it. Temperatures are dropping fast in Poland when fall is coming. Bikes don't sell in October. But that does not mean Kross does not sell their bikes. But you have to keep the pace to get a good one in this price because lots of dudes are waiting for those price drops.
  • 5 0
 Just here to shoot the Moon
www.pinkbike.com/photo/15626117
  • 4 3
 "Even while hucking into the abyss of rooty and rock-filled trenches that I typically thread through on shorter travel bikes, the Moon easily soaked up the hits."
Wow, really? A bike with more travel easily soaked up hits that a shorter travel bike could also take? I stopped reading the review after that particularly insightful nugget...
  • 3 0
 That wasn't very clearly written, but what I think he meant is that he can ride tough sections with abandon ("hucking") on this bike, whereas on shorter-travel bikes he has to pick his lines more carefully ("thread through").
  • 7 2
 Nice buke
  • 1 1
 I had a blast on a few Kross demos a year ago.. they had set up right next to Canyon at the bike show (NEC) and be honest I kept coming back to the Kross stand to try there stuff, over Canyon. nice to see great bikes aren't only German these days.
  • 3 1
 Good day for a moon review. On the day of the superbloodwolfmoon. Would make for a cool name for a bike too, especially as it is red.
  • 1 0
 Superboostmoonplus. If only people would content themselves with just talking shit like astronomers and mtb marketeers, rather than turning it into government policy.
  • 2 0
 What's with these European brands putting Nobby Nics on enduro bikes? This is at least the third EU brand enduro rig I've seen that comes standard with them front and rear.
  • 4 0
 Faster rolling to deal with the excess weight of the bike
  • 8 0
 I think its mainly to keep the weight down. Bike weight is more of a selling point in Europe because there is hardly any shutteling going on. Plus, a lot of riders, no matter the country, are hopelessly overbiked for the trails they ride. For them flimsy tires are not much of a drawback.
  • 3 0
 As far as I can tell, the Northern Europeans ride mostly on dirt, mud, and roots.
  • 2 0
 @JohanG: I felt the NN sucked on off camber roots.I liked the hans dampf but had enough with knobs wearing and punctures at the bead casing so I moved on to Minions.
  • 1 1
 @rkstar: Agree.on this. Hans Dampf in Evo Skin is one of the best tires for rough terrain. Nobby Nic in Performance is shit.
  • 1 1
 Does the cable routing along the underside of the bottom bracket bother anyone else? It seems to be a common enough design but it’s always made me cringe. My buddy’s 2016 Patrol cables blew up after the housing got so brittle from mud exposure and rock strikes.
  • 1 1
 @WAKIdesigns: Looks like you've put a little thought into this, makes me wonder what the appeal is ~ after all the emperor here really has no clothes.

That border wall is a pathetic idea and misguided attempt at shoring up the sieve that is our southern border & not everyone from the US has fastened themselves to that nitwit's third teet.
  • 2 0
 Rear suspension linkage looks like it borrowed from the Diamondback Sortie 29.
  • 2 1
 Nope! This is a 100% copy of the Propain Hugene.
  • 1 0
 I had a felt virtue like 8 years ago and pretty much instantly blew out the bb linkage. I couldn't replace or warranty it. All I recall was that the bike was pretty much garbage. Hopefully they got better but I'm guessing there's a reason there's pretty much zero dealers in Utah.
  • 2 1
 @Werratte: This structure is the VPP of Santa Cruz. The position of the rear suspension is not important. The movements of the top link and the bottom link are as shown in the VPP.
(For your information, ...the upper link rotates in the opposite direction to the lower link. That is an important point in the VPP.)
  • 1 0
 @fsr-dh: this is exatly what happens in the Propain-linkages - but i was wrong anyway, because the lower end of the damper is not fixed at the frame, at the Propain-Bikes. It's fixed in another link, at the lower end.
  • 1 0
 @Werratte: I know it's like the frame of PROPAIN.
It's just saying that the rescue itself is the same as the Santa Cruz VPP.
The location of the rear suspension is not important.
The composition of the top/bottom link and the motion of the
swing arm are important.
Smile
  • 2 0
 Great looking bike! The placing for the "virtual link" and shock looks very tidy and efficient. Looking forward to the 29er.
  • 5 2
 No water bottle. No Thanks. There's clearly room too
  • 3 0
 i'm still afraid of the left line. Always a rain check...
  • 4 0
 Right line is waaay trickier.
  • 1 0
 @danielsapp: finally got a so/so trail bike so time to bang out both.
  • 3 3
 For all Diamondback's and Propain's comparisoners: Kross has been developing this design from 2012 so this is not any copy. This is their own system that is well-working and not similar to all session-look-like bikes.
  • 2 1
 there are a lot of good bikes coming out of Poland recently, keep em coming
  • 4 2
 really dislike that red colour with the white decals
  • 2 0
 Supreme brand vomit got you too?
  • 1 0
 According to the contemporary classification, isn't this an aggressive trail bike, not an enduro bike Smile ?
  • 1 1
 It is a proper enduro bike. It's just not as radical as some of the today models available now.
  • 1 0
 I visit KROSS pages - i see RS suspension and KS post + nameless bar&stem
  • 1 0
 I'm sure it's a nice bike but...they all go squishy these days. Why would you buy this over anything else?
  • 1 0
 Because in Poland fall comes fast so prices are dropping even faster. We are talking about 70% of the price mentioned here which is nothing special. A year, later some pieces are priced as low as 50%.
  • 2 0
 Did you jump it to confirm if the Moon landing actually happened?
  • 2 1
 It's nice seeing Pisgah trails in the review and yes, @mikelevy you can benefit from a 5"+ travel bike out east.
  • 3 0
 Shh, don't tell.
  • 1 0
 Just a question, is it me or are about 95% of all MTB's for 2019 equipped with Sram brakes?
  • 2 1
 Okay so the components are both good and bad. How about a review on the actual bike?
  • 1 0
 Isn't effective sta the angle the seat tube actually has when exittin the frame? There is no way this is 75°.
  • 1 0
 The squish videos are quite satisfying to watch, though it really tells you nothing about the bike. Lol.
  • 1 0
 It's hard to be positive when your first adult sized bike had a concentric swing arm for less than $550 dollars.
  • 3 2
 DARTMOOR and NS only. Avoid KROSS
  • 1 0
 I have a Moon and it’s a fenomenal bike so much fun and enjoyable.
  • 2 1
 Typo in the cons section..... "“enduro” buke"
  • 2 1
 Not gona lie i like that linkage design
  • 1 0
 It looks like a diamondback
  • 1 0
 Nice job riding the "q-bert" rock.
  • 3 2
 Looks like a Gambler.
  • 1 1
 2019 is a 29er. Odd to review a bike that's been replaced...
  • 2 0
 For 2019, the Moon is available in both 27.5" and 29" sizes.
  • 1 0
 Ok Diamondback
  • 1 1
 pre dang good build for the price
  • 3 5
 This bike looks like it’s stuck 10 Years in the past but with modern components.
  • 2 0
 Which is funny because according to the review it is quite on par with the Santa Cruz Bronson that was released this year.
  • 2 2
 Looks flexy
  • 1 4
 I owned Kross once (hardtail) and never again buy another. Their dominance in Poland is obvious but it don't mean that their bikes are good. Dobre bo polskie! hahahah
  • 2 1
 Dartmoor!!
  • 1 3
 Another one that can not withstand that Polish bike manufacturer is making reliable decent machines.
And before you try to post something in English, try to learn the damn language. "I owned Kross once (hardtail) and never again buy another." - means you will never buy any other bike than Kross.
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