SILEX 7000 impresses in lifeCYCLE test

Bike expert Martin Donat from Germany’s lifeCYCLE magazine knows our SILEX inside out. He was able to take the previous model on an extensive adventure ride and fell in love with it immediately. Now, Donat has taken the brand-new SILEX 7000 on an equally beautiful bikepacking adventure, more precisely, on the 'Castles & Cakepacking' route in the German Münsterland region.

The SILEX frame has undergone a "significant optical evolution", which "looks very well thought-out and has several features to offer", so two of Martin's opening statements. With a large number of threaded eyelets and the option to easily retrofit mudguards, the SILEX is ideally equipped for both bikepacking and commuting. The "extremely clean cable routing" also caught Donat's eye. This makes perfect sense, especially when a handlebar bag is fitted. 

The Shimano GRX groupset with a 1x12 drivetrain has plenty of reserves for steep climbs, and the whole bike looks "very pleasing, smooth and incredibly tidy". It also feels very stable and oozes class-leading reliability. The SILEX has "grown up" and is a very well-balanced, "all-round endurance gravel bike that does exactly what you expect from it". With its modern, balanced geometry and small, fine details, the SILEX 7000 offers "a lot of bike for a reasonable price".

"The bike runs, the load holds", for Martin's very matter-of-fact summary after completing his "Castles & Cakepacking" tour. Donat was "completely satisfied" with the handling of the SILEX 7000. In the search for a balanced all-round gravel bike, the SILEX 7000 is a "pretty good mix" and a "reliable, versatile companion".

Note: All texts and quotes are translated from the German original.

To read the German original, please click here.  

For the full specification and frame features of the tested SILEX 7000, please click the link underneath DISCOVER THE BIKE.

Please check the micro page here to find out more about the bike, including key features, R&D, design thinking, and intended use.  

To see the complete SILEX range, please click here.

Note: The bike tested was the MY2024 SILEX 7000.